Fear and anxiety share overlapping neural circuits. The findings contradict the popular belief that anxiety and fear are distinct emotions with different triggers and segregated brain circuits. Read More
Oxytocin produced in the BNST increased stress-induced social anxiety behaviors in mice. The findings shed light on why oxytocin can sometimes provoke anti-social effects. Read More
The ability to foster and form secure interpersonal attachments can mitigate some of the genetic risks associated with PTSD. Read More
New studies reveal COVID-19 is having a negative impact on sleep, spurring dreams that cause anxiety and emotional upset. Women appear to experience more disturbing dreams than men. Read More
Older people who have higher levels of neuroticism are more likely to have worse cognitive function than those with other personality traits. Researchers say personality traits may be related to how well people can maintain their cognitive function, despite developing neuropathology associated with aging and dementia. Read More
Older adults who took brief, weekly "awe walks" for eight weeks reported improvements in positive emotions and a decrease in daily life stress. Read More
Study provides contrary evidence to existing theory, finding anxiety and fear reflect overlapping neural circuits. Read More
Researchers have uncovered the structure of psychedelic compounds when they actively bind to the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor on the surface of brain cells. The discovery could lead to the exploration of more precise compounds that offer the therapeutic effects of psychedelics for mental health disorders, but without the hallucinations. Read More
Depression and anxiety have different biochemical links to inflammation and lipid metabolism. Those with depression have greater levels of inflammation and different types and amounts of lipids in their blood compared to those with anxiety. The metabolites associated with depression were linked to the severity of symptoms. Higher levels of lipids associated with depression detected in a person's blood correlated with more severe symptoms. Read More
Data collected from smartphones can accurately predict connectivity between brain regions associated with emotional processing. Analyzing cellphone data, such as social activity, screen time, and location, alongside fMRI brain scans, researchers found smartphone data activity mirrors brain activity associated with depression and anxiety. Read More
Levels of oxytocin were substantially lower in adults who experienced parental divorce as children compared to those whose families remained together. Read More
Those who suffer from autoimmune inflammation of the thyroid gland are at increased risk of developing anxiety. Those with anxiety associated with thyroid gland inflammation can reduce symptoms by taking ibuprofen. Findings suggest thyroid function may play a key role in anxiety. Researchers say thyroid inflammation should be investigated as an underlying factor in certain mental health disorders, including anxiety. Read More
