Early Parkinson’s Non-Motor Symptoms Differed by Sex After Levodopa Started

Early Parkinson's Non-Motor Symptoms Differed by Sex After Levodopa Started

TL;DR: A 2026 Neurological Sciences study followed 216 early Parkinson’s patients for 2 years after levodopa started and found that several non-motor symptom differences between men and women persisted or emerged despite adjustment for baseline scores and levodopa dose. Key Findings 216 early Parkinson’s patients completed 24-month follow-up after starting levodopa, including 139 men and …

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MRI Microstructure Predicted Impulse-Control Change After Parkinson’s DBS

MRI Microstructure Predicted Impulse-Control Change After Parkinson's DBS

TL;DR: A 2026 medRxiv preprint linked pre-surgery diffusion MRI markers in Parkinson’s disease to 6-month changes in impulsive-compulsive behaviour after subthalamic deep brain stimulation. Key Findings Small DBS cohort: Researchers followed 35 Parkinson’s disease patients from preoperative diffusion MRI to 6-month clinical follow-up after subthalamic deep brain stimulation. Behaviour score: Impulsive-compulsive behaviour was measured with …

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Organophosphate Exposure Linked to Delayed Neuropathy in Case Report

Organophosphate Exposure Linked to Delayed Neuropathy in Case Report

TL;DR: A 2026 study in Journal of Medical Case Reports described organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN), a delayed nerve-injury syndrome, in a 44-year-old pesticide applicator after years of low-level exposure without a typical acute poisoning crisis. Key Findings 9-year exposure history: The patient had worked with chlorpyrifos, malathion, and diazinon for years, often 6-9 hours daily …

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Orbitofrontal PV Interneurons Reduced Social Behavior via DMN Connectivity

Orbitofrontal PV Interneurons Reduced Social Behavior via DMN Connectivity

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 …

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Open ICU Visiting Linked to Lower Delirium and Anxiety Scores

Open ICU Visiting Linked to Lower Delirium and Anxiety Scores

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: …

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Nicotine Dependence Linked to Lower ICU COVID-19 Mortality in Texas Cohort

Nicotine Dependence Linked to Lower ICU COVID-19 Mortality in Texas Cohort

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 …

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Acculturative Stress Predicted Depression and Anxiety in International Students

Acculturative Stress Predicted Depression and Anxiety in International Students

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 …

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MK-8189 PDE10A Inhibitor Failed Schizophrenia Phase 2b PANSS Endpoint

MK-8189 PDE10A Inhibitor Failed Schizophrenia Phase 2b PANSS Endpoint

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 …

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Microglia CRISPR Screen Linked Schizophrenia Genes to Phagocytosis

Microglia CRISPR Screen Linked Schizophrenia Genes to Phagocytosis

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, …

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ME/CFS Memorial Entries Mapped Clinical Neglect and Social Isolation

ME/CFS Memorial Entries Mapped Clinical Neglect and Social Isolation

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 …

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