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<td><span style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:20px;font-weight:bold;">PsyPost – Psychology News</span></td>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/attachment-anxiety-mediates-effects-of-childhood-abuse-on-parental-confidence/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Attachment anxiety mediates effects of childhood abuse on parental confidence</a>
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<p><p>A study in Belgium found that maternal attachment anxiety mediates the link between childhood maltreatment and parental sense of competence. Mothers who were maltreated as children were more likely to develop an anxious attachment style. This attachment style, in turn, was associated with lower parental sense of efficacy and parental sense of satisfaction. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107360"><em>Child Abuse & Neglect</em></a>.</p>
<p>Attachment anxiety and avoidance are two common patterns of insecure attachment that develop from early relationships with caregivers. <strong>Attachment anxiety</strong> involves a strong fear of abandonment and a constant need for reassurance and closeness. People with high attachment anxiety often worry that others don’t truly care about them or will leave them.</p>
<p>In contrast, <strong>attachment avoidance</strong> is marked by discomfort with intimacy and a preference for emotional distance. Avoidant individuals tend to downplay the importance of relationships and rely heavily on self-sufficiency. Both patterns can make it difficult to form healthy, secure relationships in adulthood. The effects of these attachment styles are not limited to romantic or close relationships—they can also influence how people respond to stress, express emotions, and seek support.</p>
<p>Study authors Manon Delhalle and Adelaïde Blavier aimed to investigate whether romantic attachment patterns mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and parental sense of competence. This sense of competence refers to a parent’s belief in their ability to effectively manage and fulfill the demands of parenting. It includes three dimensions: parental sense of efficacy, satisfaction, and interest. The authors hypothesized that levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance would mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and parental sense of competence.</p>
<p>Participants were 1,904 mothers recruited from the community in Belgium. They were required to have at least one child between the ages of 3 and 8 years and to speak French. Fifty-three percent of these mothers reported experiencing at least one form of childhood maltreatment. Of these, 69% experienced multiple types. Emotional abuse and emotional neglect were the most common. Twenty-three percent reported sexual abuse, and 18% reported physical abuse.</p>
<p>The mothers completed an online survey that included assessments of childhood maltreatment (the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire – Short Form), parental sense of competence (the Parenting Sense of Competence scale), and attachment patterns (the Relationship Scale Questionnaire).</p>
<p>Results showed that attachment anxiety—but not avoidance—was negatively associated with parental sense of competence. In other words, individuals with higher levels of attachment anxiety tended to report lower levels of parenting efficacy and satisfaction. This pattern did not extend to parental interest. Interestingly, individuals with higher levels of attachment avoidance reported slightly higher levels of parental efficacy, but avoidance was not associated with the other two components of parenting competence or with overall parental sense of competence.</p>
<p>Participants who reported more severe nonsexual childhood maltreatment also tended to report higher levels of attachment anxiety and, to a lesser extent, avoidance. Those who experienced childhood sexual abuse reported somewhat higher attachment anxiety, but no link was found with avoidance.</p>
<p>The researchers tested a statistical model proposing that childhood maltreatment increases romantic attachment anxiety, which in turn reduces parental sense of competence. The results supported this model. Additionally, women who experienced more childhood maltreatment also tended to have slightly lower education levels, slightly lower household income, and a slightly higher number of children.<br>
“The findings highlight that attachment anxiety constitutes a risk factor for mothers who have a history of childhood maltreatment. Mothers who have experienced childhood maltreatment and have subsequently developed attachment anxiety tend to report lower levels of satisfaction and efficacy in their parenting roles. Thus, our results suggest that preventive assistance should especially target childhood maltreatment victims experiencing difficulties in their interpersonal relationships,” the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on how attachment patterns shape parenting experiences. However, it should be noted that all data—including childhood maltreatment and attachment—were self-reported and retrospective, introducing the possibility of recall bias. Additionally, the cross-sectional design does not permit conclusions about causality.