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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/researchers-identify-a-key-pathway-linking-socioeconomic-status-to-childrens-reading-skills/" 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;">Researchers identify a key pathway linking socioeconomic status to children’s reading skills</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Aug 16th 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>Children from families with higher parental education tend to develop stronger reading skills — and a new study suggests this link can be largely explained by differences in oral language skills rather than structural differences in the brain. The findings, published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience</a></em>, provide evidence that language exposure and vocabulary development may serve as the most influential bridge between socioeconomic background and reading success.</p>
<p>Researchers have long known that children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds often outperform their peers in reading. This trend is especially clear when socioeconomic status is measured through parental education, a common and stable indicator. While previous studies have shown that lower parental education tends to coincide with weaker reading skills and reduced brain connectivity in reading-related pathways, the mechanisms linking these factors have remained uncertain.</p>
<p>The current study set out to clarify these relationships by testing whether white matter integrity — a measure of brain connectivity — plays a direct or indirect role in explaining why socioeconomic status is associated with reading performance. The researchers also examined how various oral language skills might mediate this connection. Their goal was to determine whether brain structure, language ability, or both help explain how socioeconomic background influences reading outcomes.</p>
<p>“Reading is a pivotal skill to have in our society; it affects our educational attainment, which can influence our employment, and consequently our resources and quality of life,” said study author Martina Villa, a graduate student at the University of Connecticut. “It is important to understand how we develop reading abilities and what the ingredients are to successfully develop these skills. Previous studies have done a terrific job at identifying environmental influences and neural contributions. It is now our job to understand how these different aspects interrelate.”</p>
<p>The researchers used data from the Healthy Brain Network, a large-scale biobank of children and adolescents aged 6 to 15. After applying exclusion criteria, the final sample included over 3,000 participants, with more than 800 of them having complete data on brain imaging, language skills, and reading assessments.</p>
<p>Participants completed a series of standardized assessments designed to measure different aspects of language and reading ability. One key area was phonological awareness, which refers to a child’s ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds in spoken language. This includes skills such as blending individual sounds together to form a word or identifying what a word would sound like if one of its sounds were removed.</p>
<p>Vocabulary was another focus of testing. In this context, vocabulary refers to the number of words a child understands and can define. A richer vocabulary tends to support stronger reading comprehension because children who know more words can more easily make sense of what they read.</p>
<p>The researchers also measured reading fluency, which captures how quickly and accurately a child can read written words. This included tests that asked children to read lists of both real words and pronounceable made-up words within a limited amount of time. The ability to quickly decode unfamiliar words is often used as an indicator of reading skill, which encompasses a child’s overall capacity to recognize, decode, and make meaning from written language.</p>
<p>Together, phonological awareness and vocabulary were treated as components of oral language — a broader category that includes all aspects of spoken language ability, such as recognizing sounds, understanding words, and using language effectively. Oral language development typically begins well before formal reading instruction and is known to play a key role in learning to read.</p>
<p>To understand how these variables interacted, the researchers used structural equation modeling, a statistical method that allows for the simultaneous testing of complex relationships among multiple variables.</p>
<p>The researchers found that socioeconomic status predicted reading skill, but the pathway linking these two factors ran through oral language, not brain structure. Children with more highly educated parents tended to have stronger phonological awareness and larger vocabularies, and those language abilities were in turn strongly linked to better reading performance.</p>
<p>In contrast, white matter integrity did not appear to play a meaningful role in explaining the association between socioeconomic status and reading. While higher parental education was associated with slightly higher white matter integrity in some tracts, those differences did not predict reading ability. In other words, the structural properties of these brain pathways did not mediate the connection between socioeconomic status and reading.</p>
<p>The researchers were surprised by the lack of a strong relationship between white matter and reading skill. “Prior evidence for the tracts that we selected is quite robust, and I thought we would replicate those findings, even with a larger and more diverse sample,” Villa told PsyPost. “I think this goes to show how powerful sampling biases can be when we study small effects, and how careful we should be in generalizing research findings.”</p>
<p>The models confirmed that oral language skills acted as reliable mediators. Phonological awareness in particular showed a strong influence on reading. Vocabulary contributed as well, but to a lesser degree. These findings held across all three brain imaging models and remained stable even after adjusting for participant age and brain scan quality.</p>
<p>In follow-up analyses, the researchers examined whether the link between socioeconomic status and reading changed as children got older. They found no significant evidence that age altered the strength of this relationship, suggesting that the effect of parental education on reading outcomes remained relatively constant from ages 6 to 15.</p>
