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The Briefing · Psychiatry & Cognitive Neurology

Continuous newsroom coverage of evidence in Psychiatry & Cognitive Neurology — newest first.

This week

24 stories
  1. Neuroimaging Biotypes May Guide MDD Treatment, Improve Remission
    Biological Psychiatry ·Narrative Review · May 16, 2026

    Neuroimaging Biotypes May Guide MDD Treatment, Improve Remission

    Functional MRI-derived circuit profiles could personalize major depressive disorder therapy, potentially doubling remission rates.

  2. Apelin Mediates Exercise's Antidepressant Effects via Hippocampal NMDA Receptors
    Molecular Psychiatry ·Animal Study · May 16, 2026

    Apelin Mediates Exercise's Antidepressant Effects via Hippocampal NMDA Receptors

    A muscle-derived protein, apelin, links physical activity to improved mood and neuroplasticity through a specific brain signaling pathway.

  3. Three Genetic Loci Modify Risk and Onset of Inherited Alzheimer's Disease
    The Lancet Neurology ·Genome-Wide Association Study · May 16, 2026

    Three Genetic Loci Modify Risk and Onset of Inherited Alzheimer's Disease

    Specific genetic variants influence disease risk and age of dementia onset in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease.

  4. Fentanyl Differentially Modulates Dopamine Patterns, Impairing Reward Seeking in Mice
    Neuropsychopharmacology ·Animal Study · May 16, 2026

    Fentanyl Differentially Modulates Dopamine Patterns, Impairing Reward Seeking in Mice

    Acute fentanyl administration simultaneously increases tonic dopamine while reducing phasic dopamine responses to non-drug reward cues.

  5. ICU Caregiver Financial Strain Linked to Psychological Distress, Medical Mistrust
    Critical Care Medicine ·Cross-Sectional Study · May 16, 2026

    ICU Caregiver Financial Strain Linked to Psychological Distress, Medical Mistrust

    A study of 97 ICU caregivers found that over 60% reported difficulty paying for care, correlating with increased anxiety, depression, PTSD, and decisi

  6. Secreted GPNMB Drives Alpha-Synuclein Spread in Parkinson's Disease
    Neuron ·Cohort Study · May 16, 2026

    Secreted GPNMB Drives Alpha-Synuclein Spread in Parkinson's Disease

    A new study identifies a microglial-neuronal feedback loop involving GPNMB that exacerbates alpha-synuclein pathology, offering a therapeutic target.

  7. Skin Biopsy Distinguishes Body-First from Brain-First Parkinson’s Disease
    Brain ·Cross-Sectional Study · May 16, 2026

    Skin Biopsy Distinguishes Body-First from Brain-First Parkinson’s Disease

    Cutaneous alpha-synuclein signatures and seeding activity identify divergent pathological origins and autonomic denervation patterns.

  8. TES Criteria Show Low Accuracy for CTE-NC Diagnosis
    Nature Medicine ·Diagnostic Accuracy Study · May 15, 2026

    TES Criteria Show Low Accuracy for CTE-NC Diagnosis

    A study of 1,038 brain bank cases reveals that traumatic encephalopathy syndrome criteria poorly predict postmortem chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

  9. Intracranial Stimulation Prevents Attentional Lapses in Children
    Nature Neuroscience ·Randomized Controlled Trial · May 15, 2026

    Intracranial Stimulation Prevents Attentional Lapses in Children

    A new study identifies a real-time neural signature for attentional control, enabling targeted intervention to improve attention shifts.

  10. Recent Trauma Exposure Linked to Increased V1 Thickness, Independent of PTSD Symptoms
    PubMed ·Cohort Study · May 15, 2026

    Recent Trauma Exposure Linked to Increased V1 Thickness, Independent of PTSD Symptoms

    A two-sample study identifies greater V1 thickness in recently trauma-exposed individuals, a finding distinct from PTSD symptom severity.

  11. Hippocampal Lesions Reduce Visual Working Memory Precision in Epilepsy Patients
    Brain ·Cohort Study · May 15, 2026

    Hippocampal Lesions Reduce Visual Working Memory Precision in Epilepsy Patients

    Postoperative hippocampal damage selectively degrades memory quality rather than quantity, offering a marker for functional monitoring.

  12. Reduced ULK1 Links Impaired Cellular Clearance to Alzheimer's Pathology
    Nature Aging ·Cohort Study · May 15, 2026

    Reduced ULK1 Links Impaired Cellular Clearance to Alzheimer's Pathology

    Lower levels of ULK1 correlate with Alzheimer's disease, and its upregulation improves pathology and cognition in animal models.