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107360">Child maltreatment, adult romantic attachment and parental sense of competence,</a>” was authored by Manon Delhalle and Adelaïde Blavier.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/scientists-demonstrate-superior-cognitive-benefits-of-outdoor-vs-indoor-physical-activity/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Scientists demonstrate superior cognitive benefits of outdoor vs indoor physical activity</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 18th 2025, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <em><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938425000897" target="_blank">Physiology & Behavior</a></em> has found that children experience greater improvements in attention, memory, and thinking speed after physical activity when it takes place outdoors rather than indoors. The findings suggest that combining exercise with time in nature may offer unique benefits for brain function—benefits that neither exercise nor outdoor exposure alone can fully explain.</p>
<p>The research was conducted to explore whether the environment in which children are physically active affects how much their cognitive function improves afterward. Scientists already know that physical activity and time spent in natural settings each support cognitive health. What remained unknown was whether these two factors, when combined, might amplify each other’s effects. </p>
<p>Previous studies had often looked at either exercise or outdoor time in isolation, or had methodological limitations such as relying on short exercise sessions, limited cognitive tests, or unbalanced activity types. The current study aimed to address those gaps by directly comparing the effects of identical physical activity sessions conducted both indoors and outdoors on children’s cognitive performance.</p>
<p>The research team from Nottingham Trent University recruited 45 children between the ages of 11 and 13 from two secondary schools in the United Kingdom. Each participant took part in two physical activity sessions: one held indoors and one held outdoors, with the order randomized. The sessions were spaced at least a week apart. Both sessions followed the exact same basketball-based routine, including warm-ups, drills, small games, and cooldowns. Everything was matched across the two settings—from the group size and court dimensions to the equipment and instructor—ensuring that the only major difference was the environment itself.</p>
<p>Before each session, immediately afterward, and again 45 minutes later, the children completed a series of computerized tests that measured different aspects of cognitive function. These included the Stroop test (assessing inhibitory control), the Sternberg paradigm (measuring working memory), and the Flanker task (evaluating attention). The researchers also measured the children’s physical activity levels during each session using heart rate monitors and GPS trackers, and assessed how much they enjoyed each session using a standard questionnaire.</p>
<p>The results showed that performing the physical activity outdoors led to more substantial improvements in several cognitive domains compared to doing the same activity indoors. For example, on the Stroop test’s complex level, children improved their reaction times more after outdoor activity than indoor activity 45 minutes later (94 milliseconds faster versus 20 milliseconds faster). Accuracy on this same task also increased more outdoors than indoors. </p>
<p>Similar patterns were seen on the working memory test: on both the one-item and three-item versions of the Sternberg paradigm, children responded faster after the outdoor session than after the indoor one. For attention, measured through the Flanker task, reaction times improved more in the outdoor setting on the congruent trials, and accuracy stayed stable outdoors but declined indoors on the more difficult incongruent trials.</p>
<p>Importantly, the improved cognitive performance after outdoor activity occurred despite children covering less ground and performing fewer sprints compared to the indoor sessions. However, their average heart rates were higher outdoors, suggesting that the outdoor setting may have naturally encouraged more intense effort. Still, physical exertion alone didn’t fully account for the cognitive benefits, as the children reported similar levels of enjoyment and didn’t show major mood differences between the sessions.</p>
<p>These findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that exposure to natural environments may help restore mental energy and improve brain functioning. One explanation for this is known as Attention Restoration Theory, which proposes that natural settings engage the brain in a gentle, non-demanding way, giving it a chance to recover from mental fatigue. </p>
<p>Another possibility is that being in nature reduces stress and improves emotional well-being, which could indirectly support better cognitive performance. However, in this study, the children reported equal levels of enjoyment across both sessions, suggesting that mood effects alone are unlikely to explain the cognitive differences.</p>
