TL;DR: A 2026 study in Nature Machine Intelligence reported that a textile soft hand exoskeleton with thumb control and surface electromyography (sEMG) intent detection restored practical grasping in one person with severe ALS-related hand paralysis and helped the most severely impaired stroke participants more than moderately impaired users. Key Findings 97% intent sensitivity: A non-invasive …
TL;DR: A 2026 cohort study in PLOS One found that higher fasting plasma vitamin C levels were independently associated with larger MRI-measured gray matter and stronger default mode network (DMN) structural connectivity in 2,044 older adults, but the cross-sectional design cannot show that vitamin C caused the brain differences. Key Findings Large MRI cohort: The …
TL;DR: A 2026 fMRI study in Molecular Psychiatry linked abuse before age 13 to stronger hippocampal responses during non-conscious negative emotion processing, while abuse during adolescence was linked to stronger amygdala responses during conscious emotion viewing. Key Findings Timing split the limbic response: The sample included 635 adults after exclusions and quality checks, including people …
TL;DR: A 2026 randomized trial in International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology found that older adults who knowingly took placebo pills for 3 weeks reported lower stress and performed better on Digit Span than controls. Key Findings Aging trial context: The trial randomized 90 healthy community-dwelling adults in Milan, ages 65 to 90, into …
TL;DR: A 2026 feasibility study in the Journal of Activity, Sedentary and Sleep Behaviors found that pregnant participants could use a research-grade accelerometer plus text-message sleep diaries across much of pregnancy, although third-trimester wear declined. Key Findings 10 pregnant participants: The pilot recruited Kaiser Permanente Northern California members at 10 weeks’ gestation and followed them …
TL;DR: A 2026 study in Brain, Behavior, & Immunity – Health linked composite inflammatory biomarkers during pregnancy and postpartum with postpartum anxiety symptoms, but the strongest associations ran in the unexpected direction of lower anxiety risk at higher biomarker levels. Key Findings 14,419 postpartum women were screened: Researchers calculated inflammatory biomarkers during the 2nd trimester, …
TL;DR: A 2026 review in Journal of Pain Research argues that postoperative pain care is moving away from opioid-centered prescribing toward multimodal, opioid-sparing protocols, with the strongest practical signal around NSAIDs paired with dexamethasone or regional anesthesia and the largest unresolved gap after hospital discharge. Key Findings More than 80% affected: The review describes postoperative …
TL;DR: A 2026 review in Translational Neuroscience summarizes why PINK1 and parkin, two genes linked to early-onset parkinsonism, keep pointing researchers back to mitophagy and autophagy as Parkinson disease mechanisms. Key Findings 18 PARK loci noted: The review frames familial Parkinson genetics as a route into molecular mechanisms, including PARK2 and PARK6. PARK2 encodes parkin: …
TL;DR: A 2026 BJPsych Bulletin paper argues that person-first language in forensic mental health services may reduce stigma, social distance, and pessimism when it is used carefully rather than as a substitute for structural change. Key Findings Forensic mental health focus: The editorial examines labels used for people receiving care at the intersection of psychiatry …
TL;DR: A 2026 review in the Journal of Neuroinflammation argued that several parasitic infections may affect behavior and cognition through converging microbiota, immune, barrier, and glial pathways. Key Findings Protozoa and helminths reviewed: The review covered neurotropic parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium species, and Trypanosoma species, plus intestinal and tissue helminths. Five shared pathways: …
