Hallucinations and delusions share a common neurobiological mechanism while simultaneously depending on symptom-specific pathways.
Researchers propose a unified classification of diverse cell types, which could shed light on how our brains are wired.
Study reveals Google searches for information about financial difficulties and disaster relief increased significantly during March and April compared to pre-pandemic months, while searches related to suicide decreased. Previous research found financial distress was strongly linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Researchers warn that, despite the decrease in searches related to suicide directly, the increase in searches linked to financial hardship may be an indicator of increased death rates from suicide.
Hippocampal neurons that respond to fearful stimuli relay that information to the amygdala. These neurons synchronize when memories of the stimuli are later recalled. The synchrony is critical to establish fear memories and the greater the synchrony, the stronger the memory becomes.
Genetic analysis of almost 4,300 samples reveals a link between the appearance of amyloid deposits, APOE, and a novel gene called RBFOX1. Lower levels of RBFOX1 in the brain appear to be associated with increased amyloid and global cognitive decline over a person's lifetime.
Pregnant women with depression are three times as likely to use cannabis than those who have no depressive symptoms. The prevalence of cannabis use was 25% in pregnant women with depression and perceived no risk from the substance.
Women who are given a general anesthetic during a cesarean section delivery have a 54% higher risk of developing postpartum depression. The odds of suicidal thoughts or self-inflicting injury increased to 91%. The study points to a potential protective effect on mental health for regional anesthesia during cesarean section compared to general anesthetic.
Children who experience elevated prenatal exposure to air pollution and exposure to early life stress have an increased risk of developing both attention problems and cognitive difficulties.
Children whose mothers were exposed to PBDE flame retardants while pregnancy had less efficient reading networks, and increased risk of developing reading disorders.
In utero exposure to phthalates was linked to deficits in fine motor development in females at eleven years of age.
Study reveals how some chemicals in popular cosmetics and skin lotions displace lipids in skin cells, triggering allergic contact dermatitis.
The right putamen, a brain area linked to reward, motivation, and feelings of pleasure, is smaller in children with a genetic risk factor for depression. Previous studies implicated reduced putamen volume with anhedonia, which is often associated with depression, suicidal behaviors, and psychosis.
