Is there any way to tell if someone is at risk for psychosis later in life? If doctors could predict later psychosis, could they do something to prevent onset?

Bipolar disorder in children and teens is difficult to treat. Many medications on the market have not been tested in young people. A new study compares the safety and effectiveness of three drugs for bipolar disorder. Three medications, lithium, an antipsychotic, and a drug specifically approved for mania, were given to children and teens with bipolar disorder.  After eight weeks of treatment, the antipsychotic Risperdal ( risperidone ) was most effective for symptoms of mania, but it also caused severe weight gain. Researchers recommend caution and close monitoring when using...

There is no cure for schizophrenia, and though drug treatments can be helpful the side effects can turn people away from them too. Recent statistical analysis shows antipsychotic treatments to be more helpful than placebos. 

Purpose in life can be as simple as having a hobby or connecting with family. New research points to having purpose in life to keep memory and thinking going strong.

Treating schizophrenia with benzodiazepines is not proving to have a great track record of success. Suicide and non-suicidal deaths both spike when there are benzodiazepines prescribed to schizophrenics.

Common sense would say that hiring an extra person to oversee a patient’s care would cost a great deal more. However, new research suggests that integrative health care will actually lower cost and improve results in certain cases.

Depression and dementia often happen to the same people. Does this mean that depression is a risk factor for dementia?

Whether a person is a righty or a lefty may affect how brain stimulation therapy should be targeted.  Hand dominance determines which side of the brain makes approach and defend decisions. A new study takes a look at the brain waves of right- and left-handed people when they’re asked questions about their physical motivation. This could mean that brain stimulation should be tailored to people based on their dominant hand. Before brain-stimulation therapy, tell your doctor if you’re left-handed. Under the direction of Dr. Daniel Casasanto PhD., assistant professor of psychol...

Though most recommended nutrients for pregnant women are included in prenatal vitamins, others should be gained through diet, such as the nutrient choline . A recent study reveals that a higher intake of choline during the last part of a woman's pregnancy reduces their baby's stress levels, and this reduction, along with other changes noted, may play a part in reducing later disease risk. Eat plenty of vegetables and protein foods during your pregnancy. Marie Caudill , an associate professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell University, and Cornell graduate student Xinyin Jian...

A new study shows that Namenda ( memantine ), used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), does not improve agitation symptoms. As AD progresses, agitation is a common symptom that often appears as restlessness, anxiousness, or becoming easily upset. A recent study looked at this aspect, specifically, and found that Namenda did not appear to offer any benefit to these symptoms. Talk with a doctor if a loved one with AD experiences agitation The study, led by Chris Fox, MD, of the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, enrolled 149 patients with AD who also ...