<p>Although the main pathway from socioeconomic status to reading did not appear to involve brain structure, the study did detect small but consistent associations between parental education and white matter integrity in some brain regions. These associations were especially noticeable when using more advanced imaging methods that provided detailed measures of fiber density.</p>
<p>In one model, higher parental education was associated with greater fiber density in all nine white matter tracts examined. However, these structural differences were not significantly related to reading performance. Only one specific tract—the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus—showed a weak link to reading ability, and even that association did not hold up across all models.</p>
<p>The study also found that some white matter tracts were linked to oral language skills. For example, in one model, white matter structure in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus and arcuate fasciculus predicted vocabulary scores. Another model found that the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus was associated with phonological awareness. Still, these associations were relatively modest and did not form part of a broader chain connecting socioeconomic status to reading.</p>
<p>Villa outlined the three main takeaways: “(1) While genetics determines a predisposition for reading proficiency, we shouldn’t neglect the effects of the environment (such as parental education, but not limited to it); (2) Oral language skills (e.g., vocabulary) play an important role in the development of reading skills; and (3) While anatomic connections between key reading areas do not mediate the effects of parental education on reading, that doesn’t imply there aren’t other ways in which they may influence the relationship — for example, these relationships may be set earlier, at a younger age than that of the participants studied here.”</p>
<p>While the study benefits from a large and diverse sample, it also has limitations. The data were cross-sectional, meaning all measurements were taken at one point in time. Without longitudinal data, the researchers could not determine whether changes in brain structure or language skills cause improvements in reading—or simply develop alongside them.</p>
<p>The study also did not explore other potential pathways from socioeconomic status to reading, such as differences in parenting style, school quality, or access to learning resources. These environmental variables might also influence reading development, either directly or indirectly, and could be considered in future research.</p>
<p>Although the researchers used multiple advanced imaging techniques, white matter integrity remains a complex and indirect measure of brain function. It is possible that more targeted analyses—perhaps involving functional brain activity or higher-resolution scans—could identify other neural features that help explain reading disparities across socioeconomic groups.</p>
<p>Another limitation relates to the sample itself. Despite being larger and more diverse than most neuroimaging studies, the sample still skewed toward families with relatively high levels of education. Future studies that include more low-income participants may offer a clearer picture of how early life experience shapes brain development and literacy.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2025.101561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How does SES influence the brain circuitry for literacy? Modeling the association between SES, oral language, white matter integrity, and reading</a>,” was authored by Martina Villa, Nabin Koirala, Meaghan V. Perdue, Lee Branum-Martin, and Nicole Landi.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/these-fascinating-new-studies-show-adhd-extends-into-unexpected-areas/" 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;">These fascinating new studies show ADHD extends into unexpected areas</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Aug 16th 2025, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>In recent years, research into attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder has become both more advanced and more revealing. Scientists are uncovering that ADHD influences far more than attention and behavior alone. From sexual experiences and creativity to brain structure and even life expectancy, new findings are offering a deeper, more nuanced understanding of what it means to live with the condition.</p>
<p>ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity—symptoms that can disrupt daily life at school, work, and in social relationships. While it typically begins in childhood, a substantial number of cases persist into adolescence and adulthood.</p>
<p>The condition is generally classified into three presentations: predominantly inattentive (formerly called ADD), predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined. People with ADHD may find it challenging to sustain focus, manage time, resist distractions, or regulate impulses. Although stimulant medications such as methylphenidate remain a mainstay of treatment, researchers are increasingly investigating non-pharmacological approaches, underlying biological mechanisms, and the broader social and emotional dimensions of the disorder.</p>
<p>Read on for 12 recent studies that highlight the surprising range of ADHD’s impact.</p>
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<h2>1. <a href="https://www.psypost.org/study-reveals-distinct-music-habits-among-young-adults-with-adhd-symptoms/">Adults with ADHD often use stimulating music to manage attention</a></h2>
<p>A study published in <em>Frontiers in Psychology</em> found that young adults who screen positive for ADHD tend to listen to background music more frequently than their neurotypical peers—especially while studying or exercising. These individuals also prefer more stimulating music, regardless of the activity. This suggests that music may be used as a form of self-regulation, potentially helping to counteract underarousal associated with ADHD.</p>
<p>The research, based on survey data from over 400 participants, supports the Moderate Brain Arousal model, which posits that people with ADHD often seek external stimulation to maintain focus. Although both ADHD and non-ADHD groups reported that music helped their mood and concentration, only the ADHD group showed significantly higher usage during daily tasks. The researchers note that music could serve as an accessible and intuitive tool to help individuals with ADHD manage attentional demands in everyday life.</p>