<p>This study was methodologically strong in several ways. The researchers used a counterbalanced crossover design, which means each child served as their own comparison, reducing the influence of individual differences. All physical activity sessions were standardized, and objective measures of effort and movement were collected. The researchers also tested cognitive function at multiple time points, offering insight into both immediate and short-term effects.</p>
<p>However, the study had some limitations. It was conducted in only two relatively rural schools, both of which had access to green outdoor space. The results might be different in urban environments with less greenery or more distractions. The study also focused on a narrow age range, meaning the findings may not apply equally to younger children or older teenagers. Additionally, although physical effort was objectively measured, the study did not assess the children’s subjective perception of how hard they were working, which could offer another layer of understanding in future research.</p>
<p>The authors suggest that future studies could explore how the type of outdoor setting—such as a park, wooded area, or urban playground—affects outcomes. They also recommend looking at older adolescents, especially those under high academic pressure, as they may benefit even more from the restorative effects of outdoor physical activity. Incorporating measures of perceived effort alongside enjoyment and objective physical output could also help untangle how different factors interact to influence cognitive performance.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.114888" target="_blank">Outdoor physical activity is more beneficial than indoor physical activity for cognition in young people</a>,” was authored by Grace Walters, Karah J. Dring, Ryan A. Williams, Robert Needham, and Simon B. Cooper.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/racial-insecurity-helped-shield-trump-from-republican-backlash-after-capitol-riot-study-suggests/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Racial insecurity helped shield Trump from Republican backlash after Capitol riot, study suggests</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 18th 2025, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study has found that many white Republicans did not reduce their support for Donald Trump after the January 6th insurrection if they believed that white Americans are being unfairly discriminated against. While previous research has documented a short-term decline in Republican support for Trump after the Capitol attack, this new research suggests that racial status threat can blunt that reaction. The findings, published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/rep.2025.7" target="_blank">Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics</a></em>, highlight how feelings of group threat can protect political leaders from consequences—even after violent, anti-democratic actions.</p>
<p>The January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol occurred in 2021, when a mob of supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building in an effort to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory. The riot followed weeks of false claims about widespread election fraud and was fueled by a rally where Trump urged his followers to “fight like hell.” The attack disrupted a joint session of Congress, led to multiple deaths and injuries, and was widely condemned as an assault on American democracy.</p>
<p>The researchers, based at Harvard University, were interested in understanding why some Republicans continued to back Trump after the January 6th attack, despite its unprecedented nature and broad condemnation. Prior studies had already shown that many Republicans did briefly disapprove of Trump after the insurrection, but those changes were relatively small and short-lived. This study set out to explain which members of Trump’s base were more likely to remain supportive—and why.</p>
<p>The authors theorized that a key reason for the uneven reaction among Republicans lies in how individuals perceive their group’s place in American society. Specifically, they focused on white Republicans’ beliefs about whether white people are experiencing growing discrimination and losing their historical dominance in American politics and culture. Previous research has shown that these perceptions, often referred to as “racial status threat,” are linked to support for right-wing populism, political violence, and distrust in democracy. The researchers hypothesized that Republicans who feel this kind of threat would be less likely to withdraw support from Trump—even after he encouraged an attack on the U.S. Capitol.</p>
<p>To test their idea, the team conducted a series of studies using multiple datasets. In the first study, they analyzed responses from more than 5,000 white Republicans surveyed just before and after January 6th, 2021. The survey, conducted by the Nationscape project, asked respondents about their support for Trump, including favorability and job approval. Importantly, it also asked how much discrimination respondents believed white people face in society. </p>
<p>The researchers found that among white Republicans who did not perceive much anti-white discrimination, support for Trump dropped significantly after January 6th. But among those who believed white people face a great deal of discrimination, support for Trump remained stable. In fact, the size of the backlash among low-status-threat respondents was nearly canceled out by the unshaken support among high-status-threat respondents, suggesting that this group buffered Trump from broader disapproval.</p>
