|
Hello Synapse Spotlight readers,
Welcome to our third edition of Synapse Spotlight! We're thrilled to connect with you in your inbox. At the Society of Biological Psychiatry, one of our key objectives is to make neuroscience accessible to a broad audience, so please don't hesitate to share this with your students, family member, neighbors, and anyone else who would be interested!
In today’s issue, we dive into fascinating new research exploring how fats (lipids) influence alcohol cravings, the role of the brain’s reward system in depression, and how avoidance behaviors complicate obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We also feature an early career researcher’s work on understanding anxiety in psychosis.
What ties many of these issues together? Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This tiny chemical messenger shown in the image below, exists across the brain and resembles a chain of connected spheres at the molecular level.
| |
Image credit: Adapted from vdvornyk via iStock. | |
|
The spheres in GABA represent carbon (dark gray), hydrogen (light gray), nitrogen (blue), and oxygen (red) atoms, arranged in a way that allows GABA to "carry messages" between nerve cells. Think of it as a key fitting into specific locks in the brain. When GABA “unlocks” certain receptors, this triggers the brain to feel and do many things—including feelings of calm, relaxation, and can even reduce seizure episodes.
Often called the brain's "stop" chemical, GABA does much more. It plays a key role in how we experience pleasure, motivation, and reward, but it also helps control movement, focus, and learning. Despite its small size, GABA has a massive impact on how we think, feel, and move!
Make sure you to check out the work that SOBP researchers are doing in their local communities, below. Don’t miss our new section, “Breaking the Stigma of Mental Illness”, and challenge yourself with our brain teaser, “Around the Brain in MCQs”!
| |
Hot topics in Biological Psychiatry | |
Understanding craving in alcohol use disorder: The role of lipid signaling | |
|
Dr. Cristina Miliano, a Research Scientist at Virginia Tech, recently published findings on the role of lipids (fat molecules) in alcohol use disorder. Her team investigated how blood lipid levels [shown as yellow droplets within a blood vessel] relate to alcohol craving and consumption, both before and after treatment. Dr. Miliano's study revealed that higher lipid levels at treatment entry predicted higher pre-treatment drinking, while low levels of a specific endocannabinoid-related lipid predicted higher post-treatment craving
These findings suggest lipids could serve as biomarkers for alcohol use disorder risk and treatment outcomes. The study opens new avenues for understanding the molecular changes in alcohol use disorder and developing novel therapies.
| |
Why This Matters: This research provides new insights into the biological underpinnings of alcohol use disorder. Identifying easily measurable biomarkers could help predict treatment outcomes and personalize interventions. Understanding lipids' role in alcohol craving could lead to new therapeutic targets, improving treatment options and highlighting the potential for personalized medicine in addiction treatment. | | | |
It’s more than feeling sad: How reward learning is impacted in depression | |
|
Jessica M. Duda, a clinical psychology doctoral student at Yale University, and Amelia D. Moser, a clinical psychology doctoral student at the University of Colorado-Boulder, led an exciting collaborative study exploring how reward learning, brain signaling, and stress interact in depression. Their findings revealed some surprising insights:
- People who had recovered from depression struggled more with learning rewards than those still experiencing depression.
- Stress made it harder for everyone to learn from rewards.
- Women with higher brain signaling showed poorer reward learning.
Using a task that involved making decisions based on rewards [like the one illustrated in the figure], this study shed light on the complex ways depression and biology are connected, offering new clues about recovery.
| | |
Why this matters: Depression is common, yet its neurobiological effects are not fully understood. This research sheds light on how depression alters reward processing, both during active episodes and after recovery. By clarifying the connections between reward learning, stress, and molecular signaling, the study contributes to a better understanding of depression's impact on the brain, paving the way for more targeted treatments and potential biomarkers for recovery and relapse risk. | | | |
Better safe than sorry: New commentary on avoidance in obsessive compulsive disorder | |
|
Dr. Stefanie Russman Block from the University of Michigan has provided new insights into an understudied aspect of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In her commentary, Dr. Russman Block describes OCD as a condition where “obsessions induce a sense of uncertainty while compulsions are aimed at gaining a sense of greater certainty, often unsuccessfully”. Key points from Dr. Russman Block’s commentary:
- OCD is often referred to as the "doubting disease" because patients constantly struggle with uncertainty.
- Studying avoidance behaviors in both animals and humans could help elucidate the brain mechanisms driving OCD. Avoidance is when someone tries to stay away from situations, thoughts, or feelings that make them uncomfortable, anxious, or scared. Instead of facing the problem, they avoid it, which might bring temporary relief but often makes the issue worse in the long run.
-
Understanding these mechanisms could lead to the development of more effective treatments.
