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),…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Non-biological factors and social determinants are key in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment for women, particularly for women of diverse races, according to a new American Heart Association (AHA) scientific statement published today in Circulation. “Risk assessment is the first step in preventing heart disease, yet there are many limitations to…

A new study found that people who are currently suffering or face a high risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) show particular patterns in four biomarkers measurable with a simple blood test. The findings suggest these biomarkers could be used to predict a person’s likelihood of developing PTSD, diagnose the disorder,…

Research by Mark Logue a statistician at the National Center for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at the VA Boston Health Care System, found a greater percentage of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in veterans with PTSD and in those with TBI (traumatic brain injury) who had inherited the ε4…

Stem cell-derived neurons from combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) react differently to a stress hormone than those from veterans without PTSD, according to a new study. The findings are detailed in the journal Nature Neuroscience  and led by scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,…