#counseling — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #counseling, aggregated by home.social.
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DATE: September 2, 2026 at 04:30AM
SOURCE: STAT NEWS MENTAL HEALTHTITLE: Opinion: The next DSM should address the algorithm’s role in eating disorders
This fall, clinicians and researchers around the world will gather at conferences to discuss the future of psychiatric care, including the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), expected in 2030.
It will be the first revision since 2013, when TikTok didn’t exist and generative AI wasn’t a source of health information. That same year, Facebook retired its old ranking system and moved to a machine learning model built to predict what would keep someone scrolling. The way algorithms now shape how people think about food, their bodies, and themselves would have seemed like science fiction in 2013.
Read the rest…
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STAT News reports "from the frontiers of health and medicine".
Learn more at https://www.statnews.com/topic/mental-health/ .
See also their complete Mastodon account at @STAT .
This robot is NOT affiliated with STAT news and merely rebroadcasts from their site. Responses posted here are not monitored.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #DSM6 #EatingDisorders #MentalHealthTech #AlgorithmInfluence #SocialMediaImpact #DiagnosticManual #PsychiatricCare #GenAIHealth #TikTokImpact #MentalHealthConferences
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DATE: September 2, 2026 at 04:30AM
SOURCE: STAT NEWS MENTAL HEALTHTITLE: Opinion: The next DSM should address the algorithm’s role in eating disorders
This fall, clinicians and researchers around the world will gather at conferences to discuss the future of psychiatric care, including the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), expected in 2030.
It will be the first revision since 2013, when TikTok didn’t exist and generative AI wasn’t a source of health information. That same year, Facebook retired its old ranking system and moved to a machine learning model built to predict what would keep someone scrolling. The way algorithms now shape how people think about food, their bodies, and themselves would have seemed like science fiction in 2013.
Read the rest…
-------------------------------------------------
STAT News reports "from the frontiers of health and medicine".
Learn more at https://www.statnews.com/topic/mental-health/ .
See also their complete Mastodon account at @STAT .
This robot is NOT affiliated with STAT news and merely rebroadcasts from their site. Responses posted here are not monitored.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #DSM6 #EatingDisorders #MentalHealthTech #AlgorithmInfluence #SocialMediaImpact #DiagnosticManual #PsychiatricCare #GenAIHealth #TikTokImpact #MentalHealthConferences
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DATE: September 2, 2026 at 04:30AM
SOURCE: STAT NEWS MENTAL HEALTHTITLE: Opinion: The next DSM should address the algorithm’s role in eating disorders
This fall, clinicians and researchers around the world will gather at conferences to discuss the future of psychiatric care, including the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), expected in 2030.
It will be the first revision since 2013, when TikTok didn’t exist and generative AI wasn’t a source of health information. That same year, Facebook retired its old ranking system and moved to a machine learning model built to predict what would keep someone scrolling. The way algorithms now shape how people think about food, their bodies, and themselves would have seemed like science fiction in 2013.
Read the rest…
-------------------------------------------------
STAT News reports "from the frontiers of health and medicine".
Learn more at https://www.statnews.com/topic/mental-health/ .
See also their complete Mastodon account at @STAT .
This robot is NOT affiliated with STAT news and merely rebroadcasts from their site. Responses posted here are not monitored.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #DSM6 #EatingDisorders #MentalHealthTech #AlgorithmInfluence #SocialMediaImpact #DiagnosticManual #PsychiatricCare #GenAIHealth #TikTokImpact #MentalHealthConferences
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DATE: September 1, 2026 at 07:55AM
SOURCE: SOCIALPSYCHOLOGY.ORGTITLE: Mindfulness May Lower Blood Pressure in Just 8-12 Weeks
Source: Science Daily - Social Psychology
Simple practices such as mindfulness, gratitude journaling, and optimism training may improve several markers of cardiovascular health within a matter of weeks. A recent study found that these psychology interventions were consistently associated with improvements in blood pressure, inflammation, and other heart disease risk factors. The study, which reviewed results from 18 randomized controlled trials, was published in the journal Cardiology...
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Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Mindfulness #BloodPressure #CardiovascularHealth #Wellness #MentalHealth #StressReduction #Gratitude #Optimism #MindfulnessPractice #HeartHealth
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DATE: September 1, 2026 at 07:55AM
SOURCE: SOCIALPSYCHOLOGY.ORGTITLE: Mindfulness May Lower Blood Pressure in Just 8-12 Weeks
Source: Science Daily - Social Psychology
Simple practices such as mindfulness, gratitude journaling, and optimism training may improve several markers of cardiovascular health within a matter of weeks. A recent study found that these psychology interventions were consistently associated with improvements in blood pressure, inflammation, and other heart disease risk factors. The study, which reviewed results from 18 randomized controlled trials, was published in the journal Cardiology...
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Mindfulness #BloodPressure #CardiovascularHealth #Wellness #MentalHealth #StressReduction #Gratitude #Optimism #MindfulnessPractice #HeartHealth
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DATE: September 1, 2026 at 07:55AM
SOURCE: SOCIALPSYCHOLOGY.ORGTITLE: Mindfulness May Lower Blood Pressure in Just 8-12 Weeks
Source: Science Daily - Social Psychology
Simple practices such as mindfulness, gratitude journaling, and optimism training may improve several markers of cardiovascular health within a matter of weeks. A recent study found that these psychology interventions were consistently associated with improvements in blood pressure, inflammation, and other heart disease risk factors. The study, which reviewed results from 18 randomized controlled trials, was published in the journal Cardiology...
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Mindfulness #BloodPressure #CardiovascularHealth #Wellness #MentalHealth #StressReduction #Gratitude #Optimism #MindfulnessPractice #HeartHealth
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DATE: September 1, 2026 at 08:58AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY PSYCHIATIRY FEEDTITLE: Mindfulness may lower blood pressure in just 8 weeks
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260901010721.htm
Mindfulness, gratitude, and optimism training may improve blood pressure, inflammation, and other heart-health measures within just eight to 12 weeks. The strongest programs paired daily practice with regular reinforcement, suggesting that improving psychological well-being could become another tool for protecting cardiovascular health.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260901010721.htm
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Mindfulness #BloodPressure #HeartHealth #Wellbeing #Gratitude #Optimism #CardiovascularHealth #MentalHealthMatters #HealthyLifestyle #8Weeks8weeks
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DATE: September 1, 2026 at 08:58AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY PSYCHIATIRY FEEDTITLE: Mindfulness may lower blood pressure in just 8 weeks
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260901010721.htm
Mindfulness, gratitude, and optimism training may improve blood pressure, inflammation, and other heart-health measures within just eight to 12 weeks. The strongest programs paired daily practice with regular reinforcement, suggesting that improving psychological well-being could become another tool for protecting cardiovascular health.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260901010721.htm
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Mindfulness #BloodPressure #HeartHealth #Wellbeing #Gratitude #Optimism #CardiovascularHealth #MentalHealthMatters #HealthyLifestyle #8Weeks8weeks
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DATE: September 1, 2026 at 08:58AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY PSYCHIATIRY FEEDTITLE: Mindfulness may lower blood pressure in just 8 weeks
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260901010721.htm
Mindfulness, gratitude, and optimism training may improve blood pressure, inflammation, and other heart-health measures within just eight to 12 weeks. The strongest programs paired daily practice with regular reinforcement, suggesting that improving psychological well-being could become another tool for protecting cardiovascular health.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260901010721.htm
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Mindfulness #BloodPressure #HeartHealth #Wellbeing #Gratitude #Optimism #CardiovascularHealth #MentalHealthMatters #HealthyLifestyle #8Weeks8weeks
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DATE: September 1, 2026 at 08:58AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: Mindfulness may lower blood pressure in just 8 weeks
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260901010721.htm
Mindfulness, gratitude, and optimism training may improve blood pressure, inflammation, and other heart-health measures within just eight to 12 weeks. The strongest programs paired daily practice with regular reinforcement, suggesting that improving psychological well-being could become another tool for protecting cardiovascular health.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260901010721.htm
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Mindfulness #BloodPressure #HeartHealth #CardiovascularWellness #MentalWellbeing #Gratitude #Optimism #StressReduction #HealthyHabits #8WeeksChallenge
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DATE: September 1, 2026 at 08:58AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: Mindfulness may lower blood pressure in just 8 weeks
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260901010721.htm
Mindfulness, gratitude, and optimism training may improve blood pressure, inflammation, and other heart-health measures within just eight to 12 weeks. The strongest programs paired daily practice with regular reinforcement, suggesting that improving psychological well-being could become another tool for protecting cardiovascular health.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260901010721.htm
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Mindfulness #BloodPressure #HeartHealth #CardiovascularWellness #MentalWellbeing #Gratitude #Optimism #StressReduction #HealthyHabits #8WeeksChallenge
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DATE: September 1, 2026 at 08:58AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: Mindfulness may lower blood pressure in just 8 weeks
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260901010721.htm
Mindfulness, gratitude, and optimism training may improve blood pressure, inflammation, and other heart-health measures within just eight to 12 weeks. The strongest programs paired daily practice with regular reinforcement, suggesting that improving psychological well-being could become another tool for protecting cardiovascular health.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260901010721.htm
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Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #Mindfulness #BloodPressure #HeartHealth #CardiovascularWellness #MentalWellbeing #Gratitude #Optimism #StressReduction #HealthyHabits #8WeeksChallenge
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DATE: August 31, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Living in a democracy is linked to better mental health through personal autonomy
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-perceiving-your-country-as-democratic-boosts-mental-health/
Living in a democracy is linked to better mental health, and recent research reveals this happens primarily when citizens feel a genuine sense of personal freedom. The research suggests that the subjective experience of democratic governance, rather than official institutional structures alone, shapes human well-being by fulfilling a basic psychological need for autonomy. These findings were published in the journal Political Psychology.
Researchers wanted to understand the psychological mechanisms connecting political systems to mental health. They drew upon Self-Determination Theory, a framework proposing that all humans share fundamental psychological needs required for growth and well-being. One of these primary needs is autonomy, which is defined as feeling that one’s actions are voluntary, authentic, and free from external coercion. Prior investigations into this psychological framework focused largely on immediate environments like schools, workplaces, and families.
Societal structures like governments can also act as broad environments that either support or suppress these basic human needs. Economists and social theorists have proposed that expanding real freedoms, such as political voice and civil rights, enhances a person’s capability to pursue a fulfilling life. Standardized indices can measure a country’s institutional democracy, tracking metrics like civil liberties and free elections. However, official records might not perfectly match how citizens actually experience their political reality on a daily basis.
Joachim Waterschoot, a researcher at Ghent University, and Richard M. Ryan, a psychologist at the Australian Catholic University, led an effort to untangle these objective and subjective layers. They wanted to see if the psychological benefits of living in a democracy depend on a person’s subjective interpretation of their political environment. The researchers designed a multi-step analysis spanning one preliminary evaluation and three large cross-national datasets.
Before analyzing the large global datasets, the researchers conducted a preliminary study to validate their measurement tools. They surveyed 535 English-speaking adults in the United States. The goal was to ensure that the brief, one- or two-question surveys used in international databases accurately reflected complex psychological concepts.
The researchers found that the short survey questions closely matched the results of comprehensive, standardized psychological evaluations. In this initial phase, they also discovered that specific democratic principles related differently to mental health. Perceptions of strong civil rights and opportunities for political participation were the strongest predictors of personal autonomy and well-being. This early step confirmed that their chosen variables were reliable for the larger global analysis.
In the first main analysis, the researchers examined data from a large survey of 54,673 individuals across 28 European countries. They analyzed responses regarding how democratic participants perceived their country to be, alongside measures of their personal autonomy. The researchers also tracked overall happiness and life satisfaction, as well as symptoms of psychological distress, such as anxiety and depression. To isolate the effects of political perception, they controlled for demographic factors like age, gender, and household income.
Waterschoot and Ryan found that people who perceived their country as highly democratic reported better mental health and fewer psychological issues. This relationship was largely explained by higher reported levels of autonomy. The perception of living in a democratic society was consistently tied to people feeling they had a voice and choice in their lives. This enhanced sense of personal freedom then correlated with greater overall happiness and meaning in life across all 28 countries.
The second analysis shifted focus to compare different nations rather than just individuals. The researchers used a different large dataset encompassing 36,831 individuals across 33 countries. In this phase, they incorporated an objective measurement called the Democracy Index. The Democracy Index is a standardized score created by external experts that evaluates a country’s electoral process, civil liberties, functioning of government, and political culture.
The researchers found that a country’s objective Democracy Index score strongly predicted how democratic its citizens felt their society was. This subjective perception then linked to higher autonomy and well-being. The objective institutional score alone did not capture the full picture of a population’s mental health. The official index scores only related to personal well-being when citizens actually perceived their government as legitimately democratic and functioning well.
For the final analysis, the researchers expanded their scope to a global level and observed changes over time. They examined data from 111,909 people across 92 countries on six continents. This data spanned multiple survey waves collected between 2005 and 2022. By looking at information from different time periods, the researchers could track whether shifts in a nation’s objective democratic conditions corresponded to shifts in the population’s mental health.
The results mirrored the previous analyses on a global scale. As a country’s objective democratic conditions improved over time, citizens reported stronger perceptions of democratic functioning. These heightened perceptions corresponded to increases in autonomy, which again correlated with gains in happiness, general health, and life satisfaction. The researchers observed that while the structural conditions of a nation matter, the subjective experience of those conditions most directly supports a person’s psychological needs.
The researchers noted several caveats regarding their findings. These studies relied heavily on observational survey data, meaning the results do not definitively prove that democratic perceptions cause changes in well-being. The relationship might work in both directions over time. Societies composed of individuals who already feel high levels of personal autonomy might be more likely to establish and maintain democratic systems. A lack of autonomy might equally breed support for authoritarian regimes or restrictive political movements.
Another limitation involves the way some psychological concepts were measured in the international surveys. The available datasets often relied on single-question measures to assess complex feelings of autonomy and perceived democracy. Future investigations will need to use more robust, multi-item psychological surveys to capture the complete scope of human autonomy. The current studies also did not measure autonomy frustration, which is the active feeling of being controlled or coerced by outside forces.
Future research could examine how political systems affect other basic psychological needs. Aside from autonomy, people also require a sense of competence and a need to feel connected to others. Democratic environments might support these needs by fostering social trust and allowing citizens to feel capable of influencing societal outcomes. Evaluating how democratic backsliding or national crises impact these psychological metrics remains an open question for future analysis.
The study, “The impact of democracy on people’s well-being through enhanced autonomy: Findings from three cross-national surveys,” was authored by Joachim Waterschoot and Richard M. Ryan.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/how-perceiving-your-country-as-democratic-boosts-mental-health/
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #DemocracyAndWellbeing #AutonomyMatters #MentalHealthResearch #PoliticalPsychology #DemocracyIndex # CivicFreedom #PerceivedDemocracy #WellBeingAcrossNations #SelfDeterminationTheory #AutonomyInSociety
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DATE: August 31, 2026 at 02:18PM
SOURCE: PSYCHIATRIC TIMESDirect article link at end of text block below.
Today is International Overdose Awareness Day 💜
For #IOAD2026, we've taken a look at the current overdose statistics and what we can do to prevent overdose deaths: https://t.co/ihcqSvg7LT
Here are any URLs found in the article text:
Articles can be found by scrolling down the page at Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news".
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #psychotherapist #InternationalOverdoseAwarenessDay #IOAD2026 #OverdoseAwareness #EndOverdose #NaloxoneSaveLives
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DATE: August 31, 2026 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Treadmill running restores memory in Alzheimer’s mice by boosting a key brain pathway
A new study in mice indicates that long-term treadmill exercise might fully reverse memory problems and reduce brain damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The research suggests these benefits are tied to the activation of a specific cellular communication pathway that promotes brain health and reduces inflammation. The findings were published in Scientific Reports.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder characterized by memory loss and a decline in thinking skills. At a cellular level, the disease involves the buildup of toxic protein fragments known as amyloid plaques and tau tangles. These protein clusters disrupt communication between brain cells and trigger chronic inflammation.
Glial cells, which include microglia and astrocytes, act as the brain’s immune system. They initially try to clear away the toxic proteins. But in Alzheimer’s disease, these cells often become stuck in a hyperactive state, which damages healthy neurons and worsens the condition. A 2024 review indicated that physical exercise can help calm this brain inflammation by shifting microglia and astrocytes back into a protective state.
Scientists are still trying to understand exactly how exercise produces these positive changes in the brain. The authors of the new study focused on a specific chemical messenger system known as the brain-derived neurotrophic factor pathway. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, is a protein that acts like fertilizer for the brain, helping neurons survive, grow, and form new connections.
When this protein binds to its target receptor, called TrkB, it sets off a chain reaction inside the cell that promotes survival and blocks cell death. A 2024 review suggested that physical exercise boosts these protein levels, which helps protect memory during neurodegenerative diseases. Similarly, a 2024 paper proposed that boosting this signaling system can stimulate the repair of myelin, which is the protective coating around nerve fibers that often degrades in Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers wanted to see if the activation of this specific signaling complex could explain the wide-ranging benefits of exercise on Alzheimer’s pathology.
The research, led by Taewan Kim and Hyunsik Kang at Sungkyunkwan University, involved 40 male mice. Half of the mice were genetically modified to develop features of Alzheimer’s disease, including amyloid plaques, tau tangles, and memory deficits. The other half were typical, healthy mice.
Within both the Alzheimer’s model and the healthy groups, the researchers randomly assigned half the mice to an exercise program and half to a sedentary control group. The exercising mice ran on a motorized treadmill for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, for a total of 20 weeks. The speed of the treadmill was gradually increased over the months to maintain a steady physical challenge.
To test cognitive function, the researchers used a water maze at the end of the 20 weeks. The mice had to swim in a small pool to find a hidden platform. The scientists recorded how long it took the mice to learn the platform’s location and how well they remembered it the following day. Afterward, the researchers analyzed the brain tissue and blood of the mice to measure various proteins, inflammatory markers, and cellular changes.
The Alzheimer’s mice that remained sedentary showed severe memory impairments, taking much longer to find the hidden platform than the healthy mice. But the Alzheimer’s mice that exercised performed just as well as the healthy mice, displaying a full recovery of their spatial learning and memory skills.
At the cellular level, the exercising Alzheimer’s mice had substantially lower levels of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the hippocampus, a brain region vital for memory. The researchers found that treadmill running strongly activated the BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway. This activation was accompanied by a decrease in inflammatory molecules in the blood and brain.
