Study Links Schizophrenia to Visual Contrast Sensitivity Deficits

Summary: People with schizophrenia experience impaired contrast perception, affecting their ability to differentiate light intensity and recognize shapes and textures. This deficit may stem from disruptions in glutamate neurotransmission, a…

Opioid Dysregulation in the Brain Tied to Eating Disorders

Summary: Elevated opioid neurotransmission in the brain may underlie appetite loss and emotional symptoms in anorexia nervosa. Compared to healthy controls, patients with anorexia had increased opioidergic tone, which regulates…

Dopamine Clock May Drive Bipolar Mood Swings

Summary: New research suggests that mood swings in bipolar disorder are regulated by two clocks: the body’s 24-hour circadian rhythm and a dopamine-based clock that influences alertness. When these clocks…

Targeting Reward Pathways to Treat Depression

Summary: New research highlights how the brain’s reward-learning system can guide personalized treatments for depression. By studying two brain signals, expected value and prediction error, researchers identified markers that predict…

Delayed Brain Maturation Links Genetics and Eating Disorders

Summary: Over half of 23-year-olds display restrictive, emotional, or uncontrolled eating behaviors, with delayed brain maturation playing a significant role. The research linked structural brain differences, mental health challenges, and…

With more Americans able to access legalized marijuana, fewer are picking up prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications – new research

In states where both medical and recreational marijuana are legal, fewer patients are filling prescriptions for medications used to treat anxiety. That is the key finding of my recent study,…

Physical Neglect Causes Lifelong Social Challenges in Children

Summary: A new study highlights how childhood physical neglect disrupts social development more than physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Neglected children were less social, less popular, and less connected to…

Neural Mechanisms Behind Stress-Driven Social Changes Found

Summary: Male and female mice usually prefer female companions but switch to preferring males under survival stress, a new study reveals. This behavioral shift is driven by distinct brain circuits…

Early Reproductive Aging Alters Brain Connectivity, Emotional Health

Summary: Research shows that accelerated reproductive aging in females, such as early puberty or menopause, is linked to increased mental health risks at different life stages. Adolescents experiencing early puberty…

Social Connections Key to Borderline Personality Disorder Therapy

Summary: Loneliness plays a central role in borderline personality disorder (BPD) and often persists even when clinical symptoms subside. Current treatments, such as dialectical behavior therapy, fail to fully address…