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Maternal COVID-19 and Autism Screening: 10.1% Positive MCHAT-R/F

MHD featured image for maternal COVID-19 exposure, autism screening, and immune signatures.

A 745-child cohort found positive MCHAT-R/F autism screens in 22 of 218 children exposed to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy (10.1%) vs. 30 of 527 pre-pandemic controls (5.7%; p = 0.03).1 The same 2026 analysis added a small serum-proteomics layer: exposed newborns who later screened positive showed altered immune and metabolic markers, but the paper …

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Adult ADHD Linked to Lower SIRT-1/Nrf-2/HO-1 Antioxidant Defenses

MHD featured image for adult ADHD, SIRT-1, Nrf-2, HO-1, and antioxidant-defense biomarkers.

A 2026 case-control study found that treatment-naive adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had much lower serum SIRT-1, Nrf-2, and HO-1 than matched controls, while TNF-α did not differ. The pattern points more toward impaired antioxidant-defense regulation than a simple broad-inflammation story. Research Highlights Antioxidant-defense markers were lower: adults with ADHD had lower SIRT-1 (9.36 vs. …

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Rare OCD Variants in NPY5R, DLGAP1, and MAPK8IP3 Segregate in Families

Editorial card for rare OCD variants in NPY5R, DLGAP1, and MAPK8IP3 across multiplex families.

A 2026 whole-genome sequencing preprint found rare variant signals in 2 multiplex obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) families: an NPY5R missense variant in 10 of 15 affected people in 1 pedigree, plus DLGAP1 and MAPK8IP3 signals that tracked all 3 sequenced cases in a branch of a second pedigree.1 The finding is a candidate-gene result, not a …

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High Cytokines Predicted Weaker Placebo Response in Cancer Symptom Trial

MHD featured image for cytokine biomarkers and placebo response in cancer symptom trials.

A 2026 exploratory analysis of the ABCD cancer dyspnea trial found that higher baseline cytokines predicted less placebo symptom improvement than lower baseline cytokines across 33 of 40 cytokine-symptom combinations at day 7 and 29 of 40 at day 14.1 The signal is not ready for clinical prediction, but it sharpens a trial-design problem: patients …

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Early Psychosis Vocational Recovery: 53.3% NEET in SEEearly Trial

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A 2026 SEEearly baseline report found that 53.3% of 184 young people with early schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis were not in employment, education, or training at study entry, even though 97.8% had at least a lower- or upper-secondary school-leaving qualification.1 Psychosis had already interrupted the bridge from school into training, college, or competitive work. Research Highlights NEET …

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ALS Entropy Analysis Finds 5-Month Signal Hidden by ALSFRS Scores

MHD featured image for ALS trial endpoints, Shannon entropy, and ALSFRS domain trajectories.

A 2026 PRO-ACT analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) trial data found a signal that ordinary ALSFRS total-score slopes cannot even express: Shannon entropy trajectories diverged between pooled active and placebo arms, including a 5-month delay in peak Fine Motor distributional spread for active-arm patients.1 Research Highlights Entropy found an endpoint-level signal: Rodriguez analyzed 7,512 …

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