Psychology Research News

July 14, 2026

Top Headlines

Exercise Doesn't Just Strengthen the Heart. It Rewires It

July 13, 2026 Exercise doesn't just make the heart stronger. It also rewires the nerves that regulate it, a discovery that could pave the way for more personalized treatments for common heart conditions such as arrhythmias and ...

This Ultrasound Treatment May Help Stop Arthritis Before It Starts

July 12, 2026 A simple, non-invasive ultrasound treatment could one day help injured joints heal instead of remaining trapped in a cycle of damaging inflammation. Researchers at The University of Alabama in Huntsville found that continuous low-intensity ...

Columbia Scientists Discover Surprising Link Between Serotonin and Heart Valve Disease

July 11, 2026 Scientists have uncovered evidence that serotonin, the chemical best known for regulating mood, may also speed the progression of a common heart valve disease in some people. The research suggests ...

Second Pregnancy Changes the Brain in Surprising New Ways

July 11, 2026 Researchers found that every pregnancy rewires the brain in its own way, with a second pregnancy bringing a different pattern of changes than the first. The discoveries could lead to better ways to recognize and treat maternal mental health ...

Why the Human Body Has so Many Design Flaws

July 10, 2026 Many of the body's biggest flaws are the result of evolution building on old designs instead of starting over. Our spine, eyes, teeth, pelvis, and even certain nerves all reveal compromises that worked well enough for survival but still leave us ...

Scientists May Have Finally Found How Alzheimer's Kills Brain Cells

July 5, 2026 Researchers have identified a previously overlooked mechanism of brain cell death that appears to play a major role in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. The finding could lead to new treatments aimed at slowing neuron loss by ...

Drinking to Cope with Stress May Permanently Rewire Your Brain

July 3, 2026 Using alcohol to cope with stress when young may permanently alter the brain, making it harder to adapt to challenges and increasing the risk of returning to drinking later in life. Researchers also found signs of brain damage associated with early ...

A Surprising Brain Discovery Is Forcing Scientists to Rethink Movement Disorders

July 1, 2026 A surprising discovery is overturning a long-held assumption about how the brain’s movement center works. Researchers found that two key cerebellar cell types—thought to be tightly linked—often ...

Scientists Say Creatine May Help Fight Depression

June 30, 2026 Creatine is best known as a muscle-building supplement, but scientists are now investigating whether it could also help treat depression by boosting the brain's energy supply. A new review examined five randomized clinical trials involving 238 ...

Scientists Discover Ancient Brain Cells That Help Block Distractions

June 24, 2026 Scientists have discovered a tiny group of neurons in an ancient brain region that acts like a built-in focus filter, helping the brain ignore distractions and zero in on what matters most. When researchers temporarily switched off these neurons in ...

New Brain Study Reveals Speech Learning Works Differently Than We Thought

June 23, 2026 A new study suggests that learning and remembering speech relies more on how the brain processes sounds and sensations than on the areas that control mouth and face movements. The discovery could reshape speech therapy and help improve future ...

Scientists Discover Neurons Must Break Their DNA to Build the Brain

June 21, 2026 As newborn neurons make their way through the developing brain, they must squeeze through incredibly tight spaces to reach their final destinations. Researchers discovered that this physical journey routinely causes some of the most severe forms of ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:01am EDT

Textbooks Were Wrong: Scientists Reveal How Human Hair Really Grows

July 7, 2026 A new study suggests human hair grows in a way scientists never expected. Researchers found that hair is pulled upward by coordinated cell movements inside the follicle rather than simply being ...

Common Plastic Chemical Linked to Lifelong Anxiety in New Study

June 17, 2026 Exposure to a common plastic chemical before and shortly after birth may have lasting effects on behavior. Researchers found that male rats exposed early in life to DEHP—a plasticizer used in ...

A Daily Probiotic May Help Relieve Depression and Anxiety

June 17, 2026 A small clinical trial suggests that probiotics may offer a surprising mental health boost for older adults with depression. Seniors who took a daily probiotic alongside their regular antidepressant ...

Scientists Found an Early Depression Clue Hidden in Children’s Eyes

June 16, 2026 Depression appears to change what children notice in the faces around them, but the effect depends on family history. Kids with a higher inherited risk became more focused on sadness, while ...

Why Middle Age Is Becoming a Breaking Point in the U.S.

June 13, 2026 A new international study finds that middle-aged Americans are lonelier, more depressed, and experiencing worse memory and health than earlier generations. Researchers say growing financial strain, ...

Your Brain Can Keep Improving Into Your 90s, Study Finds

June 13, 2026 A three-year study of nearly 4,000 adults ranging from age 19 to 94 found that brain health can improve at any age, challenging the common belief that mental sharpness must decline as we get older. ...

Why Grandparents Matter More Than Ever for Children's Mental Health

June 13, 2026 A child psychologist says grandparents are more important than ever as youth mental health challenges continue to rise. He argues that children need supportive relationships, meaningful ...

A Hidden Gene Finally Explains This Rare Neurological Disorder

June 13, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a surprising new genetic cause of a rare movement disorder after analyzing nearly 3,000 patients with conditions affecting coordination and muscle control. The team ...

That Ringing in Your Ears Could Be an Early Warning Sign of Hearing Loss

June 10, 2026 A common sign of hearing loss isn’t complete silence — it’s struggling to follow conversations, especially in noisy places. Experts say hearing loss and tinnitus, the ringing or buzzing many ...