The exercise routine also prompted a shift in the brain’s immune cells. Microglia and astrocytes in the exercising mice transitioned away from a toxic, inflammatory state and toward a restorative, anti-inflammatory state. The findings are in line with research covered by PsyPost in 2021, which found that voluntary physical exercise reversed cognitive impairment and prompted structural changes in astrocytes near amyloid plaques in an Alzheimer’s mouse model.
In addition to calming inflammation, the treadmill running protected the brain’s infrastructure. The exercising Alzheimer’s mice showed improved function in their mitochondria, which are the energy-producing structures inside cells. The researchers also noted a reduction in myelin damage and a decrease in the rate of neuronal cell death compared to the sedentary Alzheimer’s mice. The results align with another study covered by PsyPost in 2025, which observed that regular aerobic exercise reduced tau tangles, amyloid plaques, and myelin damage in naturally aged rats, though the new study specifically examined a genetically modified Alzheimer’s model.
The study provides detailed insights into the brain’s response to physical activity, but there are some caveats to consider. The research was conducted using a mouse model, meaning the findings might not translate directly to human patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The mice also began exercising at four months of age, which corresponds to the early stages of the disease in this specific genetic model. It is unknown if starting an exercise regimen later in the disease’s progression would yield similar benefits.
The researchers focused on changes in protein levels and cellular markers rather than directly blocking the BDNF-TrkB pathway to see if the benefits disappeared. Because of this, it is difficult to determine with absolute certainty that this specific pathway is the sole cause of the improvements. Exercise releases a wide variety of chemical messengers from muscles, which might also travel to the brain and contribute to neuroprotection.
Future research could explore how different types, durations, and intensities of exercise affect brain health in older adults. Scientists also plan to investigate whether these cellular improvements occur in other brain regions beyond the hippocampus.
The study, “Exercise training-induced benefits for Alzheimer’s disease are associated with modulation of the BDNF-TrkB signaling complex,” was authored by Taewan Kim, Jinkyung Cho, and Hyunsik Kang.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AlzheimersDisease #BDNFtrkB #BrainHealth #TreadmillExercise #Neuroprotection #InflammationReduction #Microglia #Astrocytes #MemoryRecovery #MiceStudy
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DATE: August 31, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Infant feeding practices may influence the timing of puberty in girls
URL: https://www.psypost.org/infant-feeding-practices-may-influence-the-timing-of-puberty-in-girls/
A large study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that girls who consumed human breast milk as infants tended to start puberty slightly later than those fed exclusively with infant formula. The research suggests that early feeding practices might influence the timeline of sexual development in females, though the same pattern was not observed in boys.
Puberty is the transitional phase of physical maturation when a child develops into an adult. Over recent decades, medical professionals globally have noted a general trend of puberty starting at younger ages, particularly in girls. Early puberty is a public health concern because it is associated with a higher risk of various adult health issues, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain reproductive cancers.
Human sexual development is shaped by many elements, including genetics, childhood body weight, and socioeconomic status. Medical researchers have also questioned whether an infant’s first foods might play a role in this biological clock. Human milk provides infants with unique hormones and nutritional components that infant formula lacks, prompting investigations into its long-term effects on physical growth.
The current study was led by Marta Pinto da Costa, a researcher at the Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto in Portugal, alongside several colleagues. The team wanted to know if consuming human milk, as well as the duration and exclusivity of that feeding, was associated with the timing of puberty. They noted that previous studies on this topic had yielded conflicting results, with some finding a protective effect against early puberty and others finding no link at all.
To investigate this question, the researchers examined data from a large birth cohort study called Generation XXI. This project enrolled expectant mothers at public maternity hospitals in Porto, Portugal, between 2005 and 2006. The researchers tracked a final sample of 4,745 children from birth through adolescence.
Parents were interviewed about their infant feeding practices at multiple points when the children were six, 15, and 24 months old, and again at four years old. The researchers categorized the children into four groups based on their diets. These groups included children who never received human milk, those who received human milk along with formula or other foods, those exclusively fed human milk for less than four months, and those exclusively fed human milk for four months or longer.
The four-month cutoff was chosen because Portugal provides four months of fully paid maternity leave, heavily influencing infant feeding timelines in the region. When the children reached 10 years of age, trained nurses evaluated their physical development. The nurses looked for established markers of puberty, such as breast growth and pubic hair in girls, and genital growth and pubic hair in boys.
These characteristics were graded on a standard medical scale known as Tanner stages, which ranges from one (prepubertal) to five (fully mature). To improve the accuracy of their assessments, the researchers combined the individual Tanner stages into a total puberty score ranging from two to 10. A score of three or higher indicated that a child had officially started puberty. Later, at ages 13 and 18, female participants also reported the age at which they experienced menarche, their first menstrual cycle.
The research team used statistical models to compare the early feeding categories with the puberty scores at age 10 and the age of the first menstrual cycle. They adjusted their calculations to account for other factors that might sway the results. These adjusted variables included the mother’s age and education, the mother’s own age at her first period, and the child’s birth weight.
The researchers found that girls who received human milk had a lower likelihood of showing advanced puberty scores at age 10 compared to girls who were never fed human milk. This pattern was most pronounced among girls who were exclusively fed human milk for at least four months. Essentially, any exposure to human milk in infancy was associated with a less advanced stage of puberty by age 10.
The initial analysis also indicated that exclusive human milk feeding was linked with a later onset of the first menstrual cycle in girls. However, this specific link was no longer statistically significant once the researchers factored in the children’s body mass index at age 10. Body mass index is a common medical tool that estimates body fat based on height and weight. This attenuation suggests that childhood body weight might partly mediate the relationship between early feeding and the timing of menstruation.
Previous research indicates that longer durations of breastfeeding often protect against childhood obesity, a condition frequently linked to earlier puberty onset. Human milk contains hormones like leptin, which helps regulate infant appetite and acts as a chemical signal communicating the body’s nutritional status to the brain. While leptin is known to influence the biological pathways that trigger reproductive maturity, researchers note that the exact way leptin from breast milk might shape a child’s long-term hormone levels remains speculative. Still, breast milk could indirectly delay puberty by preventing rapid weight gain in early childhood.
In boys, the researchers did not find consistent statistical associations between human milk feeding and puberty scores. One specific group of boys, those who received some human milk but were never exclusively fed it, showed a lower likelihood of having the highest puberty scores. The researchers noted that this finding was based on a very small number of boys who had reached advanced puberty by age 10, meaning the result is less reliable. Overall, boys tend to enter puberty later than girls, which makes early signs of maturation much harder to detect at age 10.
The study relies on observational data, meaning it cannot prove that human milk directly causes a delay in puberty. Other unmeasured lifestyle variables associated with families who breastfeed might contribute to the observed timeline. For instance, mothers with more education tend to breastfeed longer, and they might also foster habits that influence child health, such as consistent sleep routines and higher diet quality.
Additionally, infant feeding details were reported by parents months or years after the fact, which introduces the possibility of memory errors. Measuring the exact stages of puberty, particularly in boys, also involves some subjective judgment by the examining nurses.
Future studies could track actual hormone levels to see if compounds found in human milk interact with a child’s endocrine system over time. Researchers may also need to evaluate boys at older ages to capture a more complete picture of their maturation timeline.
The study, “Human Milk Feeding Practices and Pubertal Timing: Insights from the Generation XXI Population-Based Birth Cohort,” was authored by Marta Pinto da Costa, Milton Severo, Carla Lopes, Augusto Anguita-Ruiz, Joana Araújo, and Sofia Vilela.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/infant-feeding-practices-may-influence-the-timing-of-puberty-in-girls/
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-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 11:13AM
SOURCE: PSYCHIATRIC TIMESDirect article link at end of text block below.
As August comes to a close, be sure to check out all the updates on psychopharmacology from this month: https://t.co/AqxtcD2JgL
Here are any URLs found in the article text:
Articles can be found by scrolling down the page at Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news".
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-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 08:53AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY PSYCHOLOGY FEEDTITLE: Scientists challenge a 70-year-old “lizard brain” myth
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829235958.htm
A long-standing picture of brain evolution as newer, rational layers stacked on top of an ancient “lizard brain” may be deeply misleading. Researchers found that evolution instead appears to balance two competing styles of brain wiring, expanding one while shrinking the other depending on what an animal needs to survive.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829235958.htm
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-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 08:53AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY PSYCHOLOGY FEEDTITLE: Scientists challenge a 70-year-old “lizard brain” myth
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829235958.htm
A long-standing picture of brain evolution as newer, rational layers stacked on top of an ancient “lizard brain” may be deeply misleading. Researchers found that evolution instead appears to balance two competing styles of brain wiring, expanding one while shrinking the other depending on what an animal needs to survive.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829235958.htm
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-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 08:53AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY PSYCHOLOGY FEEDTITLE: Scientists challenge a 70-year-old “lizard brain” myth
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829235958.htm
A long-standing picture of brain evolution as newer, rational layers stacked on top of an ancient “lizard brain” may be deeply misleading. Researchers found that evolution instead appears to balance two competing styles of brain wiring, expanding one while shrinking the other depending on what an animal needs to survive.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829235958.htm
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-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Stress hormones drive female-specific brain rewiring following ketamine anesthesia
A recent study found that female mice, but not males, experience a surge in a stress hormone during recovery from ketamine anesthesia, prompting immune cells in the brain to reshape neuronal connections. This points to profound sex differences in how the brain regains function after being anesthetized. The findings were published in Science Advances.
Recovery from anesthesia is a complex biological process required to resume normal bodily and brain functions. Ketamine is unique among anesthetics because it targets specific inhibitory systems in the brain. It is normally viewed as a standard anesthetic that causes a temporary and fully reversible loss of consciousness.
Recent observations suggest ketamine can actually reinstate juvenile-like plasticity, or the brain’s ability to rewire and form new connections, and induce mild anxiety in female animals. This aligns with other work showing that biological sex plays a role in anesthesia responses. For instance, a study covered by PsyPost in 2024 indicated that females tend to regain consciousness and cognitive function faster than males following exposure to general anesthetics.
Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, are known to interact with neuronal networks and respond to environmental changes, shaping how neurons fire. However, their specific role in anesthesia recovery, particularly regarding potential sex differences, has remained largely unexplored.
The research, led by Alessandro Venturino and Sandra Siegert, a professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, aimed to see if microglia behave differently in male and female brains during anesthesia recovery.
“We were interested to investigate which consequences ketamine anesthesia had on microglia,” said Siegert, who leads the Siegert Group. “Microglia are known to respond to neuronal activity and anesthesia alters the brain activity, which led us to hypothesize that microglia might respond to it.”
To test this, the team administered a single dose of a ketamine-based anesthesia mixture to adult male and female mice. They then examined the primary visual cortex, an area of the brain where ketamine is known to induce structural changes.
Looking at the brain tissue four hours after the injection, the scientists noticed a distinct difference between the sexes. Female mice exhibited increased levels of a protein called CD68 in their microglia, indicating heightened cellular activity. The physical shape of the female microglia also changed, and they formed prolonged contacts with the branching structures of nearby neurons. Male microglia did not show these pronounced changes.
To see if these cellular contacts altered brain function, the team recorded the electrical activity of the neurons in slices of brain tissue. They found that the frequency of spontaneous electrical impulses increased in the female mice, suggesting enhanced neural plasticity and synaptic function. When the researchers chemically depleted the microglia in a separate group of female mice before administering the anesthesia, this boost in electrical activity did not occur. This provides evidence that the immune cells are necessary for the observed neural changes.
The researchers then used genetic sequencing to figure out what was driving this female-specific response. They found that female microglia selectively increased the expression of a gene called Fkbp5. This gene produces a protein involved in the body’s response to stress hormones, particularly corticosterone.
Blood tests confirmed that two hours after the ketamine injection, female mice had corticosterone levels nearly three times higher than their baseline. In contrast, male corticosterone levels remained relatively flat. To test the role of this hormone, the team surgically removed the adrenal glands, which produce corticosterone, in a group of female mice.
Without the adrenal glands, the ketamine-induced changes in microglial activity and neuron interaction vanished. When these mice were given a direct injection of corticosterone, the microglia rapidly resumed their active state and began contacting neurons again. This indicates that the stress hormone directly drives the immune cells to remodel neural connections.
The findings are in line with research covered by PsyPost in 2026, which detailed how recovering from ketamine anesthesia triggers a female-specific surge in corticosterone that activates microglia to promote new neural connections.
“It was fascinating to see that not the typical suspicious candidates for sex differences, namely the sex hormone estrogen, is the main driver of this effect but that the effect is mediated through the stress-response via the hormone corticosterone,” Siegert said.
A general reader might assume these findings mean human women will experience identical brain remodeling after receiving ketamine. The authors note that the study was conducted in mice, and human biological responses to anesthetics and stress hormones can differ. The experimental design also focused on a single time point of four hours post-anesthesia, meaning the long-term persistence of these new neural connections is currently unknown.
The anesthetic dosage used in the experiment also differs from how the drug is sometimes applied in psychiatry. The researchers gave the animals a dose sufficient to reach a level of anesthesia deep enough to perform surgery without pain or movement. “It’s important to say that we used an anesthetic dosage of ketamine, in combination with other drugs commonly used to ensure surgical plane for animal surgery,” Siegert noted. “How much our results can be translated to dosages commonly used for treating depression requires a follow-up study.”
Despite these caveats, the results highlight how biological sex can fundamentally alter the body’s response to pharmacological treatments. “Medication can have different effects and consequences between sexes,” Siegert explained. “In the case of ketamine, we know surprisingly little about sex-differences, even though it is frequently used. Our data suggests that females are more sensitive to the effects of ketamine.”
Beyond hormones, other factors such as the neurotransmitter noradrenaline appear to fluctuate differently between the sexes during recovery and might interact with the stress response. Future research could explore how different types of anesthetics, which act on different brain receptors, might influence these immune-driven changes.
More broadly, the team hopes to continue unraveling the mysteries of these immune cells and how they interact with glial cells, the supportive, non-neuronal cells that protect and maintain the brain. “Our main research focus is on identifying which role microglia have in the adult healthy brain,” Siegert said. “They are highly active but we still have only a rudimentary understanding of their daily role on how they act on neurons and other glial cells in the brain.”
The study, “Corticosterone-linked microglial activity underpins sexually dimorphic neuroplasticity after ketamine anesthesia,” was authored by Alessandro Venturino, MohammadAmin Alamalhoda, Thomas Negrello, Kelly Jin, Cindy T. J. van Velthoven, Ryan John A. Cubero, Jake Yeung, Peter Koppensteiner, Bosiljka Tasic, and Sandra Siegert.
-------------------------------------------------
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Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #KetamineRecovery #MicrogliaSexDifferences #CorticosteroneStressResponse #SexDifferencesInNeuroscience #NeuroplasticityAfterAnesthesia #FemaleBrainsOnly #NeuralRewiring #CorticosteroneDrivenPlasticity #BrainImmuneInteraction #KetamineResearch
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Stress hormones drive female-specific brain rewiring following ketamine anesthesia
A recent study found that female mice, but not males, experience a surge in a stress hormone during recovery from ketamine anesthesia, prompting immune cells in the brain to reshape neuronal connections. This points to profound sex differences in how the brain regains function after being anesthetized. The findings were published in Science Advances.
Recovery from anesthesia is a complex biological process required to resume normal bodily and brain functions. Ketamine is unique among anesthetics because it targets specific inhibitory systems in the brain. It is normally viewed as a standard anesthetic that causes a temporary and fully reversible loss of consciousness.
Recent observations suggest ketamine can actually reinstate juvenile-like plasticity, or the brain’s ability to rewire and form new connections, and induce mild anxiety in female animals. This aligns with other work showing that biological sex plays a role in anesthesia responses. For instance, a study covered by PsyPost in 2024 indicated that females tend to regain consciousness and cognitive function faster than males following exposure to general anesthetics.
Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, are known to interact with neuronal networks and respond to environmental changes, shaping how neurons fire. However, their specific role in anesthesia recovery, particularly regarding potential sex differences, has remained largely unexplored.
The research, led by Alessandro Venturino and Sandra Siegert, a professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, aimed to see if microglia behave differently in male and female brains during anesthesia recovery.
“We were interested to investigate which consequences ketamine anesthesia had on microglia,” said Siegert, who leads the Siegert Group. “Microglia are known to respond to neuronal activity and anesthesia alters the brain activity, which led us to hypothesize that microglia might respond to it.”
To test this, the team administered a single dose of a ketamine-based anesthesia mixture to adult male and female mice. They then examined the primary visual cortex, an area of the brain where ketamine is known to induce structural changes.
Looking at the brain tissue four hours after the injection, the scientists noticed a distinct difference between the sexes. Female mice exhibited increased levels of a protein called CD68 in their microglia, indicating heightened cellular activity. The physical shape of the female microglia also changed, and they formed prolonged contacts with the branching structures of nearby neurons. Male microglia did not show these pronounced changes.
To see if these cellular contacts altered brain function, the team recorded the electrical activity of the neurons in slices of brain tissue. They found that the frequency of spontaneous electrical impulses increased in the female mice, suggesting enhanced neural plasticity and synaptic function. When the researchers chemically depleted the microglia in a separate group of female mice before administering the anesthesia, this boost in electrical activity did not occur. This provides evidence that the immune cells are necessary for the observed neural changes.
The researchers then used genetic sequencing to figure out what was driving this female-specific response. They found that female microglia selectively increased the expression of a gene called Fkbp5. This gene produces a protein involved in the body’s response to stress hormones, particularly corticosterone.
Blood tests confirmed that two hours after the ketamine injection, female mice had corticosterone levels nearly three times higher than their baseline. In contrast, male corticosterone levels remained relatively flat. To test the role of this hormone, the team surgically removed the adrenal glands, which produce corticosterone, in a group of female mice.
Without the adrenal glands, the ketamine-induced changes in microglial activity and neuron interaction vanished. When these mice were given a direct injection of corticosterone, the microglia rapidly resumed their active state and began contacting neurons again. This indicates that the stress hormone directly drives the immune cells to remodel neural connections.
The findings are in line with research covered by PsyPost in 2026, which detailed how recovering from ketamine anesthesia triggers a female-specific surge in corticosterone that activates microglia to promote new neural connections.
“It was fascinating to see that not the typical suspicious candidates for sex differences, namely the sex hormone estrogen, is the main driver of this effect but that the effect is mediated through the stress-response via the hormone corticosterone,” Siegert said.