<p>The second study replicated this pattern using data from the Gallup World Poll, which surveyed Americans both before and after the Capitol riot. In this smaller sample of white Republicans, those who felt economically insecure—a proxy for racial status threat—were again less likely to reduce their support for Trump after January 6th. Interestingly, among those who did not feel economically threatened, approval for Trump dropped by 24 percentage points. Among those who did feel threatened, approval slightly increased.</p>
<p>In a third study, the researchers used panel data from the Pew Research Center to track the same white Republicans over time. They compared Trump approval ratings before and after January 6th and again found that only respondents who did not feel threatened by anti-white discrimination showed a decline in approval. Those who felt threatened did not change their opinions. This approach was especially valuable because it eliminated the possibility that differences were due to the makeup of respondents before and after the attack; instead, it followed the same people.</p>
<p>To determine whether this pattern held over time, the authors examined four additional surveys conducted between 2021 and 2024. Across all these studies, the results were consistent: white Republicans who expressed strong disapproval of January 6th were generally less supportive of Trump, but that relationship was significantly weaker among those who felt white people were under threat. Even years after the Capitol riot, status threat continued to shape how white Republicans evaluated Trump’s actions and political future.</p>
<p>The researchers took steps to rule out other possible explanations. For example, they examined whether political ideology, partisanship strength, racial resentment, or perceptions of voter fraud could account for the pattern they observed. In most models, these factors did not significantly explain the lack of backlash. Even after adjusting for these other variables, status threat remained the most consistent moderator of Trump support.</p>
<p>Importantly, the researchers focused their analysis on white Republicans, the demographic group most likely to support Trump and most relevant to the question of racial status threat. They found that this moderating effect did not appear among white Americans who were not Republicans, suggesting that partisanship and group identity work together to influence reactions to anti-democratic events.</p>
<p>The study’s authors argue that their findings have broad implications for understanding democratic accountability. When people perceive their group’s status as being under threat, they may be more willing to tolerate violations of democratic norms if those violations are seen as protecting their group. This makes it harder for voters to hold political leaders accountable—even when those leaders encourage violence against democratic institutions.</p>
<p>One limitation of the study is that the effects of status threat were measured using self-reported perceptions of discrimination or economic insecurity. These are subjective feelings that can be influenced by many factors, including media coverage, elite rhetoric, and broader cultural narratives. While the researchers took steps to rule out alternative explanations, it is possible that other unmeasured variables played a role. In addition, while the authors made use of strong research designs, including panel surveys and unexpected-event timing, observational data cannot prove causation as definitively as a randomized experiment.</p>
<p>Still, the study provides one of the most comprehensive and multi-method examinations to date of how group identity and perceived racial decline shape political attitudes in response to anti-democratic actions. Future research might explore how elite messaging and media framing shape the perception of group threat, especially in response to violent events. The authors suggest that political leaders and news outlets have the power to activate or suppress these kinds of identity-based concerns, which in turn can influence how the public responds to democratic breakdowns.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/rep.2025.7" target="_blank">How White Status Threat Undercuts Backlash Against Anti-democratic Politicians</a>,” was authored by Kiara A. Hernandez,Taeku Lee, and Marcel F. Roman.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/frequent-pornography-use-linked-to-altered-brain-connectivity-and-impaired-cognitive-performance/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Frequent pornography use linked to altered brain connectivity and impaired cognitive performance</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 17th 2025, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>A recent study published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1477914" target="_blank">Frontiers in Human Neuroscience</a></em> offers new insights into how frequent internet pornography consumption may affect brain function, emotional response, and cognitive performance. The researchers found that college students who reported high levels of pornography use showed altered patterns of brain connectivity while viewing explicit material, heightened physiological and emotional responses, and performed worse on a cognitive control task compared to those who used pornography less frequently.</p>
