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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 this issue, we showcase outreach and research activities from our annual meeting in May 2024 in Austin, Texas, and spotlight an early career researcher studying psychiatric consequences of trauma. Finally, keep your neurons firing and your curiosity piqued with our new regular feature "Around the Brain in MCQs"!
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Society of Biological Psychiatry’s Communciations Task Force hosted its first annual community event in Austin, Texas, earlier this year. Top row (from left): Kelsey Sweeney, Mbemba Jabbi, Hilary Marusak, Sid Chopra, Moriah McGuier. Bottom row (from left): Amanpreet Bhogal, Kaley Davis, Lana Grasser, Rebecca Brooker, Consuelo Walss-Bass, and Rubén Parra-Cardon. Photo credit: Amanpreet Bhogal. | |
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Let’s talk about mental health:
Our first annual community event
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In May 2024, SOBP hosted its first annual community event, focused on the neuroscience of mental health. The event took place at Cooper’s Pit Bar-B-Que in downtown Austin. It drew 62 attendees and involved discussions on integrating mental health awareness into daily life. Topics included parenting challenges and best practices, as well as genetic factors associated with mental disorders. | |
Photo credit: Amanpreet Bhogal | |
Local researchers Dr. Rubén Parra-Cardona from The University of Texas at Austin and Dr. Rebecca Brooker from Texas A&M were the speakers. There was great audience discussion about evidence-based strategies for mental health, moderated by Dr. Consuelo Walss-Bass from UTHealth at Houston. A happy hour with food and beverages allowed attendees to interact with scientists and mental health experts. All participants left with a swag bag and a list of local and national resources. | |
Left: Dr. Parra-Cardona. Center: Dr. Brooker. Right: Dr. Walss-Bass. | |
We look forward to hosting more events in the future! | |
Hot topics from SOBP 2024 | |
Here we spotlight breaking new research on biological psychiatry from exemplary early career investigators: | |
Early life challenges can impact brain connections and mental health in teenagers.
We have long known that early childhood adversity—such as poor family functioning, abuse or neglect, and poverty—has lasting consequences for physical and mental health. Dr. Taylor Keding, a Research Scientist at Yale University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, investigated how such adversity might impact mental health by altering brain connections. He used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which tracks over 10,000 children aged 9-10 as they grow.
Dr. Keding found that adversity affects connections within the default mode network (DMN) and between the thalamus and the salience network. These changes, observed at ages 9-10, predicted mental health issues in mid-adolescence. This is likely due to the involvement of core brain regions. The DMN is active when our minds wander or reflect on the past or future. The thalamus acts as a relay station for sensory information, while the salience network helps us focus on important events. Understanding these changes can help us see how early experiences shape mental health and guide the development of better interventions.
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Why this matters: Understanding these connections can help parents, educators, and healthcare providers identify children at risk for emotional and behavioral problems early on. It underscores the importance of a supportive and stable environment during childhood to promote healthy brain development and reduce the likelihood of mental health issues during adolescence. This research can inform policies and interventions aimed at improving childhood environments and addressing the root causes of mental health problems in teenagers. | | | |
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Wired for worry: Brain connections and repetitive negative thinking.
People with depression often get stuck in repetitive negative thinking, like constantly worrying or regretting past decisions. This kind of thinking might help to explain why some people are more prone to developing depression or why some recover over time while others do not.
Landon Edwards, a research associate at the Laureate Institute for Brain Research, studied how the brain reacts this negative thinking in people with and without major depression. He compared brain activity when people were relaxed versus when they were engaged in negative thinking. He found that certain brain areas, including the insula (which helps us focus on important things), showed more activity during negative thinking sessions for both groups. However, for people who struggle with more intense negative thinking, these brain connections were weaker. This suggests that people who frequently engage in negative thinking might experience a kind of brain fatigue during such episodes.
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Why this matters: Understanding how the brain reacts to repetitive negative thinking is crucial because it sheds light on why some people struggle more with depression. By identifying which brain areas are involved and how their activity changes, we can develop better strategies for helping individuals manage their negative thinking and improve their mental health. This research could lead to new treatments or interventions that target these specific brain patterns, offering hope for more effective ways to support those affected by depression. | | | |
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SOBP early career member spotlight
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This issue we highlight Moriah McGuier, a fifth-year doctoral candidate in the Integrative Neuroscience department at Dartmouth College. Moriah is researching the psychiatric consequences of trauma and blast traumatic brain injury exposure in the Doucette lab. Under the guidance of Dr. Wilder Doucette and Dr. Paul Holtzheimer, she focuses on developing treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric disorders. Her work includes deep brain stimulation and psychedelic studies using animal models to understand brain trauma, resilience, and new treatment options for PTSD.
Learn more about Moriah’s research in the Doucette lab here!
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Around the brain in MCQs! | |
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What part of the brain is important for being a great dancer? Hint: It’s often referred to as the brain’s “little brain.”
a. Prefrontal cortex
b. Amygdala
c. Cerebellum
d. Hippocampus
Scroll to the end of the newsletter to find the answer!
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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.
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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.
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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)
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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
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Multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ) answer is C
Well done to those who chose the cerebellum, seen in red in the picture below. The cerebellum, often referred to as the "little brain," is a small yet crucial part of the brain located at the back of your head. It gets the name "little brain" because, although smaller, it has the same "wrinkled" appearance as the larger part of the brain called the cerebrum (seen in blue above the cerebellum). While the cerebrum handles thinking and planning, the cerebellum ensures that our body moves in a coordinated and balanced way, making it an essential part of "team brain"!
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