Summary: Regular social engagement—such as playing mahjong—can help reduce symptoms of depression among middle-aged and older adults. Source: University of Georgia Mahjong and Social Participation Linked to Lower Depression Rates in Older Chinese Adults A new study from the University of Georgia finds that active social participation, including playing mahjong, is associated with lower levels … Read more

Summary: New artificial intelligence-driven methods reveal previously unrecognized cellular structures. These discoveries could improve our understanding of human development and the origins of disease. Source: UCSD Most diseases arise when parts of a cell fail to function correctly — for example, tumors may grow when genes are mis-expressed as proteins, or metabolic disorders may occur … Read more

Summary: A new study shows that identical clinical signs of depression can arise from different brain profiles, revealing both one-to-one and many-to-one relationships between symptoms and neurobiology. Analyzing brain imaging from the UK Biobank, researchers found that patients who report comparable symptoms may nonetheless display markedly different neural patterns. One of the identified brain profiles … Read more

Summary: New imaging technology reveals molecular changes that occur before amyloid-beta plaques form in the brain. The findings suggest a shift from trying to remove amyloid to stabilizing its initial structure as a potential way to reduce Alzheimer’s symptoms. Source: Lund University. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden used the MAX IV synchrotron—the most powerful … Read more

Summary: Using neuroimaging, researchers identified three cortical gradients that correspond to distinct dimensions of consciousness. Source: University of Michigan Understanding what it means to be conscious goes beyond philosophy; it is an active scientific question about how subjective experience emerges from the brain’s activity. How consciousness arises has direct clinical relevance: it affects how clinicians … Read more

Summary: A new study shows both shared and distinct roles for the left and right sides of the brain in storing and retrieving semantic memory, with left-sided regions more critical for verbal naming and expression. Study Overview Researchers at the University of Manchester conducted the first comprehensive neuropsychological comparison of how the left and right … Read more

Summary: Researchers explain why being born and raised in certain places can dramatically affect life expectancy. Source: The Conversation. Newly released data on life expectancy across the U.S. shows that where we live has a major influence on how long we live. A person in the United States now has an average life expectancy of … Read more

Nearly half of people who suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) develop depressive symptoms within a year. When depression accompanies TBI, patients often face slower recovery, larger declines in cognitive function, greater disability, increased suicide risk and broader social and sexual difficulties. Because symptoms of TBI and depression overlap and vary widely, diagnosing depression after … Read more

Summary: A new population-wide study examines how the September 11, 2001 attacks affected mental health well beyond the United States, documenting measurable effects on psychiatric diagnoses in Denmark. Source: Aarhus University. A recent nationwide study from Denmark finds a clear, immediate rise in trauma- and stressor-related disorders (such as adjustment disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder) … Read more

Summary: Researchers reveal the structure of a critical portion of the NMDA receptor and explain how zinc and a drug affect its function. Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory High-resolution structures of the NMDA receptor’s amino-terminal domain clarify how zinc and subtype-selective drugs influence receptor activity — knowledge that could guide more precise treatments for Alzheimer’s … Read more