MentalHealthDaily

25C-NBF Psychedelic Shows Antidepressant-Like Effects in Male Rodents

by GLOOM

MHD featured image for 25C-NBF psychedelic psychoplastogenic and antidepressant-like effects in male rodents.

A 2026 preclinical study found that 25C-NBF, a selective 5-HT2A psychedelic phenethylamine, increased plasticity-related markers and produced rapid antidepressant-like effects in male rodents, while showing no detected reward or reinforcement signal in the models tested. Research Highlights 25C-NBF was preclinical: Nadal-Gratacos et al. tested cells, male mice, and male rats, not patients with depression.1 5-HT2A …

Epilepsy and Alzheimer’s Blood Biomarkers in Older Adults

by GLOOM

MHD featured image for epilepsy, Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers, and AT(N) profiles in older adults.

A preprint in 84 older adults with epilepsy found that abnormal Alzheimer's-related blood biomarkers were common, but the biomarker categories did not line up neatly with cognitive impairment. Research Highlights Only 32.1% had normal biomarkers: 27 of 84 older adults with epilepsy were A−T−N− using blood-based amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration markers.1 AD-continuum profiles were common: …

SloCAD Sleep EEG-fMRI Maps Brain Network Deviations Before Diagnosis

by GLOOM

MHD featured image for SloCAD sleep EEG-fMRI network deviation mapping.

A 2026 iScience paper used simultaneous sleep EEG-fMRI from 2 healthy cohorts totaling 24 people to build slow-wave-related BOLD reference maps and propose SloCAD, a framework for measuring how an individual’s slow-wave brain activity deviates from a healthy reference pattern.1 Research Highlights The proof of concept used 24 healthy participants: 2 independent cohorts (N1 = …

Ebselen Failed to Reduce Impulsivity in 130 Healthy Adults

by GLOOM

MHD featured image for ebselen and impulsivity placebo trial.

A double-blind placebo-controlled trial found no evidence that ebselen reduced impulsivity in 130 healthy adults: 66 received ebselen, 64 received placebo, and the 1,800 mg 2-day regimen did not improve motor impulsivity, reflection impulsivity, or delay discounting.1 The more interesting calibration is that several trait-impulsivity interactions ran opposite the secondary prediction, weakening the idea that …

7-Day Mind-Body Retreat Changed Brain Networks and BDNF Pathways

by GLOOM

MHD featured image for a 7-day mind-body retreat and BDNF pathway signals.

A 7-day mind-body retreat study in 20 healthy adults found pre/post shifts across fMRI brain networks and plasma biology, with p values as low as 0.000003.1 Those numbers are striking, but the design was observational, so the honest reading is biological signal without causal isolation. Research Highlights Neural signal was broad: Meditation-state fMRI showed lower …

One-Pronuclear Zygotes Lost Epigenetic Marks in Mouse Study

by GLOOM

One-pronuclear biparental zygotes may be less biologically normal than they look. In a 2026 Nature mouse study, forcing maternal and paternal genomes into 1 enlarged pronucleus disrupted early embryonic epigenetic marks, while the usual 2-pronuclear state created a cytoplasmic competition that helped preserve developmental potential.1 Research Highlights The 2026 zygote study asks why mammalian zygotes …

P2X7 Receptors in Depression: ATP-Inflammation Target

by GLOOM

MHD featured image for P2X7 receptors and depression inflammation pathways.

A 2026 review in Purinergic Signalling argues that P2X7 receptors are one of the clearest molecular bridges between stress, ATP danger signaling, microglial inflammation, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, reduced BDNF, and new antidepressant drug targets.1 Research Highlights P2X7 is the lead receptor: Mattova et al. reviewed 7 ATP-gated P2X receptor subunits, with P2X7 carrying the strongest …