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<h2>2. <a href="https://www.psypost.org/adhd-symptoms-appear-to-influence-womens-orgasms/">Women with inattentive ADHD symptoms report less consistent orgasms</a></h2>
<p>In <em>The Journal of Sex Research</em>, scientists found that women with predominantly inattentive ADHD symptoms reported lower orgasmic consistency during partnered sex. This may be linked to difficulties maintaining focus and being present during sexual activity—a challenge that inattentive ADHD can exacerbate. In contrast, women with hyperactive-impulsive symptoms reported slightly better orgasmic consistency.</p>
<p>Using data from over 800 cisgender women, researchers noted that sexual satisfaction and confidence can be shaped by cognitive and attentional processes. ADHD medications appeared to correlate with better sexual functioning, although the study could not determine causation. These findings highlight the need for greater awareness of how neurodivergence may influence intimate experiences, particularly in women who are often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed.</p>
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<h2>3. <a href="https://www.psypost.org/adults-treated-with-psychostimulants-for-adhd-show-increased-brain-surface-complexity-study-finds/">Long-term stimulant use linked to brain structure differences in ADHD</a></h2>
<p>A neuroimaging study in <em>Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging</em> compared adults with ADHD who had taken psychostimulants to those who had never received such treatment. Those with a history of medication use showed greater brain surface complexity—specifically, increased cortical folding (gyrification) and sulcal depth in regions involved in emotion regulation and reward.</p>
<p>Interestingly, these structural differences were not accompanied by better clinical outcomes. Symptom severity and impulsivity scores remained similar across both groups. This suggests that while stimulants may influence brain morphology, these changes do not necessarily translate into improved functioning. The study’s small sample size limits generalizability, but the findings raise important questions about how long-term medication affects the adult ADHD brain.</p>
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<h2>4. <a href="https://www.psypost.org/probiotics-show-promise-for-reducing-hyperactivity-in-young-children-with-autism-and-adhd/">Probiotics may reduce hyperactivity in young children with ADHD</a></h2>
<p>A randomized controlled trial published in <em>Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology</em> tested whether probiotics could reduce ADHD and autism symptoms. The researchers found that a 12-week course of two probiotic strains was linked to lower hyperactivity-impulsivity ratings in children aged 5 to 9. The effect was especially pronounced in children with autism who also had ADHD symptoms.</p>
<p>While overall symptom improvement across all age groups was modest, younger children in the probiotic group showed meaningful behavioral gains. These early findings support growing interest in the gut-brain axis and suggest that microbiome-targeted interventions might offer complementary support for children with neurodevelopmental differences. Larger, longer studies are needed to confirm the durability and mechanisms of these effects.</p>
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<h2>5. <a href="https://www.psypost.org/girls-are-better-than-boys-at-detecting-their-own-adhd-symptoms/">Adolescent boys may underreport ADHD symptoms compared to girls</a></h2>
<p>In a study published in the <em>Journal of Psychiatric Research</em>, researchers in Sweden found that teenage boys with ADHD tended to underreport their symptoms compared to parent and clinician assessments. In contrast, girls’ self-ratings were more consistent with external evaluations. Overall, adolescent self-reports aligned more closely with clinicians than with parents.</p>
<p>These findings suggest that boys may have less insight into their symptoms—or may be less willing to report them—while girls may be more self-aware or forthcoming. The results point to the importance of incorporating multiple informants during the diagnostic process and ensuring that adolescent voices are considered, especially when sex differences may influence symptom expression.</p>
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<h2>6. <a href="https://www.psypost.org/creativity-in-autism-may-stem-from-co-occurring-adhd-not-autism-itself/">Creativity in autism may actually reflect co-occurring ADHD</a></h2>
<p>A large study published in the <em>Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science</em> challenged the common belief that autism is linked to heightened creativity. After controlling for ADHD and cognitive ability, researchers found that autistic adults were no more creative than non-autistic adults in laboratory tasks. However, those with co-occurring ADHD showed more creative accomplishments and behaviors.</p>
<p>The findings suggest that creativity may be more closely tied to ADHD traits—such as impulsivity and flexible thinking—than to autism itself. This challenges stereotypes about “autistic creativity” and indicates that educational and clinical programs should tailor support to the individual’s unique cognitive profile, rather than assuming strengths based on diagnosis alone.</p>
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<h2>7. <a href="https://www.psypost.org/common-blood-pressure-drug-shows-promise-for-treating-adhd-symptoms/">A blood pressure drug shows promise as a non-stimulant ADHD treatment</a></h2>
<p>In a study published in <em>Neuropsychopharmacology</em>, researchers identified amlodipine—a common medication for high blood pressure—as a potential treatment for ADHD. Using animal models and genetic analyses, they found that amlodipine reduced hyperactivity and impulsivity in rats and zebrafish bred to mimic ADHD-like traits. The drug also appeared to influence brain activity in areas associated with attention and impulse control.</p>
<p>What makes these findings notable is that amlodipine targets L-type calcium channels, which are increasingly implicated in psychiatric conditions. The research team confirmed that the drug crosses the blood-brain barrier and proposed that its mechanism could provide a safer, non-stimulant alternative to traditional ADHD medications. Clinical trials in humans are still needed, but this repurposing strategy could offer new treatment avenues for individuals who do not respond well to current medications.</p>
