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Our laboratory has previously shown that chronic ethanol exposure elicits enhanced working memory performance in female, but not male, adult Sprague-Dawley rats, indicative of a fundamental sex difference in cortical plasticity. Recent studies have furthermore revealed that females display markedly reduced HCN-mediated channel activity in inhibitory Martinotti interneurons after chronic...

This study investigates the impact of allopregnanolone ([3α,5α]3-hydroxypregnan-20-one or 3α,5α-tetrahydroprogesterone (3α,5α-THP); 10 mg/kg, IP) on fractalkine/CX3-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1) levels, associated signaling components, and markers for microglial and astrocytic cells in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of male and female alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Previous research suggested that 3α,5α-THP enhances...

CHAPEL HILL, NC – Anhedonia, the inability to anticipate or experience pleasure, can emerge during adolescence and often precedes the onset of more severe psychopathology such as mood disorders and psychosis. The condition is difficult to treat, but UNC Psychiatry researchers hope that by examining the physiological and neural response...

Dr. Johnson is a geriatric psychiatrist who specializes in treating mental health concerns and neurocognitive disorders in older adults. She works in inpatient , outpatient , and long term care settings. Her areas of interest include the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia , caregiver burnout , and resident education.

Each year, thousands of participants come together at the Angus Barn in Raleigh to walk or run a 5K route to show solidarity for family, friends and community members living with a mental illness. Team UNC Psychiatry was 136 people strong this year and raised over $14,000 for our research...

The Carolyn and C. Richard Mattingly Leadership in Mental Health Care Award highlights the significance of mental health to the overall well-being of those living with cystic fibrosis and on the important work of researchers and care teams who address mental health as an integral part of specialized CF care.

Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens, an 8 session program which focuses on cultivating self-compassion as a coping skill for teens, was determined to be feasible, acceptable, and efficacious in preventing the development of clinically significant depression in adolescents with some depressive symptoms.