A general reader might assume these findings mean human women will experience identical brain remodeling after receiving ketamine. The authors note that the study was conducted in mice, and human biological responses to anesthetics and stress hormones can differ. The experimental design also focused on a single time point of four hours post-anesthesia, meaning the long-term persistence of these new neural connections is currently unknown.
The anesthetic dosage used in the experiment also differs from how the drug is sometimes applied in psychiatry. The researchers gave the animals a dose sufficient to reach a level of anesthesia deep enough to perform surgery without pain or movement. “It’s important to say that we used an anesthetic dosage of ketamine, in combination with other drugs commonly used to ensure surgical plane for animal surgery,” Siegert noted. “How much our results can be translated to dosages commonly used for treating depression requires a follow-up study.”
Despite these caveats, the results highlight how biological sex can fundamentally alter the body’s response to pharmacological treatments. “Medication can have different effects and consequences between sexes,” Siegert explained. “In the case of ketamine, we know surprisingly little about sex-differences, even though it is frequently used. Our data suggests that females are more sensitive to the effects of ketamine.”
Beyond hormones, other factors such as the neurotransmitter noradrenaline appear to fluctuate differently between the sexes during recovery and might interact with the stress response. Future research could explore how different types of anesthetics, which act on different brain receptors, might influence these immune-driven changes.
More broadly, the team hopes to continue unraveling the mysteries of these immune cells and how they interact with glial cells, the supportive, non-neuronal cells that protect and maintain the brain. “Our main research focus is on identifying which role microglia have in the adult healthy brain,” Siegert said. “They are highly active but we still have only a rudimentary understanding of their daily role on how they act on neurons and other glial cells in the brain.”
The study, “Corticosterone-linked microglial activity underpins sexually dimorphic neuroplasticity after ketamine anesthesia,” was authored by Alessandro Venturino, MohammadAmin Alamalhoda, Thomas Negrello, Kelly Jin, Cindy T. J. van Velthoven, Ryan John A. Cubero, Jake Yeung, Peter Koppensteiner, Bosiljka Tasic, and Sandra Siegert.
-------------------------------------------------
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Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #KetamineRecovery #MicrogliaSexDifferences #CorticosteroneStressResponse #SexDifferencesInNeuroscience #NeuroplasticityAfterAnesthesia #FemaleBrainsOnly #NeuralRewiring #CorticosteroneDrivenPlasticity #BrainImmuneInteraction #KetamineResearch
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Stress hormones drive female-specific brain rewiring following ketamine anesthesia
A recent study found that female mice, but not males, experience a surge in a stress hormone during recovery from ketamine anesthesia, prompting immune cells in the brain to reshape neuronal connections. This points to profound sex differences in how the brain regains function after being anesthetized. The findings were published in Science Advances.
Recovery from anesthesia is a complex biological process required to resume normal bodily and brain functions. Ketamine is unique among anesthetics because it targets specific inhibitory systems in the brain. It is normally viewed as a standard anesthetic that causes a temporary and fully reversible loss of consciousness.
Recent observations suggest ketamine can actually reinstate juvenile-like plasticity, or the brain’s ability to rewire and form new connections, and induce mild anxiety in female animals. This aligns with other work showing that biological sex plays a role in anesthesia responses. For instance, a study covered by PsyPost in 2024 indicated that females tend to regain consciousness and cognitive function faster than males following exposure to general anesthetics.
Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, are known to interact with neuronal networks and respond to environmental changes, shaping how neurons fire. However, their specific role in anesthesia recovery, particularly regarding potential sex differences, has remained largely unexplored.
The research, led by Alessandro Venturino and Sandra Siegert, a professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, aimed to see if microglia behave differently in male and female brains during anesthesia recovery.
“We were interested to investigate which consequences ketamine anesthesia had on microglia,” said Siegert, who leads the Siegert Group. “Microglia are known to respond to neuronal activity and anesthesia alters the brain activity, which led us to hypothesize that microglia might respond to it.”
To test this, the team administered a single dose of a ketamine-based anesthesia mixture to adult male and female mice. They then examined the primary visual cortex, an area of the brain where ketamine is known to induce structural changes.
Looking at the brain tissue four hours after the injection, the scientists noticed a distinct difference between the sexes. Female mice exhibited increased levels of a protein called CD68 in their microglia, indicating heightened cellular activity. The physical shape of the female microglia also changed, and they formed prolonged contacts with the branching structures of nearby neurons. Male microglia did not show these pronounced changes.
To see if these cellular contacts altered brain function, the team recorded the electrical activity of the neurons in slices of brain tissue. They found that the frequency of spontaneous electrical impulses increased in the female mice, suggesting enhanced neural plasticity and synaptic function. When the researchers chemically depleted the microglia in a separate group of female mice before administering the anesthesia, this boost in electrical activity did not occur. This provides evidence that the immune cells are necessary for the observed neural changes.
The researchers then used genetic sequencing to figure out what was driving this female-specific response. They found that female microglia selectively increased the expression of a gene called Fkbp5. This gene produces a protein involved in the body’s response to stress hormones, particularly corticosterone.
Blood tests confirmed that two hours after the ketamine injection, female mice had corticosterone levels nearly three times higher than their baseline. In contrast, male corticosterone levels remained relatively flat. To test the role of this hormone, the team surgically removed the adrenal glands, which produce corticosterone, in a group of female mice.
Without the adrenal glands, the ketamine-induced changes in microglial activity and neuron interaction vanished. When these mice were given a direct injection of corticosterone, the microglia rapidly resumed their active state and began contacting neurons again. This indicates that the stress hormone directly drives the immune cells to remodel neural connections.
The findings are in line with research covered by PsyPost in 2026, which detailed how recovering from ketamine anesthesia triggers a female-specific surge in corticosterone that activates microglia to promote new neural connections.
“It was fascinating to see that not the typical suspicious candidates for sex differences, namely the sex hormone estrogen, is the main driver of this effect but that the effect is mediated through the stress-response via the hormone corticosterone,” Siegert said.
A general reader might assume these findings mean human women will experience identical brain remodeling after receiving ketamine. The authors note that the study was conducted in mice, and human biological responses to anesthetics and stress hormones can differ. The experimental design also focused on a single time point of four hours post-anesthesia, meaning the long-term persistence of these new neural connections is currently unknown.
The anesthetic dosage used in the experiment also differs from how the drug is sometimes applied in psychiatry. The researchers gave the animals a dose sufficient to reach a level of anesthesia deep enough to perform surgery without pain or movement. “It’s important to say that we used an anesthetic dosage of ketamine, in combination with other drugs commonly used to ensure surgical plane for animal surgery,” Siegert noted. “How much our results can be translated to dosages commonly used for treating depression requires a follow-up study.”
Despite these caveats, the results highlight how biological sex can fundamentally alter the body’s response to pharmacological treatments. “Medication can have different effects and consequences between sexes,” Siegert explained. “In the case of ketamine, we know surprisingly little about sex-differences, even though it is frequently used. Our data suggests that females are more sensitive to the effects of ketamine.”
Beyond hormones, other factors such as the neurotransmitter noradrenaline appear to fluctuate differently between the sexes during recovery and might interact with the stress response. Future research could explore how different types of anesthetics, which act on different brain receptors, might influence these immune-driven changes.
More broadly, the team hopes to continue unraveling the mysteries of these immune cells and how they interact with glial cells, the supportive, non-neuronal cells that protect and maintain the brain. “Our main research focus is on identifying which role microglia have in the adult healthy brain,” Siegert said. “They are highly active but we still have only a rudimentary understanding of their daily role on how they act on neurons and other glial cells in the brain.”
The study, “Corticosterone-linked microglial activity underpins sexually dimorphic neuroplasticity after ketamine anesthesia,” was authored by Alessandro Venturino, MohammadAmin Alamalhoda, Thomas Negrello, Kelly Jin, Cindy T. J. van Velthoven, Ryan John A. Cubero, Jake Yeung, Peter Koppensteiner, Bosiljka Tasic, and Sandra Siegert.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #KetamineRecovery #MicrogliaSexDifferences #CorticosteroneStressResponse #SexDifferencesInNeuroscience #NeuroplasticityAfterAnesthesia #FemaleBrainsOnly #NeuralRewiring #CorticosteroneDrivenPlasticity #BrainImmuneInteraction #KetamineResearch
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 08:53AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: Scientists challenge a 70-year-old “lizard brain” myth
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829235958.htm
A long-standing picture of brain evolution as newer, rational layers stacked on top of an ancient “lizard brain” may be deeply misleading. Researchers found that evolution instead appears to balance two competing styles of brain wiring, expanding one while shrinking the other depending on what an animal needs to survive.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829235958.htm
-------------------------------------------------
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Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #BrainEvolution #LizardBrainMyth #Neuroscience #BrainWiring #EvolutionaryBiology #ScienceNews #Neurobiology #AnimalBrains #CognitiveScience #MythBusting
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 08:53AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: Scientists challenge a 70-year-old “lizard brain” myth
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829235958.htm
A long-standing picture of brain evolution as newer, rational layers stacked on top of an ancient “lizard brain” may be deeply misleading. Researchers found that evolution instead appears to balance two competing styles of brain wiring, expanding one while shrinking the other depending on what an animal needs to survive.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829235958.htm
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #BrainEvolution #LizardBrainMyth #Neuroscience #BrainWiring #EvolutionaryBiology #ScienceNews #Neurobiology #AnimalBrains #CognitiveScience #MythBusting
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 08:53AM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: Scientists challenge a 70-year-old “lizard brain” myth
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829235958.htm
A long-standing picture of brain evolution as newer, rational layers stacked on top of an ancient “lizard brain” may be deeply misleading. Researchers found that evolution instead appears to balance two competing styles of brain wiring, expanding one while shrinking the other depending on what an animal needs to survive.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260829235958.htm
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #BrainEvolution #LizardBrainMyth #Neuroscience #BrainWiring #EvolutionaryBiology #ScienceNews #Neurobiology #AnimalBrains #CognitiveScience #MythBusting
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 09:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: How monogamous and polyamorous individuals envision multiple romantic partners
When people imagine having two long-term romantic partners at the same time, a majority envision two people with similar, well-rounded traits, though monogamous men often show a preference for one partner focused on physical attractiveness and sexual skill. These findings highlight how intended time and emotional investment shape human mating preferences in non-monogamous contexts. The research was published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
Historically, research into human mating preferences has centered on monogamy, an exclusive relationship between two people. In this context, researchers have mapped out how individuals prioritize traits like kindness, intelligence, and physical attractiveness in a single long-term partner. Consensual non-monogamy and concurrent mating structures have been present throughout human history and across various cultures. This historical prevalence led researchers to question whether human mating psychology is adapted to generate distinct preferences when multiple partners are involved.
Ashley J. Coventry, a researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her colleagues initiated a project to determine whether people prefer the same traits in multiple concurrent partners or if they seek different characteristics in each person. The research team hypothesized that the costs and benefits of certain traits might shift depending on how many partners a person has. For example, a single wealthy partner could theoretically provide enough financial stability for a whole family unit, potentially decreasing a person’s need to seek out high financial prospects in a second partner.
In their first study, the researchers recruited 267 primarily monogamous individuals. Participants completed a budget allocation task, a method where they received a fixed amount of 70 points to spend on specific traits for two hypothetical long-term partners. This forced-choice format creates artificial scarcity among traits like ambition, physical attractiveness, intelligence, and kindness. The researchers then used a statistical technique called cluster analysis to group the hypothetical partners based on how participants distributed their limited points.
The analysis revealed two primary categories of ideal partners, the first of which was labeled “well-rounded” because participants distributed their points evenly across traits. The second category was labeled “good in bed and attractive,” where points were heavily concentrated on physical appearance and sexual skill. Nearly three-quarters of the participants preferred two partners of the same type, but over a quarter of the respondents preferred distinct traits for each partner. In this group, male participants were much more likely than female participants to design at least one partner who prioritized attractiveness and sexual skill.
To confirm these patterns, the researchers conducted a second study with 227 mostly monogamous participants. This study replicated the point-spending methods of the first but added questions about how participants would divide their resources between the two hypothetical partners. Participants rated how they would allocate their financial investment, their daily time, and their emotional closeness across the two relationships.
The second study produced the exact same two partner categories as the first, with most participants again preferring two well-rounded partners. Among those who desired different partner types, men frequently preferred one well-rounded partner and one partner focused on attractiveness and sexual skill. The investment questions revealed that participants who designed two different types of partners planned to divide their resources unequally. These individuals typically intended to invest more time, money, and emotional energy into the well-rounded partner compared to the partner valued primarily for physical and sexual traits.
In a third study, the research team recruited 169 individuals who currently identified as polyamorous. Polyamory is a relationship structure where people can have multiple consensual, romantic partnerships at the same time with the knowledge of everyone involved. The participants completed the same budget allocation and investment tasks as the previous groups. This allowed the researchers to test whether the patterns found in monogamous people applied to those actually practicing non-monogamy.
The cluster analysis for this group yielded slightly different categories. While the well-rounded partner type remained the most common, the second category centered on kindness and sexual skill rather than physical attractiveness. Similar to the previous studies, nearly three-quarters of the polyamorous participants preferred two partners of the same type. Unlike the monogamous groups, polyamorous men and women displayed no statistical divergence in their partner preferences.
Both men and women in the polyamorous group most commonly designed two identical partner types. While participants who designed two different partner types again reported intentions to divide their time unequally, the polyamorous group generally aimed for more equal investment across both partners. The sex-based variations seen in the monogamous sample simply did not appear among the polyamorous respondents.
The researchers note a few limitations to the project. The statistical clusters represent general patterns of point allocation in a specific task rather than rigid, real-world categories of human beings. The reliance on a point-spending system forces participants into trade-offs that might not capture how human attraction naturally unfolds.
The total number of polyamorous participants was lower than initially planned, which can reduce a study’s statistical power to detect minor behavioral patterns. The survey also did not ask polyamorous participants about their specific relationship structures. Some polyamorous individuals practice a hierarchical structure with primary and secondary partners, while others avoid relationship hierarchies entirely. These structural differences likely influence how people imagine investing their time across multiple partners.
The monogamous participants may have inherently imagined a primary and secondary relationship dynamic when asked to envision two partners, prompting them to assign different traits to each. Additionally, the participant pool was limited to individuals living in the United States. Future studies could explore how specific types of consensual non-monogamy alter these preferences in different cultural settings. The authors also suggest exploring these questions with larger groups of non-binary individuals, as they were excluded from the current analysis to maintain sample parity across binary sex categories.
The study, “Preferences and Polyamory: Investigating Ideal Mate Preferences for Concurrent Partners in Monogamous and Polyamorous Individuals,” was authored by Ashley J. Coventry, Benjamin Gelbart, Kathryn V. Walter, Tamsin German, and Daniel Conroy-Beam.
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-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Researchers identify a simple way to soften deep political divides
URL: https://www.psypost.org/researchers-identify-a-simple-way-to-soften-deep-political-divides/
Consuming news from political or religious groups outside of one’s own circle may help soften exaggerated beliefs about how much those groups dislike you. New research provides evidence that watching or reading outgroup media is linked to feeling a greater sense of connection to those individuals, which in turn is associated with assuming they view your group more favorably. The findings were published in Political Psychology.
People often possess exaggerated meta-perceptions, which are beliefs about how another group views their own group. Specifically, individuals tend to overestimate how much the opposing side dislikes them, known as meta-prejudice, and how much the other side views them as unevolved or uncivilized, known as meta-dehumanization. For example, a 2021 study covered by PsyPost indicated that both Democrats and Republicans drastically overestimate the extent to which the opposing political party dehumanizes and holds prejudice against them.
These exaggerated assumptions can fuel real-world hostility. A 2019 set of experiments and surveys found that when people overestimate outgroup negativity, they are more likely to believe the opposing side is motivated by purposeful obstructionism. Correcting these false impressions is an important step in reducing political and social animosity.
“This project stemmed from a recent study which found that Americans have substantially exaggerated perceptions of what the other political group thinks about them,” said Muhammad Ehab Rasul, a research fellow at the Centre for Trusted Internet and Community at the National University of Singapore. “One aspect that really drove us to explore this topic was to understand what is driving these erroneous meta-perceptions, and if there is a way to create more positive meta-perceptions.”
News media consumption plays a major role in shaping these impressions. The researchers wanted to know if traditional news sources could act as a form of mediated contact, helping people form one-sided feelings of familiarity and intimacy with the opposing group, a concept known as a political parasocial relationship. They suspected that these media-driven connections might help correct harsh meta-perceptions, though they noted that outgroup exposure does not always have a positive effect. In fact, a 2018 field experiment found that paying people to follow opposing political views on social media actually increased their political polarization.
“Today, partisan sorting is becoming increasingly common, meaning that people do not have as much direct interaction with those with opposing views than in previous decades,” said Samantha Moore-Berg, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Utah. “Yet one way that partisans increasingly can access the other side’s perspectives is through the media.”
The research, led by Rasul and Moore-Berg, examined this dynamic across three studies in the United States and Israel. In the first study, the team surveyed 2,707 American adults, measuring how often participants consumed liberal and conservative news media. The researchers asked the participants to guess how warmly the opposing political party felt about them and how evolved the other party considered them to be.
The authors found that consuming news from the opposing political side was generally associated with reduced negative assumptions. For Republicans, watching or reading more liberal news was linked to lower meta-prejudice and lower meta-dehumanization. For Democrats, higher exposure to conservative news was associated with lower meta-prejudice. Interestingly, when Republicans consumed more conservative news, they tended to report higher meta-dehumanization, suggesting that sticking entirely to ingroup media might worsen some negative assumptions.
“Contrary to initial predictions, we found that exposure to outgroup partisan news is associated with more positive meta-perceptions,” Moore-Berg told PsyPost. “Initially, we expected the opposite pattern, as the media often focuses on negative portrayals of outgroup members.”
At the same time, viewing one’s own party’s news did not universally deepen hostility. “One thing that was interesting is that we did not find significant associations between ingroup news media consumption and meta-perceptions,” Rasul noted. “It is expected that this type of exposure should result in more extreme attitudes and meta-perceptions. However, we do not observe these effects in our findings.”
The scientists then tested whether this pattern would hold in a society where the two groups have a vast power imbalance and different levels of media access. The second study involved 969 Jewish adults in Israel, split between secular and ultra-Orthodox individuals. Participants reported their exposure to mainstream secular news and to specific ultra-Orthodox news outlets.
