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Catatonia Brain Circuits: Limbic System Review

MHD featured image for catatonia, limbic-system brain circuits, and psychomotor shutdown.

A 2026 systematic review argues that catatonia should be read as a limbic-cortical circuit syndrome, with motor shutdown tied to brain systems for threat, salience, motivation, and emotional regulation. Research Highlights 20 studies met criteria: the 2026 review screened 1,792 records, assessed 54 full texts, and included 20 articles: 13 observational studies and 7 case …

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PMDD Imaging Shows Higher Glymphatic and Hypothalamus Signals

MHD featured image for PMDD glymphatic activity and hypothalamus connectivity.

A 2026 case-control imaging study found that 23 women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder had higher left DTI-ALPS glymphatic index than 27 healthy controls (p = 0.024), plus wider hypothalamus connectivity across emotion and subcortical networks.1 The result adds a brain-fluid-clearance and stress-network layer to PMDD biology, but the evidence is still small-sample imaging rather than …

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Antipsychotic Dose Was Not Linked to MoCA in Schizophrenia

A 2026 cross-sectional schizophrenia study found no meaningful association between antipsychotic dose and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) performance in young, clinically stable outpatients. Cognitive scores related more strongly to symptom burden, illness duration, education, and age at diagnosis than to daily or 1-year cumulative antipsychotic exposure.1 Research Highlights Daily dose was not linked to MoCA: …

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Droperidol vs. Midazolam for Extreme Agitation in Dutch EDs

MHD featured image for droperidol, midazolam, and emergency sedation for extreme agitation.

A 2026 national survey of Dutch emergency physicians found wide variation in first-line medication choices for extreme agitation: without intravenous access, 34.7% preferred midazolam, 23.1% preferred droperidol, 14.3% preferred droperidol plus midazolam, and 10.4% preferred esketamine.1 The result is a practice map, not an outcome trial, but it shows how emergency clinicians are balancing rapid …

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Virgin Olive Oil Linked to Cognitive Preservation and Gut Diversity

MHD featured image for virgin olive oil, gut microbiome diversity, and cognition.

A 2026 PREDIMED-Plus cohort analysis linked higher olive-oil intake with 2-year cognitive preservation in 656 older adults, with each 10 g/day increment associated with higher global cognition change compared with lower intake (beta 0.044 z-score; 95% CI 0.013 to 0.075; p = 0.006).1 The more specific signal favored virgin olive oil and gut-microbiome diversity, while …

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