Summary: Researchers have found that schizophrenia shares genetic risk factors with bipolar disorder and major depression, with these vulnerabilities being more significant in men than in women. This new study…
Category: mental health
100+ Genes Linked to Anxiety Disorders Identified
Summary: A large-scale genetic study involving over 1 million participants has uncovered more than 100 genes associated with anxiety. Researchers found that these genes contribute to the development of anxiety…
High Doses of ADHD Meds Linked to Increased Psychosis Risk
Summary: Adults taking high doses of amphetamine-based medications for ADHD, such as Adderall, face a five-fold increased risk of developing psychosis or mania. The risk was highest for those taking…
Environment and Hippocampal Size Impact Depression in Youth
Summary: Challenging social environments and the size of the left hippocampus in children aged 9-11 contribute to an increased risk of depression. Researchers found that children with larger hippocampal volumes…
Knowingly Taking Placebos Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Summary: Researchers have discovered that nondeceptive placebos—placebos given with the full knowledge that they are placebos—can effectively manage stress, even when administered remotely. In a two-week randomized controlled trial, participants…
Psychosis Cognitive Impairment Linked to Brain Network
Summary: New research reveals that cognitive impairments in psychotic disorders, like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are connected to brain network organization. This connection is evident even before the first psychotic…
High-Dose Psilocybin Shows Potential as an Antidepressant Treatment
Summary: A meta-analysis suggests that high doses of psilocybin may alleviate depressive symptoms similarly to the SSRI drug escitalopram. While the effect size was small, psilocybin outperformed placebo in clinical…
Classical Music Synchronizes Brain Waves, Improving Depression
Summary: Western classical music can significantly affect brain activity, particularly in people with treatment-resistant depression. By measuring brainwaves and neural imaging, scientists discovered that music synchronizes neural oscillations between brain…
Anxiety Raises Dementia Risk – Neuroscience News
Summary: A new study reveals that chronic and new anxiety are linked to a higher risk of dementia, while resolved anxiety shows no such association. Following 2,132 Australian individuals for…
Brain Coupling May Predict Psychosis
Summary: Individuals with the 22q11.2DS genetic deletion show unique patterns of brain activity and structure, which could predict their risk of psychosis. By studying brain “coupling” from childhood to adulthood,…