Schizophrenia’s genetic architecture sits awkwardly between neurons and the immune system. A 2026 CRISPR screen of 30 schizophrenia-associated genes in human microglia-like cells found that several risk genes meaningfully alter how microglia engulf synaptic material, supporting the synaptic-pruning model at the functional gene level.1 Research Highlights 30 schizophrenia risk genes were knocked out one by …
In 433 non-demented amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, clinically significant anxiety was present in 18.2% for state anxiety and 13.9% for trait anxiety. The strongest predictor was not motor severity, cognition, or caregiver-rated behavior; it was depression, especially cognitive-affective depression symptoms.1 Research Highlights ALS anxiety was measurable but not universal: Aiello et al. found clinically …
The link between psychological stress and chronic inflammation is well-documented — what’s been less clear is which specific inflammatory proteins move with anxiety in real-world community samples. A 2026 analysis from Loomans-Kropp et al. measured a 33-marker panel in 190 minoritized and medically underserved adults from the Cancer Disparities Research Network and identified three biomarkers …
Chronic stress is a candidate mechanism for both depression and addiction risk. A 2026 mouse study found that 28 days of unpredictable chronic mild stress increased striatal dopamine D1 receptor binding by 22–48% across nearly every region examined, plus more selective D2 receptor increases — pointing to a stress-driven shift in reward signaling that may …
An 11-person case series tested delayed-release apple cider vinegar capsules in young adults who had gained weight while taking psychotropic medications, and metabolic markers carried more signal than weight loss. Research Highlights Feasibility was the strongest result: 11 of 12 enrolled participants completed the study, 10 of 11 completers missed 5 or fewer doses, and …
Whole-body hyperthermia looks less like generic relaxation and more like a timed biological stressor: in a small depression substudy, a single session was followed by early Hamilton Depression Rating Scale improvement, heat-shock gene activation, and immune-process enrichment that included interleukin 6 production. Research Highlights Depression scores improved early: in the 18-person RNA sequencing substudy, whole-body …
A 2026 BRFSS analysis involving 4,071 U.S. adults who used cannabis and either smoked cigarettes, vaped nicotine, or did both found a strong modality match: people who vaped tobacco were much more likely to vape cannabis than to smoke cannabis.1 For addiction and harm-reduction assessment, the pattern is a route-specific risk signal because smoking, vaping, …