Summary: Researchers have identified brain mechanisms that help animals suppress instinctive fear responses when threats prove harmless over time. Using a visual threat model in mice, they found that specific…
Tag: mental health
Blood Test May Predict Postpartum Depression Through Hormone Levels
Summary: Women who develop postpartum depression (PPD) may have distinct neuroactive steroid levels during the third trimester of pregnancy. A study found that those with PPD had lower levels of…
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…
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…
