A report released this week by a youth suicide prevention group found that young LGBTQ+ people who are disabled have higher rates of mental health issues and are at greater risk of suicide compared to their non-disabled peers. The Trevor Project, a national suicide prevention nonprofit that serves LGBTQ+ youth, surveyed more than 28,500 LGBTQ+ … Read more
Summary: Researchers have revealed a groundbreaking role of RNA in fear-related learning and memory. Their study shows how noncoding RNA Gas5 influences neuronal excitability, impacting learning and memory processes. Another study identified m6A-modified RNAs that regulate synaptic plasticity, crucial for fear extinction memory, a key factor in PTSD. These findings offer new insights into RNA’s … Read more
Summary: Researchers have discovered the significant role of Lactobacillus, a bacterium in fermented foods and yogurt, in managing stress and potentially preventing depression and anxiety. This research is crucial for its specific focus on Lactobacillus, distinguishing it from other microbiota. The study found that Lactobacillus maintains interferon gamma levels, crucial for stress response and mental … Read more
Summary: A new study reveals distinct differences in brain activity between traumatic memories in PTSD patients and regular sad autobiographical memories. This research, the first of its kind to examine real-life personal memories, found that traumatic memories do not activate typical memory-related brain regions like the hippocampus, suggesting they’re not processed as regular memories. Instead, … Read more
Summary: Researchers have modified transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), significantly improving its effectiveness in treating hard-to-treat depression. In a recent study, this novel TMS protocol achieved a 66% response rate and 42% acute remission in patients with major depressive disorder, surpassing the standard FDA-approved protocol’s 29% response rate. The new approach combines traditional left-brain stimulation with … Read more
Summary: A new study reveals that exposure and response prevention (EX/RP), a primary therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), effectively reshapes brain connectivity. This therapy enhances cognitive control by strengthening connections within key neural networks. Using advanced MRI techniques, researchers observed significant changes in the frontoparietal, cingulo-opercular, and default mode networks among OCD patients who underwent … Read more
Suicide rates in the U.S. reached an all-time high in 2022, continuing a surge that began in 2021, according to new provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The increase to 14.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, up from 14.1 in 2021, represented a 1% higher rate in suicides across the … Read more
Summary: A new study sheds light on the significant role of patients’ beliefs in the effectiveness of neurostimulation treatments for conditions like depression and ADHD. Analyzing five studies, the research team found that patients’ perceptions of receiving real or placebo treatments often had more impact on outcomes than the treatments themselves. This effect varied across … Read more
Summary: December’s festive season often brings stress and disappointment, challenging the societal expectation of only positive emotions. A new study shows how we respond to negative emotions is crucial for our mental health. The research suggests that accepting unpleasant emotions as normal, rather than judging them as inappropriate, leads to lower anxiety and depression. The … Read more
Summary: Researchers uncovered a brain molecule’s role in triggering comfort food cravings after experiencing stress. Their research reveals that the molecule Proenkephalin, located in the hypothalamus, is crucial in inducing overeating following a stressful event. By exposing mice to a natural predator’s odor and observing their response, the team demonstrated that this molecule activates neurons … Read more