News Mentions for the week of August 7, 2023

A team of Stanford Medicine researchers have shown in male mice that a particular neuronal circuit is responsible for sexual arousal and for the actions and pleasure that ensue, opening avenues for treatment in men. Nirao Shah, professor of psychiatry and of neurobiology, is the senior author of a study describing the findings, published online Aug. 11 in Cell. Lead authorship is shared by postdoctoral scholars Daniel Bayless, and Renzhi Yang, and graduate student Chung-ha Davis.

If you find that the blistering, unrelenting heat is making you anxious and irritable, even depressed, it’s not all in your head. Soaring temperatures can damage not just the body but also the mind. Britt Wray, instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

With the arrival of the return to school, it is important that parents begin to create a sleep routine for their children. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

Just one in five adults addicted to opioids received medications to treat their cravings, a federal study has found. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment.

Climate-related extreme weather events are on the rise and another disaster is seemingly right around the corner. Especially with flash floods, a scorching heatwave and wildfire smoke blanketing much of the country. On this episode of How To!, guest-host Cheyna Roth talks with Britt Wray, instructor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, about why we need to treat climate anxiety differently and how we can create resilience both internally and within our communities as we face climate change, together.

If you've ever felt like you don't quite get the same quality sleep that you did when you were younger, you're not imagining things. The sleep-age connection is well known and well studied, though the "why" behind it has long been fuzzy. But new research, published in the journal Science, just brought us closer to understanding what's actually happening with sleep as we age. Here's what the researchers found. Luis de Lecea, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, is quoted.

Researchers, utilizing methods such as surveys, cognitive examinations, and brain scans, have uncovered a form of depression impacting approximately one-fourth of patients. The study builds on research related to diagnosing and treating the condition more precisely. Leanne Williams, the Vincent V.C. Woo Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Laura Hack, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, are quoted.

Telephone-based CBT appears effective at improving binge eating, emotional eating, anxiety, and depression. Debra Safer, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, provides comment on the research findings.

Claims that specific terms hurt people should be evaluated in a rigorous way—not based only on hunches. Keith Humphreys, the Esther Ting Memorial professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and the deputy editor of the journal "Addiction," writes this Atlantic article.

The proliferation of vaping devices presents new challenges to the already under-addressed area of tobacco use. This report sheds light on what vaping is and what its risks are, as well as the role psychiatrists can play in helping patients quit. Smita Das, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, writes this Special Report.