Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased stress among pregnant and postpartum women in the United States. Researchers warn that heightened prenatal stress may interfere with fetal brain development and worsen existing maternal health disparities. Source: Washington State University COVID-19 has introduced new and serious challenges for pregnant people in the United States, a population … Read more

Summary: New research indicates that sugary soft drinks may harm mental health as well as physical health, especially in women. The study links high soft drink consumption to a greater likelihood of major depressive disorder (MDD) and to more severe depressive symptoms, potentially through changes in the gut microbiome. The association appears to be connected … Read more

Summary: New research from Flinders University shows that people with higher body mass index (BMI) receiving atezolizumab for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) experienced improved survival rates compared with those with lower BMI. Source: Flinders University Key finding: Although a higher BMI is usually associated with greater risk for many diseases including some cancers, … Read more

Summary: A large-scale analysis of Wikipedia browsing behavior identifies three distinct curiosity styles— the focused “hunter,” the broad-ranging “busybody,” and the creative “dancer.” Examining data from 482,760 mobile Wikipedia readers across 50 countries, researchers found that cultural and societal factors, including gender equality and education access, are associated with different browsing patterns. More egalitarian societies … Read more

Summary: By fitting musicians with motion-capture markers and applying mathematical analyses, researchers reveal how performers communicate non-verbally to shape shared emotional expression during ensemble playing. Source: McMaster University. Researchers at McMaster University have developed a new method to quantify how musicians intuitively coordinate with one another during performance, silently anticipating how each will express the … Read more

Summary: A major international study of adults ages 50–90 across 29 countries found that middle-aged Americans report higher levels of loneliness than older adults—a pattern seen in only one other nation, the Netherlands. While loneliness typically increases with age in most countries, the United States stands out as an exception. Factors such as unemployment, caregiving … Read more

Summary: Neurons generated from stem cells taken from combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) respond differently to stress hormones than neurons derived from veterans without PTSD. This discovery offers new insight into how genetic factors can increase vulnerability to PTSD after traumatic events. Source: Mount Sinai Hospital Researchers found that induced pluripotent stem cell–derived … Read more

Summary: New research identifies an unexpected interaction between a synaptic scaffold protein and the endocannabinoid pathway, suggesting the endocannabinoid system may contribute to a range of psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Source: Northwestern University Researchers at Northwestern Medicine have identified a previously unrecognized link between ankyrin-G, a synaptic scaffold … Read more

Summary: Classical and operant conditioning are distinct learning systems that compete within the brain, preventing the simultaneous formation of conflicting memories. Using fruit flies as a model, researchers at Tel Aviv University showed that attempting to train both systems at the same time causes confusion and abolishes clear memory expression. A brain region that acts … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified a clear biological change in the brains of people with Long COVID who experience brain fog and cognitive decline: the small blood vessels in the brain show reduced integrity and increased “leakiness.” Using a newly developed MRI method, the team objectively distinguished patients with neurological symptoms from those without, offering a … Read more