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mental health

·November 21, 2025·5 min read

Brain Circuit That Forces Behavior Into “Repeat Mode” Identified

A new study has identified a specific brain circuit that can push behavior into a compulsive “repeat mode,” forcing mice to continue digging and sniffing even when rewards are available. The circuit links the nucleus accumbens to the hypothalamus and then to the lateral habenula, a region involved in processing negative experiences.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 20, 2025·6 min read

AI Interviews Outperform Standard Mental Health Rating Scales

A new study demonstrates that an AI assistant can conduct psychiatric assessment interviews with greater diagnostic accuracy than widely used mental health rating scales. In a sample of 303 participants with confirmed psychiatric conditions, the AI assistant Alba provided DSM-based diagnostic suggestions after a brief conversational interview, outperforming rating scales in eight of nine disorders.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 19, 2025·6 min read

Shocking Disparities: Women Face Higher Risk of ECT

A large international survey of 858 electroconvulsive therapy recipients found that women are twice as likely as men to receive ECT and experience more adverse effects. Women reported higher rates of memory loss, greater feelings of coercion, and more harmful emotional outcomes, often describing the treatment as retraumatizing.

This shows a person holding a joint and a glass of scotch.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 19, 2025·7 min read

Cannabis Blunts Alcohol Cravings

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial shows that cannabis with active THC reduces immediate alcohol cravings and lowers drinking levels in heavy-drinking young adults. After smoking THC, participants not only drank less, they waited longer before taking the first sip and reported lower urges to drink.

This shows a stressed mom and teething baby.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 19, 2025·7 min read

Maternal Stress Speeds Up Baby Teething

New research shows that infants whose mothers had higher cortisol levels during late pregnancy experience significantly earlier eruption of primary teeth. Babies of mothers with the highest cortisol levels had, on average, four more teeth by six months than those of mothers with the lowest levels.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 18, 2025·7 min read

Deep Brain Stimulation Promising for Severe, Resistant Depression

A new clinical trial shows that deep brain stimulation (DBS) improved symptoms in half of adults with treatment-resistant depression, with one-third reaching remission. Researchers found that theta-frequency brain activity in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) predicted how well each patient responded.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 18, 2025·7 min read

Rare ADHD Gene Variants Linked to 15-Fold Higher Risk

A massive international genetic study has uncovered rare, high-effect variants in three specific genes—MAP1A, ANO8 and ANK2—that dramatically increase the likelihood of developing ADHD. These variants, though extremely uncommon, strongly affect genes expressed in dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons, influencing brain development from fetal life onward.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·November 14, 2025·5 min read

Genetic Roots of Depression Reveal Strong Suicide Risk Signals

New research shows that depression beginning before age 25 has a much stronger hereditary component than depression that emerges later in life. By analyzing genetic data from over 150,000 people with depression, researchers identified distinct genetic regions linked specifically to early-onset cases.

This shows kids eating food, thinking about fish.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 12, 2025·6 min read

Low Omega-3 Linked to Higher ADHD Symptoms

A new study reveals that low omega-3 fatty acid intake is associated with increased ADHD symptoms among Palestinian adolescents. Researchers found that socioeconomic disparities—particularly those limiting access to omega-3–rich foods like fish and nuts—intensify ADHD-related behavioral and attention difficulties.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·November 11, 2025·7 min read

Stress Undermines Brain Circulation, Increases Dementia Risk

Researchers found that a rare class of neurons—type-one nNOS neurons—plays a central role in regulating brain blood flow and coordinating neural activity in mice. Removing these stress-vulnerable cells caused major drops in vessel oscillations and widespread reductions in electrical signaling, suggesting a crucial link between neuron loss, blood-flow decline, and brain-function impairment.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 10, 2025·7 min read

Low Choline Could Be a Hidden Driver of Anxiety

A large meta-analysis of 25 studies found that people with anxiety disorders have significantly lower levels of choline, a vital brain nutrient, compared to individuals without anxiety. This reduction was especially pronounced in the prefrontal cortex, which helps regulate emotion and behavior.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 7, 2025·9 min read

New Therapy Reshapes Images That Fuel Psychosis

A new imagery-focused therapy called iMAPS may help people with psychosis gain control over disturbing mental images that fuel paranoia, fear, and hallucinations. In a feasibility trial of 45 participants, the approach showed strong patient engagement and meaningful reductions in distress by teaching individuals to understand, transform, and re-script intrusive images.