Brain inflammation linked to compromised reward circuits in depression
Around one third of people with depression have high levels of inflammation markers in their blood. Now, new research appearing…
Placebo response growing over time – but only in America
A new study finds that rising placebo responses may play a part in the increasingly high failure rate for clinical…
Electronic implant bypasses brain damage by re-encoding memories
Designed to help individuals suffering from memory loss, a new prosthesis which includes a small array of electrodes implanted into…
Zoloft appears to alter brain structures, say U.S. researchers
Experiments with monkeys showed that the antidepressant sertraline (marketed as Zoloft) significantly increased the volume of one brain region in…
Link between serotonin and depression is a myth, argues leading psychiatrist
The belief that depression is due to low levels of serotonin in the brain – and that effective pharmaceutical treatments…
Surprisingly, higher education doesn’t seem to improve levels of happiness
In an intriguing new study, University of Warwick researchers say that while low educational attainment is associated with mental illness,…
High-fat intake could trigger psychiatric disorders
High-fat diets have long been known to increase the risk for heart disease and stroke, but there is new evidence…
Instead of raising self esteem, we’re raising a generation of narcissists
While the dangers of narcissism are well documented, its origins are not. Now, a new study from Ohio State University…
Psychedelic use associated with decreased suicidal thinking, say researchers behind new study
Previous studies have found that psychedelic use may occasion lasting improvements in mental health, but the effects of psychedelic use…
Scientists discover “idiosyncratic” brain patterns in autism
Recent studies into Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have found a lack of synchronization (“connectivity”) between different parts of the brain…
Link found between circumcision and autism
Research published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine suggests that regardless of cultural background, circumcised boys may…
Scientists map mental illness’ effects on life expectancy
A new study by researchers at the University of Oxford shows that mental illnesses reduce life expectancy by 10-20 years,…
Earliest roots of psychiatric disorders traced to stress effects on single gene
Babies whose mothers were exposed during pregnancy to stressors such as trauma, illness, alcohol, or drug abuse become susceptible to…
How a cold or the flu can cripple your spatial awareness
Catching a cold or the flu, which leads to inflammation in the brain, impairs our ability to form spatial memories.…
Alzheimer’s may begin in childhood
The people who carry the high-risk SORL1 gene for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease show changes in their brains beginning in early…
Can probiotics treat depression?
Probiotics are best known for supposedly helping maintain a healthy digestive system, but they are also increasingly the subject of…
Researchers isolate protein that delivers brain benefits of exercise
A protein produced during endurance exercise has been isolated and given to non-exercising mice, where it switched on genes that…
Psychiatrists put themselves on the couch
Psychotherapy is foundering and a new review in the journal Clinical Psychology Reviewexplores the reasons why. Figures provided in the…
Immune cells triggering anxiety symptoms?
New research appearing in The Journal of Neuroscience shows that during prolonged stress, cells from the immune system are recruited…
“Significant association” found between use of psychedelic drugs and better mental health
The use of LSD, magic mushrooms, or peyote does not increase a person’s risk of developing mental health problems, say…
Faulty eye signaling may be to blame for schizoid hallucinations
By observing the eye movements of schizophrenia patients while they played a simple video game, a University of British Columbia…
Love-hormone oxytocin also triggers anxiety and fear
It seems that oxytocin is two-faced. The hormone that promotes feelings of love, social bonding, and well-being can also cause…
Striking correlation found between infection and mood disorders
Researchers have found that every third person who is diagnosed for the first time with a mood disorder had been…
Evidence that probiotics alter brain function
In a discovery that carries significant implications for changing brain function through dietary interventions, UCLA researchers say they now have…
Study reveals “staggering” over-diagnosis and over-treatment of depression
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health say that the number of Americans over-diagnosed and over-treated for…
Knowledge of sport no advantage in sports gambling
Sports gamblers frequently see themselves as cleverer than other gamblers, believing that their intimate knowledge of player statistics, coaching styles,…
Peptide discovery could lead to happiness pill
The neurochemical changes that underlie human emotions are still largely unknown, but UCLA scientists have for the first time identified…
Are close friends on Facebook the enemy?
“Likes” or positive comments from close friends on Facebook appear to inflate users’ self-esteem and reduce self-control, resulting in higher…
Successful clinical trial for ketamine-like antidepressant
Researchers are reporting a successful phase IIa clinical trial of GLYX-13, a first-of-its-kind ketamine-like antidepressant that takes effect within 24…
Revealed: how social isolation atrophies the brain
A study in Nature Neuroscience has found that animals socially isolated for prolonged periods make less myelin (the brain’s white…