FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·April 14, 2025·5 min readLSD-Inspired Drug Reverses Psychosis Brain Damage Without HallucinationsA new LSD-derived compound called JRT shows promise for treating schizophrenia and other brain disorders without inducing hallucinations. Developed by researchers who altered just two atoms in LSD’s structure, JRT maintains the psychedelic’s neuroplastic effects while avoiding its psychosis-linked risks.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·April 12, 2025·9 min readDelusions Often Appear Before Hallucinations in Early PsychosisA new study has found that delusions typically emerge before hallucinations in individuals at high risk for psychosis, overturning a long-standing belief that hallucinations drive delusional thinking. By analyzing symptom progression across three large cohorts, researchers consistently observed that delusions were the earliest symptom, reappearing even before hallucinations during relapses.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·April 9, 2025·5 min readElevated Dopamine in Cannabis Users May Explain Psychosis RiskNew research reveals that people with cannabis use disorder (CUD) have elevated dopamine levels in a brain region associated with psychosis, such as schizophrenia. This may help explain why frequent cannabis use can increase the risk of hallucinations and delusions.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·January 8, 2025·4 min readEarly Reproductive Aging Alters Brain Connectivity, Emotional HealthResearch shows that accelerated reproductive ageing in females, such as early puberty or menopause, is linked to increased mental health risks at different life stages. Adolescents experiencing early puberty displayed unstable brain connectivity in regions tied to psychosis vulnerability, while middle-aged women with early menopause showed patterns linked to depression.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychologyVisual Neuroscience·December 18, 2024·5 min readStudy Ties Visual Errors to Paranoid BeliefsA new study suggests complex beliefs like paranoia may have roots in visual misperception. Participants prone to paranoia or teleological thinking were more likely to wrongly identify one moving dot as chasing another in a visual task.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·December 6, 2024·6 min readPsychosis Risk Tied to Heavy Cannabis Use and Genetic FactorsHeavy cannabis use and genetic risk for schizophrenia independently contribute to the likelihood of developing psychosis. Researchers used two large datasets to analyze the relationship between cannabis use, schizophrenia polygenic risk scores (PRS), and psychosis.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·November 26, 2024·4 min readBrain Biomarker Could Predict Psychosis Before Symptoms EmergeResearchers have identified a brain biomarker that may predict psychosis onset before symptoms appear, enabling earlier interventions and personalized care. MRI scans revealed abnormal connectivity patterns in sensory brain networks, with weaker connections between sensory regions and stronger connections to the thalamus.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·November 21, 2024·4 min readCannabis Worsens Brain Connectivity Deficits in Psychosis RiskYoung adults at risk of psychosis show reduced synaptic density, a critical brain connectivity deficit that cannabis use appears to exacerbate, according to new research. The study revealed lower synaptic density linked to social withdrawal and motivational deficits, symptoms poorly addressed by current medications.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·November 13, 2024·4 min readMetabolic Pathways Link Cannabis to Psychosis in TeensA study investigated how cannabis use influences metabolomic patterns linked to psychotic-like experiences in adolescents. Blood samples revealed that non-cannabis users showed inflammatory metabolic changes associated with hallucinations, while cannabis users exhibited shifts in energy-related metabolites tied to brain ketogenesis. These findings suggest that cannabis use may trigger distinct molecular pathways in psychotic-like experiences.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·October 28, 2024·5 min readChildhood Attention Problems and Genes Linked to Psychosis RiskChildhood attention issues, coupled with genetic predispositions, increase the likelihood of experiencing psychotic-like symptoms in adolescence. By analyzing data from 10,000 youths, researchers discovered that variability in attention spans partially explains how genetic risk factors translate into psychotic-like symptoms.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·October 17, 2024·6 min readCannabis Leaves Molecular Marks on DNA Linked to PsychosisFrequent use of high-potency cannabis leaves unique molecular marks on DNA, particularly affecting genes related to energy and immune function. Researchers found that DNA methylation—an epigenetic modification—differed between frequent cannabis users who had experienced psychosis and those who had not, suggesting a possible genetic link to psychosis risk.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychologyVisual Neuroscience·October 1, 2024·5 min readReduced Brain Response to Visual Cues Linked to Psychosis in Parkinson’sPeople with Parkinson's disease (PD) who experience visual hallucinations have reduced brain responses to unexpected visual changes, a marker known as visual mismatch negativity (vMMN). Using EEG, researchers compared brain activity in PD patients with and without hallucinations and discovered that those with hallucinations showed weaker vMMN signals.Read More
