Mental Health Daily

bvFTD MRI Atrophy Ratings: Left Orbitofrontal Score Predicted 3.77x Odds

by GLOOM

A 2026 behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia MRI study found that simple visual ratings of orbitofrontal and frontoinsular brain atrophy helped separate probable from possible bvFTD, with baseline left orbitofrontal atrophy predicting 3.77-fold higher odds of probable bvFTD classification.1 Research Highlights 143 people were rated: the study included 93 probable bvFTD cases, 15 possible bvFTD cases, and …

Alcohol vs. Cannabis Cues: People Miss Marijuana Signs

by GLOOM

MHD featured image for alcohol versus cannabis intoxication cues and layperson impairment detection.

A 2026 survey of 467 University of Sydney undergraduate psychology students found that participants generated more and more accurate observable cues for alcohol intoxication than for cannabis intoxication.1 When unanswered cue fields were counted, accurate alcohol cues appeared in 63.2% of possible response slots, while accurate cannabis cues appeared in 37.3%. Research Highlights Alcohol cues …

Geriatric Depression in Nepal: 43.9% in 945 Older Adults

by GLOOM

A 2026 community survey of 945 older adults in Nepal's Far-Western Sudurpaschim Province found geriatric depression in 43.9% of participants and a strong inverse link between depression scores and quality of life. The clearest adjusted predictors were age 75 or older and hill-region residence, while income and sex weakened after multivariable adjustment.1 Research Highlights Depression …

Brain Lymphatic MRI Shows Aging-Linked Drainage Changes

by GLOOM

MHD featured image for brain lymphatic MRI and aging-linked drainage changes.

A 2022 Nature Communications study used non-contrast 3D T2-FLAIR magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to map human brain lymphatic signals in living people, including apparent channels from cranial nerves and skull-base structures toward cervical lymph nodes. Research Highlights Non-contrast MRI visualized lymphatic-like brain drainage: Albayram et al. identified dorsal dural signals near venous sinuses and ventral …

Coffee, Gut Microbes, Memory, and Impulsivity in 62 Adults

by GLOOM

Stylized illustration of a coffee cup overlaid with gut bacteria silhouettes and brain neurons with neurotransmitter symbols, representing the gut-brain axis effects of habitual coffee intake.

Coffee is widely framed as cognitively friendly, but a 2026 prospective study from Boscaini et al. published in Nature Communications used shotgun metagenomics, metabolomics, and cognitive testing in 62 healthy adults to show that coffee drinkers and non-coffee drinkers differ on the gut microbiome, key neurotransmitter-related metabolites, and behavioral measures — with coffee drinkers showing …

GLP-1 Drugs Linked to 21% Higher Daytime Sleepiness Risk

by GLOOM

Stylized illustration of a GLP-1 injection pen alongside a yawning silhouette and a clock representing daytime sleepiness, illustrating the cohort finding that GLP-1 receptor agonists modestly increase hypersomnolence.

GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, liraglutide, tirzepatide) act on the brain as well as the gut, and a 2026 real-world cohort study from Kamel-Abusalha et al. propensity-matched 118,993 GLP-1 RA users to 118,993 non-users in the TriNetX network and found a modest but statistically robust 21–23% higher hazard of new-onset hypersomnolence at 1 and 5 years.1 …

Postpartum Depression Brain Activity: 12-Study fMRI Meta-Analysis

by GLOOM

Stylized resting-state brain scan with highlighted amygdala, precuneus, and neurotransmitter systems, representing fMRI meta-analysis findings in postpartum depression.

Resting-state fMRI studies of postpartum depression have produced inconsistent results for years. A 2026 voxel-based meta-analysis pooled 12 studies of 475 patients and found 4 reliable regional differences (amygdala, precuneus, occipital, precentral cortex) at uncorrected thresholds, none of which held up under strict family-wise error correction.1 Research Highlights 12-study fMRI pool: Chen et al. analyzed …