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stress

·July 7, 2025·4 min read

Anxious Mondays Leave Lasting Mark on Stress

A new study reveals that anxiety felt on Mondays uniquely elevates stress hormones, even in retirees, with potential consequences for heart health. Researchers found older adults who reported Monday anxiety had 23% higher long-term cortisol levels than peers anxious on other days.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·June 12, 2025·4 min read

Stress Genes Guide Cell Cleanup

New research has uncovered how the body clears dying cells during times of stress, shedding light on the unexpected role of classic stress-response genes. Using the model organism C. elegans, scientists tracked how these genes activate a pathway that helps remove cellular debris, a process essential for immune health and development.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 10, 2025·3 min read

Stress-Linked Brain Pathway Disrupts Sleep and Memory

New research reveals a stress-sensitive neural pathway that impairs both sleep and memory in male mice. Scientists activated neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus, known for their role in stress response, which caused sleep loss and poor memory performance.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 30, 2025·3 min read

How Early Life Shapes the Adolescent Anxiety Surge

Adolescent anxiety is on the rise globally, and a new Perspective argues that its roots may begin long before birth. Researchers highlight how maternal stress, caregiving quality, and early environmental cues influence the development of brain systems that regulate emotion and executive function.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 30, 2025·5 min read

Some Bosses Yell to Feel in Control, Not Just From Stress

New research shows that some supervisors yell at employees not out of stress but intentionally—to boost compliance and reinforce their authority. Unlike those who lash out from burnout and feel remorseful, these bosses report feeling better after the abuse.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·May 25, 2025·5 min read

Chronic Stress Quietly Raises Your Stroke Risk

Chronic stress is increasingly recognized as a contributor to stroke risk by intensifying conditions like high blood pressure, inflammation, and unhealthy lifestyle habits. While stress isn't as easily measured as cholesterol or blood pressure, long-term exposure to it can set the stage for vascular damage and increase both ischemic and, less commonly, hemorrhagic stroke risk.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 24, 2025·4 min read

Stress Hampers Emotional Regulation in Anxiety, Depression & BPD

New research reveals that acute stress can impair key brain functions involved in emotion regulation, particularly in individuals with distress-related disorders like depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder. The study found that executive functions—such as working memory, impulse control, and cognitive flexibility—are more likely to be disrupted in these individuals during high-stress moments.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 24, 2025·5 min read

Smart Floss Measures Stress Hormone for Easy, Real-Time Monitoring

Engineers have developed a novel dental floss device that can detect cortisol—a hormone linked to stress—through saliva, offering a painless, real-time method for stress monitoring. The device uses electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymers (eMIPs), which act like custom molds to recognize specific molecules.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·May 17, 2025·5 min read

Midlife Cortisol Levels Linked to Alzheimer’s Risk

A new study finds that elevated cortisol levels in midlife are linked to increased brain amyloid deposition—a key marker of Alzheimer’s disease—specifically in post-menopausal women. Researchers tracked 305 cognitively healthy individuals over 15 years and discovered that high cortisol predicted amyloid buildup later in life, but only among women who had gone through menopause.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 15, 2025·4 min read

Long COVID Brain Fog Linked to Inflammation and Stress Markers

A new study comparing long COVID patients with fully recovered individuals has found that those with persistent cognitive symptoms, like brain fog, show higher brain inflammation and reduced capacity to handle stress. The study revealed lower levels of nerve growth factor and elevated inflammatory markers in the long COVID group.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 14, 2025·6 min read

New Insights Into Why Stress Is So Hard to Treat

A new review reveals key differences in how stress hormone systems function in primate versus rodent brains, offering insight into why treatments for stress-related disorders often fail in humans. Researchers found that corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) interacts with dopamine circuits in more complex and widespread ways in primates, with dopamine neurons often releasing multiple neurotransmitters.

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.