Brain research with the goal of discovering better treatments and cures for mental health disorders is a significant undertaking. Each disorder has different variations and symptoms, requiring specific and often individual treatment plans. The scientific discoveries do, however, overlap sometimes in shedding insight across disorders, discovering how the circuitry in the brain functions or dysfunctions or in genetic findings that ultimately improve treatment across multiple disorders.

NARSAD researchers – the best and brightest doing brain research today – continuously make discoveries that help uncover causes, new treatments and possible cures for these  debilitating brain disorders. Here are links to some recent promising NARSAD research findings:

New Depression Treatment Tested

NARSAD Young Investigator Dr. Ian Cook, UCLA, has successfully adapted a novel treatment for epilepsy for treatment of depression. A clinical trial shows 80 percent achieve remission with no major side effects.

Genetic Discovery

NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Dr. Guy Rouleau published results from a study that suggests family history may not be a good predictor of autism or schizophrenia. The study shows an increased frequency of severe new, or de novo, mutations in critical brain genes in both disorders.

The Science Behind Ketamine

NARSAD Investigator and Scientific Council member Dr. Ronald S. Duman, Yale University, and a team of researchers studied the scientific mechanisms behind the drug ketamine’s success in treating the symptoms of major depression with rapid results. Listen to an interview wtih Dr. Duman about his discovery.