University of Cambridge scientists have welcomed the new psychiatry diagnostic manual that will have a strong impact on how autism is diagnosed. In a paper out this month they discuss not only the benefits but also the challenges faced in research by the new changes. The new edition of the widely used manual in [...]
New Orleans on neurosteriods: Society for Neuroscience Conference 2012
October 26, 2012 by
If you ever thought you attended a large conference (±5000 attendees), you have never been to SfN.. Last week almost 30,000 neuroscientists travelled to New Orleans, USA, from all over the world to attend the annual SfN conference. The conference started for most on the way to New Orleans chatting to fellow scientists on the [...]
Prof John O’Brien talks to the News Committee about his work on dementia and his new Chair in Old Age Psychiatry
September 14, 2012 by
Professor John O’Brien has recently been appointed Cambridge’s first Chair in Old Age Psychiatry at the Department having spent much of his career investigating the biological basis of dementia and aging. Professor O’Brien is no stranger to Cambridge, having completed his undergraduate degree in Medical Sciences, carrying out his Part 2 in Experimental Psychology alongside [...]
Impulsivity and binge eating may drive obesity in a subgroup of individuals
August 22, 2012 by
Obesity is one of the western world’s most prevalent disorders with more than half of the population in the UK being classified as overweight or obese. A new study by researchers at the Brain Mapping Unit and the department of Experimental Medicine at GlaxoSmithKline investigated the link between psychological traits associated with obesity and anthropometric [...]
Prenatal testosterone influences the brain reward system and behaviour in childhood
July 23, 2012 by
A recent article by Dr Michael Lombardo and colleagues, published in Biological Psychiatry, investigates the mechanistic effects of prenatal testosterone on approach-avoidance behavioural tendencies. Approach-avoidance behaviours are present in many neuropsychiatric conditions with skewed sex ratios. Because prenatal testosterone levels are much higher in boys than in girls, these levels may affect brain regions involved [...]
Differences in the acquisition of new face representations in autism spectrum conditions
June 25, 2012 by
One of the core features of autism spectrum conditions (ASC) is social difficulty. A new study by Dr Churches and colleagues in NeuroReport showed that individuals with ASC show differences in the early stages of new face acquisition. Processing of faces and face recognition are important for good communication and problems with this may lead [...]
More autistic traits in women with Gender Identity Disorder
June 22, 2012 by
In a recent article published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Rebecca Jones and colleagues at the Autism Research Centre investigated the number of autistic traits in individuals with Gender Identity Disorder (GID). They found that women with GID have more autistic traits than men with GID and compared to the typical population. [...]