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Science Corner
February 2, 2007
I.
Science and Service News Updates
II. Resources: Publications,
Toolkits, Other Resources
III. Calls for Public Input
IV.
Calls for Applications
V. Calendar of Events
VI. Funding Information
VII. Programmatic Funding Opportunities
VIII. Research Funding
Opportunities (PAs and RFAs)
Print Version
| Science
and News Update |
NIMH: Extreme Irritability
– Is It Childhood Bipolar Disorder? Brain's Electrical Signals
Provide Clues
Results of a new study may help improve the diagnosis and treatment
of two debilitating childhood mental disorders — pediatric bipolar
disorder (BD) and a syndrome called severe mood dysregulation (SMD).
When the brain's electrical signals were measured during mildly frustrating
situations, researchers from the NIMH found a very different pattern
in children with SMD, compared with children who had BD. The results
indicate that different brain mechanisms may lead to irritability
in children with SMD, suggesting that they may have an illness other
than BD and may require different treatments. Results of the study
were published in the February 2007 issue of the American Journal
of Psychiatry.
For full press release: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/ped-bipolar-irritability.cfm |
NIMH: Brain’s Reward
Circuit Activity Ebbs and Flows with a Woman’s Hormonal Cycle
Fluctuations in sex hormone levels during women's menstrual cycles
affect the responsiveness of their brains' reward circuitry, an imaging
study at the NIMH has revealed. While women were winning rewards,
their circuitry was more active if they were in a menstrual phase
preceding ovulation and dominated by estrogen, compared to a phase
when both estrogen and progesterone are present. NIMH Intramural Research
Program researchers report on their functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI) study online during the week of January 29, 2007 in
the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
For full science update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/rewardcircuit.cfm |
NIMH: Gene Variant Linked
to Schizophrenia – Disease Appears to Have Biological Roots
Early in Life
A gene implicated in schizophrenia in adults has now also been linked
to schizophrenia in children for the first time, strengthening evidence
that the gene plays a role in the disease. The gene, NGR1, produces
neuregulin, a protein crucial to brain development. The research suggests
that the gene variation begins adversely affecting brain development
long before the onset of psychotic symptoms, and that childhood-onset
and adult-onset schizophrenia are related, occurring along a continuum.
NIMH researchers published their results in the February issue of
Molecular Psychiatry. They showed that children who have both the
gene variation and schizophrenia have more gray and white matter —
bundles of brain cells that process and transmit information —
than usual.
For full science update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/childhood-schiz-onset-NGR-1.cfm |
NIMH: U.S.-Born Children
of Immigrants May Have Higher Risk for Mental Disorders Than Parents
In the first studies to examine the effects of immigration and years
of residence on the mental health of Caribbean Black, Latino, and
Asian populations in the United States, NIMH-funded researchers found
that immigrants in general appear to have lower rates of mental disorders
than their U.S.-born counterparts. A special section of the American
Journal of Public Health published in January 2007 provides early
findings from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL) and the
National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) on the prevalence
of mental disorders and patterns of mental health service use among
minority immigrants and later generations born in the U.S. It is also
the first time that comparable studies of nationally representative
samples of Caribbean Blacks, Latinos, and Asians have been published
together in the same journal.
For full science update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/immigrant_mentalhealth.cfm |
NIMH: New Tests May Help
Researchers Detect Genetic Basis for Autism
Researchers have developed a set of behavioral tests in mice that
mimic the core features of autism and may prove useful in detecting
a genetic basis for the deficits in social interactions and rigid
thinking seen in the disorder. Researchers at the University of North
Carolina, working with NIMH intramural investigators, evaluated mice
from 10 inbred strains on a series of behavioral tasks that measured
sociability, preference for new social partners, and resistance to
change. Results are published in Animal Models of Autism, a special
issue of Behavioural Brain Research in January 2007.
For full science update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/moy-crawley-autism.cfm |
NIMH: Clues to Making and
Breaking Memories Included in List of Year’s Top Science
NIMH-funded researchers were cited in Science Magazine's December
2006 "Breakthrough of the Year" special issue. The most
recent top 10 list of discoveries included major advances in understanding
how memories are formed and stored, which may help scientists to develop
treatments for many types of mental disorders.
