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Archive
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2021
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January
- Fellows award for Dr Katherine Young for work on the mental health of young people during and after the pandemic
- NEWS2 evaluated for prediction of severe COVID-19 outcome in large international study
- SIREN study finds past COVID-19 infection provides some immunity for at least five months
- Interview with Miguel Vasconcelos Da Silva
- COVID-19 lockdown loneliness linked to more depressive symptoms in older adults
- The significant effect of lockdown on gambler’s mental health
- Antibiotic may improve outcomes for depression in people with low level inflammation
- Novavax trial reveals 89.3% effectiveness in preventing COVID-19
- Case studies
- February
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March
- Deciphering the genetics behind eating disorders
- NIHR appoints Senior Investigators for 2021
- Depression and anxiety are associated with disagreement between patient and doctor assessments of psoriasis severity.
- Professor Peter Goadsby awarded world’s top Brain Prize 2021
- Interview with Dr Parisa Mansoori
- New study highlights the urgent need to reduce inflammation in overweight people with depression
- Novavax confirms vaccine provides 100% protection against severe COVID-19
- NIHR welcomes new vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery
- COVID-19 pandemic leads to rapid uptake of remote consultations in mental healthcare
- April
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January
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2020
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January
- BRC researchers on the Highly Cited list doubles to twenty
- CRIS Blog: Are we under-estimating self-harm rates due to differences in hospital admittance procedures?
- BRC Researchers celebrated at the King’s Awards
- New study finds evidence for reduced brain connections in schizophrenia
- Exposure to trauma ‘activates’ genes into causing depression
- Nurses in research blog: Emma and Naomi
- New findings on the effects of cannabidiol on people with psychosis
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February
- New centre of excellence for children and young people's mental health launched
- High volumes of mental health-related tweets associated with crisis referrals
- Call opens to drive the future of health data research
- CRIS Blog: Answering real-world questions about medication and mental health through pharmacoepidemiology
- CRIS Blog: Appropriate use of healthcare records for research
- CRIS Blog: Artificial Intelligence and Data in Suicide Prevention
- Largest ever study of eating disorders launches in England
- C4C research register now totals 20,000 people
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March
- Georgia’s research secondment
- Study finds that Community Treatment Orders do not reduce hospital readmission rates or stays
- 10,000 people could benefit from new migraine drug
- Thirty risk factors found during and after pregnancy for children developing psychosis
- Heroin injection associated with respiratory disorder
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April
- Researchers appeal to public for help to assess mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
- CRIS Blog: CRIS in the time of coronavirus
- Depression and anxiety increase premature death by up to 134%
- Mental health and brain research must be a higher priority in global response to tackle COVID-19 pandemic
- Stories from our students: Becki
- COPE Study: Investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being
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May
- Thought provoking men’s mental health film released
- Animated parenting tips for struggling households
- Researchers track COVID-19 isolation effects on older people’s health and wellbeing
- From Babylonian blood-letting practices to wearable tech, new film on the evolution of depression perceptions and treatment
- Patient and public recommendations for getting involved in BRC research
- Cognitive behavioural therapy reduces the impact of dissociative seizures
- Mind the Gap 17-25: A diagnosis doesn’t define you
- Sarah Markham writes about her experiences in research
- Covid-19 Psychiatry and Neurological Genetics (COPING) study
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June
- Trial testing a unique formulation of ibuprofen to treat COVID-19 launches
- New study to monitor the real-time effect of COVID-19 on mental health services
- Introducing the CRIS Natural Language Processing (NLP) Service
- Study shows Cognitive Remediation Therapy leads to improvement in cognitive skills and well-being in people with bipolar disorder
- New Research Training and Capacity Development lead announced
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July
- Growing numbers of alcohol related hospital admissions linked to local spending cuts
- ACE inhibitors and ARBs not associated with severity of Coronavirus
- Data linkages animation explores the evolution of healthcare records in research
- Study estimates impact of COVID-19 pandemic on UK mental health after first month of lockdown
- Genes related to inflammation and stress may help tailor treatments for depression
- Can wearables like Fitbit devices be used to help detect COVID-19?
