Virtual Psych Centre Medical News

A new gene trigger for pregnancy disorder identified

The COMT gene (catechol-O-methyltransferase) – known already for its role in schizophrenia – has been found to play a role in preeclampsia, according to a report in today’s advance o

Celebrate nurses day, but more needed!

On May 12, International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world in honour of the birthday of the most famous nurse of all time, Florence Nightingale. In New Zealand, Nurses Day is focusing on &ldqu

Men are more likely than women to crave alcohol when they feel negative emotions

Women and men tend to have different types of stress-related psychological disorders. Women have greater rates of depression and some types of anxiety disorders than men, while men have greater rat

Binge drinkers have a disconnect between assessing their driving abilities and reality

While many people believe that alcohol-impaired (AI) drivers are usually alcoholics, in fact, 80 percent of AI incidents are caused by binge drinkers. A recent study conducted among college student

Hopkins researchers discover new link to schizophrenia

Neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered that mice lacking an enzyme that contributes to Alzheimer disease exhibit a number of schizophrenia-like behaviors. The finding raises the possibility

Nursing professor leads the way for treating postpartum depression

Women suffering with postpartum depression may in future be able to receive psychotherapy from a specially trained nurse over the phone, eliminating barriers to treatment such as distance, time, or th

Mental disorders cost society billions in unearned income

Major mental disorders cost the nation at least $193 billion annually in lost earnings alone, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Ment

Study finds connection between mental fitness and multi-lingualism

Children who speak a second or third language may have an unexpected advantage later in life, a new Tel Aviv University study has found. Knowing and speaking many languages may protect the brain again

Researchers have found a link between gluten and brain damage

Gluten is damaging our brains! Paediatrician, gastroenterologist, allergist and author, Dr Rodney Ford has found a link between gluten and brain damage.

Exercise plus psychological counseling may benefit depressed heart failure patients

Aerobic exercise combined with cognitive behavioral therapy may improve physical function, reduce depressive symptoms and enhance quality of life in depressed heart failure patients, researchers repor

The 'choking game,' psychological distress and bullying

Ontario’s youth are experiencing a different kind of high, approximately seven percent (an estimated 79,000 students in grades 7 to 12) report participating in a thrill-seeking activity calle

Scientists find stem cells for the first time in the pituitary

A team of researchers led by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have for the first time identified stem cells that allow the pituitary glands of mice to grow even after birth. They found that

Pin1 enzyme is beneficial to alzheimer's disease

The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and a relatively rare hereditary form of dementia, frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism-17, share a common pathology, both are the res

New research shows nearly 40% of smokers have a mental illness � and it�s costing them dearly

SANE Australia is calling for urgent action to introduce quit smoking programs and supports for people with a mental illness, following an Access Economics report, Smoking and Mental Illness: C

Easing anxiety through sharing

SANE Australia has released a DVD providing valuable insight into what it’s like to live with an anxiety disorder, a condition which affects one in ten Australians.