Summary: A large new study shows that adolescents who develop compulsive, addictive patterns of using social media, mobile phones or video games face a significantly higher risk of suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and other mental health problems. The research found that it’s the compulsive nature of use—feeling unable to stop, feeling distressed when offline, or … Read more

Summary: New research finds that children who struggle to manage strong emotions around age seven are more likely to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression during their teenage years. The study tracked emotional development and mental health from childhood to age 17 using data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Early signs such as frequent … Read more

Summary: A new epidemiological study from Mount Sinai and collaborating institutions reveals that food insecurity can amplify the link between gut microbiome imbalances and risk of cognitive impairment in adults. Analyzing data from 360 participants, researchers identified specific groups of gut bacteria associated with poorer cognitive performance, with stronger effects observed among participants facing limited … Read more

Summary: New research indicates that the brain age gap—the difference between a brain’s predicted biological age and a person’s chronological age—may affect how health risk factors such as diabetes and high blood pressure relate to cognitive performance. Applying machine learning to neuroimaging from more than 1,400 older adults, investigators observed that a larger brain age … Read more

Summary: A new study links rare de novo genetic changes—copy number variants (CNVs)—to pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Using whole-exome sequencing (WES) on nearly 1,000 family trios, researchers detected a markedly higher rate of these spontaneous genetic events in children with OCD compared with unaffected peers. These findings highlight a noninherited genetic contribution to OCD risk … Read more

Summary: Even though many psychological treatments are backed by solid science, they often fail to produce lasting change because people forget much of what they learn in sessions and struggle to form new habits. Recent work highlights a widespread disconnect between the guidance patients receive in therapy and the behaviors they actually adopt afterward. Research … Read more

Summary: A new study shows most people believe they would refuse immoral orders from authorities more readily than others would. This overconfidence—known as the “better-than-average effect”—leads people to underestimate how much social pressure can influence their own behavior. Even after reading about the notorious Milgram experiment, many participants still assumed they would resist complying more … Read more

Summary: A new study identifies the type 1 ryanodine receptor (RyR1) as a direct molecular target of inhalational anesthetics and clarifies a critical step in how these drugs induce general anesthesia. The researchers show that isoflurane and related volatile anesthetics activate RyR1, prompting calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and contributing to anesthetic and … Read more

Summary: Disrupting circadian rhythms during adolescence can change how the brain responds to a prenatal immune challenge, a known risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. In a controlled mouse study led by McGill University researchers, each factor on its own altered behaviour and brain activity, but their combination produced distinct—and sometimes … Read more

Summary: A classroom programme using LEGO building activities substantially improved young children’s mathematics and spatial reasoning skills, according to a recent study. Teachers delivered a six-week intervention called SPACE that used structured, teacher-led LEGO tasks for children aged six to seven. The intervention produced measurable gains in mental rotation and math performance, with the largest … Read more