- Lithium in drinking water linked with lower suicide rates
- August
- September
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October
- Loss of potential: teens diagnosed with depression show reduction in educational achievement from primary school to GCSE
- £1.2 million to roll-out dementia care home programme to COVID-hit sector
- NIHR announces mental health research goals for next decade
- Rosalind helps researchers navigate personal health data
- An interview with Dr Ndaba Mazibuko
- National study into neurological impact of COVID-19
- Study supports link between traffic-related air pollution and mental disorders
- How our eLIXIR research database helps reduce risk of health problems in mothers and children
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November
- Dr Helen Munn new chair of External Scientific Advisory Board
- An interview with Dr Anoushka Leslie
- 18 BRC Researchers Amongst Most Highly Cited in World
- Using patient data to understand service use and improve care during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Experts call for new consensus on Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
- December
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January
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2019
- January
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February
- Eating a healthy diet can ease symptoms of depression
- CRIS Blog: Pathfinders and the public
- NIHR Maudsley BRC researchers host dementia discussion in collaboration with South London Theatre
- Could intranasal oxytocin be used to treat people at clinically high risk of psychosis?
- CRIS blog: Using data on hospital episodes to look at the physical health of people with personality disorders
- Cannabis-based medicine to be tested in Alzheimer's trial
- Largest ever study of depression and anxiety now recruiting individuals from Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales
- March
- April
- May
- June
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July
- One in ten UK hospital inpatients is alcohol dependent
- CRIS Blog: Art and Value at Bethlem Gallery: an art-science collaboration with Sarah Carpenter and CRIS
- Genetic study reveals metabolic origins of anorexia
- Compensatory strategies to disguise autism spectrum disorder may delay diagnosis and have negative consequences for mental health
- Close monitoring essential to ensure safety of ketamine for depression
- August
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September
- Six BRC academics promoted to new positions, including two new professorships
- CRIS Blog: Medichec - A tool to make prescribing safer for people with dementia
- Study gets under way to test psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression
- 'An inspiring day': BRC community gathers to share knowledge at conference
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October
- CRIS Blog: CRIS data demonstrates need for better physical healthcare for people who use heroin
- SURE Recovery: the new addiction recovery app designed alongside service users
- Our first ever artist residency to kick off with Afrobeat and Dub gig in South London
- Expert panel examines barriers faced by working class academics
- December
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2018
- January
- February
- March
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April
- UK Biobank mental health study
- CRIS blog: Using CRIS to evaluate mental health diagnoses in routine national statistics
- Engaging in physical activity decreases people’s chance of developing depression
- Unprecedented study identifies 44 genetic risk factors for major depression
- New research: Hospitals often missing dementia despite prior diagnosis
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
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November
- 2018 Takeover Challenge
- CRIS blog: The future of psychiatry research
- CRIS blog: Do long-term prescriptions of multiple antipsychotics contribute to the reduced life expectancy of patients with serious mental illness?
- Improving dementia care and treatment saves thousands of pounds in care homes
- New service in south London reduces hospital readmissions for people with bipolar disorder
- Ten BRC researchers and academics among most cited in the world
- Students 'take over' the BRC
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December
- Computers can ‘spot the difference’ between healthy brains and the brains of people with Dissociative Identity Disorder
- Service User Advisory Group for 12-16-year-olds
- New Clinical Disorders and Health Behaviours cluster lead announced
- Blog: The SLG Arts Assassins collaborate with the BRC
- Professor Matthew Hotopf receives CBE at Buckingham Palace
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2017
- January
- February
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March
- Professor Robert Stewart awarded ‘Collaborate to Innovate’ project
- NIHR Maudsley BRC researchers receive Senior Investigator awards
- Research blog: Using social media to recognise mental health conditions
- Department of Health Chief Scientific Adviser Chris Whitty visits Maudsley BRC
- NIHR Maudsley BRC commences five-year research programme
- IMPARTS Seminar Learning from experience
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April
- New research highlights higher hospitalisation rates in people with intellectual disabilities
- Digital Technology for Mental Health: Asking the right questions
- Maudsley becomes London’s Global Digital Exemplar
- CRIS blog: An online risk calculator to identify candidates for early intervention services
- May
- June
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July
- NIHR Maudsley BRC researcher wins award to understand suicide warning signs in children
- Who are the NIHR? #WeAreNIHR
- Brain stimulation may improve cognitive performance in people with schizophrenia
- Risk for bipolar disorder associated with faster ageing
- Omega-3 fatty acids improve symptoms in children and adolescents with ADHD
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August
