A 2026 PET-fMRI study of 20 healthy adults found that GABAA receptor binding tracked speech-production brain activity across frontal, temporal, parietal, putaminal, supplementary motor, and cerebellar regions, with peak GABA-BOLD correlations reaching Rs = 0.9.1 Human speech control looks less like a pure motor-output problem and more like a task-specific balance between inhibition, dopamine, and …
Semaglutide is not close to being an approved cocaine-use-disorder medication, but a 2026 rat study gives the idea a more demanding preclinical test than ordinary self-administration experiments. After 5 days of treatment, rats shifted away from cocaine choice without losing total operant responding, which separates the result from a broad appetite-suppression artifact. Research Highlights Semaglutide …
A 2026 double-blind randomized controlled trial by Kappes et al. in Psychopharmacology found something the smart-drug users likely wouldn’t have predicted: a single 30 mg dose of methylphenidate reduced dishonest misreporting on a die-rolling task from ~22% of trials in the placebo arm to ~6% (in the methylphenidate arm).1 Atomoxetine, a noradrenergic comparator, had no …
An ear-clip that modulates mood by stimulating the vagus nerve has obvious appeal — but the evidence base for non-invasive tVNS in depression has been mixed for a decade. A 2026 cross-over RCT by Forbes et al. sharpens what specifically tVNS does well.1 Research Highlights Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a non-invasive ear-electrode version …
Lisdexamfetamine remains the only FDA-approved medication for binge-eating disorder — a serious condition affecting roughly 1.2% of adults. A 2026 human laboratory study by McKee and colleagues tests whether naltrexone/bupropion, already approved for obesity, reduces the food-reward mechanisms that drive binge episodes.1 Research Highlights Binge-eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the …
The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia is the field’s longest-running mechanistic story, and most of its supporting evidence has been cross-sectional. A 2026 longitudinal PET study by Schulz and colleagues followed the same 28 patients across psychosis and early remission.1 Research Highlights The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia is the field’s longest-running mechanistic story. Cross-sectional 18F-DOPA PET …
Parkinson’s disease (PD), a degenerative disorder that predominantly affects the motor system, has long been a challenging condition to manage due to its complex pathology and the limited efficacy of available treatments. However, recent research presents a beacon of hope through a novel combined therapy targeting the core of Parkinson’s disease’s neuronal degradation. This innovative …