For full science update: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/sciencebreakthru-2006.cfm |
NIDA Launches Centers of
Excellence for Drug Abuse Information
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced the establishment
of four Centers of Excellence for Physician Information - these Centers
will serve as national models to support the advancement of addiction
awareness, prevention, and treatment in primary care practices. The
NIDA Centers of Excellence (NIDA COEs) will target physicians-in-training,
including medical students and resident physicians in primary care
specialties. The NIDA COEs will identify drug addiction knowledge
gaps, develop educational materials and resources specifically designed
for physicians in training to address those gaps, and determine the
most effective means of delivering this information. As a result,
the COEs seek to raise the awareness among primary care physicians
of drug addiction as a health issue and to further facilitate the
dissemination of knowledge on how best to prevent, diagnose, and treat
patients struggling with prescription and illicit drug abuse.
For full press release: http://www.nida.nih.gov/newsroom/07/NR1-25.html |
HHS Office of Minority Health
Announces $3 Million in Emergency Planning Grants Focused on Minority
Populations
Grants totaling nearly $3 million were announced by the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Minority Health, to
improve the ability of the health care system to respond to natural
or man-made disasters affecting racial and ethnic minority populations.
During a roundtable discussion at Tulane University, New Orleans,
LA, on the health status of Hispanics in the wake of Katrina, Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, said the grants will be used
in the development of a comprehensive care model for racial and ethnic
minorities. The Office of Minority Health in conjunction with the
National Institutes of Health's National Center for Minority Health
and Health Disparities awarded the grants.
For full press release: http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=4851&lvl=2&lvlID=40 |
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| Resources:
Publications, Toolkits, Other Resources |
New
on the NIMH Website
Updated — Suicide in the U.S.: Statistics and Prevention
Updated
- NIMH has updated this brief overview of suicide statistics and
prevention.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/harmsway.cfm
- Current Issues in Psychosocial Intervention Research
in Late-Life Mental Disorders
NIMH’s Geriatrics Research Branch in the Division of Adult
Translational Research and Treatment Development (DATR) organized
this multidisciplinary workshop, held in Arlington, Virginia in
September 2006. Participants discussed the current state of research
and formulated ideas for new research directions that could advance
the field. Topics considered included: clinical gaps in the current
knowledge base; opportunities for developing new therapies and
researching new target populations; increased attention to cognitive
impairment as a variable in intervention development and outcome
studies; improved inclusion of ethnic minorities; adaptation and
dissemination of interventions to geriatric care settings; integration
of neuroscience research into geriatric psychosocial intervention
studies; and methodological refinements to better handle factors
such as patient treatment preferences and assessments of cost-effectiveness.
For more information, please contact George Niederehe at gniedere@mail.nih.gov
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Northeast Regional Meeting
on Connecting Science and Service
NIMH, the Center for Mental Health Services (SAMHSA), and the National
Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), held
this two-day meeting in September in Baltimore, Maryland, to identify
relevant research and service development agendas to improve the public
mental health system in the region. The meeting brought together mental
health services researchers with state commissioners, consumers, providers,
and other key representatives of public mental health. The attendees
discussed current and future efforts to perform research studies relevant
to service systems and projects to implement evidence-based practices
within public mental health systems. State teams discussed new initiatives
to use research findings to influence service provision, and developed
strategies to facilitate the integration of research activities into
clinical and community care settings. For more information, please
contact David Chambers at dchamber@mail.nih.gov. |
AHRQ: Newer Class of Antidepressants
Similar in Effectiveness, but Side Effects Differ
Today's most commonly prescribed antidepressants are similar in effectiveness
to each other but differ when it comes to possible side effects, according
to an analysis released by DHHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ). The findings, based on a review of nearly 300 published
studies of second-generation antidepressants, show that about six
in 10 adult patients get some relief from the drugs. About six in
10 also experience at least one side effect, ranging from nausea to
sexual dysfunction.
Patients who don't respond to one of the drugs often try another medication
within the same class. About one in four of those patients recover,
according to the review. Overall, current evidence on the drugs is
insufficient for clinicians to predict which medications will work
best for individual patients.
http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2007/antideppr.htm |
AHRQ: Evidence Lacking to
Support Many Off-label Uses of Atypical Antipsychotics
Some newer antipsychotic medications approved to treat schizophrenia
and bipolar disorder are being prescribed to millions of Americans
for depression, dementia, and other psychiatric disorders without
strong evidence that such off-label uses are effective, according
to a new analysis by the AHRQ. The federally funded comparative effectiveness
review of these drugs—called atypical antipsychotics—identified
the medications' potential for serious side effects while pointing
to an "urgent need" for more research into new treatments
for the growing population of dementia patients who display severe
agitation. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2007/antipsypr.htm |
SAMHSA: Center for Mental
Health Services’ Consumer Affairs—2006 Year in Review
The office of the Associate Director for Consumer Affairs within the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA)
Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) has posted a year-end review
of activities.
