Psychology

Prucalopride 2 mg Improved Word Learning and Working-Memory Speed in Remitted Depression

July 20, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 randomized study in Psychological Medicine reported that 7–10 days of prucalopride improved word-learning recall and working-memory response speed versus placebo in adults with remitted recurrent depression, but the 49-person analysis did not test durability, daily functioning, or relapse prevention. Key Findings Short randomized exposure: Researchers analyzed 49 adults ages 18–40 after 7–10 …

Emotional Relationship Motives Rated Higher Than Instrumental Reasons in Greek-Speaking Adults

July 20, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 mixed-methods study in Evolutionary Psychological Science found that 621 Greek-speaking adults rated emotional motives for lasting relationships—such as attraction, love, companionship, and support—much higher than instrumental motives such as money, social pressure, or revenge (3.30 vs 1.39 on a five-point scale). The convenience-sample survey describes stated motivations, not what causes relationships to …

10 mg Emestedastat Did Not Improve Cognition in Major Depression

July 20, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 Phase 2 trial in The British Journal of Psychiatry found that 10 mg emestedastat did not improve attention and working memory after six weeks in adults with major depressive disorder and objectively measured cognitive impairment. A nominal depression-score difference appeared four weeks after treatment ended, but it was secondary, unadjusted for multiple …

Negative Language Predicted Depression and Anxiety in Emergency Dispatchers

July 19, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 study in PLOS One found that emergency call takers and dispatchers who used more negatively valenced words when describing a stressful work event reported higher depression and anxiety symptoms, while arousal-related language did not predict distress. Key Findings 106 emergency communications workers described a stressful work-related event and completed the DASS-21, a …

AI Precision Mental Health Adoption Hinged on Anxiety, Risk, and Acceptance

July 19, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 study in Journal of Medical Internet Research found that psychology trainees were generally open to artificial intelligence-based precision mental health technologies (AI-PMHTs), but fear, perceived risk, resistance to change, and reliability concerns shaped whether they expected to use them. Key Findings 357 psychology trainees: The cross-sectional survey included undergraduate and master’s psychology …

Week 1 Step Counts and Anxiety Tracked Recovery After Day-Case Lung Wedge Surgery

July 19, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 prospective observational study in BMC Pulmonary Medicine found that patients recovering at home after day-case video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) wedge resection steadily increased their step counts over 4 weeks, while lower early activity was linked to poorer 6-minute walk recovery and higher preoperative anxiety. Key Findings 72 complete follow-ups: Of 82 day-case …

Sustained Attention Genetics Split From Executive Function in AFFECT Study

July 19, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 Molecular Psychiatry study found that common genetic influences on sustained attention were partly separable from genetic influences on executive function, using task-based cognition data from the AFFECT study and 23andMe participants. Key Findings More than 20,000 participants contributed task-based cognition data: Final GWAS sample sizes ranged from 10,129 people for lapse recovery …

Discrimination Linked to Lower Belonging and Higher Stress in German Health Students

July 19, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 cross-sectional study in BMC Medical Education found that German students in health-related degree programs who had personally experienced discrimination reported lower belonging, lower academic self-efficacy, lower study engagement, and higher general stress than peers without such experiences. Key Findings National survey covered Germany: The online survey included 987 health-related degree students from …

Web Pregnancy Program Did Not Beat Control for Substance Use or STI Risk

July 18, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: A 2026 randomized trial in Journal of Medical Internet Research tested the web-based Health Check-Up for Expectant Moms program in 176 pregnant women at risk for substance use or sexually transmitted infection risk, but reductions in alcohol, cannabis, and condomless sex did not differ clearly from an attention-matched control condition. Key Findings 176 pregnant …

MAPK14 Linked Depression and Vitiligo Immune Signatures

July 18, 2026 by BrainASAP

TL;DR: Major depressive disorder and vitiligo may share immune-inflammatory gene signatures. In PLOS One in 2026, the analysis frames MAPK14 as a preliminary candidate marker that still needs clinical and laboratory validation. Key Findings Two public disease datasets were combined: The analysis used 128 major-depression blood samples and 64 controls from GEO, plus a small …

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