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<h2>8. <a href="https://www.psypost.org/adults-with-adhd-face-long-term-social-and-economic-challenges-study-finds-even-with-medication/">Long-term outcomes for adults with ADHD remain challenging—even with medication</a></h2>
<p>A population-level study from Denmark, published in the <em>Journal of Psychiatric Research</em>, tracked nearly 5,000 individuals diagnosed with ADHD and found that by age 30, they fared significantly worse than their peers in education, employment, and mental health. Despite many participants adhering to prescribed medication over a 10-year period, outcomes like job attainment and higher education completion did not improve meaningfully.</p>
<p>Adults with ADHD were more likely to live alone, rely on social welfare, and have co-occurring psychiatric conditions. Medication adherence did not predict better educational or occupational outcomes, suggesting that pharmacological treatment alone may not be sufficient to address the broader life challenges associated with ADHD. Socioeconomic factors, such as parental education, were more predictive of success, highlighting the importance of comprehensive, multi-level interventions.</p>
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<h2>9. <a href="https://www.psypost.org/people-with-adhd-exhibit-altered-brain-activity-before-making-high-stakes-choices/">Brain imaging reveals how adults with ADHD anticipate risky decisions differently</a></h2>
<p>A neuroimaging study published in <em>Brain and Behavior</em> examined how adults with ADHD process risky decisions before making them. Participants completed a task involving risk and reward (the Balloon Analogue Risk Task) while undergoing fMRI scans. The researchers found that individuals with ADHD showed reduced activation in brain regions linked to self-awareness and emotional processing during the anticipation phase—before the decision was made.</p>
<p>Interestingly, women with ADHD showed greater activation in several regulatory brain regions compared to men, suggesting possible sex-related differences in compensatory mechanisms. These neural differences did not translate into overt behavioral differences on the task, indicating that people with ADHD may reach the same decisions as others but through different internal processes. The study offers support for theories like the somatic marker hypothesis, which emphasizes the role of bodily cues and emotional signals in guiding decision-making.</p>
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<h2>10. <a href="https://www.psypost.org/adults-with-adhd-face-significantly-shorter-life-expectancy-study-finds/">Adults with ADHD have shorter life expectancy, particularly women</a></h2>
<p>A large cohort study from the United Kingdom, published in the <em>British Journal of Psychiatry</em>, found that adults diagnosed with ADHD have a significantly shorter life expectancy than those without the condition. On average, men with ADHD lost between 4.5 and 9 years of life, while women lost between 6.5 and 11 years. These figures are adjusted for baseline health and demographic factors.</p>
<p>The researchers attribute this gap to a combination of factors: higher rates of physical and mental health issues, greater risk of substance use, and social disadvantages like unemployment and limited access to healthcare. ADHD itself may not directly shorten lifespan, but its effects can compound over time through preventable pathways. These findings point to the need for systemic changes in healthcare access and public health interventions tailored to people with ADHD.</p>
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<h2>11. <a href="https://www.psypost.org/people-with-adhd-symptoms-report-more-involuntary-memories-in-daily-life/">People with ADHD symptoms experience more involuntary memories</a></h2>
<p>A study in the <em>British Journal of Psychology</em> found that individuals who report symptoms of ADHD tend to experience more frequent involuntary memories in daily life. These spontaneous recollections, which arise without intention, were also rated as less positive and more repetitive compared to those reported by people without ADHD symptoms.</p>
<p>The researchers conducted both a lab-based vigilance task and a 48-hour diary study. While the laboratory task showed no difference between groups, the diary data revealed that people with ADHD symptoms reported nearly twice as many spontaneous memories. This suggests that controlled lab settings may fail to capture the full extent of attentional and memory-related differences experienced in everyday life. These findings may shed light on how ADHD affects not just attention, but also memory and emotional processing.</p>
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<h2>12. <a href="https://www.psypost.org/scientists-find-49-genetic-regions-linking-adhd-and-dyslexia/">ADHD and dyslexia share strong genetic overlap</a></h2>
<p>In a large-scale genetic study published in <em>Molecular Psychiatry</em>, researchers found that ADHD and dyslexia share a substantial number of genetic risk factors. Using data from millions of participants, the study identified a distinct genetic cluster linking both conditions and uncovered 49 genomic regions associated with both traits—43 of which had not been previously identified.</p>
<p>This shared “attention and learning difficulties” factor was distinct from other neurodevelopmental traits like autism. The findings suggest that ADHD may have more in common genetically with dyslexia than with autism, despite all three conditions commonly co-occurring. Several genes identified in the analysis—such as SORCS3 and AMT—are involved in brain development, learning, and memory. These results offer new insight into the biological basis of learning and attention problems and could guide future research on personalized educational and therapeutic approaches.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/a-womans-craving-for-clay-got-so-intense-it-mimicked-signs-of-addiction/" 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;">A woman’s craving for clay got so intense it mimicked signs of addiction</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Aug 16th 2025, 07:00</div>