The team’s diverse background proved essential for this phase of the research. “Our researcher composition played a significant role in access to hard-to-reach study populations, such as the ultra-Orthodox participant group in Study 2, and helped us think about the role of the media in intergroup relations,” Moore-Berg said.
Exposure to ultra-Orthodox news was associated with lower meta-prejudice and lower meta-dehumanization for both secular and ultra-Orthodox participants. The relationship between secular news and meta-perceptions was not statistically significant for either group. The researchers suggest that because secular media is the mainstream default, extra exposure to it does little to change the entrenched views of ultra-Orthodox individuals, who often feel stigmatized by those outlets.
“The finding that outgroup news media is associated with lower meta-perceptions of prejudice and dehumanization is stronger and more stable for groups with equal status and power,” Rasul explained. “Our findings suggest that the link between outgroup news media exposure and meta-perceptions of prejudice and dehumanization is stronger and consistent among Democrats and Republicans, but inconsistent among secular and ultra-Orthodox Jews.”
In a final study of 761 American adults, the researchers explored the psychological mechanism behind these media effects. Alongside measuring news habits and meta-perceptions, they asked participants how much they felt a sense of belonging or connection when watching members of the opposing political party on the news.
As in the first study, Democrats who consumed more conservative news reported lower meta-prejudice. More importantly, the data indicated that exposure to outgroup news was linked to a stronger political parasocial relationship. This heightened sense of imagined connection with the opposing group was, in turn, associated with less extreme assumptions about how much the outgroup disliked or dehumanized them.
“The key takeaway from our findings is that consuming the ‘other’ side’s media can be a way to lower the misperceptions we hold about other groups,” Rasul said. “This may occur as we realize that the other side’s perceptions about us are not as extreme as we may believe.”
Moore-Berg pointed out that this benefit extends beyond a single context. “Our results showed that increased exposure to outgroup media was associated with more positive meta-perceptions for both partisans in the U.S. and religious groups in Israel,” she said. “Media may be a cross-group solution to reducing negative meta-perceptions.”
The cross-sectional nature of the data means the authors cannot confirm that watching outgroup news directly causes people to soften their assumptions. It is entirely possible that individuals who already assume the best about their political opponents are simply more willing to tune into outgroup media channels. Tracking news habits over a long period or assigning participants to watch specific networks would help clarify the exact direction of this relationship.
“These associations could be due to selection effects—partisans who are initially more willing to watch outgroup media might have more positive meta-perceptions to start—or could be due to media exposure,” Moore-Berg explained.
The reliance on self-reported media consumption also presents a challenge, as people do not always accurately remember or admit how much partisan news they watch. Additionally, the specific political climate during each survey might have influenced the responses. The first study took place early in the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of unique media habits and shared external threats, which might explain why its results differed slightly from the third study conducted a few years later.
The researchers also noted that their measures did not capture the nuance of what participants were watching. “We only examined general media exposure rather than the specific content within the media that participants consumed,” Moore-Berg added.
Looking ahead, the team hopes to pinpoint the mechanisms driving these results and explore alternative platforms. “It could be that exposure to outgroup views via TikTok, for instance, may affect meta-perceptions differently than say exposure to CNBC or Fox News,” Moore-Berg said.
Rasul hopes these insights can eventually inform broadcasting practices to lower intergroup hostility. “One of the key implications of our study is that media outlets should aim to portray more moderate views of individuals with different religious and political backgrounds and avoid airing extreme opinions,” he concluded.
The study, “The role of partisan news and political parasocial relationships in shaping meta-perceptions: Cross-national evidence,” was authored by Muhammad Ehab Rasul, Boaz Hameiri, Gila Hacohen, Nechumi Malovicki-Yaffe, and Samantha L. Moore-Berg.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/researchers-identify-a-simple-way-to-soften-deep-political-divides/
-------------------------------------------------
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Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PoliticalPsychology #OutgroupMedia #MetaPerceptions #PoliticalParasocialRelationships #CrossNationalStudy #MediaExposure #ReducePolarization #IntergroupRelations #NewsConsumption #MediationByMedia
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Researchers identify a simple way to soften deep political divides
URL: https://www.psypost.org/researchers-identify-a-simple-way-to-soften-deep-political-divides/
Consuming news from political or religious groups outside of one’s own circle may help soften exaggerated beliefs about how much those groups dislike you. New research provides evidence that watching or reading outgroup media is linked to feeling a greater sense of connection to those individuals, which in turn is associated with assuming they view your group more favorably. The findings were published in Political Psychology.
People often possess exaggerated meta-perceptions, which are beliefs about how another group views their own group. Specifically, individuals tend to overestimate how much the opposing side dislikes them, known as meta-prejudice, and how much the other side views them as unevolved or uncivilized, known as meta-dehumanization. For example, a 2021 study covered by PsyPost indicated that both Democrats and Republicans drastically overestimate the extent to which the opposing political party dehumanizes and holds prejudice against them.
These exaggerated assumptions can fuel real-world hostility. A 2019 set of experiments and surveys found that when people overestimate outgroup negativity, they are more likely to believe the opposing side is motivated by purposeful obstructionism. Correcting these false impressions is an important step in reducing political and social animosity.
“This project stemmed from a recent study which found that Americans have substantially exaggerated perceptions of what the other political group thinks about them,” said Muhammad Ehab Rasul, a research fellow at the Centre for Trusted Internet and Community at the National University of Singapore. “One aspect that really drove us to explore this topic was to understand what is driving these erroneous meta-perceptions, and if there is a way to create more positive meta-perceptions.”
News media consumption plays a major role in shaping these impressions. The researchers wanted to know if traditional news sources could act as a form of mediated contact, helping people form one-sided feelings of familiarity and intimacy with the opposing group, a concept known as a political parasocial relationship. They suspected that these media-driven connections might help correct harsh meta-perceptions, though they noted that outgroup exposure does not always have a positive effect. In fact, a 2018 field experiment found that paying people to follow opposing political views on social media actually increased their political polarization.
“Today, partisan sorting is becoming increasingly common, meaning that people do not have as much direct interaction with those with opposing views than in previous decades,” said Samantha Moore-Berg, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Utah. “Yet one way that partisans increasingly can access the other side’s perspectives is through the media.”
The research, led by Rasul and Moore-Berg, examined this dynamic across three studies in the United States and Israel. In the first study, the team surveyed 2,707 American adults, measuring how often participants consumed liberal and conservative news media. The researchers asked the participants to guess how warmly the opposing political party felt about them and how evolved the other party considered them to be.
The authors found that consuming news from the opposing political side was generally associated with reduced negative assumptions. For Republicans, watching or reading more liberal news was linked to lower meta-prejudice and lower meta-dehumanization. For Democrats, higher exposure to conservative news was associated with lower meta-prejudice. Interestingly, when Republicans consumed more conservative news, they tended to report higher meta-dehumanization, suggesting that sticking entirely to ingroup media might worsen some negative assumptions.
“Contrary to initial predictions, we found that exposure to outgroup partisan news is associated with more positive meta-perceptions,” Moore-Berg told PsyPost. “Initially, we expected the opposite pattern, as the media often focuses on negative portrayals of outgroup members.”
At the same time, viewing one’s own party’s news did not universally deepen hostility. “One thing that was interesting is that we did not find significant associations between ingroup news media consumption and meta-perceptions,” Rasul noted. “It is expected that this type of exposure should result in more extreme attitudes and meta-perceptions. However, we do not observe these effects in our findings.”
The scientists then tested whether this pattern would hold in a society where the two groups have a vast power imbalance and different levels of media access. The second study involved 969 Jewish adults in Israel, split between secular and ultra-Orthodox individuals. Participants reported their exposure to mainstream secular news and to specific ultra-Orthodox news outlets.
The team’s diverse background proved essential for this phase of the research. “Our researcher composition played a significant role in access to hard-to-reach study populations, such as the ultra-Orthodox participant group in Study 2, and helped us think about the role of the media in intergroup relations,” Moore-Berg said.
Exposure to ultra-Orthodox news was associated with lower meta-prejudice and lower meta-dehumanization for both secular and ultra-Orthodox participants. The relationship between secular news and meta-perceptions was not statistically significant for either group. The researchers suggest that because secular media is the mainstream default, extra exposure to it does little to change the entrenched views of ultra-Orthodox individuals, who often feel stigmatized by those outlets.
“The finding that outgroup news media is associated with lower meta-perceptions of prejudice and dehumanization is stronger and more stable for groups with equal status and power,” Rasul explained. “Our findings suggest that the link between outgroup news media exposure and meta-perceptions of prejudice and dehumanization is stronger and consistent among Democrats and Republicans, but inconsistent among secular and ultra-Orthodox Jews.”
In a final study of 761 American adults, the researchers explored the psychological mechanism behind these media effects. Alongside measuring news habits and meta-perceptions, they asked participants how much they felt a sense of belonging or connection when watching members of the opposing political party on the news.
As in the first study, Democrats who consumed more conservative news reported lower meta-prejudice. More importantly, the data indicated that exposure to outgroup news was linked to a stronger political parasocial relationship. This heightened sense of imagined connection with the opposing group was, in turn, associated with less extreme assumptions about how much the outgroup disliked or dehumanized them.
“The key takeaway from our findings is that consuming the ‘other’ side’s media can be a way to lower the misperceptions we hold about other groups,” Rasul said. “This may occur as we realize that the other side’s perceptions about us are not as extreme as we may believe.”
Moore-Berg pointed out that this benefit extends beyond a single context. “Our results showed that increased exposure to outgroup media was associated with more positive meta-perceptions for both partisans in the U.S. and religious groups in Israel,” she said. “Media may be a cross-group solution to reducing negative meta-perceptions.”
The cross-sectional nature of the data means the authors cannot confirm that watching outgroup news directly causes people to soften their assumptions. It is entirely possible that individuals who already assume the best about their political opponents are simply more willing to tune into outgroup media channels. Tracking news habits over a long period or assigning participants to watch specific networks would help clarify the exact direction of this relationship.
“These associations could be due to selection effects—partisans who are initially more willing to watch outgroup media might have more positive meta-perceptions to start—or could be due to media exposure,” Moore-Berg explained.
The reliance on self-reported media consumption also presents a challenge, as people do not always accurately remember or admit how much partisan news they watch. Additionally, the specific political climate during each survey might have influenced the responses. The first study took place early in the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of unique media habits and shared external threats, which might explain why its results differed slightly from the third study conducted a few years later.
The researchers also noted that their measures did not capture the nuance of what participants were watching. “We only examined general media exposure rather than the specific content within the media that participants consumed,” Moore-Berg added.
Looking ahead, the team hopes to pinpoint the mechanisms driving these results and explore alternative platforms. “It could be that exposure to outgroup views via TikTok, for instance, may affect meta-perceptions differently than say exposure to CNBC or Fox News,” Moore-Berg said.
Rasul hopes these insights can eventually inform broadcasting practices to lower intergroup hostility. “One of the key implications of our study is that media outlets should aim to portray more moderate views of individuals with different religious and political backgrounds and avoid airing extreme opinions,” he concluded.
The study, “The role of partisan news and political parasocial relationships in shaping meta-perceptions: Cross-national evidence,” was authored by Muhammad Ehab Rasul, Boaz Hameiri, Gila Hacohen, Nechumi Malovicki-Yaffe, and Samantha L. Moore-Berg.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/researchers-identify-a-simple-way-to-soften-deep-political-divides/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PoliticalPsychology #OutgroupMedia #MetaPerceptions #PoliticalParasocialRelationships #CrossNationalStudy #MediaExposure #ReducePolarization #IntergroupRelations #NewsConsumption #MediationByMedia
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Researchers identify a simple way to soften deep political divides
URL: https://www.psypost.org/researchers-identify-a-simple-way-to-soften-deep-political-divides/
Consuming news from political or religious groups outside of one’s own circle may help soften exaggerated beliefs about how much those groups dislike you. New research provides evidence that watching or reading outgroup media is linked to feeling a greater sense of connection to those individuals, which in turn is associated with assuming they view your group more favorably. The findings were published in Political Psychology.
People often possess exaggerated meta-perceptions, which are beliefs about how another group views their own group. Specifically, individuals tend to overestimate how much the opposing side dislikes them, known as meta-prejudice, and how much the other side views them as unevolved or uncivilized, known as meta-dehumanization. For example, a 2021 study covered by PsyPost indicated that both Democrats and Republicans drastically overestimate the extent to which the opposing political party dehumanizes and holds prejudice against them.
These exaggerated assumptions can fuel real-world hostility. A 2019 set of experiments and surveys found that when people overestimate outgroup negativity, they are more likely to believe the opposing side is motivated by purposeful obstructionism. Correcting these false impressions is an important step in reducing political and social animosity.
“This project stemmed from a recent study which found that Americans have substantially exaggerated perceptions of what the other political group thinks about them,” said Muhammad Ehab Rasul, a research fellow at the Centre for Trusted Internet and Community at the National University of Singapore. “One aspect that really drove us to explore this topic was to understand what is driving these erroneous meta-perceptions, and if there is a way to create more positive meta-perceptions.”
News media consumption plays a major role in shaping these impressions. The researchers wanted to know if traditional news sources could act as a form of mediated contact, helping people form one-sided feelings of familiarity and intimacy with the opposing group, a concept known as a political parasocial relationship. They suspected that these media-driven connections might help correct harsh meta-perceptions, though they noted that outgroup exposure does not always have a positive effect. In fact, a 2018 field experiment found that paying people to follow opposing political views on social media actually increased their political polarization.
“Today, partisan sorting is becoming increasingly common, meaning that people do not have as much direct interaction with those with opposing views than in previous decades,” said Samantha Moore-Berg, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Utah. “Yet one way that partisans increasingly can access the other side’s perspectives is through the media.”
The research, led by Rasul and Moore-Berg, examined this dynamic across three studies in the United States and Israel. In the first study, the team surveyed 2,707 American adults, measuring how often participants consumed liberal and conservative news media. The researchers asked the participants to guess how warmly the opposing political party felt about them and how evolved the other party considered them to be.
The authors found that consuming news from the opposing political side was generally associated with reduced negative assumptions. For Republicans, watching or reading more liberal news was linked to lower meta-prejudice and lower meta-dehumanization. For Democrats, higher exposure to conservative news was associated with lower meta-prejudice. Interestingly, when Republicans consumed more conservative news, they tended to report higher meta-dehumanization, suggesting that sticking entirely to ingroup media might worsen some negative assumptions.
“Contrary to initial predictions, we found that exposure to outgroup partisan news is associated with more positive meta-perceptions,” Moore-Berg told PsyPost. “Initially, we expected the opposite pattern, as the media often focuses on negative portrayals of outgroup members.”
At the same time, viewing one’s own party’s news did not universally deepen hostility. “One thing that was interesting is that we did not find significant associations between ingroup news media consumption and meta-perceptions,” Rasul noted. “It is expected that this type of exposure should result in more extreme attitudes and meta-perceptions. However, we do not observe these effects in our findings.”
The scientists then tested whether this pattern would hold in a society where the two groups have a vast power imbalance and different levels of media access. The second study involved 969 Jewish adults in Israel, split between secular and ultra-Orthodox individuals. Participants reported their exposure to mainstream secular news and to specific ultra-Orthodox news outlets.
The team’s diverse background proved essential for this phase of the research. “Our researcher composition played a significant role in access to hard-to-reach study populations, such as the ultra-Orthodox participant group in Study 2, and helped us think about the role of the media in intergroup relations,” Moore-Berg said.
Exposure to ultra-Orthodox news was associated with lower meta-prejudice and lower meta-dehumanization for both secular and ultra-Orthodox participants. The relationship between secular news and meta-perceptions was not statistically significant for either group. The researchers suggest that because secular media is the mainstream default, extra exposure to it does little to change the entrenched views of ultra-Orthodox individuals, who often feel stigmatized by those outlets.
“The finding that outgroup news media is associated with lower meta-perceptions of prejudice and dehumanization is stronger and more stable for groups with equal status and power,” Rasul explained. “Our findings suggest that the link between outgroup news media exposure and meta-perceptions of prejudice and dehumanization is stronger and consistent among Democrats and Republicans, but inconsistent among secular and ultra-Orthodox Jews.”
In a final study of 761 American adults, the researchers explored the psychological mechanism behind these media effects. Alongside measuring news habits and meta-perceptions, they asked participants how much they felt a sense of belonging or connection when watching members of the opposing political party on the news.
As in the first study, Democrats who consumed more conservative news reported lower meta-prejudice. More importantly, the data indicated that exposure to outgroup news was linked to a stronger political parasocial relationship. This heightened sense of imagined connection with the opposing group was, in turn, associated with less extreme assumptions about how much the outgroup disliked or dehumanized them.
“The key takeaway from our findings is that consuming the ‘other’ side’s media can be a way to lower the misperceptions we hold about other groups,” Rasul said. “This may occur as we realize that the other side’s perceptions about us are not as extreme as we may believe.”
Moore-Berg pointed out that this benefit extends beyond a single context. “Our results showed that increased exposure to outgroup media was associated with more positive meta-perceptions for both partisans in the U.S. and religious groups in Israel,” she said. “Media may be a cross-group solution to reducing negative meta-perceptions.”
The cross-sectional nature of the data means the authors cannot confirm that watching outgroup news directly causes people to soften their assumptions. It is entirely possible that individuals who already assume the best about their political opponents are simply more willing to tune into outgroup media channels. Tracking news habits over a long period or assigning participants to watch specific networks would help clarify the exact direction of this relationship.
“These associations could be due to selection effects—partisans who are initially more willing to watch outgroup media might have more positive meta-perceptions to start—or could be due to media exposure,” Moore-Berg explained.
The reliance on self-reported media consumption also presents a challenge, as people do not always accurately remember or admit how much partisan news they watch. Additionally, the specific political climate during each survey might have influenced the responses. The first study took place early in the COVID-19 pandemic, a time of unique media habits and shared external threats, which might explain why its results differed slightly from the third study conducted a few years later.
The researchers also noted that their measures did not capture the nuance of what participants were watching. “We only examined general media exposure rather than the specific content within the media that participants consumed,” Moore-Berg added.
Looking ahead, the team hopes to pinpoint the mechanisms driving these results and explore alternative platforms. “It could be that exposure to outgroup views via TikTok, for instance, may affect meta-perceptions differently than say exposure to CNBC or Fox News,” Moore-Berg said.