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/consumersurvivor/listserv/012307a.asp |
SAMHSA: New Reports from
the Office of Applied Studies
New Study Shows American Indians and Alaska Natives Continue to Have
Higher Rates of Alcohol Use and Illicit Drug Use Disorders Than Other
Racial Groups
American Indians and Alaska Natives ages 12 or older were less likely
to have used alcohol in the past year than were members of other racial
groups, but they were more likely than members of other racial groups
to have a past-year alcohol use disorder and to have a past-year illicit
drug use disorder, according to new report from SAMHSA.
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k6/AmIndians/AmIndians.cfm |
New Federal Study Shows Methamphetamine
Use Decreased Between 2002 and 2005
A new analysis of data from The National Survey on Drug Use and Health
shows that past-year use of methamphetamine, a highly addictive stimulant,
declined between 2002 and 2005 among persons age 12 or older.
http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k6/meth/meth.cfm |
| Calls
for Public Input |
Input on Public Health Relevant
Research Questions for NIMH's Clinical Research Networks
NIMH is seeking input from the clinical research community, mental
health professionals, patient advocates and individuals living with
mental illnesses, private and public mental health service systems
and providers, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, and
other interested groups about important public mental health research
questions that could be addressed using the infrastructure provided
by three NIMH clinical research networks - the Bipolar Trials Network,
the Depression Trials Network, and the Schizophrenia Trials Network.
The deadline for input is Friday, February 9, 2007.
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-06-128.html
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| Calls
for Applications |
New SAMHSA Science to Service
Awards Will Honor Implementation of Evidence-Based Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Interventions
SAMHSA has issued a call for applications for its Science to Service
Awards, a new national program that will recognize community-based
organizations and coalitions that have shown exemplary implementation
of evidence-based mental health and substance abuse interventions.
A maximum of three awards will be made in each of four categories:
substance abuse prevention, treatment of substance abuse and recovery
support services, mental health promotion, and treatment of mental
illness and recovery support services. To be eligible for an award,
an organization must have successfully implemented a recognized evidence-based
intervention, including those that are published in scientific literature
and/or appear on a Federal and/or state registry of evidence-based
intervention.
The deadline for applications is February 28, 2007
http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/0612112518.aspx |
SAMHSA: Applications for
Financial Support
SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) through
a contract with AFYA, Inc., is providing financial support to consumers
of mental health services who would like to participate in the annual
conference sponsored by Mental Health America, formerly the National
Mental Health Association and the annual conference sponsored by
the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The purpose of the scholarships
is to foster transformation of mental health care to focus on recovery.
The deadlines for the scholarship applications are:
- March 1, 2007 for the National Alliance on Mental Illness annual
conference
- March 30, 2007 for the Mental Health America annual conference
For a copy of the application and additional information, contact
Lethia A. Kelly at lkelly@afyainc.com
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| Calendar
of Events |
Teleconference Training:
National Anti-Stigma Campaign (NASC): Building Partnerships That Work
February 7, 2007, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM ET
The SAMHSA Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma Associated
With Mental Illness is sponsoring this free training call to: 1) discuss
the benefits and challenges of the contact approach and how it can
be used to build partnerships; 2) discuss the effectiveness of participatory
dialogue that highlight the contact approach to reduce stigma and
discrimination; and 3) explore how NASC materials and information
may be used to jumpstart additional anti-stigma efforts
http://www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov/teleconference02072007.htm |
Health Observance: National
Eating Disorders Awareness Week
February 25-March 3, 2007
The National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2007, in its 20th year,
will highlight the fact that body size and shape are strongly influenced
by biological factors – such as genetics, while also calling
attention to some of the new discoveries surrounding the role of genetics
in the development of eating disorders.
