Vanderbilt scientists discover potential new way to treat anxiety
Chemically modified inhibitors of the COX-2 enzyme relieve anxiety behaviors in mice by activating natural “endocannabinoids” without gastrointestinal side effects, Vanderbilt University scientists will report next week.
Endocannabinoids are natural signaling molecules that activate cannabinoid receptors in the brain, the same receptors turned on by the active ingredient in marijuana.
After Newtown - A conversation with Peabody faculty on protecting our schools in an age of violence
In the immediate aftermath of the December 2012 murders at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., the public’s horror over the violence escalated into a contentious debate on school safety, bullying, parenting and gun laws. Little is known about why Adam Lanza killed his mother, six educators and 20 first-graders before killing himself. The media replayed the few details that were known, but the traumatic incident left many questions in its wake.
LEND and Psychiatry—A Good Match
Vanderbilt LEND trainees typically come with backgrounds in audiology, occupational and physical therapy, and nursing, among other fields, but this year, LEND welcomed its first trainee in psychiatry.
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Autism speeds motion perception
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are “markedly better” at perceiving the motion of certain objects than are typically developing children their age, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University and the University of Rochester.
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NIH grants bolster autism research, treatment efforts
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have received grant awards from the National Institutes of Health as part of the Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) research program. The NIH announced grant awards of $100 million over five years to 11 centers nationwide, three of which feature projects from Vanderbilt Kennedy Center investigators, to further studies on autism treatment and intervention.
Clinic helps foster recovery from initial psychotic breaks
Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital’s Psychotic Disorders Clinic has become a leader in the region for the initial assessment and treatment of young adults suffering from their first psychotic break.
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Lecturer seeks to unravel viral replication’s mysteries
Viruses are among the most confounding creatures on the planet.
Since they can only replicate inside another living cell, often by hijacking its reproductive machinery, they have been described as “organisms at the edge of life.”
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