<p>The study was designed to investigate how repeated exposure to internet pornography might influence brain function and behavior in ways that resemble patterns observed in substance use. While many researchers have speculated that problematic pornography use shares similarities with addiction, the specific neural mechanisms have not been fully understood. This research aimed to bridge that gap using a non-invasive neuroimaging technique called functional near-infrared spectroscopy, or fNIRS.</p>
<p>fNIRS measures brain activity by tracking changes in blood oxygen levels. It works by shining near-infrared light into the scalp and detecting how much light is absorbed by oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin in the brain. These changes reflect neural activity, allowing researchers to monitor how different brain regions function during tasks or stimuli, such as watching videos or solving problems. Unlike MRI, fNIRS is portable, quiet, and allows for more natural behavior during testing.</p>
<p>Sixteen healthy college students who reported low-frequency pornography use and five students who met criteria for problematic pornography use were recruited to participate. All participants were right-handed, heterosexual, and free of any substance use, color blindness, or medical illness. To minimize potential confounds, participants were also instructed to abstain from masturbation during the experimental period.</p>
<p>The experiment involved a sequence of steps. First, participants completed the Stroop Color and Word Test—a common measure of cognitive control and reaction time. Then, they watched a 10-minute internet pornographic video selected for its high view count. During this time, researchers used fNIRS to monitor changes in brain blood flow and connectivity. </p>
<p>Physiological measures, including heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation, were recorded alongside facial expressions using automated software. After watching the video, participants completed the Stroop test again and filled out three psychological questionnaires measuring pornography use, anxiety, and depression.</p>
<p>The results showed notable differences between the two groups. The low-frequency users showed stronger functional connectivity in brain areas related to language processing, movement coordination, and sensory processing, such as Broca’s area, the premotor cortex, and the somatosensory cortex. In contrast, the high-frequency users exhibited greater connectivity in regions tied to executive functions, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and frontopolar areas—regions often implicated in both addiction and emotional regulation.</p>
<p>Participants in the high-frequency group also demonstrated stronger signs of physiological and emotional arousal. Their facial expressions indicated higher levels of pleasure and happiness, but also greater emotional fluctuation, including signs of anger and sadness. Their parasympathetic nervous system activity was elevated during the video, as reflected in measures like lower heart rate and increased heart rate variability. These changes are similar to patterns seen in individuals using opioid drugs, which are known to produce feelings of euphoria, calm, and blunted awareness.</p>
<p>After watching the pornography, cognitive performance declined in both groups—but the drop was steeper in the high-frequency group. Their accuracy on the Stroop test dropped more sharply, and their reaction times were slower compared to both their own baseline and the low-frequency group. This suggests that pornography exposure may have disrupted their ability to regulate attention and manage conflicting information, at least in the short term.</p>
<p>In addition to these cognitive effects, the high-frequency group scored significantly higher on questionnaires measuring anxiety and depression. While the study cannot determine whether pornography use causes these symptoms or whether they co-occur for other reasons, the findings echo previous research linking heavy pornography consumption to emotional distress.</p>
<p>The researchers highlighted that certain patterns of brain activity observed in the high-frequency group resemble those seen in individuals with substance use disorders and even schizophrenia. Specifically, the increased connectivity in prefrontal areas, combined with altered physiological states and impaired cognitive performance, suggest that frequent pornography consumption may lead to neural and behavioral patterns that mimic other forms of addiction.</p>
<p>The study also explored how watching pornography affected emotional expression. The low-frequency group showed more diverse and reactive expressions—including surprise, fear, and disgust—while the high-frequency group appeared more emotionally flat, with more vacant or neutral expressions. This finding supports the idea that repeated exposure to explicit content may blunt emotional responsiveness.</p>
<p>The authors note that while psychotherapy remains the most common treatment for problematic pornography use, other interventions have been proposed, including hormone-based medications and drugs typically used to treat obsessive-compulsive behavior. Their findings raise the possibility that treatments developed for substance addiction might also be relevant in managing internet pornography addiction, although this remains a topic of debate.</p>