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<p><p>A case report published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.7326/aimcc.2025.0079" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases</a></em> describes the medical complications of a 36-year-old woman with kidney failure whose escalating compulsion to consume clay led to gastrointestinal bleeding, severe electrolyte imbalances, and confusion during radiologic exams. Her habit, rooted in a culturally familiar practice known as geophagia, had intensified to the point of functional impairment—suggesting a shift from traditional behavior to a pattern more aligned with symptoms of a psychological disorder.</p>
<p>This unusual case underscores the complexity of diagnosing and treating behaviors that may begin as culturally accepted but evolve into clinically significant conditions. It also illustrates how psychological drives like craving and reinforcement can transform a once-meaningful practice into a source of harm.</p>
<p>The patient, who had a long history of end-stage kidney disease and iron deficiency anemia, presented to the emergency department with rectal bleeding, severe constipation, muscle aches, and dizziness. Imaging revealed unexplained radiodense material in her colon, which initially obscured attempts to determine the source of her bleeding.</p>
<p>It was only after a thorough review of her behaviors and symptoms that clinicians discovered she had significantly increased her consumption of bentonite clay—up to 85 grams per day over the previous two months. While she had eaten clay for most of her life as part of a shared practice in her community, the dramatic increase reflected more than cultural habit. She described growing fixations and persistent cravings that disrupted her daily life and worsened her physical condition.</p>
<p>The clay she ingested, sourced from Ghana, contained aluminum and silica—compounds known to bind to electrolytes like phosphate and potassium. Her lab results showed elevated aluminum levels, along with low potassium and calcium. After she stopped consuming the clay, her symptoms began to improve, and her electrolyte levels stabilized.</p>
<p>Although the patient declined psychiatric treatment, clinicians noted that her behavior bore resemblance to features commonly associated with substance use disorders: persistent use despite negative consequences, tolerance, and craving. This raises broader questions about where to draw the line between culturally sanctioned behavior and compulsive pathology.</p>
<p>Geophagia—the deliberate consumption of earth or clay—has been observed in human societies for thousands of years and is especially prevalent among pregnant women and individuals with iron deficiency. In some cultural traditions, it is considered normal or even beneficial, believed to soothe nausea, replenish minerals, or promote general well-being.</p>
<p>Yet geophagia also falls under the psychiatric category of pica, which refers to the persistent eating of non-nutritive substances. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classifies pica as a disorder when the behavior occurs outside of cultural norms and leads to clinical impairment or health risks.</p>
<p>Psychologically, the behavior may be driven by a range of internal factors. In cases like this one, iron deficiency may play a dual role—both biologically and psychologically. Research suggests that some forms of pica, including geophagia, may stem from the body’s attempt to compensate for nutrient shortages. However, this biological urge can interact with learned behaviors, social reinforcement, and psychological craving in complex ways.</p>
<p>In this patient’s case, her desire to consume clay appeared to intensify gradually. What had once been a benign or culturally supported habit escalated into a compulsive behavior that she struggled to control. Her self-reported experience of craving and the disruption to her daily life suggest a pattern of reinforcement similar to addictive behavior.</p>
<p>This is not uncommon in disorders that involve compulsive ingestion. Some studies indicate that pica behaviors, including geophagia, may activate neural reward pathways—similar to the way addictive substances affect the brain. Over time, repeated use may strengthen the association between relief or satisfaction and the act of consumption, creating a feedback loop that is hard to break without intervention.</p>
<p>One complicating factor in diagnosing geophagia and related conditions is the role of cultural stigma and concealment. The behavior is often not volunteered by patients, particularly in Western medical settings where such practices are poorly understood or pathologized.</p>
<p>The authors of the case report emphasize that the patient had not initially disclosed her clay consumption. It only came to light after clinicians conducted a detailed review of her lifestyle and dietary habits. This highlights the importance of culturally sensitive care—approaching such behaviors not with judgment, but with curiosity and respect.</p>
<p>Clinicians must walk a delicate line when treating behaviors that exist on the boundary between culture and pathology. Not all geophagia is disordered, and not every instance warrants psychiatric diagnosis. But when the behavior results in harm, functional impairment, or distress, clinicians have a responsibility to address it—while remaining attuned to the context in which it occurs.</p>
<p>In this case, the patient’s craving-driven clay ingestion had evolved beyond its cultural roots. The progressive nature of her behavior, paired with the resulting physical harm, suggests that the psychological dimension played a significant role.</p>
<p>While case reports cannot confirm causal relationships or establish generalizable findings, they are uniquely suited to spotlight emerging psychological patterns that might be missed in larger studies. In psychiatry and behavioral medicine, they can reveal how individual experiences reflect broader tensions between biology, culture, and mental health.</p>
<p>This case provides evidence that behaviors traditionally viewed as cultural may sometimes mask deeper psychological issues. It suggests that pica-related conditions may involve a combination of physiological drives, environmental reinforcement, and internal psychological compulsions. Recognizing these dimensions can open the door to more effective and empathetic treatment strategies.</p>
