Psychology Research News

November 6, 2025

Top Headlines

Scientists Just Found a Hidden Genetic Flaw That Slowly Steals Strength

Nov. 6, 2025 — A newly identified disorder, MINA syndrome, results from a mutation in the NAMPT protein that deprives motor neurons of energy, leading to severe movement problems. The discovery not only deepens understanding of nerve cell metabolism but also ...

Scientists May Have Found How to Reverse Memory Loss in Aging Brains

Nov. 5, 2025 — Virginia Tech researchers have shown that memory loss in aging may be reversible. Using CRISPR tools, they corrected molecular disruptions in the hippocampus and amygdala, restoring memory in older rats. Another experiment revived a silenced memory ...

Scientists Reverse Anxiety by Rebalancing the Brain

Nov. 4, 2025 — Researchers have discovered a specific set of neurons in the amygdala that can trigger anxiety and social deficits when overactive. By restoring the excitability balance in this brain region, they successfully reversed these symptoms in mice. The ...

Breakthrough Brain Discovery Reveals a Natural Way to Relieve Pain

Nov. 4, 2025 — Using powerful 7-Tesla brain imaging, researchers mapped how the brainstem manages pain differently across the body. They discovered that distinct regions activate for facial versus limb pain, showing the brain’s built-in precision pain control ...

Think Melatonin Is Safe? New Research Reveals a Hidden Heart Risk

Nov. 4, 2025 — Long-term melatonin use for sleep problems may come with unexpected heart dangers. Researchers found that chronic users were almost twice as likely to die and 3.5 times more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure. Though melatonin is widely ...

Your Bedroom Glow Might Be Quietly Damaging Your Heart

Nov. 3, 2025 — Boston researchers linked nighttime light exposure to greater stress-related brain activity and inflamed arteries, signaling a higher risk of heart disease. The study suggests that artificial light at night disrupts normal stress responses, leading ...

Alarming Surge in Memory Problems Among Young Adults

Nov. 2, 2025 — Cognitive struggles are climbing across the U.S., especially among young and economically disadvantaged adults. Rates of self-reported cognitive disability nearly doubled in people under 40 between 2013 and 2023. Researchers suspect social and ...

Your ZIP Code Could Reveal Your Risk of Dementia

Oct. 31, 2025 — People living in socially and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods may face higher dementia risks, according to new research from Wake Forest University. Scientists found biological signs of Alzheimer’s and vascular brain disease in those from ...

Gum Disease May Quietly Damage the Brain, Scientists Warn

Oct. 29, 2025 — People with gum disease may have higher levels of brain white matter damage, a new study finds. Researchers observed that participants with gum disease had significantly more white matter hyperintensities, even after accounting for other risk ...

Scientists Discover a Surprising Way to Quiet the Anxious Mind

Oct. 27, 2025 — Generalized anxiety disorder affects millions, often trapping sufferers in cycles of fear and isolation that conventional medications barely relieve. At UCSF, neuroscientist Jennifer Mitchell is testing a pharmaceutical form of LSD called MM120, ...

Running Fixes What Junk Food Breaks in the Brain

Oct. 21, 2025 — New research reveals that exercise counteracts the mood-damaging effects of a Western-style diet through specific gut and hormonal mechanisms. Running restored metabolites tied to mental well-being and balanced key hormones like insulin and leptin. ...

Brain Fog During Menopause? Here’s What’s Really Going On

Oct. 21, 2025 — Menopause brings profound shifts not just in hormones but in the very structure of the brain. Scientists have found that gray matter in regions tied to memory and thinking can shrink, while white matter may show damage linked to blood flow issues. ...

Latest Headlines

updated 11:58am EST

Stanford Scientists Grow Thousands of Mini Human Brains Using Common Food Additive

Oct. 18, 2025 — Stanford scientists have solved a long-standing challenge in growing brain organoids by using a simple food additive to keep them from sticking ...

Oct. 13, 2025 — Finasteride, a common hair-loss drug, has long been tied to depression and suicide, but regulators ignored the warnings. Prof. Mayer Brezis’s review exposes global data showing psychiatric harm and ...

Your Skin Could Warn of Hidden Mental Health Trouble

Oct. 13, 2025 — People experiencing their first psychotic episode who also have skin conditions such as rashes or itching are at greater risk of depression and suicidal thoughts, according to new research presented ...

Your Type of Depression Could Shape Your Body’s Future Health

Oct. 12, 2025 — Different types of depression affect the body in different ways. Atypical, energy-related depression raises the risk of diabetes, while melancholic depression increases the likelihood of heart ...

Keto Diet Shields Young Minds from Early-Life Trauma

Oct. 12, 2025 — Young rats given a ketogenic diet were largely protected from the mental and behavioral issues caused by prenatal stress. The high-fat, low-carb diet appeared to safeguard brain development and ...

Breakthrough Compounds May Reverse Nerve Damage Caused by Multiple Sclerosis

Oct. 11, 2025 — Researchers have identified two compounds, K102 and K110, that could repair the nerve damage from multiple sclerosis. These drugs help regenerate the ...

When Men Drink, Women and Children Pay the Price

Oct. 11, 2025 — Men’s heavy drinking is fueling a hidden crisis affecting millions of women and children worldwide. The harms, from violence to financial instability, are especially severe where gender inequality ...

For the First Time, Scientists Pinpoint Brain Cells Linked to Depression

Oct. 11, 2025 — Scientists identified two types of brain cells, neurons and microglia, that are altered in people with depression. Through genomic mapping of post-mortem brain tissue, they found major differences in ...

Common Medications May Secretly Rewire Your Gut for Years

Oct. 9, 2025 — Drugs taken years—even decades—ago can leave lasting imprints on the gut microbiome, reshaping the community of microbes long after treatment stops. Scientists analyzing over 2,500 Estonian ...