World's Largest Opioid Review Finds They Often Don't Work

June 9, 2026 The largest review ever conducted on opioids for acute pain found that these widely prescribed drugs often deliver only small, short-lived benefits. For many common conditions, including some ...

Human Organoids Reveal How to Reverse “irreversible” Nerve Damage

May 28, 2026 Cambridge researchers created miniature brain-and-spinal-cord systems in the lab that can send signals and even trigger tiny muscle contractions. They discovered that human neurons gradually lose ...

Scientists Thought Brain Inflammation Was Driving Long COVID but the Scans Told a Different Story

May 28, 2026 A new brain imaging study has found no evidence of widespread brain inflammation in patients suffering from prolonged symptoms after COVID-19 infection. Instead, the most severe long COVID symptoms ...

New Depression Treatment Targets the Immune System Instead of the Brain

May 28, 2026 A surprising new approach to depression treatment is showing early promise — not by targeting brain chemicals, but by calming the immune system. In a small clinical trial, researchers found that an ...

New AI Body Map Reveals Obesity’s Hidden Attack on Facial Nerves

May 23, 2026 Scientists have created an AI-powered system that can scan and map an entire mouse body in extraordinary detail — and it just uncovered a surprising new effect of obesity. Beyond disrupting ...

Scientists Discover Why Alzheimer’s Risk Hits Women So Much Harder

May 20, 2026 Women may be especially sensitive to the effects of common dementia risk factors, according to a new UC San Diego study of over 17,000 adults. Researchers say tailoring prevention strategies ...

Scientists Discover Why Some Cancers Survive Chemotherapy

May 17, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a surprising new trick used by one of cancer’s most notorious proteins. MYC, already infamous for fueling runaway tumor growth, also appears to help cancer cells survive ...

The Dark Side of Weight Loss Drugs: Ozempic's Surprising Hidden Cost

May 5, 2026 GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are often celebrated as game-changing solutions—but new research reveals a surprising social twist. People who lose weight using these medications ...

This Simple Blood Test Might Detect Depression Before Symptoms Appear

May 4, 2026 A new study suggests depression may soon be detectable through a simple blood test—by tracking how certain immune cells age. Researchers found that accelerated aging in monocytes, a type of white ...

Scientists Reveal Creatine’s Hidden Power Beyond Muscle Gains

May 4, 2026 Creatine might be famous in the gym, but its real story is far more interesting. Naturally produced in the body, it helps power cells by rapidly regenerating ATP—the fuel that keeps muscles, the ...

A Hidden Map in Your Nose Could Explain How Smell Works

Apr. 30, 2026 Scientists have finally cracked one of the biggest mysteries in the senses: how smell is organized. By mapping millions of neurons in mice, researchers discovered that smell receptors in the nose ...

Your Gut Takes a “double Hit” from Stress and Late-Night Eating

May 1, 2026 Chronic stress is already tough on your gut—but new research suggests late-night eating could make things even worse. Scientists analyzing thousands of people found that those under high stress who ...

Scientists Just Discovered What Coffee Is Really Doing to Your Gut and Brain

May 3, 2026 Coffee doesn’t just energize—it actively reshapes the gut and mind. Researchers found that both caffeinated and decaf coffee altered gut bacteria in ways linked to better mood and lower stress. ...

The Brain’s “feel Good” Chemical May Be Secretly Fueling Tinnitus

May 15, 2026 Scientists have uncovered evidence that serotonin — the same brain chemical boosted by many antidepressants — may actually worsen tinnitus. Using advanced light-based brain stimulation in mice, ...

A “death” Protein May Be the Key to Slowing Aging at Its Source

Apr. 16, 2026 Scientists have discovered that a protein linked to cell death is secretly driving the aging of blood stem cells in a completely different way. Instead of killing the cells, it damages their ...

Artificial Neurons Successfully Communicate With Living Brain Cells

Apr. 18, 2026 Engineers at Northwestern University have taken a striking leap toward merging machines with the human brain by printing artificial neurons that can actually communicate with real ones. These ...

Scientists Say They’ve Reversed Brain Aging With a Simple Nasal Spray

May 26, 2026 Researchers at Texas A&M have developed a nasal spray that appears to reverse brain aging by calming inflammation and restoring the brain’s energy systems. After just two doses, memory and ...

AI Scans 400,000 Reddit Posts and Finds Hidden Ozempic Side Effects

May 24, 2026 By analyzing over 400,000 Reddit posts, researchers discovered that users of popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs frequently discussed unexpected symptoms like menstrual irregularities, chills, and hot ...

Fish Oil May Be Hurting Your Brain, New Study Finds

Apr. 26, 2026 Fish oil has long been praised as brain-boosting, but new research suggests the story may be more complicated. Scientists found that in people with repeated mild head injuries, a key omega-3 fatty ...

Scientists Discover Hidden Brain Switch That Tells You to Stop Eating

Apr. 6, 2026 Your brain’s “stop eating” signal may come from an unexpected source. Researchers found that astrocytes—once thought to just support neurons—actually play a key role in controlling ...

Stroke Triggers a Hidden Brain Change That Looks Like Rejuvenation

Mar. 29, 2026 After a stroke, the brain may do something surprisingly hopeful—it can “refresh” parts of itself. Researchers analyzing brain scans from over 500 stroke survivors found that while the damaged ...