Category: Research Publications

The present works shows that a newly developed negative allosteric modulator of the cannabinoid receptor subtype 1 (CB1) receptor with an excellent pharmacokinetic profile reduces alcohol drinking in rats, suggesting potential therapeutic relevance for the treatment of alcohol use disorder.

The current study explored teacher and caregiver perceptions of family engagement within a teacher-led, task-shifted mental health intervention in an LMIC. Primary school teachers from five schools in Darjeeling, India delivered evidence-based, indicated mental health care to children with mental health needs throughout the school day. Barriers included logistical challenges...

We assessed task-shifting children’s mental health care to teachers as a potential approach to improving access to child mental health care. Findings support the feasibility of task-shifting children’s mental health care to classroom teachers in resource-limited schools. These findings support the potential emergence of “education as mental health therapy” (Ed-MH)...

This study examined data from a randomized controlled trial to determine whether improvements in child social communication skills were mediated through changes in caregiver responsiveness. Results indicated that as caregiver responsiveness increased over 8 months of intervention, the child’s social communication skills also increased, suggesting that caregiver responsiveness may be...

Brain and behavioral markers at 6 and 12 months of age have shown to be predictive of later autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This work proposes a empirically supported research agenda for the development of a very early intervention for infants at very high likelihood of developing ASD symptoms, that can...

This manuscript reports on an innovative approach to examine brain functional network connectivity using an independent component analysis (ICA)-based approach. We evaluated the approach by studying group differences in the context of a study of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) data collected from schizophrenia (SZ) individuals and healthy controls...

Adolescence is a period of dynamic neural development, and research has determined that some of the consequences of binge drinking can be long lasting with deficits persisting into adulthood in a variety of cognitive-behavioral tasks. Here we review several of the consequences of adolescent ethanol exposure in light of sex...

Binge alcohol exposure impacts brain function and behavior, and this impact is often more pronounced when it occurs during developmental periods such as adolescence or fetal development. This review focuses on how binge alcohol drinking in people and exposure in animals impairs cognitive flexibility and the brain mechanisms underlying that...

Drs. Asuquo (UNC Gillings School of Public Health), Goodman, Gaynes, and Nakamura propose an adaptation of a collaborative care model for implementation and evaluation of proactive consultation-liaison psychiatry services to improve management of patients with psychiatric conditions who are hospitalized on inpatient medical and surgical services

In this longitudinal study of patients hematologic cancers, Drs. Nakamura, Rosenstein, and colleagues identified that cognitive impairment was common over the 6 months following stem cell transplantation. However, cognition incrementally improved among study participants over time and, of importance, more severe disease and aggressive prior treatment did not impede this...