Dr. Russman Block's long-term research aims to explore mind-body connections for therapies, focusing on developing novel treatments that utilize live brain feedback. Live brain feedback, also called neurofeedback, is a technique where a person can see how their brain is working in real time. Sensors are placed on the head to measure brain activity, and this information is displayed on a screen. By watching and adjusting one’s thoughts or focus, people with OCD could learn to control certain brain patterns associated with avoidance.
| | |
Why this matters: This commentary emphasizes the significance of studying avoidance behaviors in OCD, which have been relatively overlooked. Insights into the neural basis of these behaviors could lead to targeted treatments, with the potential for live brain feedback to significantly improve outcomes for patients. | | | |
SOBP early career member spotlight | | |
|
|
Meet Dr. Brandee Feola, a Research Assistant Professor examining how stress and anxiety influence psychosis as part of the Psychosis Research Group at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She studies how these factors affect people throughout their lives, especially those with psychotic disorders. Her lab uses cutting-edge tools like brain scans, heart rate monitors, and stress hormone tests, alongside clinician and self-reported assessments. Dr. Feola hopes her work will uncover how stress and anxiety contribute to psychosis, paving the way for earlier detection and better treatments. Outside the lab, she's a proud Pittsburgh sports fan and a new mom to twins!
| | |
SOBP members engage with the community: Sober October | |
LR: Drs. Jenni Blackford, Alëna Balasanova, Marisa M. Silveri, and Todd Wyatt. Photo Credit: Rob Blackford. | |
|
Two SOBP members, Drs. Jennifer Urbano Blackford and Nicole L. Zabik from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, are conducting research on alcohol use disorder. “Nebraska ranks ninth in the nation for highest levels of drinking, and people are starting to recognize the negative impact alcohol has on both the body and the brain,” says Dr. Blackford, who leads multiple studies on alcohol abstinence.
On Friday, September 13, 2024, they hosted the first Sober October at in Omaha, NE. The event featured leaders in alcohol use research, including Dr. Marisa Silveri
| | |
|
from Harvard-McLean, who shared her personal journey of being sober for over 500 days. The team also collaborated with local community members, including treatment centers and Dry Spokes, a popular “dry bar.”
“We wanted our community to know that it’s okay not to drink and that there are alternatives to alcohol,” says Dr. Zabik. Drs. Blackford and Zabik hope this event sparks a "sober curious" movement within their local community.
| |
|
Breaking the stigma of mental illness: Jon Nelson’s story
| |
|
Jon Nelson's life took a dramatic turn when he participated in a clinical trial led by Dr. Helen Mayberg, receiving deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant major depressive disorder. Jon's primary symptom prior to the surgery was constant suicidal ideation. Since the surgery in August 2022, he hasn't had a single suicidal thought and is fully in remission of depression. Electricity is his medicine. The clinical trial saved his life. Now a dedicated mental health activist, Jon shares his experience through speaking engagements, podcasts, articles and spoke at a congressional briefing in 2024 on behalf of the NIH Brain Initiative. Jon emphasizes the critical need for investment in mental health research. His story is a powerful reminder of the transformative impact research can have on individuals struggling with mental illness.
To learn more about Jon’s story, and join his powerful movement to “pulverize the stigma of mental illness”, visit: www.PulverizeTheStigma.com
| | |
Around the brain in MCQs! | |
|
Which brain region is activated in fight-or-flight situations?
- Hippocampus
- Thalamus
- Amygdala
- Occipital lobe
Scroll to the bottom of the newsletter to find the answer!
| |
|
To learn more about the Society of Biological Psychiatry (SOBP), or to become a professional member, visit https://sobp.org/
To subscribe to our newsletter, click here: Newsletter sign-up
To reach out to an expert, or for topic suggestions, email sobp@sobp.org
To learn more about SOBP journals, click here: https://sobp.org/publications/journals/
Press releases: https://sobp.org/publications/journal-press-releases/
To learn more about the brain and brain disorders, listen to the BrainSTEM podcast, hosted by SOBP members. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.
| |
How can I get involved?
SOBP is a proud Associate Member of the American Brain Coalition. Visit the website for the American Brain Coalition to learn more about their vision and how together we can advocate for increased support of research that will lead to better treatments for our patients as well as a national commitment towards finding cures for individuals with disabling neurological and psychiatric disorders.
| |
How can I get help?
We can all help prevent suicide. The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.
Call or text 988; Llama al 988 (para ayuda en español)
| |
|
Find a therapist in your area with the Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist Tool: www.psychologytoday.com
Visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website
Visit the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) website
| |
Multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ) answer is C
Well done to those who chose C! The amygdala (shown in pink in this image) acts like the brain’s tiny alarm system. Shaped like an almond (its name even means "almond" in Greek), this small structure helps regulate emotions, especially fear and excitement. When something surprising or scary happens, the amygdala jumps into action, alerting the brain to pay attention and respond.
Image credit: Janulla via iStock.
| | | | |
