University of Massachusetts Medical School, Author at PsyPost

Do children inherit drug protection from parents exposed to nicotine or drugs?

By University of Massachusetts Medical School February 14, 2017

A father’s nicotine use may have a significant impact on children’s risk of some diseases. In a study published in the online biomedical sciences journal eLife, Oliver J. Rando, MD, PhD, and colleagues at UMass Medical School, demonstrate that mice born of fathers who are habitually exposed to nicotine inherit enhanced chemical tolerance and drug clearance abilities. These findings offer a powerful framework for exploring how information about a father’s environmental exposure history is passed…

Viral infection during pregnancy causes autism-like behaviors in mice

By University of Massachusetts Medical School January 28, 2016

A study published in the journal Science found that activation in pregnant mice of a particular immune response, similar to what may occur with certain viral infections during pregnancy, alters the brain structure of the mouse offspring and causes behavioral changes, reminiscent of those observed in humans with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Several past human studies have suggested a correlative link between maternal viral infection during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorder. Mouse models…

Changing behavior through synaptic engineering

By University of Massachusetts Medical School September 8, 2015

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School are the first to show that it’s possible to reverse the behavior of an animal by flipping a switch in neuronal communication. The research, published in PLOS Biology, provides a new approach for studying the neural circuits that govern behavior and has important implications for how scientists think about neural connectomes. New technologies have fueled the quest to map all the neural connections in the brain to…

Researchers reveal how a common mutation causes neurodegenerative disease

By University of Massachusetts Medical School August 26, 2015

Researchers have determined how the most common gene mutation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) disrupts normal cell function, providing insight likely to advance efforts to develop targeted therapies for these brain diseases. Scientists from the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital led the research, which appeared in the science journal Nature. Investigators reported evidence that mutation of C9ORF72 interferes with the movement of RNAs and proteins…

Scientists identify brain circuitry responsible for anxiety in smoking cessation

By University of Massachusetts Medical School April 22, 2015

In a promising breakthrough for smokers who are trying to quit, neuroscientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and The Scripps Research Institute have identified circuitry in the brain responsible for the increased anxiety commonly experienced during withdrawal from nicotine addiction. “We identified a novel circuit in the brain that becomes active during nicotine withdrawal, specifically increasing anxiety,” said principal investigator Andrew Tapper, PhD , associate professor of psychiatry. “Increased anxiety is a prominent…

Study finds that opioids administered in the ER don’t influence patient satisfaction

By University of Massachusetts Medical School January 15, 2015

A new study co-authored by investigators at the University of Massachusetts Medical School found that there is no correlation between opioids administered in the emergency room setting and Press Ganey ED patient satisfaction scores, one of the most commonly used metrics for measuring patient satisfaction. Based on these findings, the study’s authors suggest that emergency room clinicians should administer pain medications in the emergency room setting according to clinical and patient factors without being concerned…

Rare genetic disease protects against bipolar disorder

By University of Massachusetts Medical School October 14, 2014

A team of scientists led by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (UMMSM) have identified what is likely a key genetic pathway underlying bipolar (manic depressive) disorder, a breakthrough that could lead to better drugs for treating bipolar affective disorder, as well as depression and other related mood disorders. The new findings, published online this week in Nature Molecular Psychiatry, show that a…

Depression in postmenopausal women may increase diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk

By University of Massachusetts Medical School June 16, 2013

Postmenopausal women who use antidepressant medication or suffer from depression might be more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI), larger waist circumference and inflammation

Scientists identify neurons that control feeding behavior in Drosophila

By University of Massachusetts Medical School June 14, 2013

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have developed a novel transgenic system which allows them to remotely activate individual brain cells in the model organism Drosophila using ambient temperature.

Riding the exosome shuttle from neuron to muscle

By University of Massachusetts Medical School March 30, 2013

Important new research from UMass Medical School demonstrates how exosomes shuttle proteins from neurons to muscle cells where they take part in critical signaling mechanisms, an exciting discovery that means these tiny vehicles could one day be loaded with therapeutic agents.

Scientists identify first gene in programmed axon degeneration

By University of Massachusetts Medical School June 8, 2012

Degeneration of the axon and synapse, the slender projection through which neurons transmit electrical impulses to neighboring cells, is a hallmark of some of the most crippling neurodegenerative and brain diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s disease and peripheral neuropathy.

Preventing and treating drug use with smartphones

By University of Massachusetts Medical School March 24, 2012

Clinical researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) are combining an innovative constellation of technologies such as artificial intelligence, smartphone programming, biosensors and wireless connectivity to develop a device designed to detect physiological stressors associated with drug cravings and respond with user-tailored behavioral interventions that prevent substance use.