Post COVID-19 Condition Linked to Fatigue, Sleep, Mood, and Subjective Cognition

Post COVID-19 Condition Linked to Fatigue, Sleep, Mood, and Subjective Cognition

TL;DR: A 2026 cross-sectional study in PLOS One found that people with post COVID-19 condition reported worse quality of life, fatigue, sleep, psychological wellbeing, and subjective cognition than COVID-19 survivors without the condition, while many objective lung, metabolic, and cognitive tests did not differ. Key Findings 139-person Dutch cohort: The study included 87 people with …

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DLPFC Pain Maps Converged in Brodmann Areas 8, 9, and 46

DLPFC Pain Maps Converged in Brodmann Areas 8, 9, and 46

TL;DR: A 2026 review and activation-likelihood estimation study in European Journal of Pain found that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), a frontal control region, was repeatedly engaged in acute pain, chronic pain, and placebo analgesia, mainly across Brodmann areas 8, 9, and 46. Key Findings 138 studies included: The review screened 4810 deduplicated records and …

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Early-Life SQ-LNS Did Not Lower Child Hair Cortisol Overall

Early-Life SQ-LNS Did Not Lower Child Hair Cortisol Overall

TL;DR: A 2026 randomized follow-up study in Maternal & Child Nutrition found no overall hair-cortisol difference at ages 9-11 after early-life small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplementation, but children whose mothers had 0-5 years of schooling had lower cortisol if they received SQ-LNS. Key Findings No overall cortisol shift: Usable hair cortisol data from 680 children showed …

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Ketamine and Synthetic Cathinones Appeared in Italian ED Drug Toxicity Cases

Ketamine and Synthetic Cathinones Appeared in Italian ED Drug Toxicity Cases

TL;DR: A 2026 observational study in International Journal of Legal Medicine found that cocaine dominated analytically confirmed recreational drug toxicity cases in one Bologna emergency department, while ketamine was common and all new-psychoactive-substance-positive patients had psychomotor agitation. Key Findings 110 ED patients: The observational study enrolled 110 patients with suspected acute recreational drug toxicity between …

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Immersive VR Reduced Anxiety and Pain in Gastrointestinal Cancer Trials

Immersive VR Reduced Anxiety and Pain in Gastrointestinal Cancer Trials

TL;DR: A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis in Journal of Medical Internet Research found that immersive virtual reality reduced anxiety and pain in randomized trials of gastrointestinal cancer care, but wide prediction intervals and low evidence certainty mean the effect may vary across clinical settings. Key Findings 14 RCTs: The review included 14 randomized controlled …

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CBT-I and Shorter Behavioral Therapies Improved Insomnia Remission

CBT-I and Shorter Behavioral Therapies Improved Insomnia Remission

TL;DR: A 2026 preprint on medRxiv found that in-person cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and several shorter behavioral versions were linked with higher post-treatment insomnia remission than sleep hygiene or other control conditions, but the evidence was strongest for full CBT-I. Key Findings 77 randomized trials: The network meta-analysis included 77 RCTs with 5,731 adults …

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Frailty Predicted Mortality After Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry in Older Inpatients

Frailty Predicted Mortality After Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry in Older Inpatients

TL;DR: A 2026 preprint in medRxiv reported that frailty and medical comorbidity predicted short-term outcomes more clearly than psychiatric history among older adults evaluated by consultation-liaison psychiatry teams in Spanish general hospitals. Key Findings 465 older inpatients: The prospective OLD-3 cohort included adults aged 65 years and older referred to consultation-liaison psychiatry in 10 Spanish …

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EEG Motor Imagery in Stroke Recovery Increased Brain-Heart Coupling

EEG Motor Imagery in Stroke Recovery Increased Brain-Heart Coupling

TL;DR: A 2026 preprint in medRxiv found that stroke survivors doing motor imagery showed changing brain-heart coupling across rehabilitation sessions, especially between cardiac sympathetic activity and electroencephalography (EEG) beta-band network clustering. Key Findings 15 stroke survivors: Researchers analyzed two cohorts with upper- or lower-limb motor impairment after stroke. 2 motor-imagery protocols: Dataset 1 used gait …

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Celiac Disease Presented With Chronic Insomnia in Single Case Report

Celiac Disease Presented With Chronic Insomnia in Single Case Report

TL;DR: A 2026 case study in International Medical Case Reports Journal described a 42-year-old man whose chronic insomnia improved after celiac disease was diagnosed and treated with a gluten-free diet, but the report cannot prove gluten exposure caused the sleep problem. Key Findings 5 months of insomnia: The patient reported persistent difficulty initiating and maintaining …

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