- South London and Maudsley tops NIHR league table for number of active research studies
- Connecting care homes with research
- Research blog: Using advanced search technologies to help manage infectious disease outbreaks
- A&E attendance for people with dementia is common and increasing
- Event: Seminar on dementia art project "Beyond Memories"
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November
- Professor Oliver Howes receives Royal College of Psychiatrists Award
- First network analysis of patient flow in two UK hospitals published
- Honorary Degree for Professor Dame Til Wykes
- Concentrated naloxone nasal spray as good as injection
- Professor Matthew Hotopf appointed Vice Dean
- Potential for machine learning to predict unknown adverse drug reactions
- Complications at birth associated with lasting chemical changes in the brain
- Study examines opiate-dependent patient deaths
- NIHR Lectureship awarded
- Treatment cuts migraine days by half
- December
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2016
- January
- February
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March
- CRIS Blog: Serious Mental Illness and Pregnancy
- Kings world-class contribution to understanding of clozapine
- Research blog: PROMPT project reveals complex profile of people using psychological therapy services
- Tony David John Toulmin Lecture
- Crick synapse event
- IMPARTS Seminar Harnessing digital technology in mental and physical healthcare
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April
- CRIS blog: Eight years on
- Experts call for greater recognition of little-known forms of dementia
- Event: Clinical Research Facility Research Forum
- Ewan Birney MRC SGDP Seminar
- Al Chalabi Sheila Essey Award
- Event Pint of Science 2016
- RADAR CNS smartphone wearable devices transform medical care
- Cardiovascular drug underprescribing
- Consultation reveals better integration between physical & mental health physicians as top priority
- Prestigious Fellowships awarded to BRC researchers
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May
- Dermatology clinic psychology screening project shortlisted for BMJ Awards
- Independent Researcher Awards 2016
- BMJ Award for team who are incorporating mental health service into dermatology clinic
- Research blog systematic biases in death certification
- Event launch of new collaboration for digital innovation in mental health
- Victoria Derbyshire show inheritance mental illness
- BRC spin out Mindwave launches
- Research blog: Learning how to be a critical friend to researchers
- Research blog International Clinical Trials Day
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June
- Blood test to personalise depression treatment for the first time
- Centre for Translational Informatics launches
- Professor John Strang receives Knighthood
- Film mental health summer school
- Mental health hackday - your help needed
- Research blog: Trialling an online tool to help women make decisions about antidepressants in pregnancy
- Data linkage group your help needed
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July
- CRIS blog: Investigating the impact of antipsychotic medications used to treat people with serious mental illness
- Research blog Maudsley BRC part of winning team at NIHR training camp
- Neuroimaging theme research funding
- NIHR Maudsley BRC announces 2016 Youth Awards winners
- Event: Illusions A window to your brain
- August
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September
- Matthew Hotopf wins prestigious Katon Research Award
- IMPARTS shortlisted for HSJ award
- NIHR Maudsley BRC receives £66m new investment from government
- NIHR Maudsley BRC researchers win prestigious awards
- Event NIHR i4i Programme Mental Health Challenge Awards Launch
- Genetic tests could help predict which psychosis patients will develop schizophrenia
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October
- BRC leaders receive academic promotions
- Event No Exchange, Same Pain, No Gain - Risk-Reward of Wearable Healthcare Disclosure for Receiving Pain Treatment
- C4C recruits 10k
- Research blog: How fatty clues in the blood are improving our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease
- Early intervention shows promising long-term reduction in severity of autism symptoms
- Bringing mental health education to a classroom of 300
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November
- South London and Maudsley rated top mental health trust for recruiting patients to clinical studies
- Mental Health & Technology: Ideas Generation Workshop
- NIHR i4i mental health challenge launch
- UK Government announces £4m investment in NIHR Wellcome Trust King’s Clinical Research Facility
- NIHR Maudsley BRC PhD student wins International Society for the History of Neurosciences book prize
- NIHR Maudsley BRC's takeover challenge
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December
- Event Suicide detection and prevention using mobile technology, social media and informatics
- Event Misconceptions and Reconceptualisations in Digital Mental Health
- Research blog: Defining treatment resistance in schizophrenia
- Mental health needs of baby boomers covered in new report from England’s Chief Medical Officer
- 2015
ACE inhibitors and ARBs not associated with severity of Coronavirus
Researchers have found ACE inhibitors (a type of blood pressure medicine commonly used in patients with high blood pressure or diabetes) and ARBs (used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure) did not increase the severity of COVID-19 disease in patients in two hospitals.
The researchers from King’s College London, King’s College Hospital, NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre and the London Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence Centre for Value Based Healthcare, tested for an association between a patient’s treatment with blood pressure drugs (Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE Inhibitors) or Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)) and their severity of Coronavirus disease.