Rasul hopes these insights can eventually inform broadcasting practices to lower intergroup hostility. “One of the key implications of our study is that media outlets should aim to portray more moderate views of individuals with different religious and political backgrounds and avoid airing extreme opinions,” he concluded.
The study, “The role of partisan news and political parasocial relationships in shaping meta-perceptions: Cross-national evidence,” was authored by Muhammad Ehab Rasul, Boaz Hameiri, Gila Hacohen, Nechumi Malovicki-Yaffe, and Samantha L. Moore-Berg.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/researchers-identify-a-simple-way-to-soften-deep-political-divides/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PoliticalPsychology #OutgroupMedia #MetaPerceptions #PoliticalParasocialRelationships #CrossNationalStudy #MediaExposure #ReducePolarization #IntergroupRelations #NewsConsumption #MediationByMedia
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 07:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Researchers discover preventative immune benefits of a little-known psychedelic compound
URL: https://www.psypost.org/a-psychedelic-compound-primes-the-mouse-brain-to-resist-severe-inflammation/
A small study in mice suggests that administering a psychedelic compound before an immune system challenge can prevent brain inflammation and associated behavioral changes. The findings, published in the journal BMC Neuroscience, hint that these drugs might prime the nervous system to resist future damage.
Neuroinflammation is a biological response where the body’s immune system activates within the brain or spinal cord. While short-term inflammation helps eliminate infections, long-term or excessive immune activity can damage brain tissue. The brain is usually protected from the body’s general immune responses by a specialized cellular boundary. When severe physical stress or infection occurs, signaling molecules can breach this boundary, causing specialized brain cells to initiate a localized immune response.
When the immune system activates, cells release signaling proteins called cytokines. Some cytokines promote inflammation to attack pathogens, while others suppress inflammation to help the body heal. An imbalance leaning toward pro-inflammatory cytokines can disrupt brain circuits and alter an animal’s mood or behavior. This excessive response is a common biological feature in many brain conditions, from Alzheimer’s disease to severe depression.
Psychedelic drugs have gained attention for their ability to treat certain psychiatric conditions, but researchers are also investigating their physical effects on the brain. Many classical psychedelics bind to a specific protein on the surface of brain cells called the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. Activating this receptor alters perception, but it also appears to influence how immune cells respond to stress. Researchers Michael Fiorillo and Javier González-Maeso of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine wanted to see if these immune-altering effects could work preventatively.
The researchers began by mapping how the mouse immune system reacts to a specific chemical trigger. They injected a small group of mice with lipopolysaccharide, a molecule found on the outer shell of bacteria. This molecule reliably provokes a strong immune reaction without causing an actual bacterial infection. Following the injection, the team measured chemical markers in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory and emotion.
They found that levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines peaked four hours after the injection. Specifically, the proteins interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha reached their highest concentrations at this time. This four-hour mark became the target window for evaluating the effects of the psychedelic drug.
In a separate test, the team gave healthy mice varying doses of a psychedelic compound known as DOI. This laboratory chemical activates the same serotonin receptors as drugs like LSD and psilocybin. When they measured brain tissue 24 hours later, they found that DOI alone did not change baseline cytokine levels. The drug did not cause an immune reaction on its own.
Next, the researchers designed an experiment to test DOI as a preventative measure. They injected wild-type mice with either a low or high dose of the psychedelic compound. After waiting 24 hours, they administered the bacterial molecule to trigger systemic inflammation. Four hours after that, they measured cytokine levels in the hippocampus.
Mice that received the low dose of DOI before the immune challenge showed lower levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Their immune response was notably muted compared to mice that did not receive the psychedelic. The higher dose of the drug did not effectively reduce the inflammatory response, a phenomenon that sometimes occurs when cellular receptors become overwhelmed and shut down.
The team then wanted to know if this protective effect relied entirely on the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. They repeated the prevention experiment using genetically modified mice that were bred without this specific receptor. In these modified animals, the low dose of DOI failed to prevent the spike in interleukin-6. This outcome indicates that the drug requires the 5-HT2A receptor to suppress this specific inflammatory protein.
However, the drug still successfully reduced levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha in the genetically modified mice. This suggests the psychedelic also interacts with other physiological pathways or different serotonin receptors to manage separate parts of the immune response. The researchers also observed that the modified mice experienced a much stronger overall inflammatory response to the bacterial molecule than unmodified mice. Natural serotonin activity at this receptor normally acts as a biological brake to keep the immune system from overreacting.
To see if the chemical changes in the brain translated to physical actions, the team ran a series of behavioral tests. They placed the mice in an open enclosure monitored by infrared beams to measure general movement and exploration. The bacterial molecule normally causes mice to move less, mimicking the physical lethargy people feel when they are sick.
Pretreating the mice with the low dose of DOI prevented this lethargy. The pretreated animals maintained normal movement levels despite the immune challenge. The team also evaluated the mice using a swimming test that measures passive coping, a behavior often compared to human depression. Mice that received the bacterial molecule spent more time floating passively instead of actively swimming.
Animals given the low dose of DOI beforehand remained active and spent less time floating. The researchers also tracked the animals’ body weight over a single week. The immune challenge typically causes severe weight loss, but the psychedelic treatment lessened this physical toll. The pretreated mice recovered their normal weight faster than the untreated control group.
Finally, the researchers looked for links between the chemical markers in the brain and the animals’ physical behavior. They found that higher levels of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 matched up with increased passive behavior in the swimming test. Conversely, higher levels of two other cytokines associated with cellular healing aligned with more active swimming. This chemical shift points toward a more resilient biological state.
While these results offer a look at how psychedelics might shield the brain, the research relied on a single strong immune trigger. This acute response does not fully capture the persistent, low-grade inflammation seen in human neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. Additionally, the study evaluated whole sections of the hippocampus rather than looking at individual cell types. It remains unknown exactly which immune or nervous system cells are actually suppressing the inflammation.
The bacterial molecule and the drug were injected into the animals’ bodies rather than directly into the brain. It is possible that the psychedelic suppressed the immune response in the bloodstream first, which then reduced the secondary inflammation in the brain. The genetically modified mice used in the study lacked the serotonin receptor for their entire lives, which might have caused developmental changes that independently altered their baseline immune system.
All the experiments were conducted using male mice. Future research will need to include female animals to determine if these preventative immune effects apply equally across sexes. Scientists also need to test other psychedelic compounds to see if they offer similar protective benefits.
The study, “Pretreatment with the psychedelic DOI mitigates LPS-induced hippocampal inflammation and behavioral impairments in mice,” was authored by Michael Fiorillo and Javier González-Maeso.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/a-psychedelic-compound-primes-the-mouse-brain-to-resist-severe-inflammation/
-------------------------------------------------
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-------------------------------------------------
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-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 07:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Researchers discover preventative immune benefits of a little-known psychedelic compound
URL: https://www.psypost.org/a-psychedelic-compound-primes-the-mouse-brain-to-resist-severe-inflammation/
A small study in mice suggests that administering a psychedelic compound before an immune system challenge can prevent brain inflammation and associated behavioral changes. The findings, published in the journal BMC Neuroscience, hint that these drugs might prime the nervous system to resist future damage.
Neuroinflammation is a biological response where the body’s immune system activates within the brain or spinal cord. While short-term inflammation helps eliminate infections, long-term or excessive immune activity can damage brain tissue. The brain is usually protected from the body’s general immune responses by a specialized cellular boundary. When severe physical stress or infection occurs, signaling molecules can breach this boundary, causing specialized brain cells to initiate a localized immune response.
When the immune system activates, cells release signaling proteins called cytokines. Some cytokines promote inflammation to attack pathogens, while others suppress inflammation to help the body heal. An imbalance leaning toward pro-inflammatory cytokines can disrupt brain circuits and alter an animal’s mood or behavior. This excessive response is a common biological feature in many brain conditions, from Alzheimer’s disease to severe depression.
Psychedelic drugs have gained attention for their ability to treat certain psychiatric conditions, but researchers are also investigating their physical effects on the brain. Many classical psychedelics bind to a specific protein on the surface of brain cells called the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. Activating this receptor alters perception, but it also appears to influence how immune cells respond to stress. Researchers Michael Fiorillo and Javier González-Maeso of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine wanted to see if these immune-altering effects could work preventatively.
The researchers began by mapping how the mouse immune system reacts to a specific chemical trigger. They injected a small group of mice with lipopolysaccharide, a molecule found on the outer shell of bacteria. This molecule reliably provokes a strong immune reaction without causing an actual bacterial infection. Following the injection, the team measured chemical markers in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory and emotion.
They found that levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines peaked four hours after the injection. Specifically, the proteins interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha reached their highest concentrations at this time. This four-hour mark became the target window for evaluating the effects of the psychedelic drug.
In a separate test, the team gave healthy mice varying doses of a psychedelic compound known as DOI. This laboratory chemical activates the same serotonin receptors as drugs like LSD and psilocybin. When they measured brain tissue 24 hours later, they found that DOI alone did not change baseline cytokine levels. The drug did not cause an immune reaction on its own.
Next, the researchers designed an experiment to test DOI as a preventative measure. They injected wild-type mice with either a low or high dose of the psychedelic compound. After waiting 24 hours, they administered the bacterial molecule to trigger systemic inflammation. Four hours after that, they measured cytokine levels in the hippocampus.
Mice that received the low dose of DOI before the immune challenge showed lower levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Their immune response was notably muted compared to mice that did not receive the psychedelic. The higher dose of the drug did not effectively reduce the inflammatory response, a phenomenon that sometimes occurs when cellular receptors become overwhelmed and shut down.
The team then wanted to know if this protective effect relied entirely on the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. They repeated the prevention experiment using genetically modified mice that were bred without this specific receptor. In these modified animals, the low dose of DOI failed to prevent the spike in interleukin-6. This outcome indicates that the drug requires the 5-HT2A receptor to suppress this specific inflammatory protein.
However, the drug still successfully reduced levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha in the genetically modified mice. This suggests the psychedelic also interacts with other physiological pathways or different serotonin receptors to manage separate parts of the immune response. The researchers also observed that the modified mice experienced a much stronger overall inflammatory response to the bacterial molecule than unmodified mice. Natural serotonin activity at this receptor normally acts as a biological brake to keep the immune system from overreacting.
To see if the chemical changes in the brain translated to physical actions, the team ran a series of behavioral tests. They placed the mice in an open enclosure monitored by infrared beams to measure general movement and exploration. The bacterial molecule normally causes mice to move less, mimicking the physical lethargy people feel when they are sick.
Pretreating the mice with the low dose of DOI prevented this lethargy. The pretreated animals maintained normal movement levels despite the immune challenge. The team also evaluated the mice using a swimming test that measures passive coping, a behavior often compared to human depression. Mice that received the bacterial molecule spent more time floating passively instead of actively swimming.
Animals given the low dose of DOI beforehand remained active and spent less time floating. The researchers also tracked the animals’ body weight over a single week. The immune challenge typically causes severe weight loss, but the psychedelic treatment lessened this physical toll. The pretreated mice recovered their normal weight faster than the untreated control group.
Finally, the researchers looked for links between the chemical markers in the brain and the animals’ physical behavior. They found that higher levels of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 matched up with increased passive behavior in the swimming test. Conversely, higher levels of two other cytokines associated with cellular healing aligned with more active swimming. This chemical shift points toward a more resilient biological state.
While these results offer a look at how psychedelics might shield the brain, the research relied on a single strong immune trigger. This acute response does not fully capture the persistent, low-grade inflammation seen in human neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. Additionally, the study evaluated whole sections of the hippocampus rather than looking at individual cell types. It remains unknown exactly which immune or nervous system cells are actually suppressing the inflammation.
The bacterial molecule and the drug were injected into the animals’ bodies rather than directly into the brain. It is possible that the psychedelic suppressed the immune response in the bloodstream first, which then reduced the secondary inflammation in the brain. The genetically modified mice used in the study lacked the serotonin receptor for their entire lives, which might have caused developmental changes that independently altered their baseline immune system.
All the experiments were conducted using male mice. Future research will need to include female animals to determine if these preventative immune effects apply equally across sexes. Scientists also need to test other psychedelic compounds to see if they offer similar protective benefits.
The study, “Pretreatment with the psychedelic DOI mitigates LPS-induced hippocampal inflammation and behavioral impairments in mice,” was authored by Michael Fiorillo and Javier González-Maeso.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/a-psychedelic-compound-primes-the-mouse-brain-to-resist-severe-inflammation/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PsychedelicsAndImmuneHealth #DOIPrevention #5HT2AReceptor #Neuroinflammation #HippocampusProtection #LPSInflammation #Cytokines #NeuropsychiatricResearch #MiceStudy #BrainImmuneInteraction
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 07:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Researchers discover preventative immune benefits of a little-known psychedelic compound
URL: https://www.psypost.org/a-psychedelic-compound-primes-the-mouse-brain-to-resist-severe-inflammation/
A small study in mice suggests that administering a psychedelic compound before an immune system challenge can prevent brain inflammation and associated behavioral changes. The findings, published in the journal BMC Neuroscience, hint that these drugs might prime the nervous system to resist future damage.
Neuroinflammation is a biological response where the body’s immune system activates within the brain or spinal cord. While short-term inflammation helps eliminate infections, long-term or excessive immune activity can damage brain tissue. The brain is usually protected from the body’s general immune responses by a specialized cellular boundary. When severe physical stress or infection occurs, signaling molecules can breach this boundary, causing specialized brain cells to initiate a localized immune response.
When the immune system activates, cells release signaling proteins called cytokines. Some cytokines promote inflammation to attack pathogens, while others suppress inflammation to help the body heal. An imbalance leaning toward pro-inflammatory cytokines can disrupt brain circuits and alter an animal’s mood or behavior. This excessive response is a common biological feature in many brain conditions, from Alzheimer’s disease to severe depression.
Psychedelic drugs have gained attention for their ability to treat certain psychiatric conditions, but researchers are also investigating their physical effects on the brain. Many classical psychedelics bind to a specific protein on the surface of brain cells called the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. Activating this receptor alters perception, but it also appears to influence how immune cells respond to stress. Researchers Michael Fiorillo and Javier González-Maeso of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine wanted to see if these immune-altering effects could work preventatively.
The researchers began by mapping how the mouse immune system reacts to a specific chemical trigger. They injected a small group of mice with lipopolysaccharide, a molecule found on the outer shell of bacteria. This molecule reliably provokes a strong immune reaction without causing an actual bacterial infection. Following the injection, the team measured chemical markers in the hippocampus, a brain region involved in memory and emotion.
They found that levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines peaked four hours after the injection. Specifically, the proteins interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha reached their highest concentrations at this time. This four-hour mark became the target window for evaluating the effects of the psychedelic drug.
In a separate test, the team gave healthy mice varying doses of a psychedelic compound known as DOI. This laboratory chemical activates the same serotonin receptors as drugs like LSD and psilocybin. When they measured brain tissue 24 hours later, they found that DOI alone did not change baseline cytokine levels. The drug did not cause an immune reaction on its own.
Next, the researchers designed an experiment to test DOI as a preventative measure. They injected wild-type mice with either a low or high dose of the psychedelic compound. After waiting 24 hours, they administered the bacterial molecule to trigger systemic inflammation. Four hours after that, they measured cytokine levels in the hippocampus.
Mice that received the low dose of DOI before the immune challenge showed lower levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha. Their immune response was notably muted compared to mice that did not receive the psychedelic. The higher dose of the drug did not effectively reduce the inflammatory response, a phenomenon that sometimes occurs when cellular receptors become overwhelmed and shut down.
The team then wanted to know if this protective effect relied entirely on the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. They repeated the prevention experiment using genetically modified mice that were bred without this specific receptor. In these modified animals, the low dose of DOI failed to prevent the spike in interleukin-6. This outcome indicates that the drug requires the 5-HT2A receptor to suppress this specific inflammatory protein.
However, the drug still successfully reduced levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha in the genetically modified mice. This suggests the psychedelic also interacts with other physiological pathways or different serotonin receptors to manage separate parts of the immune response. The researchers also observed that the modified mice experienced a much stronger overall inflammatory response to the bacterial molecule than unmodified mice. Natural serotonin activity at this receptor normally acts as a biological brake to keep the immune system from overreacting.
To see if the chemical changes in the brain translated to physical actions, the team ran a series of behavioral tests. They placed the mice in an open enclosure monitored by infrared beams to measure general movement and exploration. The bacterial molecule normally causes mice to move less, mimicking the physical lethargy people feel when they are sick.
Pretreating the mice with the low dose of DOI prevented this lethargy. The pretreated animals maintained normal movement levels despite the immune challenge. The team also evaluated the mice using a swimming test that measures passive coping, a behavior often compared to human depression. Mice that received the bacterial molecule spent more time floating passively instead of actively swimming.
Animals given the low dose of DOI beforehand remained active and spent less time floating. The researchers also tracked the animals’ body weight over a single week. The immune challenge typically causes severe weight loss, but the psychedelic treatment lessened this physical toll. The pretreated mice recovered their normal weight faster than the untreated control group.
Finally, the researchers looked for links between the chemical markers in the brain and the animals’ physical behavior. They found that higher levels of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 matched up with increased passive behavior in the swimming test. Conversely, higher levels of two other cytokines associated with cellular healing aligned with more active swimming. This chemical shift points toward a more resilient biological state.
While these results offer a look at how psychedelics might shield the brain, the research relied on a single strong immune trigger. This acute response does not fully capture the persistent, low-grade inflammation seen in human neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. Additionally, the study evaluated whole sections of the hippocampus rather than looking at individual cell types. It remains unknown exactly which immune or nervous system cells are actually suppressing the inflammation.
The bacterial molecule and the drug were injected into the animals’ bodies rather than directly into the brain. It is possible that the psychedelic suppressed the immune response in the bloodstream first, which then reduced the secondary inflammation in the brain. The genetically modified mice used in the study lacked the serotonin receptor for their entire lives, which might have caused developmental changes that independently altered their baseline immune system.
All the experiments were conducted using male mice. Future research will need to include female animals to determine if these preventative immune effects apply equally across sexes. Scientists also need to test other psychedelic compounds to see if they offer similar protective benefits.
