Can Humor Treat Depression? – Neuroscience News

Summary: A comprehensive review of clinical psychology and neuroimaging research shows that while humor can build resilience and protect against depressive relapse, it often does more harm than good during…

Five Brain Profiles of Depression Identified

Summary: Researchers using magnetoencephalography (MEG) identified five distinct neurophysiological subtypes of major depressive disorder based on functional brain connectivity. The findings show that patients sharing the same clinical diagnosis can…

Loneliness Erases Nearly 6 Healthy Years

Summary: A massive observational study of more than 277,000 adults reveals that loneliness and social isolation significantly shorten disease-free life expectancy, stripping men of nearly six years and women of…

Brain Activity Predicts Risky Choices Half a Second Before They Are Made

Summary: By recording directly from electrodes implanted in the human orbitofrontal cortex, neuroscientists discovered two neighboring circuits locked in a millisecond-by-millisecond “tug-of-war” between taking a risk and playing it safe.…

Depression Triggers Volume Loss in Memory Brain Areas

Summary: Researchers identified a specific structural brain change associated with depression in older adults. Examining high-resolution MRI scans from 2,009 cognitively unimpaired adults aged 50 to 90, the team discovered…

Psychedelics and Ketamine Rewire Brain Immune Signals in Depression

Summary: A study uncovered a novel neuroimmune mechanism explaining how rapid-acting antidepressants, including ketamine and psychedelics, alleviate treatment-resistant depression. Despite acting on different initial neural receptors, these distinct fast-acting therapeutics…

Consistent Daily Routines Reduce Physical Pain and Depression

Summary: A study reveals that maintaining a consistent daily routine can significantly reduce physical pain and ease symptoms of depression, offering a accessible strategy for improving overall quality of life,…

Study Maps Motor Abnormalities Across Mental Health Spectrums

Summary: Researchers utilized the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiToP) framework to analyze self-reported motor symptoms and psychological dimensions in nearly 3,500 participants without prior formal diagnoses. The team evaluated motor…

Loneliness Directly Causes Poor Mental Health

Summary: By combining standard observational tracking with rigorous sibling comparisons and genetics-based Mendelian randomization, an international team of researchers proved that loneliness carries a direct, independent causal grip on decaying…

Astrocyte Subtype Shifts Destabilize Emotional Brain Networks

Summary: Researchers compiled emerging evidence to prove that astrocytes, traditionally dismissed as passive, structural “glue” cells, are active directors of neural circuitry and emotional processing. The investigators mapped the cellular…