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mental health

·May 12, 2025·5 min read

Why OCD, Tics, and ADHD Keep You Up at Night

People with obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs), chronic tic disorders (CTDs), and ADHD often suffer from significant sleep disturbances, and a new review suggests that disruptions in the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) pathway may be the reason why. The review highlights how dopamine and GABA dysregulation in CSTC circuitry contributes to both poor sleep and the disorders themselves, suggesting a bidirectional and additive relationship.

This shows people gossiping and a person standing alone.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 9, 2025·5 min read

Would You Rather Be Ignored or Gossiped About? Science Weighs In

New research explores the psychological tradeoff between being ignored and being the subject of gossip, revealing that neither option feels good—but for different reasons. In a series of five experiments with over 1,000 participants, researchers found that while most people reject negative gossip, many also feel uncomfortable being praised behind their backs.

This shows a person using a swap to analyze a saliva test.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 9, 2025·5 min read

At Home Saliva Test Detects Hidden Stress, Depression Risks

Researchers have developed a portable “lab-on-a-chip” device that measures cortisol levels from saliva, offering an objective and rapid way to assess stress and mental health risk. The device includes a disposable saliva collector and a handheld reader that delivers results to a smartphone within minutes.

This is a drawing of a cannabis pharmacy.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 8, 2025·5 min read

Legal Cannabis Linked to Less Problematic Use, Better Mental Health

The Weed Care study in Switzerland is investigating how legal access to cannabis affects users' consumption and mental health. In the first randomized trial of its kind, participants buying cannabis legally showed a slight decline in problematic use, especially among those who also used other drugs.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 8, 2025·6 min read

New Relief for Panic Disorders

A focused four-day treatment for panic disorder has shown impressive and lasting results, according to new research. Originally developed in Bergen and called Bergen 4-Day Treatment (B4DT), this method delivers rapid relief, with nearly 90% of patients reporting major improvement one week after therapy.

Featured Genetics Psychology

·May 8, 2025·4 min read

Genetics, Not Parenting, Shapes Personality

New research challenges many widely held beliefs in psychology, revealing that genetics may play a greater role in shaping personality than parenting. The findings also dispute common assumptions about gender-based personality differences, the power of subliminal messaging, and the effectiveness of brain training.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·May 7, 2025·4 min read

Knowing Alzheimer’s Risk Lowers Anxiety, But Motivation Fades

A new study shows that learning about amyloid beta buildup — a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease — does not increase emotional distress, but motivation to maintain healthy habits declines over time. Healthy adults who learned they had no amyloid buildup reported reduced depression, anxiety, and memory concerns, yet also lost motivation to continue positive lifestyle changes.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 7, 2025·5 min read

Dopamine’s Hidden Role in Anxiety Revealed

Dopamine receptors in the ventral hippocampus play a critical role in balancing approach and avoidance behaviors, expanding understanding beyond dopamine’s known functions in reward and motivation. By studying D1 and D2 receptor-expressing neurons in mice, researchers found these receptors govern opposing emotional responses under stress.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 7, 2025·8 min read

SSRI Exposure in the Womb May Rewire Brain Circuits

New research suggests that prenatal exposure to SSRIs may alter brain development in ways that increase the risk of depression and anxiety later in life. Using mice and human data, scientists found that early-life SSRI exposure heightened activity in brain fear circuits, a pattern not observed in offspring of depressed mothers who did not take SSRIs.

This shows outlines of people and glasses.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 7, 2025·4 min read

Social Drinking, Not Solitary, Drives Most Alcohol-Related Harm

New research challenges the stereotype of the solitary drinker, showing that social drinking plays a central role in the development and consequences of alcohol use disorder. Studies reveal people consistently drink more in social settings, where heavy drinking often leads to serious harms like violence, risky sex, and traffic fatalities.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 7, 2025·4 min read

Psychedelics Rewire Brain-Immune Circuits

New research reveals that psychedelics like psilocybin do more than alter brain activity — they reshape how the brain and immune system communicate. Scientists identified a pathway where chronic stress disrupts amygdala signaling, triggering immune responses that increase fear and anxiety.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 6, 2025·8 min read

Teens With Mental Health Conditions Use Social Media Differently

Adolescents with mental health conditions report distinct and often more negative experiences on social media compared to their peers. Those with internalising conditions like anxiety and depression were more likely to compare themselves to others, struggle with self-control, and experience mood changes tied to likes and comments.