http://www.healthfinder.gov/library/nho/nho.asp?year=2007#349 |
Conference: Pain, Opioids
and Addiction: An Urgent Problem for Doctors and Patients
Bethesda, MD, March 5-6, 2007
The purpose of this meeting is to bring together the research and
clinical practice communities - through its co-sponsorship with the
American Medical Association, and supported by the NIH Pain Consortium
- to draw attention to the growing problem of prescription opioid
misuse by patients with chronic non-malignant pain conditions. The
goal of the meeting will be to inform practitioners and scientists
on the emerging research on pain and addiction and what we are learning
about how to most effectively and compassionately treat these conditions,
while minimizing the risk of abuse and addiction in these patients.
http://conferences.masimax.com/opioid
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Conference Call: Integrating
Mental Health and Substance Abuse
March 15, 2007, 1:00-2:30PM ET
Sponsored by SAMHSA’s National Technical Assistance Center for
Children’s Mental Health, this call will bring together representatives
from SAMHSA’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Substance
Abuse State Infrastructure Grant program, whose goal is to bring together
efforts across the two systems to transform service delivery in states
and tribes. This grant program currently supports six states and one
tribal government in building the collaborative partnerships, infrastructure,
workforce and culturally and linguistically competent supports to
improve services for children and their families. The challenges of
implementing infrastructure to support policy and practice reforms
will be discussed along with the strategies grantees are using. http://gucchd.georgetown.edu/programs/ta_center/tacalls2007.html |
Conference: Charting New
Frontiers in Rural Women’s Health
Washington, DC, August 13 -15, 2007
This conference is a collaborative effort amongst the US Department
of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health's multidisciplinary
models of care for women and will offer an opportunity for these models,
and others developed by community-based organizations, hospitals and
academic health centers, to share best practices, lessons learned,
strategies for implementing comprehensive, multidisciplinary models
of care, and effective evaluation methodologies focused on women living
in rural and frontier areas.
http://www.esi-bethesda.com/ruralfrontier2007 |
Call for Abstracts: 2007
Minority Women's Health Summit Women of Color: Addressing Disparities,
Affirming Resilience, and Developing Strategies for Success
Washington, DC, August 23-26, 2007
The Call for Abstracts for the Minority Women’s Health Summit
is now available. This Summit sponsored by the US Department of Health
and Human Service’s Office on Women’s Health is the third
to address health disparities among women of color living in the United
States. The goal of this Summit is to focus on the often unrecognized
threats to health experienced by women of color, by 1) building on
knowledge gained in previous conferences and identifying distinct
health issues disproportionately impacting minority women; and 2)
highlighting successful models of health promotion and prevention.
The deadline for abstract submissions is Wednesday, February 9, 2007,
5:00 pm EST.
http://www.womenshealth.gov/mwhs/ |
| Funding
Information |
Funding Available for Two
Targeted Capacity Expansion Grants for Jail Diversion
SAMHSA is soliciting applications for the FY 2007 Jail Diversion program.
These grants will promote the transformation of systems to improve
services for justice-involved adults with mental illness. This program
is intended to improve the capacity of systems to divert these individuals
away from the criminal justice system to community-based integrated
mental health and substance abuse treatment and other appropriate
support services.
The application deadline is March 27, 2007.
http://www.samhsa.gov/Grants/2007/SM_07_004.aspx |
OJJDP Announces Tribal Youth
Program Training and Technical Assistance Solicitation
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
is seeking applicants under its FY 2007 Tribal Youth Program Training
and Technical Assistance solicitation to provide training and technical
assistance to OJJDP Tribal Youth Program grantees, American Indian
tribes, and Alaska Native communities. Eligible applicants are public
and private agencies, organizations, institutions, and individuals
experienced in training and technical assistance efforts in Indian
country.
The application deadline is March 5, 2007,
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/enews/07juvjust/070129.html |
| Programmatic
Funding Opportunities |
CDC: Rapid HIV Testing in
Community Mental Health Settings Serving African Americans (U18)
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=12402&mode=VIEW |
| Research
Funding Opportunities (PAs and RFAs) |
NIH Program Announcements
(PAs)
[Full listing of NIH PAs at http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/index.html]
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NIH Request for Applications
(RFAs)
[Full listing of NIH RFAs at http://grants2.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/index.html]
Medications Development for the Treatment of Alcoholism
(SBIR [R43/R44])
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AA-07-009.html
Medications Development for the Treatment of Alcoholism
(STTR [R41/R42])
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AA-07-010.html
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