Summary: Mindfulness exercises paired with music were found to engage both neural and cardiac systems, potentially reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. A recent study showed that live and virtual…
Category: neurobiology
Shared Brain Circuit Links Insomnia, Anxiety, and Depression
Summary: A large brain imaging study suggests that insomnia, depression, and anxiety, often co-occurring, share overlapping brain abnormalities. Researchers found reduced cortical surface area, smaller thalamic volume, and weaker brain connectivity…
Parents Often Miss Early Clues About How Kids Feel at School
Summary: Parents often misread how their children feel about school during their first year, usually taking a full year to align with their child’s actual experiences. While most parents believed…
Negative Expectations Worsen Pain More Than Positive Ones Ease It
Summary: New research shows that negative expectations, known as nocebo effects, exert a stronger and longer-lasting impact on pain perception than positive expectations, or placebo effects. In a two-session study,…
Oxytocin Powers Altruistic Responses via Parallel Brain Circuits
Summary: A new study reveals that mice instinctively display rescue-like behaviors toward anesthetized peers, offering powerful evidence that prosociality may be hardwired in mammals. Researchers identified oxytocin as a key…
More People Turning to Psilocybin for Self-Treatment
Summary: Psilocybin use in the U.S. has risen sharply across all age groups since 2019, coinciding with increasing legalization and interest in its therapeutic potential. A new study reveals a…
Psychedelics Linked to Visual Echoes
Summary: As psychedelics gain traction in mental health treatment, questions remain about their long-term effects. A new study followed individuals self-administering psychedelics and found that while some experienced lingering visual…
Disrupted Myelin Protein Implicated in Schizophrenia
Summary: A new study has identified the protein hnRNP A1 as a key player in the production and maintenance of myelin, the fatty sheath that insulates nerve fibers in the…
Potential Depression Risk Linked to Ozempic-Like Drugs
Summary: A new international study reveals a possible connection between GLP1 receptor agonists—used in drugs like Ozempic—and increased risk of depression and suicidal ideation, especially in people with low dopamine…
