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depression

·October 22, 2025·8 min read

Ketamine Fails to Outperform Placebo in Major Depression Trial

A large randomized and blinded clinical trial has found no additional benefit of repeated ketamine infusions over standard inpatient care for treating major depression. The study compared ketamine with a psychoactive placebo and found no meaningful differences in objective or self-reported depression scores, cognition, or quality of life.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 8, 2025·5 min read

Reelin Shows Promise for Healing Both Gut and Depression

A new study reveals that the protein Reelin may hold the key to treating both “leaky gut” and major depressive disorder. Chronic stress lowers Reelin levels in the gut, weakening the intestinal barrier and allowing toxins to trigger inflammation that worsens depression.

This shows a brain wrapped in a chain and a depressed woman.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 3, 2025·6 min read

Sugar Chains in the Brain: New Pathway Behind Depression Found

Scientists have discovered that depression can be driven by abnormal sugar modifications on proteins in the brain, offering a new molecular pathway for understanding the disorder. Chronic stress was shown to reduce sialylation—a stabilizing sugar process—in the prefrontal cortex, impairing neural circuit stability and triggering depressive symptoms.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain Psychology

·October 2, 2025·6 min read

Psilocybin Rewire Brain Circuits Tied to Pain and Mood

New research shows that psilocybin, the active compound in psychedelic mushrooms, can reduce both chronic pain and pain-related depression by modulating brain circuits rather than acting at the site of injury. In mouse studies, a single dose provided pain relief and mood benefits lasting nearly two weeks by targeting the anterior cingulate cortex.

This shows a woman drinking soda and a shadow of a woman.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 24, 2025·5 min read

Sugary Drinks Linked to Depression Through Gut Microbiome

A new study shows that sugary drinks don’t just affect physical health—they may also raise the risk of depression in women by disrupting the gut microbiome. Researchers found that high consumption of soft drinks was linked to both a greater likelihood of major depressive disorder and more severe symptoms, particularly among women.

This shows a woman's face and network lines.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 16, 2025·4 min read

AI Spots Subtle Facial Cues Linked to Early Depression Risk

Depression’s earliest signs can be hard to spot, but a new study shows AI can detect them in subtle facial movements. Japanese students with subthreshold depression were perceived as less friendly and expressive by peers, despite not seeming nervous or fake.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 15, 2025·4 min read

Simple Hair Test May Spot Mental Health Risks in Kids

Long-term stress, measured through hair cortisol, may help predict mental health risks in children living with chronic physical illnesses. In a four-year study of 244 children, researchers found that persistently high cortisol levels were strongly linked to anxiety, depression, and behavioral difficulties.

This shows the outline of a head and speech bubbles.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 11, 2025·5 min read

Your Words May Reveal More Than You Think: AI Shows How

Psychologists are turning to artificial intelligence to uncover hidden psychological cues in speech, from word choice to tone and pacing.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 4, 2025·5 min read

Astrocyte Disruption Tied to Depression After Childhood Stress

Researchers have shown that astrocytes in the lateral hypothalamus play a pivotal role in how stress shapes behavior, particularly after early-life adversity. In mice, stress led to smaller, less branched astrocytes and abnormal orexin neuron activity, with sex-specific patterns in activity levels.

This shows a statue of a person holding their head. Neurons are overlayed.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 2, 2025·6 min read

Chronic Stress Sends Immune Cells to Brain, Driving Depression

A new study shows that chronic stress causes immune cells called neutrophils to leave bone marrow in the skull and collect in the brain’s protective membranes, where they contribute to depressive symptoms. In mice, blocking an immune “alarm” pathway reduced these cells and improved mood-related behaviors.

This shows a brain with two paths leading to it.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 1, 2025·2 min read

Depression Disrupts Learning to Avoid Unpleasant Events

Depression specifically impairs the ability to learn how to actively avoid unpleasant events, though it does not affect avoidance behavior once learned. Researchers tested 465 participants across a range of depressive symptoms in a task adapted from rodent research, involving sounds and visual cues.

This shows a map, half Is red and covered in negative emojis, the other is blue and covered with positive emojis, symbolizing the effect heat has on mood.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 31, 2025·6 min read

Extreme Heat Makes People More Negative

A large-scale global study shows that extreme heat affects not just our bodies, but also our emotions. Researchers analyzed over a billion social media posts and found that when temperatures exceeded 95°F (35°C), expressed sentiments became more negative, particularly in lower-income countries where effects were three times stronger.

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depression

Ketamine Fails to Outperform Placebo in Major Depression Trial

Reelin Shows Promise for Healing Both Gut and Depression

Sugar Chains in the Brain: New Pathway Behind Depression Found

Psilocybin Rewire Brain Circuits Tied to Pain and Mood

Sugary Drinks Linked to Depression Through Gut Microbiome

AI Spots Subtle Facial Cues Linked to Early Depression Risk

Simple Hair Test May Spot Mental Health Risks in Kids

Your Words May Reveal More Than You Think: AI Shows How

Astrocyte Disruption Tied to Depression After Childhood Stress

Chronic Stress Sends Immune Cells to Brain, Driving Depression

Depression Disrupts Learning to Avoid Unpleasant Events

Extreme Heat Makes People More Negative

Progesterone Exposure Linked to Gene Alterations in Male Brains

Reducing Visceral Fat Protects the Brain for Decades

Brain-First Hypothesis: Rethinking the Cambrian Explosion

Beyond the Gym: Why Your Brain Craves Creatine

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