NIHR Maudsley BRC Blog

Our latest news and events

Largest ever study of depression and anxiety now recruiting individuals from Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales

Researchers at King’s College London launched the largest ever single study of depression and anxiety in September 2018, recruiting in England, and are now opening the study in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. By recruiting at least 40,000 people who have experienced either depression or anxiety at some point in their life, the Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression (GLAD) study will make important strides towards better understanding of these disorders and improving the lives of future patients.

By NIHR Maudsley BRC at 25 Feb 2019

Cannabis-based medicine to be tested in Alzheimer's trial

Researchers from the NIHR Maudsley BRC are to lead a pioneering new study into a cannabis-based treatment for people living with dementia. Alzheimer’s Research UK has awarded over £250,000 for the landmark phase II clinical trial of Sativex®, a cannabis-based medicine licenced in the UK. The drug has already been found to be safe in people and has been approved for use in the treatment of muscle stiffness and tightness experienced by people with multiple sclerosis. However, Sativex® is not currently licensed in the UK for any other indication, including treatment of the symptoms of dementia.

 

By NIHR Maudsley BRC at 21 Feb 2019

Could intranasal oxytocin be used to treat people at clinically high risk of psychosis?

Oxytocin, a hormone most often associated with childbirth, is also known for its effects on social-emotional cognition and behaviour. According to new research supported by the NIHR Maudsley BRC, oxytocin also alters blood flow in the hippocampus — a brain region strongly implicated in the onset of psychosis — in those at clinically high risk of psychosis.

By NIHR Maudsley BRC at 12 Feb 2019

Eating a healthy diet can ease symptoms of depression

An analysis of data from almost 46,000 people has found that weight loss, nutrient boosting and fat reduction diets can all reduce the symptoms of depression.

By NIHR Maudsley BRC at 6 Feb 2019

Mental health stigma greater in London and the south

A study undertaken by researchers at the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre and King’s College London suggests that people living in London and the south have more negative attitudes towards people with mental health problems than those living in other areas of England. The research was published in PLOS ONE.

By NIHR Maudsley BRC at 23 Jan 2019