<p>As with all research, there are some limitations that should be taken into account. The sample size was small, especially in the high-frequency group, which included only five individuals. This limitation may reduce the generalizability of the findings and increases the possibility of random error. Additionally, some of the observed differences in brain connectivity did not remain statistically significant after correcting for false discovery rate, a procedure used to account for the large number of comparisons made in brain imaging studies.</p>
<p>Another challenge was recruitment. Due to ethical and practical constraints, it was difficult to find participants with very high levels of pornography consumption who were willing to take part in a laboratory-based experiment. As a result, even the high-frequency group in this study may represent relatively moderate users compared to populations in broader surveys.</p>
<p>“The effects of internet pornography addiction on brain functional connectivity in the prefrontal lobe exhibit characteristics similar to those of drug addiction,” the researchers concluded. “Moreover, individuals who frequently consume internet pornography report that they experience stronger sexual arousal and heightened pleasure while viewing, which subsequently adversely affects their cognition and emotions. Further research is needed to follow up on these preliminary findings.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2025.1477914" target="_blank">The impact of internet pornography addiction on brain function: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study</a>,” was authored by Qicheng Shu, Shiyu Tang, Zhenhua Wu, Jiahuan Feng, Wenhao Lv, and Min Huang.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/childhood-trauma-linked-to-changes-in-brain-structure-and-connectivity-study-finds/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Childhood trauma linked to changes in brain structure and connectivity, study finds</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 17th 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>A neuroimaging study conducted in China found that survivors of childhood trauma tend to have reduced cortical volume and surface area in the brain. Specifically, decreased surface area was identified in a cluster of neural cells in the left precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and paracentral lobule. Reduced cortical volume was observed in a cluster involving the left postcentral gyrus. The study was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.03.016"><em>Neuroscience</em></a>.</p>
<p>Childhood trauma refers to deeply distressing experiences during childhood that overwhelm a child’s ability to cope. These experiences can include abuse, neglect, the loss of a caregiver, domestic violence, or chronic instability.</p>
<p>Experiencing trauma in childhood can disrupt emotional, cognitive, and social development. It can affect the brain’s stress response systems, leading to heightened anxiety, emotional dysregulation, or dissociation. Children exposed to trauma may develop trust issues, low self-esteem, and difficulties in forming healthy relationships. If left unaddressed, the effects of trauma can persist into adulthood, increasing the risk of developing mental health disorders.</p>
<p>The study, led by Chengming Wang and his colleagues, aimed to examine neurobiological changes associated with childhood trauma. The researchers sought to identify brain regions showing significant differences in cortical surface area and volume between individuals with and without a history of childhood trauma. They also examined the functional connectivity of these regions based on the structural differences they observed.</p>
<p>The study included 215 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 44, with an average age of 26. Ninety-three of the participants were men. A clinical evaluation confirmed that none of the participants had a history of psychiatric or neurological disorders, psychiatric treatment, or substance abuse.</p>
<p>Participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire – Short Form, a self-report assessment of childhood trauma experiences. Based on their responses, 57 individuals were classified as survivors of childhood trauma, while 158 were not. All participants also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of their brains.</p>
<p>The results showed that participants who had experienced childhood trauma were more likely to be men. Compared to those without trauma histories, trauma survivors tended to have lower cortical volume and reduced surface area. More specifically, reduced surface area was found in a cluster comprising the left precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and paracentral lobule. Decreased cortical volume was observed in a cluster involving the left postcentral gyrus.</p>
<p>The precentral gyrus plays a role in controlling voluntary movement by sending motor commands to muscles. The postcentral gyrus is responsible for processing sensory input from the body, including touch, pressure, and proprioception. The paracentral lobule integrates motor and sensory functions, particularly those related to the lower limbs and pelvic region.</p>