<p>The case also points to the need for better integration of psychological screening in patients presenting with unexplained medical symptoms. Behavioral patterns like compulsive ingestion may go unrecognized unless clinicians specifically ask about them, especially when the behavior is culturally normalized or carries social stigma.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.7326/aimcc.2025.0079" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Patient Presenting With Hematochezia Found to Have Geophagia-Induced Electrolyte Derangements</a>,” was authored by Archit V. Potharazu, Elizabeth Kiernan, Rishi Subrahmanyan, Hector Ibanez, and John Woller.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/lonely-individuals-show-greater-mood-instability-especially-with-positive-emotions-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;">Lonely individuals show greater mood instability, especially with positive emotions, study finds</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Aug 16th 2025, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>New research published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2025.2527854" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cognition and Emotion</a></em> suggests that people who feel lonelier tend to experience more emotional ups and downs—especially with positive emotions—throughout their daily lives. These fluctuations appear to persist even when accounting for depression, average mood levels, and objective measures of social isolation.</p>
<p>Loneliness is not simply the absence of people. It refers to the emotional experience of perceiving a gap between the social connections one has and the connections one desires. It is different from social isolation, which involves an objective lack of social contact or interaction. A person can be surrounded by others yet still feel lonely if those relationships lack depth, reciprocity, or emotional closeness.</p>
<p>By contrast, someone who lives alone or has a small social circle might not feel lonely at all if they are satisfied with their relationships. In short, loneliness is about subjective dissatisfaction, while social isolation refers to measurable contact with others.</p>
<p>Previous research has already shown that loneliness is linked to more frequent negative emotions and fewer positive ones. But emotional experience is not just about how someone feels on average. Another important aspect is emotional instability—how much a person’s emotions fluctuate from moment to moment or day to day. Emotional instability has been associated with worse psychological and physical health outcomes, including chronic illness, inflammation, and even early death. But until now, little was known about whether loneliness is tied to these moment-to-moment shifts in emotion.</p>
<p>“I’ve long been interested in how loneliness impacts people’s behavior and emotions in everyday life, including how those emotions fluctuate from day to day,” said study author <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jee-eun-kang-4449a5301/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jee eun Kang</a>, a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State.</p>
<p>“Most research on loneliness and emotion looks at whether lonely people feel more negative or less positive emotions on average, but that only tells part of the story. I wanted to know—are lonely people’s emotions also less stable? Do they swing more from one day to the next? Emotional instability can be just as important for mental and physical health as average mood, so it felt like an important gap to fill.”</p>
<p>The researchers recruited 252 adults aged 25 to 65 from Co-Op City in the Bronx, New York. The sample was racially and economically diverse, with most participants identifying as Black, non-Hispanic, and female. After completing baseline questionnaires in the lab—including a measure of loneliness—participants were trained to use smartphones provided by the study.</p>
<p>Over the next two weeks, participants received five random alerts per day prompting them to report their current emotional state. Each time, they rated how positive (e.g., happy, joyful) and negative (e.g., angry, frustrated) they felt using a scale from 0 to 100. To measure emotional instability, researchers calculated how much these emotional scores changed from one day to the next, using a metric called mean squared successive difference.</p>
<p>Importantly, participants were only included in the analysis if they provided at least three days of usable emotion reports. This allowed for meaningful estimates of emotional fluctuations.</p>
<p>The results indicated that loneliness was significantly associated with greater day-to-day emotional instability—both in terms of positive and negative emotions. People who scored higher on loneliness tended to have more dramatic emotional swings from one day to the next.</p>
<p>“Loneliness isn’t just about feeling more negative or less positive—it’s also about greater emotional volatility, especially for positive emotions,” Kang told PsyPost. “In our study, lonely individuals showed more day-to-day instability in positive emotions, even after accounting for depression and other factors. This suggests that loneliness may make positive moods harder to sustain, which could have downstream effects on well-being and health.”</p>
<p>When they adjusted for demographic factors and objective social isolation, loneliness still predicted more variability in both positive and negative emotions. When average emotional levels were also accounted for, loneliness remained a significant predictor of both types of instability. However, once depressive symptoms were factored in, the link between loneliness and instability in negative emotions was no longer statistically significant. In contrast, the connection between loneliness and instability in positive emotions remained robust.</p>
<p>This pattern suggests that emotional volatility in negative feelings may be more closely tied to depression than to loneliness alone. But fluctuations in positive emotions appear to be more uniquely related to loneliness, beyond what can be explained by depression or other emotional traits.</p>
<p>“I was surprised by how consistent the link was between loneliness and positive emotion instability, and how it held up even after adjusting for depressive symptoms,” Kang said. “I had expected the link with negative emotion instability to be stronger, but that relationship disappeared once we accounted for depression. This tells me there’s something unique about how loneliness disrupts the stability of positive feelings.”</p>
<p>These results provide evidence that loneliness is not only associated with how people typically feel, but also with how much their emotions fluctuate—particularly in response to positive experiences. The authors propose that lonely individuals may struggle to sustain positive feelings over time. A pleasant event might lift their mood temporarily, but the benefits could fade more quickly compared to those who feel more socially connected.</p>