Scientists Find Brain Circuit That Traps Alcohol Users in the Vicious Cycle of Addiction

Oct. 7, 2025 — Addiction often isn’t about chasing pleasure—it’s about escaping pain. Researchers at Scripps Research have discovered that a tiny brain region ...

A Single Dose of Psilocybin May Rewire the Brain for Lasting Relief

Oct. 2, 2025 — Penn researchers found that psilocybin can calm brain circuits tied to pain and mood, easing both physical suffering and emotional distress in animal studies. The compound works in the anterior ...

Strong Friendships May Literally Slow Aging at the Cellular Level

Oct. 4, 2025 — Scientists discovered that lifelong social support can slow biological aging. Using DNA-based “epigenetic clocks,” they found that people with richer, more sustained relationships showed younger ...

Millions Could Be Living With Hidden Smell Loss After COVID Without Knowing

Oct. 2, 2025 — A massive NIH-backed study reveals that COVID-19’s toll on smell may be more widespread and lasting than most realize. Even patients without noticeable symptoms often performed poorly on scent ...

How 1 in 4 Older Adults Regain Happiness After Struggling

Oct. 10, 2025 — A University of Toronto study found that nearly one in four adults aged 60+ who reported poor well-being were able to regain optimal wellness within three years. The research highlights that physical ...

AI-Powered Smart Bandage Heals Wounds 25% Faster

Sep. 24, 2025 — A new wearable device, a-Heal, combines AI, imaging, and bioelectronics to speed up wound recovery. It continuously monitors wounds, diagnoses healing stages, and applies personalized treatments like ...

Scientists Reveal the Everyday Habits That May Shield You from Dementia

Sep. 21, 2025 — New studies reveal that lifestyle changes—such as exercise, healthy eating, and social engagement—can help slow or prevent cognitive decline. Experts say this low-cost, powerful approach could ...

Scientists Uncover Exercise’s Secret Hunger-Busting Molecule

Sep. 20, 2025 — Scientists have uncovered how exercise suppresses appetite through a surprising molecular pathway. A compound called Lac-Phe, produced during intense workouts, directly quiets hunger neurons in the ...

Stress Measured in Hair Could Predict Depression and Anxiety in Children

Sep. 16, 2025 — Researchers from the University of Waterloo discovered that measuring long-term stress through children’s hair samples can reveal early signs of mental health risks in those living with chronic ...

Junk Food Can Scramble Memory in Just 4 Days

Sep. 29, 2025 — Scientists discovered that high-fat junk food disrupts memory circuits in the brain almost immediately. Within just four days, neurons in the hippocampus became overactive, impairing memory. ...

The Sleep Switch That Builds Muscle, Burns Fat, and Boosts Brainpower

Sep. 8, 2025 — UC Berkeley researchers mapped the brain circuits that control growth hormone during sleep, uncovering a feedback system where sleep fuels hormone release, and the hormone regulates wakefulness. The ...

A 3-Minute Brainwave Test Could Spot Alzheimer’s Years Before Symptoms

Sep. 4, 2025 — Scientists at the University of Bath have developed a simple three-minute brainwave test called Fastball EEG that can detect memory problems years before Alzheimer’s is typically diagnosed. Unlike ...

Why Alzheimer’s Attacks the Brain’s Memory Hub First

Sep. 2, 2025 — Virginia Tech researchers are investigating how overloaded mitochondria in the brain’s memory circuits may spark early Alzheimer’s damage. Their work focuses on calcium signaling and how it might ...

When Cancer Cells Feel Squeezed, They Become More Dangerous

Sep. 22, 2025 — New research shows that cancer cells don’t just grow; they adapt when stressed. When squeezed inside tissues, they transform into more invasive, drug-resistant versions of themselves. A protein ...

Study Finds Cannabis Improves Sleep Where Other Drugs Fail

Sep. 2, 2025 — A long-term study following insomnia patients treated with cannabis-based medical products revealed sustained improvements in sleep quality, mood, and pain management over 18 months. Most ...

Scientists Reveal How Breathwork Unlocks Psychedelic Bliss in the Brain

Sep. 2, 2025 — High-ventilation breathwork with music can evoke psychedelic-like states, shifting blood flow in the brain and reducing negative emotions. Participants experienced unity and bliss, pointing to a ...

Cannabis for Coping? Why It May Trigger Paranoia

Aug. 28, 2025 — Using cannabis to self-medicate comes with hidden dangers—new research shows these users face higher paranoia and consume more THC. Childhood trauma further amplifies the risks, especially ...

How Dehydration Secretly Fuels Anxiety and Health Problems

Sep. 23, 2025 — Not drinking enough water could intensify stress responses. Researchers found that under-hydrated individuals had cortisol levels more than 50% higher during stressful situations. Poor hydration ...

Stronger Weed, Higher Risk? Potent THC Linked to Psychosis and Addiction

Sep. 2, 2025 — A sweeping review of nearly 100 studies has raised concerns about the mental health impacts of high-potency cannabis products. Researchers found strong links to psychosis, schizophrenia, and cannabis ...

9 in 10 Australian Teachers Are Stressed to Breaking Point

Aug. 26, 2025 — Australian teachers are in crisis, with 9 in 10 experiencing severe stress and nearly 70% saying their workload is unmanageable. A major UNSW Sydney study found teachers suffer depression, anxiety, ...

Your Brain Works Overtime at Night to Burn Fat and Prevent Sugar Crashes

Aug. 24, 2025 — Researchers uncovered that hypothalamic neurons safeguard blood sugar overnight by directing fat breakdown, preventing hypoglycemia during early sleep. This subtle control system may explain abnormal ...