Immune cells in the meninges monitor fluid released from the brain. If the fluid contains signs of infection, disease, or damage, the immune cells initiate an immune response to tackle the problem. Read More
People with schizophrenia are 2.7 times more likely to die as a result of contracting coronavirus than other groups of people. Schizophrenia is second only to age in mortality risk for COVID-19 infection.The higher risk could not be explained by other risk factors associated with the mental health disorder, including smoking, heart disease, and diabetes. People with other mental health and anxiety disorders are not at increased risk of death associated with COVID-19. Read More
Ubiquitously, whether a person lives in a rural or urban area, the phases of the moon affect sleep patterns. Researchers found people sleep less and go to bed later on nights before a full moon. Findings suggest our circadian cycles appear to be synchronized with luna phases. Read More
Gray matter damage associated with multiple sclerosis progression may be caused by inflammatory reactions that lead to synaptic loss. Read More
Combining brain scans with AI technology, researchers were able to accurately predict the likelihood of a person developing schizophrenia in those with a family history of the psychiatric disorder. Read More
Enzyme activity outside of specific cell types contribute to synaptic plasticity associated with addiction behaviors. Read More
LSD increases social behaviors by activating 5-HTPA serotonin receptors and AMPA receptors in the prefrontal cortex, and the mTORC1 protein. Activating all three factors promoted social interactions. The findings suggest supervised LSD microdosing may help alleviate some of the social problems associated with ASD and other mental health disorders that impact social behaviors. Read More
Children who grow up in a bilingual household are quicker at shifting their attention and faster at detecting visual changes than adults who learned a second language later in life. Read More
A newly developed system allowed researchers to visualize, in real-time, how the brain embarks on the decision making process. Read More
An afternoon nap may help improve mental agility, a new study suggests. A short afternoon nap was associated with better working memory, verbal fluency, and locational awareness. Read More
··5 min read
Using machine learning, researchers have identified patterns of maternal autoantibodies in the blood plasma of pregnant women that were highly associated with autism and the severity of symptoms in offspring. Read More
As people adjust to life in COVID lockdown, the negative mental health effects dissipate. Read More