  13. Thalamic Connections to Medial Prefrontal Cortex Predict Impulsivity
    Molecular Psychiatry ·Cohort Study · May 15, 2026

    Thalamic Connections to Medial Prefrontal Cortex Predict Impulsivity

    A new study links specific thalamic subregions, defined by cortical connectivity, to individual differences in delay discounting.

  14. Thalamic-MPFC Connectivity Linked to Individual Differences in Impulsivity
    Molecular Psychiatry ·Cohort Study · May 15, 2026

    Thalamic-MPFC Connectivity Linked to Individual Differences in Impulsivity

    A new study identifies specific thalamic subregions connected to the medial prefrontal cortex as structural correlates of delay discounting.

  15. Prefrontal GABAergic Synaptic Plasticity Regulates Cognitive Flexibility
    Neuron ·Animal Study · May 15, 2026

    Prefrontal GABAergic Synaptic Plasticity Regulates Cognitive Flexibility

    A new study identifies a specific long-range inhibitory synaptic mechanism in the prefrontal cortex crucial for adapting to changing rules.

  16. Nitrous Oxide Addiction Linked to DCN-VTA Circuit, AMPA Receptor Potentiation
    Molecular Psychiatry ·In Vitro Study · May 15, 2026

    Nitrous Oxide Addiction Linked to DCN-VTA Circuit, AMPA Receptor Potentiation

    A new study identifies how nitrous oxide directly enhances AMPA receptor function in the DCN-VTA circuit, mediating its rewarding effects.

  17. Nitrous Oxide Reward Driven by DCN-VTA Circuit, AMPA Receptor Potentiation
    Molecular Psychiatry ·In Vitro Study · May 15, 2026

    Nitrous Oxide Reward Driven by DCN-VTA Circuit, AMPA Receptor Potentiation

    A new study in animal models identifies the specific neural circuit and molecular mechanism underlying nitrous oxide's rewarding effects.

  18. GABAergic Signaling and SST Interneurons Boost Dendritic Calcium Influx
    Neuron ·In Vitro Study · May 15, 2026

    GABAergic Signaling and SST Interneurons Boost Dendritic Calcium Influx

    A new study in mice reveals how specific GABA-A receptors and somatostatin-expressing interneurons can paradoxically enhance neuronal calcium signalin

  19. Parkinson's Dementia Risk Lower, Later Than Prior Estimates
    Annals of Neurology ·Cohort Study · May 15, 2026

    Parkinson's Dementia Risk Lower, Later Than Prior Estimates

    New data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative refines understanding of cognitive decline prevalence and progression.

  20. Macaque V1 Neuron Activity Links Internal States to Reaction Time, Perceptual Choice
    Nature Neuroscience ·Animal Study · May 15, 2026

    Macaque V1 Neuron Activity Links Internal States to Reaction Time, Perceptual Choice

    New research in macaque monkeys reveals how primary visual cortex neuron membrane potential dynamically influences visual task performance.

  21. Familial Brain Pattern Similarity Links to Psychotic Disorder Risk in Offspring
    PubMed ·Cohort Study · May 15, 2026

    Familial Brain Pattern Similarity Links to Psychotic Disorder Risk in Offspring

    A new index quantifying cortical thickness similarity between parents with psychosis and their offspring correlates with psychiatric diagnoses.

  22. Acute Kidney Injury Predicts Increased Risk of Stroke and Dementia
    Neurology ·Meta-Analysis · May 15, 2026

    Acute Kidney Injury Predicts Increased Risk of Stroke and Dementia

    A meta-analysis of 11 million patients links acute renal insults to a 35% higher stroke risk and nearly fivefold 90-day poststroke mortality.

  23. Intracranial Recordings Map Immediate and Distal Neural Responses to Magnetic Stimulation
    Brain ·Systematic Review · May 15, 2026

    Intracranial Recordings Map Immediate and Distal Neural Responses to Magnetic Stimulation

    A review of human and primate data shows single-pulse TMS excites neurons in 2 milliseconds and modulates networks for up to 40 minutes.

  24. Digital Interventions Improve Eating Disorder Symptoms and Comorbid Mental Health
    JAMA Psychiatry ·Meta-Analysis · May 14, 2026

    Digital Interventions Improve Eating Disorder Symptoms and Comorbid Mental Health

    A meta-analysis of 36 trials shows digital tools offer consistent, durable benefits for core eating disorder symptoms and associated mental health con