Imperial College London : 10 brainy and mental health stories from 2021.
ENPNewswire-December 30, 2021--Imperial College London : 10 brainy and mental health stories from 2021
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Release date- 29122021 - From new understandings of mental health issues to pioneering treatments for neurological conditions, we look at Imperial's brainy findings from 2021.
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Histamine and depression
New findings showed that inflammation and the associated release of the molecule histamine affects levels of serotonin - a key player in mood disorders which is commonly referred to as the 'feel-good molecule'.
Researchers found that serotonin levels in mouse brains fell rapidly after they induced localised inflammation, and that histamine directly inhibited the release of serotonin by binding to inhibitory receptors on serotonin neurons.
Widely prescribed antidepressants did little to increase serotonin levels in the mice.
These inhibitory receptors are also present on human neurons, which suggests the findings could be applicable to humans. If so, histamine could become a 'new molecule of interest' in treating depression, the commonest mental health condition globally.
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Brain stimulation for tremors
Researchers used electrical pulses to suppress tremors associated with a range of neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease and essential Photo depicting two older male hands holding a glass up closetremor. Using brain stimulation applied through electrodes on the scalp of patients, researchers managed to suppress these tremors for a short time after stimulation had stopped.
In the future, this approach may provide a non-invasive alternative to treatments such as brain surgery, which is not widely available and carries risks.
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Mapping brain injuries
A team investigating traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) showed how mechanical forces acting on the brain are linked to long-term damage.
By combining a computational model of brain injury with experimental studies in rat brains, the researchers found that the effect of shear stresses on the white matter of the brain can be used to predict the location of long-term damage.
This new model could help us more accurately predict the severity of brain injuries and inform the design of preventative measures and protective equipment.
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ICU staff mental health
New findings highlighted the prevalence of mental health conditions in intensive care unit (ICU) staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research looked at 515 ICU healthcare workers across...
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