The study used CogStack, an information retrieval and extraction platform, to review the electronic health records of COVID-19 patients. They looked at the data of 1,200 patients with COVID-19 admitted to two hospitals at the King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with Coronavirus symptoms from 1 March to 13 April 2020.
Findings
Researchers identified severe cases by detecting patients who were either transferred to a critical care unit or who died and compared data for those treated with and without ACE inhibitors and ARBs. Of the 1,200 patients, 415 patients died or required critical care support within 21 days of symptoms and 33% were taking ACE inhibitors or ARBs. The average age was 68 and 74% of patients had at least one comorbidity. The patients were of diverse ethnicities with over 30% from minority ethnic groups.
ACEi and ARB medications are used to treat chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes. The drugs inhibit Angiotensin-converting enzyme 1 (ACE1) and lower blood pressure to help manage these diseases but may also increase the related ACE2 enzyme which is attached to the outer surface of cells within the body.
ACE2 is of particular interest to COVID-19 researchers because the virus binds with these receptors for cell entry to infect the human body. Because of this association, it was thought that ACEi and ABE medications might increase the severity of COVID-19, however, the current finding shows no evidence to support this theory.
Their findings indicated that the likelihood of severe disease was similar in individuals on ACE inhibitors or ARBs compared to those not on these drugs.
Hear from the researchers
Professor Ajay Shah, BHF Chair of Cardiology & James Black Professor of Medicine Director, King’s BHF Centre of Excellence, King's College London and King’s College Hospital, said,
“This study has addressed a very important clinical question since a large proportion of the UK population takes these cardiovascular drugs. Our study indicates that it is perfectly safe to continue taking these agents and that people's concerns about them can be alleviated."
Dr Daniel Bean, lead author and UKRI Innovation Fellow with Health Data Research UK and King’s College London said,
“The CogStack platform was key to this study as it allowed us to very quickly retrieve relevant clinical data and address urgent medical questions about drug safety in coronavirus patients. We’re able analyse medical notes to identify pre-existing conditions and factor these into our analysis. We couldn’t do that so quickly without CogStack.”
Professor Richard Dobson, Professor of Medical Bioinformatics, King's College London said,
“Near real time access to hospital data has never been more important as during the Covid-19 pandemic, as we continue to learn about the virus and respond each day.”
Dr James Teo, Clinical Director of Data Science at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said,
"This work was possible through the use of open technologies working on real-time health data through Health Data Research UK and the guidance and support from the expert patients of the King’s Electronic Records Research Interface (KERRI)."
Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said,
“The use of ACE inhibitors and ARBs has been a hot topic of debate since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This left millions of people living with heart and circulatory conditions questioning whether they should continue to take their heart medications.
“This UK study, which is the first to include significant proportions of people from both white and minority ethnic backgrounds, adds to other recent evidence confirming these medications do not increase the risk of severe Covid-19 infections.
These drugs are very effective for heart failure, and to control high blood pressure to help prevent a heart attack or stroke. This study provides further reassurance that their use is safe and that it is important that patients continue to take them as prescribed to protect cardiovascular health.”
CogStack
Patient data included demographics, emergency department letters, discharge summaries, clinical notes, radiology reports, medication orders, lab results and was retrieved from the structured and unstructured components of the electronic health record (EHR) and analysed using CogStack, an information retrieval and extraction platform.
CogStack was developed by researchers at the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre and uses enterprise search, natural language processing, analytics and visualisation technologies to unlock health records to assist in clinical decision making and research.
CogStack implements new data mining techniques within NHS Trusts – specifically, the ability to search any clinical data source (unstructured and structured), and natural language processing (NLP) applications developed to automate the extraction of medical concepts.
These tools allow clinical text to be searched for specific terms using simple or complex syntax, rapidly retrieving the data needed to answer complex queries such as “find all patients with coronavirus symptoms” or “find all coronavirus patients prescribed ARBs."
Find out more on the CogStack website.
ACE inhibitors
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors reduce a person's blood pressure by relaxing their blood vessels. They are commonly used for people with high blood pressure or diabetes. Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) work in a similar way to ACE inhibitors. They are often recommended to patients if ACE inhibitors cause them unwanted side effects.
The findings have been published today (7 July 2020) in European Journal of Heart Failure.
Tags: Covid-19 - Bioinformatics & statistics -
By NIHR Maudsley BRC at 7 Jul 2020, 17:00 PM
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