<p>The researchers also conducted a functional connectivity analysis. They found that areas with lower cortical volume exhibited reduced connectivity with the bank of the superior temporal sulcus, the inferior parietal gyrus, and the supramarginal gyrus. In contrast, the regions with reduced surface area showed increased functional connectivity with the left postcentral gyrus, the superior parietal gyrus, and the supramarginal gyrus.</p>
<p>Using the structural and functional brain differences they identified, the researchers developed a statistical model to distinguish between individuals with and without childhood trauma. This model achieved a prediction accuracy of 78%.</p>
<p>“The childhood trauma group exhibits abnormalities in cortical structure and functional connectivity which are related to aberrant emotional and cognitive functions. These findings may serve as neuroimaging biomarkers of childhood trauma”, study authors concluded.</p>
<p>This study contributes to the growing body of research on the neurobiological characteristics of individuals who have experienced childhood trauma. However, it is important to note some limitations. For example, 74% of the participants were classified as not having experienced childhood trauma. Given that the prediction model had a 78% accuracy rate, its performance is only slightly better than a model that classifies all participants as trauma-free. Additionally, due to the brain’s capacity for functional redundancy—where similar functions can be performed by different neural networks—studies examining the neural correlates of complex psychological traits often produce varied results. As a result, findings from other studies on this topic may differ.</p>
<p>The paper “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.03.016">Alteration of cortical structure and functional connectivity in childhood trauma</a>” was authored by Chengming Wang, Shufei Zhang, Yunjun Yang, Zhifeng Xu, Zezhi Li, Wei Zheng, and Huawang Wu.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/psilocybin-assisted-therapy-linked-to-reduced-depression-in-people-with-bipolar-disorder-small-study-finds/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Psilocybin-assisted therapy linked to reduced depression in people with bipolar disorder, small study finds</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Jun 17th 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>A small pilot study published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/psymed.2024.0032" target="_blank">Psychedelic Medicine</a></em> suggests that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy might help reduce depressive symptoms in people with bipolar II disorder who have not responded to conventional treatments. The treatment was also not associated with an increase in manic or psychotic symptoms, which are typically a concern in bipolar disorder. While the findings are preliminary and based on just four participants, they highlight a potential avenue for addressing a form of depression that is often difficult to treat.</p>
<p>Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain species of mushrooms. When used under structured and supervised conditions, it has been associated with rapid improvements in depressive symptoms. Most clinical research to date, however, has excluded people with bipolar disorders due to concerns that psychedelics could trigger manic episodes. This has left a significant gap in understanding whether psilocybin could be safely and effectively used in this population, particularly for those with bipolar II disorder, which is often marked by long-lasting depressive episodes and a lack of effective treatment options.</p>
<p>“Psilocybin has shown very promising results for treatment-resistant depression. However, previous studies have excluded patients with bipolar disorder. I see a lot of patients with bipolar depression and know they need better treatments, so I was very interested to see if psilocybin was feasible to study for treatment-resistant bipolar depression,” said study author <a href="https://psychiatry.utoronto.ca/faculty/joshua-rosenblat" target="_blank">Joshua D. Rosenblat</a>, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto.</p>
<p>The new analysis focused on a subgroup of participants from a previously published trial on treatment-resistant depression. The researchers specifically examined four individuals diagnosed with bipolar II disorder. These participants had been experiencing major depressive episodes lasting at least three months and had failed to respond to at least two standard pharmacological treatments. The average length of their current depressive episode was nearly 16 years. This subgroup included two men and two women, with an average age of about 38. Three identified as white and one as Arab. All had some post-secondary education, and one was married.</p>
<p>Before beginning the study, participants were required to taper off antidepressants and antipsychotics, though they were allowed to continue taking mood stabilizers under medical supervision. Each participant received one or two supervised psilocybin sessions at a dose of 25 milligrams. These sessions were embedded within a broader treatment framework that included preparatory and integrative psychotherapy conducted by licensed professionals. The researchers used several standard tools to track symptoms, including the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms–Self Report (QIDS-SR), and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). Assessments took place frequently over the course of the 24-week study.</p>
