Linking Childhood Trauma to Mental Illness: Astrocytes Key to the Puzzle

Summary: The removal of excitatory synapses by astrocytes, triggered by stress hormones, can lead to mental illnesses induced by childhood neglect or abuse. The study reveals that synthetic glucocorticoids, or…

Bridging the Sex Gap: Personalizing Treatments for Mood Disorders

Summary: Researchers explore the advancements made in understanding sex differences in mood disorders since the 2016 NIH mandate to include sex as a biological variable in basic research. Their review…

Behavioral Parallels: The Shared Routes of Aggression and Psychopathy

Summary: Aggressive and psychopathic individuals have difficulty shedding hostile behaviors once they’ve adopted them, according to new research. A mathematical model applied to a task assessing hostile responses confirmed this…

Amotivation and Anhedonia Key to Social Functioning in Schizophrenia

Summary: Amotivation and anhedonia, rather than expressive dysfunction, are crucial to determining the social functioning of individuals with schizophrenia. The transdiagnostic network analysis examined the relationship between negative symptoms, other…

Investigating Stress Response in PTSD and Depression Through Gene Analysis

Summary: Researchers conducted an analysis of genes in nearly 575,000 brain cells from individuals with and without post-traumatic stress and major depressive disorders (PTSD and MDD), yielding new insights into…

Study Challenges Longstanding Beliefs About Action of Antipsychotic Medications

Summary: Researchers uncovered a pivotal detail that could revolutionize schizophrenia treatment. Contrary to longstanding belief, antipsychotic drugs that mitigate overactive dopamine, a hallmark of schizophrenia, interact primarily with a different…

Schizophrenia Linked to Non-Inherited Genetic Mutations

Summary: Researchers found a link between schizophrenia and somatic copy-number variants, mutations occurring post-inheritance. The study scrutinized genotype-marker data from over 20,000 blood samples, identifying two genes, NRXN1 and ABCB11,…

Redefining Depression: TBI Affective Syndrome Discovered

Summary: A new study suggests that depression post-traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be a distinct disease separate from traditional major depressive disorder. This revelation, arising from unique patterns observed in…

Perceptions of Past Abuse: Memory of Childhood Trauma Impact Mental Health More Than Abuse Itself

Summary: he recollection and processing of childhood abuse or neglect can significantly impact mental health in adulthood, more than the experiences themselves. The research revealed that self-reported experiences of early…

The Lonely Brain: Unraveling the Neuroscience and Psychology of Isolation

Summary: The neuroscience and psychology of loneliness have provided fascinating insights into this pervasive issue, revealing its profound effects on our brain and mental health. Research has shown that loneliness…