The study, “Pretreatment with the psychedelic DOI mitigates LPS-induced hippocampal inflammation and behavioral impairments in mice,” was authored by Michael Fiorillo and Javier González-Maeso.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/a-psychedelic-compound-primes-the-mouse-brain-to-resist-severe-inflammation/
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PsychedelicsAndImmuneHealth #DOIPrevention #5HT2AReceptor #Neuroinflammation #HippocampusProtection #LPSInflammation #Cytokines #NeuropsychiatricResearch #MiceStudy #BrainImmuneInteraction
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Blood markers reveal two separate inflammatory pathways driving Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is traditionally characterized by the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles, but brain inflammation appears to play an early role in this process. A new study provides evidence that two separate inflammatory proteins in the blood signal two distinct paths of brain damage, both of which eventually lead to memory problems. The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.
Alzheimer’s disease involves a complex interplay of biological events that begin long before memory loss becomes noticeable. Researchers suspect that brain inflammation acts as an early trigger in this disease process, rather than just a reaction to it. A study covered by PsyPost in 2025 indicated that markers of brain inflammation increase years before symptoms appear, right alongside the initial formation of amyloid plaques.
Building on this timeline, a 2021 cross-sectional study found that measuring an inflammatory protein called GFAP in the blood can reliably detect early amyloid accumulation in the brain before cognitive issues arise. Similarly, a 2021 study of cognitively unimpaired and impaired adults found that blood levels of GFAP specifically reflect amyloid plaque buildup rather than tau protein tangles.
The new study builds on this progression by exploring how GFAP and a second inflammatory marker, YKL-40, fit into a larger sequence of biological events.
“There is growing evidence that inflammation and the brain’s immune response play an important role in Alzheimer’s disease, potentially well before symptoms emerge. But the literature has been somewhat inconsistent,” said study co-authors Michael A. Yassa and Batool Rizvi. Yassa is a professor of neurobiology and behavior, the James L. McGaugh Endowed Chair, and director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of California, Irvine; Rizvi is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of California, Davis.
“That made us wonder whether we were trying to fit several different biological processes into a single pathway,” the researchers added. “We hypothesized that different forms of neuroinflammatory activity might be associated with different aspects of disease.”
To map these intersecting biological pathways, the team—whose work is detailed on the Yassa Lab website—recruited 126 older adults from the local community. The participants had an average age of 70 and were cognitively unimpaired, meaning they showed no signs of dementia or mild cognitive impairment and performed normally on standard memory tests.
To assess the participants’ brain health, the scientists collected a variety of medical data. They drew blood to measure the levels of three specific proteins: YKL-40 and GFAP, which are markers of nervous system inflammation, and p-tau217, a marker of tau protein tangles. The participants also underwent two types of brain scans. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure the volume of the hippocampus and the thickness of the medial temporal lobe, brain regions essential for memory.
The MRI scans also allowed the team to quantify white matter hyperintensities. These are bright spots on a brain scan that indicate small blood vessel disease and structural damage in the brain’s white matter. Additionally, positron emission tomography (PET) scans were used to measure the accumulation of amyloid beta plaques in the brain.
Finally, the participants completed a series of neuropsychological assessments, including the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. This test measures a person’s ability to learn a list of words and remember them after a delay or after being exposed to distracting information. The researchers specifically focused on a measure of memory called retroactive interference, which shows how well a person can retain original information when new information is introduced.
To make sense of all these measurements, the team used a statistical technique called structural equation modeling. This approach allows scientists to test proposed chains of cause and effect by examining how multiple variables interact simultaneously.
The modeling revealed two separate pathways linking inflammation to brain damage. First, higher levels of the inflammatory protein YKL-40 in the blood were associated with more white matter damage in the brain. However, YKL-40 levels did not relate to amyloid plaque buildup.
Second, higher levels of the inflammatory protein GFAP were associated with increased amyloid plaque buildup. But unlike YKL-40, GFAP levels did not relate to white matter damage. This provides evidence that YKL-40 and GFAP represent two parallel, independent tracks of neuroinflammation, one tied to blood vessel damage and the other tied to Alzheimer’s-related plaque.
“What surprised us was how clearly the two inflammatory markers separated,” the researchers noted. “That suggests that calling something simply ‘neuroinflammation’ may obscure important biological differences. Different inflammatory or glial responses may be associated with different aspects of Alzheimer’s disease and brain aging.” This refers to reactions from glial cells, which are non-neuronal cells that support and protect the brain.
Despite their separate tracks, both white matter damage and amyloid plaque accumulation independently linked to higher blood levels of p-tau217. In other words, both vascular damage and amyloid pathology appear to converge, promoting the accumulation of toxic tau tangles.
Following this point of convergence, the pathway led directly to structural brain changes and cognitive deficits. Higher levels of p-tau217 were associated with a thinner medial temporal lobe cortex and a smaller hippocampal volume. In turn, a smaller hippocampus was associated with worse memory performance on the word-recall test.
“So rather than seeing Alzheimer’s disease as a single chain of events, our findings suggest that several biological processes may be occurring in parallel and ultimately contributing to the same downstream brain changes,” the authors said.
The results align with research covered by PsyPost in 2026, which indicated that elevated blood levels of tau and hippocampal shrinkage are tied to memory impairment in older adults without dementia. One difference in measurement is that the earlier study tracked memory decline trajectories over several years, whereas the new study modeled a single cross-sectional snapshot in time that included markers of brain inflammation.
The new findings are also consistent with a study covered by PsyPost in 2024, which found that tau accumulation and hippocampal shrinkage relate to cognitive decline even in individuals with low levels of amyloid plaque. Together, these studies suggest that tau and brain shrinkage are predictors of memory issues, regardless of which initial pathway triggered the damage.
As with all research, there are some caveats. The study relied on observational data collected at a single point in time, which restricts the ability to confirm a strict cause-and-effect sequence among the biological markers. “The most important limitation is that this was a cross-sectional study, meaning that the biomarkers were measured at approximately the same stage rather than tracked over many years,” the researchers explained. “Our statistical model allowed us to test a biologically motivated sequence of relationships, but it cannot establish that one biomarker caused the next or prove the order in which these changes occur.”
Another limitation is that blood-based markers of brain inflammation can sometimes reflect systemic inflammation from other parts of the body. Furthermore, the researchers noted that the participant sample lacked diversity. “The study also involved a relatively modest sample of cognitively unimpaired older adults recruited from a single research cohort, and the participants were predominantly White,” they said. “That limits how broadly we can generalize the findings.”
Future research will need to track individuals over many years to verify the temporal sequence of these two inflammatory pathways. “If YKL-40 and GFAP are identifying different biological processes, we want to know when each process begins, how it changes as Alzheimer’s pathology develops, and whether it predicts who is most likely to experience subsequent neurodegeneration or cognitive decline,” the authors explained.
The researchers hope to eventually use combinations of blood biomarkers and brain scans to identify distinct biological profiles of Alzheimer’s risk. “The broader point is that Alzheimer’s disease is biologically heterogeneous,” they noted. “Our findings suggest that two people could potentially arrive at similar downstream signs of Alzheimer’s disease through somewhat different combinations of biological processes.”
Because different pathways may be active in different individuals, a single intervention might not work for everyone. “Identifying distinct biological pathways is an important step toward eventually developing a more individualized approach to prevention and treatment,” the researchers concluded.
The study, “Parallel neuroinflammatory pathways to cerebrovascular burden and amyloid beta in Alzheimer’s disease,” was authored by Batool Rizvi, Jenna N. Adams, Alison Bamford, Soyun Kim, Mithra Sathishkumar, Nicholas J. Tustison, Lisa Taylor, Nandita Tuteja, Liv McMillan, Bin Nan, Hengrui Cai, Yuritza Y. Escalante, Novelle J. Meza, Alyssa L. Harris, Rond Malhas, Adam M. Brickman, Mark Mapstone, Elizabeth A. Thomas, and Michael A. Yassa.
-------------------------------------------------
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Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AlzheimersDisease #neuroinflammation #GFAP #YKL40 #pTau217 #blood biomarkers #white matter damage #amyloid plaques #cognitivedecline # brainhealth
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Blood markers reveal two separate inflammatory pathways driving Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is traditionally characterized by the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles, but brain inflammation appears to play an early role in this process. A new study provides evidence that two separate inflammatory proteins in the blood signal two distinct paths of brain damage, both of which eventually lead to memory problems. The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.
Alzheimer’s disease involves a complex interplay of biological events that begin long before memory loss becomes noticeable. Researchers suspect that brain inflammation acts as an early trigger in this disease process, rather than just a reaction to it. A study covered by PsyPost in 2025 indicated that markers of brain inflammation increase years before symptoms appear, right alongside the initial formation of amyloid plaques.
Building on this timeline, a 2021 cross-sectional study found that measuring an inflammatory protein called GFAP in the blood can reliably detect early amyloid accumulation in the brain before cognitive issues arise. Similarly, a 2021 study of cognitively unimpaired and impaired adults found that blood levels of GFAP specifically reflect amyloid plaque buildup rather than tau protein tangles.
The new study builds on this progression by exploring how GFAP and a second inflammatory marker, YKL-40, fit into a larger sequence of biological events.
“There is growing evidence that inflammation and the brain’s immune response play an important role in Alzheimer’s disease, potentially well before symptoms emerge. But the literature has been somewhat inconsistent,” said study co-authors Michael A. Yassa and Batool Rizvi. Yassa is a professor of neurobiology and behavior, the James L. McGaugh Endowed Chair, and director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of California, Irvine; Rizvi is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of California, Davis.
“That made us wonder whether we were trying to fit several different biological processes into a single pathway,” the researchers added. “We hypothesized that different forms of neuroinflammatory activity might be associated with different aspects of disease.”
To map these intersecting biological pathways, the team—whose work is detailed on the Yassa Lab website—recruited 126 older adults from the local community. The participants had an average age of 70 and were cognitively unimpaired, meaning they showed no signs of dementia or mild cognitive impairment and performed normally on standard memory tests.
To assess the participants’ brain health, the scientists collected a variety of medical data. They drew blood to measure the levels of three specific proteins: YKL-40 and GFAP, which are markers of nervous system inflammation, and p-tau217, a marker of tau protein tangles. The participants also underwent two types of brain scans. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure the volume of the hippocampus and the thickness of the medial temporal lobe, brain regions essential for memory.
The MRI scans also allowed the team to quantify white matter hyperintensities. These are bright spots on a brain scan that indicate small blood vessel disease and structural damage in the brain’s white matter. Additionally, positron emission tomography (PET) scans were used to measure the accumulation of amyloid beta plaques in the brain.
Finally, the participants completed a series of neuropsychological assessments, including the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. This test measures a person’s ability to learn a list of words and remember them after a delay or after being exposed to distracting information. The researchers specifically focused on a measure of memory called retroactive interference, which shows how well a person can retain original information when new information is introduced.
To make sense of all these measurements, the team used a statistical technique called structural equation modeling. This approach allows scientists to test proposed chains of cause and effect by examining how multiple variables interact simultaneously.
The modeling revealed two separate pathways linking inflammation to brain damage. First, higher levels of the inflammatory protein YKL-40 in the blood were associated with more white matter damage in the brain. However, YKL-40 levels did not relate to amyloid plaque buildup.
Second, higher levels of the inflammatory protein GFAP were associated with increased amyloid plaque buildup. But unlike YKL-40, GFAP levels did not relate to white matter damage. This provides evidence that YKL-40 and GFAP represent two parallel, independent tracks of neuroinflammation, one tied to blood vessel damage and the other tied to Alzheimer’s-related plaque.
“What surprised us was how clearly the two inflammatory markers separated,” the researchers noted. “That suggests that calling something simply ‘neuroinflammation’ may obscure important biological differences. Different inflammatory or glial responses may be associated with different aspects of Alzheimer’s disease and brain aging.” This refers to reactions from glial cells, which are non-neuronal cells that support and protect the brain.
Despite their separate tracks, both white matter damage and amyloid plaque accumulation independently linked to higher blood levels of p-tau217. In other words, both vascular damage and amyloid pathology appear to converge, promoting the accumulation of toxic tau tangles.
Following this point of convergence, the pathway led directly to structural brain changes and cognitive deficits. Higher levels of p-tau217 were associated with a thinner medial temporal lobe cortex and a smaller hippocampal volume. In turn, a smaller hippocampus was associated with worse memory performance on the word-recall test.
“So rather than seeing Alzheimer’s disease as a single chain of events, our findings suggest that several biological processes may be occurring in parallel and ultimately contributing to the same downstream brain changes,” the authors said.
The results align with research covered by PsyPost in 2026, which indicated that elevated blood levels of tau and hippocampal shrinkage are tied to memory impairment in older adults without dementia. One difference in measurement is that the earlier study tracked memory decline trajectories over several years, whereas the new study modeled a single cross-sectional snapshot in time that included markers of brain inflammation.
The new findings are also consistent with a study covered by PsyPost in 2024, which found that tau accumulation and hippocampal shrinkage relate to cognitive decline even in individuals with low levels of amyloid plaque. Together, these studies suggest that tau and brain shrinkage are predictors of memory issues, regardless of which initial pathway triggered the damage.
As with all research, there are some caveats. The study relied on observational data collected at a single point in time, which restricts the ability to confirm a strict cause-and-effect sequence among the biological markers. “The most important limitation is that this was a cross-sectional study, meaning that the biomarkers were measured at approximately the same stage rather than tracked over many years,” the researchers explained. “Our statistical model allowed us to test a biologically motivated sequence of relationships, but it cannot establish that one biomarker caused the next or prove the order in which these changes occur.”
Another limitation is that blood-based markers of brain inflammation can sometimes reflect systemic inflammation from other parts of the body. Furthermore, the researchers noted that the participant sample lacked diversity. “The study also involved a relatively modest sample of cognitively unimpaired older adults recruited from a single research cohort, and the participants were predominantly White,” they said. “That limits how broadly we can generalize the findings.”
Future research will need to track individuals over many years to verify the temporal sequence of these two inflammatory pathways. “If YKL-40 and GFAP are identifying different biological processes, we want to know when each process begins, how it changes as Alzheimer’s pathology develops, and whether it predicts who is most likely to experience subsequent neurodegeneration or cognitive decline,” the authors explained.
The researchers hope to eventually use combinations of blood biomarkers and brain scans to identify distinct biological profiles of Alzheimer’s risk. “The broader point is that Alzheimer’s disease is biologically heterogeneous,” they noted. “Our findings suggest that two people could potentially arrive at similar downstream signs of Alzheimer’s disease through somewhat different combinations of biological processes.”
Because different pathways may be active in different individuals, a single intervention might not work for everyone. “Identifying distinct biological pathways is an important step toward eventually developing a more individualized approach to prevention and treatment,” the researchers concluded.
The study, “Parallel neuroinflammatory pathways to cerebrovascular burden and amyloid beta in Alzheimer’s disease,” was authored by Batool Rizvi, Jenna N. Adams, Alison Bamford, Soyun Kim, Mithra Sathishkumar, Nicholas J. Tustison, Lisa Taylor, Nandita Tuteja, Liv McMillan, Bin Nan, Hengrui Cai, Yuritza Y. Escalante, Novelle J. Meza, Alyssa L. Harris, Rond Malhas, Adam M. Brickman, Mark Mapstone, Elizabeth A. Thomas, and Michael A. Yassa.
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DATE: August 31, 2026 at 06:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Blood markers reveal two separate inflammatory pathways driving Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is traditionally characterized by the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles, but brain inflammation appears to play an early role in this process. A new study provides evidence that two separate inflammatory proteins in the blood signal two distinct paths of brain damage, both of which eventually lead to memory problems. The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.
Alzheimer’s disease involves a complex interplay of biological events that begin long before memory loss becomes noticeable. Researchers suspect that brain inflammation acts as an early trigger in this disease process, rather than just a reaction to it. A study covered by PsyPost in 2025 indicated that markers of brain inflammation increase years before symptoms appear, right alongside the initial formation of amyloid plaques.
Building on this timeline, a 2021 cross-sectional study found that measuring an inflammatory protein called GFAP in the blood can reliably detect early amyloid accumulation in the brain before cognitive issues arise. Similarly, a 2021 study of cognitively unimpaired and impaired adults found that blood levels of GFAP specifically reflect amyloid plaque buildup rather than tau protein tangles.
The new study builds on this progression by exploring how GFAP and a second inflammatory marker, YKL-40, fit into a larger sequence of biological events.
“There is growing evidence that inflammation and the brain’s immune response play an important role in Alzheimer’s disease, potentially well before symptoms emerge. But the literature has been somewhat inconsistent,” said study co-authors Michael A. Yassa and Batool Rizvi. Yassa is a professor of neurobiology and behavior, the James L. McGaugh Endowed Chair, and director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of California, Irvine; Rizvi is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of California, Davis.
“That made us wonder whether we were trying to fit several different biological processes into a single pathway,” the researchers added. “We hypothesized that different forms of neuroinflammatory activity might be associated with different aspects of disease.”
To map these intersecting biological pathways, the team—whose work is detailed on the Yassa Lab website—recruited 126 older adults from the local community. The participants had an average age of 70 and were cognitively unimpaired, meaning they showed no signs of dementia or mild cognitive impairment and performed normally on standard memory tests.
To assess the participants’ brain health, the scientists collected a variety of medical data. They drew blood to measure the levels of three specific proteins: YKL-40 and GFAP, which are markers of nervous system inflammation, and p-tau217, a marker of tau protein tangles. The participants also underwent two types of brain scans. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure the volume of the hippocampus and the thickness of the medial temporal lobe, brain regions essential for memory.
The MRI scans also allowed the team to quantify white matter hyperintensities. These are bright spots on a brain scan that indicate small blood vessel disease and structural damage in the brain’s white matter. Additionally, positron emission tomography (PET) scans were used to measure the accumulation of amyloid beta plaques in the brain.
Finally, the participants completed a series of neuropsychological assessments, including the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. This test measures a person’s ability to learn a list of words and remember them after a delay or after being exposed to distracting information. The researchers specifically focused on a measure of memory called retroactive interference, which shows how well a person can retain original information when new information is introduced.
To make sense of all these measurements, the team used a statistical technique called structural equation modeling. This approach allows scientists to test proposed chains of cause and effect by examining how multiple variables interact simultaneously.
The modeling revealed two separate pathways linking inflammation to brain damage. First, higher levels of the inflammatory protein YKL-40 in the blood were associated with more white matter damage in the brain. However, YKL-40 levels did not relate to amyloid plaque buildup.
Second, higher levels of the inflammatory protein GFAP were associated with increased amyloid plaque buildup. But unlike YKL-40, GFAP levels did not relate to white matter damage. This provides evidence that YKL-40 and GFAP represent two parallel, independent tracks of neuroinflammation, one tied to blood vessel damage and the other tied to Alzheimer’s-related plaque.
