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Published on May 29, 2024
A clearer picture of how post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) affect the brain has been provided by genomics, possibly pointing to new drug targets and biomarkers for these and related disorders. Researchers from McLean Hospital and colleagues used a multiomic database, single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq),…
Published on August 6, 2021
Chronic stress is a well-known cause for mental health disorders, and new research led by researchers at the University of Bristol has uncovered a link between corticosteroid receptors and ciliary and neuroplasticity genes in the hippocampus, a region of the brain involved in stress coping and learning and memory. The…
Published on December 5, 2023
Alto Neuroscience reported positive Phase II results for its precision depression therapy, ALTO-300, designed with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) as an add on treatment for people with depression who are not responsive to traditional antidepressants. The investigators have identified an electroencephalogram (EEG) signature that characterizes people who are…
Published on December 11, 2024
Man’s fascination with space predates the first space shuttle launch or human footprints on the moon. Yet, sustaining human life in space requires creating a conducive environment and equipping the body with vital resources—such as pharmaceutical drugs—to help withstand the consequences of unique extraterrestrial stressors not experienced on Earth. The…
Published on November 21, 2024
Pregnant women’s specific microbiomes varied based on whether they were experiencing life stress, symptoms of anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a study by a team of Michigan State University researchers. Further, their team’s findings suggest that the oral microbiome could be a potential target for developing…
Published on November 7, 2024
Neurons have been the focus in understanding how memories form, store, and emerge during recall. But now researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have uncovered an unexpected partnership in memory processing: astrocytes. Working alongside neurons grouped as engrams, astrocytes help regulate the process of storing and retrieving experiences, revealing that…
Published on October 8, 2024
“On a scale of one to ten, how are you feeling today?” That question—typically accompanied by a series of “smiley faces” that mutate from sad to happy—and others relating to appetite, sleep, mood, energy, concentration, and more are often the first thing a patient has to address when checking in…
Published on September 17, 2024
Researchers based at the University of Houston have developed a small wearable sensor that is able to collect accurate measurements of eye movements for prediction of neurological disorders. Writing in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials, the researchers argue that their technology has advantages over other technologies for monitoring eye movements…
Published on August 22, 2024
A new study reveals higher incidence of mental illness for up to a year following severe COVID-19 in unvaccinated people. Vaccination appeared to strongly mitigate mental illness. For example, the incidence of depression among the unvaccinated after hospitalization for COVID-19 was up to 16.3 times higher. This elevation in mental…
Published on June 10, 2024
Clinical trials are where most drugs go to die, but they don’t need to stay gathering dust on the shelves for an eternity or ultimately disintegrate. Derisking is always important in drug development, especially when dealing with the central nervous system (CNS), which has experienced lower success rates historically and,…
Published on April 1, 2024
The adult human brain is made up of billions of neurons and glial cells. Understanding the diversity of these cells and their distinctive gene-regulatory mechanisms is crucial for determining how the brain works and, in turn, for developing treatments for neurologic disorders. Until recently, cell populations were defined based on…
Published on December 26, 2023
Gut microbes could play a role in the intense anxiety some people feel in social situations and potentially represent a therapeutic target, research suggests. Mice given fecal transplants with microbiota from people with social anxiety disorder (SAD) showed a heightened sensitivity to social fear, which was accompanied by changes in…
Published on December 20, 2023
A psychedelic drug with, as of yet, no FDA approved use may substantially help cancer patients with major depression, according to recent results from a Phase II clinical trial. Participants treated with psilocybin, also called “magic mushrooms,” not only experienced a lessening of depressive symptoms but also spoke highly of…
Published on November 3, 2023
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could have adverse effects on the cardiovascular and brain health of women in midlife, particularly for those with a certain genetic makeup. Women with higher PTSD symptoms had significantly greater carotid atherosclerosis, according to research published in JAMA Network Open. PTSD also affected neurocognitive health among…
Published on July 31, 2023
Links between genes in excitatory (EX) and inhibitory (IN) neurons and astrocytes were found through an international study of gene expression in post-traumatic stress and major depressive disorders (PTSDs and MDDs). The authors say it was the first study to analyze PTSD pathology at single-cell resolution and could lead to novel…