<p>At the beginning of the study, the participants’ average MADRS score was 32.5, indicating moderate to severe depression. Two weeks after the first psilocybin session, the average score had dropped to 20.3, and two weeks after the second session, it dropped slightly more to 19. At the end of the 6-month study period, the average score was 21.3, suggesting that the reductions in depressive symptoms had persisted to some degree.</p>
<p>A similar trend was seen with self-reported symptoms on the QIDS-SR. At baseline, participants scored an average of 18. Two weeks after the first psilocybin session, the average score had dropped to 10.3, and after the second session, it remained around 10. By the end of the study, scores had risen slightly to 15.7. These patterns suggest that depressive symptoms improved during the treatment period and may have partially returned afterward, though not to the original severity.</p>
<p>“This small pilot study suggested that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy is feasible to study in bipolar II disorder,” Rosenblat told PsyPost. “We cannot yet comment on safety and efficacy, but can say that the pilot study was promising and no safety concerns arose. There was evidence of improvement (i.e., reduction in depressive symptom severity) in this small study with no serious adverse events. Of note, this was the first randomized controlled trial of psilocybin therapy to include bipolar disorder.”</p>
<p>Crucially, none of the participants experienced a switch into mania or hypomania, a concern that has often led researchers to exclude people with bipolar disorder from psychedelic studies. The YMRS scores, which measure manic symptoms, remained at a stable mean of 1 across all time points. There were also no reports of psychosis or suicidal behavior. This stability is important, as mania can be highly disruptive and potentially dangerous, especially if triggered by an intervention intended to treat depression.</p>
<p>“I was surprised that we had no cases of mania, hypomania, or psychosis,” Rosenblat said. “There are major concerns that psilocybin will trigger mania and psychosis, so it was reassuring that we did not see any of this.”</p>
<p>The findings appear to align with results <a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-study-reveals-promising-effects-of-psilocybin-in-treating-severe-depression-in-bipolar-ii-disorder-patients/" target="_blank">from another recent pilot study</a> involving 15 people with bipolar II depression. In that earlier study, participants also experienced reduced depressive symptoms following a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin, without any signs of treatment-emergent mania or psychosis. The consistency between the two studies, though preliminary, lends some support to the idea that psilocybin might be safe under controlled conditions for certain individuals with bipolar II disorder.</p>
<p>At the same time, the study has several limitations. Most significantly, it was conducted with only four participants, making it difficult to generalize the findings. The open-label design means that both participants and researchers knew what treatment was being administered, which can influence expectations and perceived outcomes. The small sample also included people with diverse psychiatric histories and varying degrees of treatment resistance, which may affect how individuals respond to psilocybin.</p>
<p>Because of these factors, “we cannot draw any conclusions about safety or efficacy,” Rosenblat said. “It is just too early to say, but we can say that further study is merited and feasible.”</p>
<p>Larger trials are already underway, according to the research team, with the goal of more rigorously testing both the safety and antidepressant effects of psilocybin in people with bipolar II disorder.</p>
<p>“We are currently conducting two larger clinical trials to more thoroughly evaluate psilocybin for treatment-resistant bipolar depression,” Rosenblat explained. “If safety and efficacy are demonstrated in these larger trials, then psilocybin might become a treatment option for this group of difficult-to-treat patients where other treatments are often ineffective.”</p>
<p>“We are currently only studying psilocybin for bipolar II disorder, but if safety and efficacy are demonstrated, we may even explore it in bipolar I disorder, where the risk of mania and psychosis is higher. We need to demonstrate safety in bipolar II disorder first, but I am keen to explore this in other groups also.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1089/psymed.2024.0032" target="_blank">Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment-Resistant Depression in Bipolar II Disorder</a>,” was authored by Shakila Meshkat, Erica Kaczmarek, Zoe Doyle, Ryan M. Brudner, Fabiano A. Gomes, Marc G. Blainey, Geneva Weiglein, Roger S. McIntyre, Rodrigo B. Mansur, and Joshua D. Rosenblat.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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