TL;DR: A 2026 mouse study in Communications Biology found that activating parvalbumin (PV) interneurons, inhibitory nerve cells in the orbitofrontal cortex, reduced default mode network connectivity and decreased normal social approach and sniffing behavior. Key Findings PV interneurons were targeted: Researchers used PV-Cre mice and a chemogenetic DREADD receptor to activate inhibitory PV interneurons in …
TL;DR: A 2026 retrospective ICU study in the International Journal of General Medicine found that 24-hour open visiting was associated with lower delirium incidence and lower anxiety/depression scores than 1-hour restricted visiting in chronic critically ill patients. Key Findings 264 ICU patients: The retrospective cohort included 132 restricted-visiting patients and 132 open-visiting patients. 24-hour access: …
TL;DR: A 2026 iScience study found that after 1 hour of training, adults could use a new audio cue for depth judgments, but only about half combined it with a familiar visual cue well enough to improve perceptual precision. Key Findings A total of 78 adults completed the depth task after training on an artificial …
TL;DR: A 2026 study in PLOS One found that Texas ICU COVID-19 hospitalizations coded for current nicotine dependence had lower crude and adjusted mortality than hospitalizations coded as never nicotine dependent, but the administrative-data design means the result should not be read as evidence that nicotine is protective. Key Findings Large ICU cohort: Researchers analyzed …
TL;DR: A 2026 study in BMC Psychology found high rates of depression, anxiety, and recent self-harm thoughts among international students in Germany, with acculturative stress linked to worse mental health and mindfulness, optimism, self-efficacy, acceptance, and social support linked to lower symptom burden. Key Findings Depression and anxiety were common: 46.5% of the 327 international …
TL;DR: A 2026 Scientific Reports study found that natural images and white noise images produced similar amounts of pareidolia, but they shifted what people thought they saw. Key Findings Healthy adult sample: The study included 81 participants who viewed ambiguous images and drew every illusory object, face, figure, or pattern they perceived. Equal quantity: The …
TL;DR: A 2026 randomized phase 2b trial in Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology found that the PDE10A inhibitor MK-8189 did not improve Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) schizophrenia symptom scores more than placebo after 6 weeks, while risperidone separated from placebo in the same trial. Key Findings 458 treated participants: The acute phase included 132 …
TL;DR: A 2026 study in Neuropsychopharmacology used CRISPR gene editing in human microglia-like cells and found that several schizophrenia-linked genes changed phagocytosis, cell shape, and immune-transcription programs. Key Findings Schizophrenia-linked microglia genes were testable: The screen focused on 30 genes predicted from postmortem transcriptomic data and microglial biology to affect phagocytosis pathways. CYFIP1, MSR1, TREM2, …
TL;DR: A 2026 qualitative analysis in PLOS One used 505 ME/CFS memorial entries to map how systemic neglect, clinical dismissal, social isolation, and personal burden appeared in accounts of illness and death. Key Findings 505 memorial entries: The analysis used the National CFIDS Foundation memorial list, downloaded in October 2024. 4 theme layers: Themes were …
TL;DR: A 2026 preprint on medRxiv tested suicide-risk vignettes and found that an independent supervisory safety agent detected intervention-level risk far more often than native ChatGPT Health safeguards. Key Findings 224 paired evaluations: Researchers tested suicide-related clinical vignettes under two information conditions, creating 224 paired comparisons between native safeguards and an external supervisory system. 91.5% …
