TL;DR: A 2026 modeling study in Journal of Mathematical Biology found that delayed unfolded protein response (UPR), a cellular stress program that slows protein production, could make toxic prion protein either die out, persist, or oscillate as it spreads through a brain-connectome model. Key Findings The model tracked PrPC and PrPSc: Researchers modeled normal cellular …
TL;DR: A 2026 medRxiv preprint found psychomotor retardation, meaning slowed movement, speech, and thinking during depression, was linked to higher later Parkinson’s diagnosis risk in 6,327 London mental-health records. Key Findings Psychomotor retardation was common: Among 6,327 people with depression at age 40 or older, 2,402 patients, or 38.0%, had psychomotor retardation documented in records. …
TL;DR: A 2026 cross-sectional study in Nature and Science of Sleep linked 9 hours or less of nighttime sleep with higher parent-rated anxiety scores in 1,589 preschool children in China, but the design can show association rather than prove that shorter sleep caused the symptoms. Key Findings 1,589 preschoolers: Researchers analyzed parent questionnaires from two …
TL;DR: A 2026 randomized pilot trial in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that 30 minutes of moderate exercise before cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for major depressive disorder was linked to stronger therapy-process measures and higher exploratory remission than quiet rest before CBT. Key Findings Forty adults with major depressive disorder were randomized: Nineteen received …
TL;DR: A 2026 study in Neuropsychopharmacology found that decision-making measures from a stop-signal task, especially evidence accumulation, predicted cigarette and cannabis use better than stop-signal reaction time (SSRT), a common estimate of response inhibition. Key Findings More than 1,000 young adults: The analysis used IMAGEN cohort stop-signal task data from 1,256 participants at age 19 …
TL;DR: A 2026 medRxiv preprint used single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), a brain blood-flow imaging method, and a 68-component NeuroMark template to link depression-related symptoms with frontal, subcortical, cerebellar, salience, and visual network patterns across several psychiatric groups. Key Findings Large imaging pool: Researchers analyzed 2,743 patient SPECT scans with clinical data plus 76 …
TL;DR: A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis posted to medRxiv found that gamma-frequency non-invasive brain stimulation was linked to symptom improvement in schizophrenia and depressive-symptom reduction in major depressive disorder, but the evidence was heterogeneous and still preprint-level. Key Findings 56 controlled studies were included across schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum …
TL;DR: A 2026 study in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment followed 55 adults after mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and found that neurocognitive test performance improved over time after both Alpha/Delta-era and Omicron-era infections. Key Findings 55-person longitudinal sample: Researchers compared 28 Alpha/Delta-era participants with 27 Omicron-era participants after mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Initial cognitive findings: About half of each group …
TL;DR: A 2026 randomized single-blind trial in BMC Psychiatry found that a one-day lithium carbonate loading dose plus quetiapine reduced acute manic symptoms in bipolar I disorder more than standard slow-titration lithium plus quetiapine over 14 days. Key Findings 60 inpatients randomized: Adults with bipolar I disorder in acute mania, all meeting DSM-5 criteria and …
TL;DR: A 2026 medRxiv preprint used total-body tau PET in Alzheimer’s disease and found stronger brain-organ network synchrony, a pattern that tracked cognitive impairment through cortical tau burden and MRI markers of glymphatic dysfunction. Key Findings Small imaging cohort: Researchers compared 28 Alzheimer’s disease patients with 23 matched negative controls using positron emission tomography (PET), …