<p>This might explain why emotional instability was especially pronounced in positive emotions for lonely individuals. Even uplifting moments may not provide lasting comfort, possibly due to differences in how lonely people process or regulate emotions.</p>
<p>“From a methods perspective, using ecological momentary assessment was key,” Kang explained. “By tracking people’s emotions multiple times a day over two weeks, we were able to capture patterns that can’t be seen in one-time surveys. From a practical standpoint, these findings suggest that interventions for loneliness might need to focus not only on increasing positive experiences, but also on helping people sustain those good feelings and maintain more stable, positive emotional states.”</p>
<p>While the study provides new insight into how loneliness affects everyday emotions, it also has some limitations. Loneliness was measured only once at the start of the study. Yet loneliness can fluctuate over time depending on life circumstances. Future studies might use repeated assessments of loneliness to better track how changes in perceived social disconnection relate to emotional dynamics.</p>
<p>The research design also doesn’t allow for clear conclusions about causality. It remains unclear whether loneliness causes emotional instability, or whether people who tend to be more emotionally volatile are more likely to feel lonely over time. Longitudinal or experimental studies could help clarify this question.</p>
<p>Looking forward, “I’d like to explore why loneliness is so strongly tied to instability in positive emotions,” Kang said. “One possibility is that lonelier individuals may have trouble sustaining the benefits of good experiences—that their mood boost from a positive event might fade more quickly. As a next step, we’ve examined whether loneliness is linked to different emotional responses to positive events, both in the moment and hours later.</p>
<p>“That study is currently under review, but it will help clarify whether these fleeting benefits of uplifts contribute to the greater volatility in positive emotions we observed here. Ultimately, I hope this line of work will point to intervention strategies that not only increase positive experiences, but also help people hold onto those good feelings for longer.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2025.2527854" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Higher loneliness is associated with greater positive and negative emotion instability in everyday life</a>,” was authored by Jee eun Kang, Dusti R. Jones, Joshua M. Smyth, and Martin J. Sliwinski.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/study-hints-cannabis-use-may-influence-sleep-test-results-raising-concerns-about-misdiagnosis/" 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;">Study hints cannabis use may influence sleep test results, raising concerns about misdiagnosis</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Aug 15th 2025, 18:00</div>
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<p><p>New research published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.70107"><em>Journal of Sleep Research</em></a> points to a possible link between cannabis use and patterns of excessive sleepiness on a widely used sleep diagnostic test. Although the findings were not statistically significant, the trends observed suggest that cannabis use near the time of testing may be associated with outcomes that resemble hypersomnia disorders such as narcolepsy. The authors caution that these patterns could potentially contribute to diagnostic errors and unnecessary prescriptions, but emphasize that more rigorous studies are needed to confirm any connection.</p>
<p>Cannabis is the most widely consumed illicit substance worldwide, and its use has increased significantly since being decriminalized in places like Canada and several U.S. states. Despite its prevalence, the relationship between cannabis and sleep regulation remains poorly understood. Previous studies have reported mixed findings—some link cannabis to shortened time to fall asleep, while others associate it with poorer sleep quality or reduced rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.</p>
<p>In clinical sleep medicine, the multiple sleep latency test, or MSLT, is used to assess how quickly someone falls asleep under quiet, standardized conditions. It helps diagnose hypersomnia disorders such as narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. However, the test can be affected by various external factors, including medication and psychoactive substance use. While current guidelines discourage cannabis use before undergoing the MSLT, there has been limited empirical data showing how cannabis might influence the test’s outcomes. The new study set out to fill that gap by evaluating how cannabis use might impact MSLT results and possibly affect diagnoses.</p>
<p>“Cannabis use has been rising in the general population, particularly since its decriminalization in several states in the United States and in Canada,” explained study author <a href="https://research.unityhealth.to/profiles/nicholas-vozoris/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nicholas Vozoris</a>, an associate professor at the University of Toronto and staff respirologist and sleep medicine physician at St. Michael’s Hospital at Unity Health.</p>
<p>“Although cannabis has a long history of human consumption, with record of it be used by humans as early as the 5th century B.C., its effects on sleep and wakefulness are still not that well understood, with published studies thus far showing contradictory or paradoxical effects. ”</p>
<p>“In our recently published study, we sought to explore how cannabis use might impact the MSLT, which is a test sleep medicine doctors use to examine a person’s tendency to fall asleep under standardized conditions and it is used in the diagnosis of hypersomnia disorders, such as narcolepsy. If cannabis consumption near the time of an MSLT promoted sleepiness, this might then lead to erroneous hypersomnia diagnoses and subsequent unnecessary prescribing of wake-promoting pharmacotherapy with the potential for adverse drug effects.”</p>
<p>The study was a retrospective analysis of medical records from all adults who underwent an MSLT at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto between 2008 and 2018. Data was gathered from the hospital’s electronic medical records, including patient-reported information on smoking habits, comorbid health conditions, prescription drug use, and results from both the MSLT and a preceding overnight sleep study.</p>