“What surprised us was how clearly the two inflammatory markers separated,” the researchers noted. “That suggests that calling something simply ‘neuroinflammation’ may obscure important biological differences. Different inflammatory or glial responses may be associated with different aspects of Alzheimer’s disease and brain aging.” This refers to reactions from glial cells, which are non-neuronal cells that support and protect the brain.
Despite their separate tracks, both white matter damage and amyloid plaque accumulation independently linked to higher blood levels of p-tau217. In other words, both vascular damage and amyloid pathology appear to converge, promoting the accumulation of toxic tau tangles.
Following this point of convergence, the pathway led directly to structural brain changes and cognitive deficits. Higher levels of p-tau217 were associated with a thinner medial temporal lobe cortex and a smaller hippocampal volume. In turn, a smaller hippocampus was associated with worse memory performance on the word-recall test.
“So rather than seeing Alzheimer’s disease as a single chain of events, our findings suggest that several biological processes may be occurring in parallel and ultimately contributing to the same downstream brain changes,” the authors said.
The results align with research covered by PsyPost in 2026, which indicated that elevated blood levels of tau and hippocampal shrinkage are tied to memory impairment in older adults without dementia. One difference in measurement is that the earlier study tracked memory decline trajectories over several years, whereas the new study modeled a single cross-sectional snapshot in time that included markers of brain inflammation.
The new findings are also consistent with a study covered by PsyPost in 2024, which found that tau accumulation and hippocampal shrinkage relate to cognitive decline even in individuals with low levels of amyloid plaque. Together, these studies suggest that tau and brain shrinkage are predictors of memory issues, regardless of which initial pathway triggered the damage.
As with all research, there are some caveats. The study relied on observational data collected at a single point in time, which restricts the ability to confirm a strict cause-and-effect sequence among the biological markers. “The most important limitation is that this was a cross-sectional study, meaning that the biomarkers were measured at approximately the same stage rather than tracked over many years,” the researchers explained. “Our statistical model allowed us to test a biologically motivated sequence of relationships, but it cannot establish that one biomarker caused the next or prove the order in which these changes occur.”
Another limitation is that blood-based markers of brain inflammation can sometimes reflect systemic inflammation from other parts of the body. Furthermore, the researchers noted that the participant sample lacked diversity. “The study also involved a relatively modest sample of cognitively unimpaired older adults recruited from a single research cohort, and the participants were predominantly White,” they said. “That limits how broadly we can generalize the findings.”
Future research will need to track individuals over many years to verify the temporal sequence of these two inflammatory pathways. “If YKL-40 and GFAP are identifying different biological processes, we want to know when each process begins, how it changes as Alzheimer’s pathology develops, and whether it predicts who is most likely to experience subsequent neurodegeneration or cognitive decline,” the authors explained.
The researchers hope to eventually use combinations of blood biomarkers and brain scans to identify distinct biological profiles of Alzheimer’s risk. “The broader point is that Alzheimer’s disease is biologically heterogeneous,” they noted. “Our findings suggest that two people could potentially arrive at similar downstream signs of Alzheimer’s disease through somewhat different combinations of biological processes.”
Because different pathways may be active in different individuals, a single intervention might not work for everyone. “Identifying distinct biological pathways is an important step toward eventually developing a more individualized approach to prevention and treatment,” the researchers concluded.
The study, “Parallel neuroinflammatory pathways to cerebrovascular burden and amyloid beta in Alzheimer’s disease,” was authored by Batool Rizvi, Jenna N. Adams, Alison Bamford, Soyun Kim, Mithra Sathishkumar, Nicholas J. Tustison, Lisa Taylor, Nandita Tuteja, Liv McMillan, Bin Nan, Hengrui Cai, Yuritza Y. Escalante, Novelle J. Meza, Alyssa L. Harris, Rond Malhas, Adam M. Brickman, Mark Mapstone, Elizabeth A. Thomas, and Michael A. Yassa.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #AlzheimersDisease #neuroinflammation #GFAP #YKL40 #pTau217 #blood biomarkers #white matter damage #amyloid plaques #cognitivedecline # brainhealth
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DATE: August 31, 2026 at 04:30AM
SOURCE: STAT NEWS NEUROSCIENCETITLE: Opinion: The most shocking thing about the latest statistics on CTE in football is that we find them so shocking
A new study led by Boston-area researchers has set my media feeds abuzz with the finding that nearly 1 in 4 NFL players in their sample had CTE at time of death. CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a degenerative brain disease. It is caused by repeated concussions and smaller non-concussive hits.
As shocking as the 25% statistic is to many, the authors have suggested that this estimate is on the “low end,” with maximum possible prevalence around 98%. Although they take care to note that the findings of this study “cannot necessarily be generalized to the American football community,” and reporters dutifully report on this caution, the announcement of this new evidence has been treated in the media as a landmark event for the whole of football. In a statement reported by ESPN, the NFL Players Association remarked that “the findings should serve as a call to action across the entire football ecosystem.”
Read the rest…
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STAT News reports "from the frontiers of health and medicine".
Learn more at https://www.statnews.com/topic/neuroscience .
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-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 04:30AM
SOURCE: STAT NEWS NEUROSCIENCETITLE: Opinion: The most shocking thing about the latest statistics on CTE in football is that we find them so shocking
A new study led by Boston-area researchers has set my media feeds abuzz with the finding that nearly 1 in 4 NFL players in their sample had CTE at time of death. CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a degenerative brain disease. It is caused by repeated concussions and smaller non-concussive hits.
As shocking as the 25% statistic is to many, the authors have suggested that this estimate is on the “low end,” with maximum possible prevalence around 98%. Although they take care to note that the findings of this study “cannot necessarily be generalized to the American football community,” and reporters dutifully report on this caution, the announcement of this new evidence has been treated in the media as a landmark event for the whole of football. In a statement reported by ESPN, the NFL Players Association remarked that “the findings should serve as a call to action across the entire football ecosystem.”
Read the rest…
-------------------------------------------------
STAT News reports "from the frontiers of health and medicine".
Learn more at https://www.statnews.com/topic/neuroscience .
See also their complete Mastodon account at @STAT .
This robot is NOT affiliated with STAT news and merely rebroadcasts from their site. Responses posted here are not monitored.
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-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 04:30AM
SOURCE: STAT NEWS NEUROSCIENCETITLE: Opinion: The most shocking thing about the latest statistics on CTE in football is that we find them so shocking
A new study led by Boston-area researchers has set my media feeds abuzz with the finding that nearly 1 in 4 NFL players in their sample had CTE at time of death. CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a degenerative brain disease. It is caused by repeated concussions and smaller non-concussive hits.
As shocking as the 25% statistic is to many, the authors have suggested that this estimate is on the “low end,” with maximum possible prevalence around 98%. Although they take care to note that the findings of this study “cannot necessarily be generalized to the American football community,” and reporters dutifully report on this caution, the announcement of this new evidence has been treated in the media as a landmark event for the whole of football. In a statement reported by ESPN, the NFL Players Association remarked that “the findings should serve as a call to action across the entire football ecosystem.”
Read the rest…
-------------------------------------------------
STAT News reports "from the frontiers of health and medicine".
Learn more at https://www.statnews.com/topic/neuroscience .
See also their complete Mastodon account at @STAT .
This robot is NOT affiliated with STAT news and merely rebroadcasts from their site. Responses posted here are not monitored.
-------------------------------------------------
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #CTE #Football #Concussions #NFL #ChronicTraumaticEncephalopathy #BrainHealth #SportsSafety #HeadImpact #FootballResearch #ConcussionAwareness
-
DATE: August 31, 2026 at 04:30AM
SOURCE: STAT NEWS NEUROSCIENCETITLE: Opinion: The most shocking thing about the latest statistics on CTE in football is that we find them so shocking
A new study led by Boston-area researchers has set my media feeds abuzz with the finding that nearly 1 in 4 NFL players in their sample had CTE at time of death. CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a degenerative brain disease. It is caused by repeated concussions and smaller non-concussive hits.
As shocking as the 25% statistic is to many, the authors have suggested that this estimate is on the “low end,” with maximum possible prevalence around 98%. Although they take care to note that the findings of this study “cannot necessarily be generalized to the American football community,” and reporters dutifully report on this caution, the announcement of this new evidence has been treated in the media as a landmark event for the whole of football. In a statement reported by ESPN, the NFL Players Association remarked that “the findings should serve as a call to action across the entire football ecosystem.”
Read the rest…
-------------------------------------------------
STAT News reports "from the frontiers of health and medicine".
Learn more at https://www.statnews.com/topic/neuroscience .
See also their complete Mastodon account at @STAT .
This robot is NOT affiliated with STAT news and merely rebroadcasts from their site. Responses posted here are not monitored.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #CTE #Football #Concussions #NFL #ChronicTraumaticEncephalopathy #BrainHealth #SportsSafety #HeadImpact #FootballResearch #ConcussionAwareness
-
DATE: August 28, 2026 at 12:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: The gender gap in politics is not widening as much as you think
URL: https://www.psypost.org/the-gender-gap-in-politics-is-not-widening-as-much-as-you-think/
Despite popular narratives about a widening political divide between men and women, the gender gap on most social and cultural issues has remained relatively stable over the past two decades. A recent analysis of public opinion data reveals that while men and women often hold different views, their attitudes shift in parallel in response to current events. The research was published in Social Science Quarterly.
Researchers have tracked differences in political attitudes between men and women for over half a century. Women typically show higher support for social welfare and environmental protection, a trend often linked to socialization around caregiving and economic vulnerability. On the other hand, differences between the sexes are often smaller or less predictable on morality issues like abortion or immigration.
Some scholars suggest that younger, more egalitarian generations are driving a wedge between the sexes as they replace older generations. This type of generational change is known as a cohort effect. It happens when a specific age group develops distinct attitudes during their formative years and carries those views throughout their lives. As older generations pass away and younger ones enter the electorate, the overall public opinion shifts.
Alternatively, changes in public opinion might stem from period effects. These are widespread shifts in attitudes caused by historical events, such as a major economic recession or a global pandemic, which influence people of all ages at the same time. Political scientists April K. Clark of Northern Illinois University, Izabelle P. Chick and Juliet E. Carlisle of the University of Utah, and Eric R. A. N. Smith of the University of California, Santa Barbara, designed a study to see which of these two forces actually shapes the gender gap.
The research team analyzed data from the Gallup Poll Social Series. They looked at national surveys conducted annually between 2000 and 2024. The researchers organized responses to ten specific social and cultural issues into three distinct categories.
The first category focused on care and social protection, which included issues like hunger and homelessness, crime and violence, drug use, and healthcare access. The second category covered social stability and societal change, encompassing race relations, illegal immigration, and the quality of the environment. For these first two categories, respondents were asked to rate how much they personally worried about each problem.
The final category centered on morality and rights conflicts, specifically abortion policies, gun laws, and LGBTQ+ acceptance. For this category, respondents rated their level of satisfaction with the nation’s policies or social climate.
Using a statistical technique known as cross-classified random effects modeling, the researchers evaluated how opinions changed over time. This approach allowed them to separate the influence of a person’s birth year from the specific year they took the survey. In doing so, they could isolate whether generational replacement or time-specific events were responsible for shifts in public opinion. They also accounted for individual demographic factors like educational attainment, income, race, marital status, and political ideology.
Across nearly all the issues studied, the researchers found that period effects accounted for a large share of the variation in attitudes. When major national events occurred, the opinions of both men and women shifted in the same direction. Generational differences, or cohort effects, played a much smaller and less consistent role in changing public opinion.
Women consistently expressed higher levels of worry than men regarding care and social protection issues, such as hunger, homelessness, and healthcare. Yet, when concern spiked, as it did during the 2008 economic recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, it spiked for both sexes equally. Following these peaks, worry generally decreased for both groups. Because men and women responded to these external shocks similarly, the overall distance between their opinions barely changed.
The researchers observed similar parallel movements on issues of crime and drug use. Concern about both topics has generally declined since the early 2000s among all respondents. This downward trend aligns with documented drops in actual crime rates over the same period.
Similar patterns emerged in the other categories. Men and women showed comparable levels of concern regarding race relations and illegal immigration. Their views on these topics rose and fell together over the last two decades. The fluctuations regarding race relations likely reflect heightened public awareness in response to specific cultural moments, such as the Black Lives Matter movement. While the researchers noted a slight gap regarding the environment, with women expressing more worry, the two groups experienced parallel increases in concern in recent years.
On matters of morality and rights, satisfaction levels fluctuated in tandem for both sexes. Satisfaction with the nation’s abortion policies and gun laws has generally declined since the early 2000s for all respondents. Decreased satisfaction with gun policies in the early 2010s, for instance, aligns with the public outcry following the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting. On the other hand, satisfaction with LGBTQ+ acceptance grew steadily among both men and women throughout the study period.
The findings indicate that the idea of a growing culture war strictly divided by gender might be inaccurate. Instead of drifting apart into separate ideological camps, men and women appear to process and react to national events in similar ways. Broad social, economic, and political developments shape public opinion much more than any gender-specific divergence.
The study has certain boundaries. The data analysis begins in 2000, meaning it does not capture earlier decades when foundational shifts in gender roles and partisan alignments first occurred. Because the observed opinion shifts are primarily driven by current events rather than permanent generational changes, today’s trends might not predict future public opinion. An economic downturn, a major court decision, or a large policy shift could alter the current trajectory of these attitudes.
Future studies might expand the timeline to include earlier decades and incorporate more specific data on how factors like race, class, and geography interact with gender. Examining differences among women or among men, such as comparing married and unmarried individuals, could provide a more detailed picture of how political attitudes form in the United States.
The study, “Generational Shifts and Gendered Divides: Exploring Attitudes on Social, Cultural, and Political Issues in the United States,” was authored by April K. Clark, Izabelle P. Chick, Juliet E. Carlisle, and Eric R. A. N. Smith.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/the-gender-gap-in-politics-is-not-widening-as-much-as-you-think/
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DATE: August 27, 2026 at 02:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Stiffer arteries are associated with higher risk of dementia in older adults
An analysis of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) cohort study data showed that individuals with stiffer arteries were at a higher risk of developing dementia over time. Arterial stiffness was measured through the speed at which pressure generated by heartbeats travels through arteries. The paper was published in Alzheimer’s Dementia.
Arterial stiffness refers to the loss of elasticity of the large arteries, which makes them less able to expand and recoil as blood is pumped through them with each heartbeat. In healthy younger people, elastic arteries help cushion the pressure generated by the heart and maintain a relatively smooth flow of blood through the circulation. With increasing age, however, arterial walls gradually become stiffer as elastin fibers deteriorate, collagen becomes more prominent, and structural changes such as calcification accumulate.
In older adults, some increase in arterial stiffness is therefore a normal consequence of vascular aging, although its extent varies substantially between individuals. Excessive arterial stiffness increases the pressure experienced by the heart and by small blood vessels in organs such as the brain and kidneys and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. It should be noted that, apart from age, arterial stiffness is also influenced by blood pressure, inflammation, metabolic factors, smoking, diabetes, kidney disease, and various other factors.
One of the most widely used ways of assessing arterial stiffness is measuring pulse wave velocity (PWV), i.e., measuring how quickly the pressure wave created by a heartbeat travels along an artery. Because compliant arteries expand as the wave passes through them, they slow its propagation, whereas stiff arteries transmit the wave more rapidly. Consequently, a higher PWV generally indicates greater arterial stiffness.
Study author Jenna Barbee and her colleagues analyzed data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS) to explore the associations between arterial stiffness and subsequent development of dementia. ARIC is a community-based cohort study of predominantly Black or White adults from four U.S. communities Washington County, Maryland; Forsyth County, North Carolina; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Jackson, Mississippi.
The ARIC study initially involved 15,792 participants between 45 and 64 years of age, recruited between 1987 and 1989. This was followed by three initial assessments every three years and several subsequent assessments years later, with the most recent being in 2021 and 2022, when 2,105 participants remained in the study.
This analysis used data collected between 2011 and 2022, with the data collected between 2011 and 2013 serving as baseline measures (measures at the start of the study). The 2011-2013 data collection was the fifth data collection wave of the study and it included 6,538 participants.
After excluding participants who had already developed dementia and a number of participants with missing measurements and various other disqualifying characteristics, the analysis was based on 4,818 participants. Their average age at the start of the analytic period was 75 years. Fifty-nine percent of them were women.
The study primarily assessed participants’ arterial stiffness through carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), which means that they measured how quickly the arterial pressure wave travels between the carotid artery in the neck and the femoral artery in the groin. Study authors hypothesized that individuals in which this wave travels faster (meaning that their arteries are stiffer) would be more likely to develop dementia later in life.
Participants’ cfPWV in this study was measured using an automated waveform analyzer and a segmometer (a tool similar to a tape measure used to measure body segments) after participants were lying on their backs for 5 to 10 minutes. The study also recorded whether participants developed dementia in each data collection wave.
Results showed that, during the examined period (a median follow-up of nine years), 22% of participants developed dementia. As expected, higher cfPWV was associated with greater dementia risk. Similarly, other pulse wave velocity measures such as total pulse wave velocity, structural pulse wave velocity, and load-dependent pulse wave velocity were also associated with greater dementia risk.
Total pulse wave velocity reflects overall arterial stiffness, structural pulse wave velocity reflects the intrinsic stiffness of the arterial wall independent of current pressure, and load-dependent pulse wave velocity reflects the portion of stiffness caused by the artery being stretched by the prevailing blood pressure.
“Arterial stiffness, measured through PWV [pulse wave velocity], is longitudinally associated with increased incidence and a greater risk of all-cause dementia. Associations between arterial stiffness and dementia risk may be driven by both age-related structural remodeling of the arterial wall and increases in arterial stiffness due to elevated blood pressure levels, especially in older populations with a high burden of cardiometabolic risk factors,” study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific knowledge about links between cardio-vascular changes and cognitive functioning. However, it should be noted that the design of the study does not allow any definitive causal inferences to be derived from the results.
The paper, “Arterial stiffness and risk of dementia in late life: The ARIC neurocognitive study,” was authored by Jenna Barbee, James Russell Pike, Jingkai Wei, Hirofumi Tanaka, David S. Knopman, Anna Kucharska-Newton, A. Richey Sharrett, Timothy M. Hughes, Kunihiro Matsushita, Thomas H. Mosley, Michelle L. Meyer, and Priya Palta.
