Check out our news archive below to learn more about what’s happening in Duke Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences!
Your Eyes Talk to Your Ears. Scientists Know What They’re Saying.
Researchers including Duke Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences postdoctoral associate David Murphy, PhD, have discovered that eye movements can be decoded by the sounds they generate in the ear, a finding that reveals hearing may be affected by vision.
New Gift Continues Work to Advance Understanding and Treatment of Misophonia
In recognition of the valuable contribution the Duke Center for Misophonia and Emotion Regulation is making to demystify misophonia and help those who suffer from it, Duke has received a new $1.25 million, five-year gift from an anonymous family that builds on their previous commitment, which established the Center in 2019.
Duke Psychiatry Program Expands Mental Health Support for Foster Children
Children in North Carolina's foster care system often end up sleeping in emergency departments or county Department of Social Services (DSS) offices because of the scarcity of foster homes and residential treatment facilities. In response to these challenges, the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences is taking action to address the mental health crisis and help foster children build support and resilience for finding a new home.
Pain Drives Dual Tobacco and Cannabis Use, Study Shows
Duke Psychiatry researchers found in a recent study that chronic pain isn’t just associated with tobacco or cannabis use, but often both. The study’s analysis of 32,014 adults showed those who reported a tough week of moderate to severe pain were twice as likely to use tobacco and 1.5 times more likely to cope with cannabis. Those in pain were almost three times as likely to report both tobacco and cannabis use.
Duke Researchers Probe the Magic of Psychedelics as Medicine
As psychedelics forge a path from counterculture to clinics, School of Medicine researchers—including Kathryn Walder-Christensen, PhD, and William Wetsel, PhD, are learning how these powerful substances impact the brain. This includes research using hallucinogenic fish and mice to understand the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for conditions such as anxiety and PTSD. A central question: Is the “trip” part of healing?
What an Animated Taco Reveals About Curiosity and Patience
Curiosity paradoxically increases people’s eagerness and patience for an answer, finds a new study by Duke neuroscientists, including Duke Psychiatry's Alison Adcock, MD, PhD, and Jia-Hou Poh, PhD. The research might help teachers and students alike by describing a side of curiosity that encourages us to stay engaged instead of seeking immediate relief.
Duke Psychiatry Faculty & Staff Participating in New Restorative Justice Program
Several Duke Psychiatry department members are involved in a new year-long pilot program, "Shifting the Paradigm: Restorative Justice as a Framework for Workforce Well-Being," organized by the School of Medicine's Office for Faculty and co-sponsored by the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
Tablet-based AI App Measures Multiple Behavioral Indicators to Screen for Autism
Researchers at Duke University, including several Duke Psychiatry faculty members, have demonstrated an app driven by artificial intelligence (AI) that can run on a tablet to accurately screen for autism in children by measuring and weighing a variety of distinct behavioral indicators.
Clinical Trial of Pregnenolone for the Reduction of Symptoms Associated with Traumatic Brain Injury
With support from a U.S. Department of Defense award, Duke Psychiatry professor Christine Marx, MD, and her research team (including Duke Psychiatry's Raj Morey, MD, and Jennifer Naylor, PhD) will conduct a phase two randomized controlled clinical trial to evaluate whether a neurosteroid (pregnenolone) can improve psychological health, PTSD, and pain symptoms that are associated with chronic complex traumatic brain injury.
For Anthony Finch, Geriatric Psychiatry Is a Path to Helping Others
Anthony Finch, MD, was inspired to pursue geriatric psychiatry in part by experiences with his grandmother and his Catholic upbringing. Diverse training opportunities and encouragement from his residency director were factors in his decision to pursue a fellowship at Duke. Read on to learn more about Dr. Finch.