To focus attention on this important problem, researchers in the divisions of Brain Research and Imaging Neuroscience and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Wayne State University's School of Medicine will present a public forum focusing on the latest research and treatment approaches to mental and psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. "Childhood and Adolescent Onset Neuropsychiatric Disorders: From Vulnerability to Treatment" will be held Saturday, April 24 from 9 a.m. to noon in the Margherio Family Conference Center in the Richard J. Mazurek, M.D., Medical Education Commons, 320 E. Canfield, at the Wayne State School of Medicine.
In addition to informing the public about emerging research, the forum also will provide an opportunity for open discussion.
The forum is one of 35 being held around the country during April and May as part of the "Healthy Minds Across America" campaign organized by the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (www.narsad.org). The presentations will focus on emerging brain imaging results and their implications for treatment and management, with an emphasis on understanding brain function and neurochemistry in illnesses such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
"Mental illness in the United States leads to higher mortality rates, higher health-care costs and is a leading cause of disability among people ages 15 to 44," said Vaibhav Diwadkar, PhD, WSU assistant professor and co-director of the Division of Brain Research and Imaging Neuroscience. "Understanding what is happening in the brain during childhood and adolescence will be crucial informing approaches to treatment and possible prevention."
For more information about the forum or to register, please visit http://healthyminds.med.wayne.edu or call 877-460-2003.
Wayne State University is a premier urban research university offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students.