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DATE: August 27, 2026 at 05:02AM
SOURCE:
NEW YORK TIMES PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGISTS FEEDTITLE: Should I Tell My Daughter I Know About Her Abortion?
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/well/mind/abortion-mother-daughter-advice.html
Our Ask the Therapist columnist, Lori Gottlieb, advises a reader who feels she let down her teenager when she needed support.
URL: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/well/mind/abortion-mother-daughter-advice.html
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DATE: August 25, 2026 at 01:53PM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: Your brain may not actually “make” decisions
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260823094148.htm
A neuroscientist is challenging the idea that the brain contains a central system that actually “makes” our decisions. What we experience as choosing may instead emerge from the continuous interaction of perception, movement, the body, and the world around us.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260823094148.htm
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DATE: 2026-08-24T15:21:17Z
SOURCE: PSYCHIATRIC TIMESDirect article link at end of text block below.
🌟Happy Monday! The entire August issue of Psychiatric Times is now live on our website. Read it here: https://t.co/m622KTuQIe https://t.co/4NMPIbLsUV
Here are any URLs found in the article text:
Articles can be found by scrolling down the page at Articles can be found at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/news".
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DATE: August 19, 2026 at 08:38PM
SOURCE: SCIENCE DAILY MIND-BRAIN FEEDTITLE: Researchers reveal deeper workings of brain’s information hub
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260819041224.htm
The brain has a remarkably flexible system for handling uncertainty and changing situations. Researchers found that the frontoparietal cortex constantly shifts how it communicates with other brain regions depending on what information is needed to make a decision. Rather than simply becoming more active when things get difficult, this network appears to reorganize itself in real time.
URL: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260819041224.htm
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DATE: August 14, 2026 at 06:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Fluid brain circuits drive the formation of cocaine habits
URL: https://www.psypost.org/fluid-brain-circuits-drive-the-formation-of-cocaine-habits/
As animals learn to self-administer cocaine, a specific network of brain cells rapidly expands to acquire the habit and then shrinks as the behavior becomes automatic. The composition of this network constantly changes, revealing how the brain flexibly manages addictive behaviors. The study detailing these changing brain dynamics was published in bioRxiv.
Substance use disorders often begin with an initial learning period that later morphs into a deeply ingrained habit. Transitioning between these phases requires distinct mental efforts, yet the physical brain changes that support this shift remain somewhat mysterious. University of Pittsburgh researchers Linjie Jin, Xiguang Qi, and Yan Dong wanted to understand how brain networks adapt during this process.
They focused on the nucleus accumbens, a region deep in the forebrain that processes rewards, pleasure, and motivation. The main cells in this area are called medium spiny neurons. These neurons fire electrical signals in response to things like food or drugs, forming an active group called a neuronal ensemble. The researchers suspected this ensemble might change as an animal progresses from acquiring a drug habit to maintaining it.
In a small study, the researchers trained male mice to self-administer cocaine. The animals were placed in operant conditioning chambers, which are specialized testing environments where animals learn to associate a specific action with an outcome. These boxes contained two levers, with one active lever programmed to deliver the drug.
When a mouse pressed the active lever, it received an infusion of cocaine along with a flash of light and a sound cue. Over an eleven-day period, the team recorded the animals’ behavior during daily two-hour sessions. The researchers wanted to track the exact physical paths the animals took as they learned the task.
Using a machine learning algorithm called DeepLabCut to track video recordings, they mapped the coordinates of the mice as they moved around the testing chamber. During the early days of training, the mice wandered randomly before pressing the lever. By the end of the eleven days, their behavior stabilized into a highly repetitive routine. The animals developed stereotyped, circular walking patterns immediately before and after taking the drug.
Their entries and exits from the lever area followed a highly consistent path. This circular movement pattern was not seen in a control group of mice trained to seek sugar. The specific physical routine suggested that the cocaine habit was becoming an automatic behavioral response over time. The total distance the mice traveled also increased across the training days, matching a known phenomenon where repeated cocaine use sensitizes motor activity.
To see what was happening inside the brain as this habit formed, the team used a technique called in vivo calcium imaging. They injected a specialized virus into the mice’s brains that caused the medium spiny neurons to produce a fluorescent protein. This protein was designed to react to changes in internal cellular activity.
When a neuron fires an electrical signal, calcium ions flood into the cell. The engineered protein binds to this calcium and emits a tiny flash of light. A microscopic lens implanted directly into the brain captured these flashes, allowing researchers to watch individual neurons turn on and off in real time while the mice were awake and moving.
The researchers observed that a specific set of neurons reliably lit up in the five seconds immediately after a mouse pressed the cocaine lever. During the first three days of training, the sheer number of these active neurons rapidly increased. The brain seemed to recruit a massive amount of cellular resources to learn the new drug-taking rule.
As the training progressed and the physical movements of the mice became automatic routines, the size of this active network began to shrink. By the ninth and eleventh days, the number of responding neurons dropped back down to the lower levels seen on day one.
The researchers noted that the intensity of each individual neuron’s signal stayed exactly the same across the entire experiment. The brain did not dial down the volume of the cells. Instead, fewer cells were needed to execute the established habit.
This pattern of broad recruitment followed by pruning is not unique to biological brains. The authors noted that artificial neural networks learn in a similar way. During initial training, reducing the size of an artificial network impairs its performance, showing that abundant computational resources are necessary to learn a task. Once the network is trained, many connections can be stripped away without affecting the final output.
The team also tracked individual neurons over consecutive days to see if the exact same cells made up this network over time. They used imaging software to match the shape, spatial position, and activity patterns of specific neurons from one testing session to the next.
They found that the network was highly fluid. Only about one quarter of the neurons that responded to a lever press on one day would respond again two days later. Individual cells constantly dropped into and out of the active group. The overall behavioral output remained consistent, but the physical makeup of the cellular network driving it was entirely dynamic.
The experimental design involved a few limitations. The imaging process focused exclusively on male mice. The researchers noted that the heavy head-mounted microscope equipment caused less behavioral disruption in the larger males, helping them achieve a more stable response rate.
The study also did not distinguish between different subtypes of medium spiny neurons. The nucleus accumbens contains cells with distinct receptors that respond differently to the chemical messenger dopamine. Some neurons possess D1 receptors, while others possess D2 receptors. These different subtypes are thought to play distinct and sometimes opposing roles in reward processing and movement.
The five-second window following a lever press includes the physical act of pressing, the onset of a cue light, and the physical sensation of the drug entering the bloodstream. The identified network of neurons is likely a composite of several smaller groups processing each of these separate stimuli. Tracking a larger number of individual cells in future experiments could help separate these overlapping signals.
The ever-changing nature of this cellular network challenges traditional ideas about how habits are stored in the brain. A fluid membership might allow the brain to constantly update learned information while maintaining a steady behavioral output. The flexibility of these cells ensures that the addiction remains firmly rooted even as individual neurons tag out.
The study, “Refinement of Nucleus Accumbens Neuronal Dynamics During Cocaine Self-Administration Training,” was authored by Linjie Jin, Xiguang Qi, Jianwei Liu, William J. Wright, Terra A. Schall, King-Lun Li, Bo Zeng, Charles Wang, Lirong Wang, and Yan Dong.
URL: https://www.psypost.org/fluid-brain-circuits-drive-the-formation-of-cocaine-habits/
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DATE: August 11, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Brain imaging study links childhood trauma to chronic procrastination in adulthood
Childhood trauma can leave lasting marks on human development, and a new study links these early adverse experiences to higher rates of procrastination in young adults. By scanning the brains of over a thousand participants, researchers mapped how trauma-related changes in neural networks might elevate anxiety and lower self-control, paving the way for chronic delay. The research was published in the journal NeuroImage.
Procrastination is often dismissed as simple laziness or poor time management. Psychologists generally view chronic procrastination as a failure of self-control. When faced with a stressful or unpleasant task, people may delay doing it as a way to find temporary relief from negative feelings. This concept is known as the short-term emotion repair theory. While putting off a difficult project provides immediate comfort, it interferes with long-term goals.
Experiencing abuse or neglect in childhood can disrupt the development of systems in the brain that handle emotion and cognitive control. This early adversity can make individuals highly sensitive to negative emotions, elevating their baseline stress. It can also reduce their ability to suppress immediate impulses in favor of future rewards.
Researchers at Southwest University in China wanted to see if the neurobiological changes associated with childhood trauma might explain the tendency to put things off. The study was led by psychologist Tingyong Feng along with Luo Xu and colleagues. They hypothesized that early traumatic events alter large-scale brain networks. These structural and functional changes would subsequently raise a person’s baseline anxiety and degrade their ability to maintain self-control.
To test this framework, the research team recruited undergraduate students with no history of psychiatric disorders, dividing them into a primary discovery group of 760 participants and a validation group of 429 participants. Every individual completed a series of standardized questionnaires. These surveys assessed their history of physical and emotional abuse or neglect, general tendency to procrastinate, trait anxiety, and baseline self-control. Trait anxiety refers to a person’s general, everyday level of stress and worry, rather than temporary anxiety tied to a specific passing event.
The participants then underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging. This brain scanning technique measures blood flow to track brain activity while a person is resting. By observing which areas of the brain activate in sync, researchers can map out functional networks. The team focused on the strength of the connections between 268 different brain regions, looking for patterns that corresponded with the behavioral survey scores.
In the first part of their analysis using the behavioral survey data, the researchers found that higher scores on the childhood trauma questionnaire predicted higher levels of procrastination. When they introduced the other survey variables into their statistical models, they found that trait anxiety and self-control acted as mediators. The data indicated that childhood trauma was associated with higher trait anxiety and lower self-control. These two emotional and cognitive states in turn predicted the urge to procrastinate.
Next, the researchers used a statistical technique to analyze the brain scans from the participants in the discovery group. They searched the entire brain to find specific patterns of neural connectivity that could predict the severity of a participant’s childhood trauma. Their models successfully identified a set of brain connections that correlated with the initial survey scores. To ensure their computer model was reliable, they tested it on the brain scans of the students in the validation group. The model accurately predicted trauma scores in this independent group based solely on their resting neural connectivity.
The neural connections identified by the model primarily involved several major brain networks. These included the frontoparietal network, which is responsible for goal-directed behavior, and the salience network, which helps the brain detect and react to emotional stimuli. The researchers observed weaker connectivity in areas related to top-down cognitive control, such as the prefrontal cortex. At the same time, they saw stronger connections between visual processing areas and the cerebellum. These latter regions are highly active when processing emotional cues and learning fear responses.
The researchers noted that these brain patterns align with a recognized framework called the triple-network model of procrastination. In this model, chronic delay arises from an imbalance between brain networks that manage self-control, emotion regulation, and future planning. The weaker connectivity in the prefrontal cortex suggests a diminished capacity to stay focused on long-term goals. The stronger connections between the salience network and visual areas suggest a hyperactive threat-detection system. Under these conditions, visual inputs are more readily interpreted as threatening or stressful, which elevates anxiety.
The researchers then merged the neurological data with the behavioral data. They found that the exact brain network patterns associated with childhood trauma predicted higher procrastination scores. Just as with the survey data, this relationship was bridged by the participants’ levels of trait anxiety and self-control. The altered brain connectivity predicted higher anxiety and lower self-control, which ultimately mapped onto higher procrastination.
The study relies on a cross-sectional design, meaning all data was collected at a single point in time. This approach prevents researchers from proving that childhood trauma directly causes brain changes or procrastination later in life. The researchers noted that longitudinal studies, which track the same individuals over many years, are required to confirm the direction of these effects.
The observed associations between the brain networks and behavioral traits were also relatively modest in size. Modest effects are common in brain imaging research, partly due to the limits of current scanning technology and the natural variations in how human brains are wired. The reliance on self-reported questionnaires for assessing childhood trauma can also introduce memory biases or measurement errors.
The research team recommended that future studies test more diverse populations, as the current data came exclusively from healthy college students. Including physiological markers and specific behavioral tests could also refine our understanding of how early life stress changes the brain.
The study, “Early Wounds, Delayed Consequences: Brain-Behavior Modeling Reveals Neural Pathways Linking Childhood Trauma to Procrastination,” was authored by Luo Xu, Yao Yin, Xueke Wang, Ting Xu, Xi Zhang, and Tingyong Feng.
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DATE: August 5, 2026 at 09:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Miniature brain models reveal varied electrical activity in different types of autism
Researchers have grown miniature, three-dimensional brain models from the cells of autistic and nonautistic individuals to study how their neural networks communicate. The models demonstrated that different types of autism spectrum disorder produce vastly different patterns of electrical activity, highlighting the wide biological variety underlying the condition. The small study was published in the journal Translational Psychiatry.
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition involving differences in social communication and repetitive behaviors. The biological roots of the condition remain difficult to map out. While many cases have no known genetic cause, a portion of autistic individuals have what is known as syndromic autism. This form of the condition is linked to specific single-gene mutations that alter how brain cells develop and communicate.
Because traditional animal models often fail to accurately reflect the specific features of human brain development, researchers have increasingly turned to brain organoids. These are tiny, self-organizing bundles of tissue grown from human stem cells. Brain organoids replicate the early stages of human brain development while retaining the exact genetic code of the person who provided the original cells.
Lead researchers Nisim Perets and Liya Kerem, along with a team of colleagues at Itay and Beyond and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, wanted to see if organoids could reveal the functional differences between various forms of autism. They focused on comparing the baseline electrical activity and network connections among several distinct genetic subtypes of the disorder. Extrapolating how a single mutated gene alters whole-brain activity is challenging in living humans, making these laboratory-grown models highly useful for observing live neural networks in action.
The researchers collected urine samples from fifteen human participants. Four participants were neurotypical, serving as a control group. Ten participants had syndromic autism stemming from five different genetic mutations, including the genes SHANK3, SCN2A, STXBP1, PPP2R5D, and GRIN2B. One participant had idiopathic autism, meaning their condition had no identified genetic origin.
Using epithelial cells extracted from the urine, the team reprogrammed the cells back into a basic stem cell state. They then placed these induced pluripotent stem cells into special nutrient baths, guiding them to grow into more than four hundred brain organoids. To ensure the models were developing correctly, the researchers analyzed the cells using genetic sequencing and fluorescent imaging. This confirmed that the organoids contained the right mix of brain cells, including neural progenitors, developing neurons, and mature cortical cells.
After growing the organoids for about two months, the researchers placed them onto special plates equipped with microscopic electrodes. These multi-electrode arrays allowed the team to record the spontaneous electrical signals passing between the neurons. The researchers tracked metrics like the firing rate, the size of the electrical spikes, and the frequency of synchronized bursts across the neural network.
The resting electrical activity in the autism models differed substantially from the neurotypical control models. The organoids derived from the participant with idiopathic autism exhibited a generally hypoactive profile. They showed lower firing rates, weaker signal strengths, and fewer bursts of activity compared to the control group.
Conversely, organoids derived from most of the syndromic autism subtypes showed higher firing rates than the control group. Organoids from participants with SCN2A mutations had varying firing rates but consistently produced weaker electrical signal strengths. This initial observation confirmed that genetic differences lead to physical differences in how brain cells spontaneously fire.
Next, the research team tested how the neural networks responded to new stimuli, a process known as short-term synaptic plasticity. In a living brain, neural networks adapt to incoming information by temporarily adjusting their sensitivity. They might dampen their activity, known as short-term depression, or temporarily boost it, known as short-term potentiation. The researchers delivered brief electrical pulses to the organoids and recorded the changes in activity over the following five minutes.
The high-frequency stimulation mostly caused the networks to dampen their activity. However, organoids from patients with STXBP1, SHANK3, and SCN2A mutations displayed abnormally high levels of short-term depression and reduced potentiation compared to the control group. Organoids with GRIN2B mutations showed the opposite trend, with slightly elevated potentiation and reduced depression. These varied responses suggest that different genetic mutations disrupt the brain’s ability to adapt to incoming signals in entirely different ways.
The researchers also mapped the functional connectivity of the networks before and after the stimulation. In response to the electrical pulses, the neurotypical organoids displayed a stable, predictable decrease in network connectivity. Organoids from the autism groups displayed highly erratic responses.
The neural networks in organoids with a STXBP1 gene mutation collapsed almost immediately after stimulation, failing to recover normally. Models with a PPP2R5D mutation experienced a sharp, sudden drop in connectivity. Models with GRIN2B mutations showed an inconsistent, fluctuating response across the entire observation period. The organoids representing idiopathic autism barely changed at all, showing a rigidity not seen in the control group.
To visualize these vast differences, the researchers mapped eighteen separate electrical characteristics onto a three-dimensional graph using a mathematical technique called principal component analysis. Organoids grown from the same person behaved similarly, and the entire neurotypical control group clustered tightly together. The organoids from the autistic participants scattered widely across the graph.
Even organoids grown from patients sharing the exact same genetic mutation sometimes displayed different patterns of electrical activity. One participant with a GRIN2B mutation had a clinical history of seizures, and their corresponding organoids exhibited abnormal rhythmic bursting. Another participant with the same GRIN2B mutation did not have a history of seizures, and their organoids did not display that specific bursting pattern.
While these three-dimensional models provide a window into early brain development, they do not replicate the full structural architecture of a mature human brain. The study also relied on a small sample size of fifteen patients, with only a single individual representing the idiopathic autism category. The association between specific electrical patterns in the organoids and clinical symptoms like seizures will require testing in larger patient cohorts to verify that the results were not statistically anomalous.
The researchers noted that tracking functional electrical differences in brain organoids could help classify different subtypes of autism based on brain circuitry rather than just behavioral observations. Because autism encompasses such a wide array of biological mechanisms, grouping patients by how their neural networks actually function might eventually guide the development of tailored therapeutic interventions.
The study, “Patient-derived brain organoids reveal divergent neuronal activity across subpopulations of autism spectrum disorder,” was authored by Nisim Perets, Liya Kerem, Nir Waiskopf, Noa Horesh, Itay Goldman, Jasmine Avichzer, Doron Bril, William Tobelaim, Milcah Barashi, Liat David, and Ariel Tenenbaum.
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" #Russia has effectively outlawed the public expression of #childfree views. #Women now face heavy fines for discussing a wish not to have #children, or even for candid #socialMedia accounts of difficult #birth s or #postpartum #depression...
The Health Ministry, it added, has introduced mandatory questionnaires for #teenagers; a #girl who indicates she does not currently want children is referred to a psychologist for 'corrective' #counseling"