<p>The researchers sorted the patients into three groups: active cannabis-only smokers, active tobacco-only smokers, and non-smokers of either substance. People who used both cannabis and tobacco were excluded to avoid confounding the results. The final sample included 139 individuals: 9 cannabis-only smokers, 14 tobacco-only smokers, and 116 non-smokers.</p>
<p>The team compared a wide range of MSLT outcomes across the groups. These included the average time it took to fall asleep during the test, the number of REM sleep onset episodes, and the percentage of individuals who met diagnostic criteria for narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia. They also analyzed results from the overnight sleep studies that preceded the MSLT, such as REM sleep latency and overall sleep efficiency. The statistical analyses were descriptive and did not attempt to control for additional variables, due to the small number of cannabis users in the sample.</p>
<p>Across most of the variables measured, there were no statistically significant differences between the three groups. However, the researchers noted several non-significant trends suggesting that cannabis-only smokers may have been more likely to show signs of excessive sleepiness or characteristics associated with hypersomnia disorders.</p>
<p>Cannabis-only users tended to fall asleep more quickly during the MSLT compared to non-smokers and tobacco-only smokers. Their average sleep onset latency was 8.1 minutes, compared to 9.2 minutes for non-smokers and 10.5 minutes for tobacco-only users. A lower latency can be indicative of excessive sleepiness.</p>
<p>A third of the cannabis smokers (33.3%) met the threshold for severe sleepiness, defined as falling asleep in under 5 minutes on average. This compared to 22.4% of non-smokers and 14.3% of tobacco smokers. Additionally, 55.6% of cannabis smokers had at least one REM sleep onset period—considered a red flag for narcolepsy—versus 28.4% of non-smokers and 42.9% of tobacco smokers.</p>
<p>The data also showed that 22.2% of cannabis smokers received a narcolepsy diagnosis following the test, compared to 8.6% of non-smokers and 7.1% of tobacco-only smokers. Similarly, a greater percentage of cannabis users were diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia (33.3%) compared to tobacco users (14.3%) and non-smokers (30.2%).</p>
<p>“Our study showed that there were in fact trends towards multiple markers or measures of increased sleepiness on an MSLT in association with cannabis consumption near the time of testing,” Vozoris told PsyPost. “Therefore, patients and physicians need to keep in mind that cannabis use near the time of MSLT testing has the potential to contribute towards hypersomnia disorder misdiagnosis, and as a result, potential inappropriate long-term prescription of wake-enhancing drug therapy.”</p>
<p>The authors point out that these findings align with a small number of earlier studies. For example, one study in people under age 21 found that cannabis use was linked to an increased number of REM-onset episodes and more frequent narcolepsy diagnoses. Another study in the United Kingdom suggested that drug use might contribute to inaccurate MSLT results in a sizable portion of patients diagnosed with narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia.</p>
<p>The study had a significant limitation. The sample size of active cannabis-only smokers was very small, making it hard to detect statistically meaningful differences. The data also relied on patient self-report for cannabis and tobacco use, which may not always be accurate. Only a few patients underwent objective drug testing before their MSLT.</p>
<p>The researchers suggest that future studies should involve larger sample sizes and more detailed information about cannabis consumption. Objective drug screening, timing of use relative to the sleep test, and control for additional confounders would help clarify whether cannabis truly contributes to false positives in hypersomnia testing.</p>
<p>According to the researchers, patients planning to undergo an MSLT should inform their healthcare providers about any cannabis use. Rather than stopping abruptly, they should work with their providers to determine how best to approach testing.</p>
<p>“If one is consuming cannabis on a regular basis, abruptly stopping it at the time of an MSLT may not be the right step to take, because that might contribute to unwanted test effects or false test results too,” Vozoris explained. “If a patient is regularly using cannabis and an MSLT in planned for him/her, there needs to be discussion between patient and physician about how to come off of cannabis for the purposes of conducting the test.”</p>
<p>“There are also many other factors that can potentially affect MSLT results, beyond recent cannabis use, including how much time the patient slept the night before the MSLT, the presence of other types of sleep disorders, and the use of certain specific types of prescription drugs, such as, serotonergic antidepressants.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.70107">Impact of Cannabis Smoking on Multiple Sleep Latency Test Outcomes</a>,” was authored by Kosta Tzanis, Jenna Sykes, Clodagh M. Ryan, and Nicholas T. Vozoris.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/early-brain-responses-to-political-leaders-faces-appear-unaffected-by-partisanship/" 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;">Early brain responses to political leaders’ faces appear unaffected by partisanship</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Aug 15th 2025, 16:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17470919.2025.2532469" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Social Neuroscience</a></em> explored how the human brain processes faces of political leaders, testing whether partisanship influences these early neural responses. Using electroencephalography (EEG), researchers found that people tend to show stronger brain activity when viewing politicians’ faces compared to strangers. However, they did not observe differences in neural responses based on whether the politician aligned with or opposed the viewer’s political affiliation. These findings indicate that while politicians’ faces appear to command more attention, early neural signals may not yet reflect partisan bias.</p>
<p>Partisan identity has been tied to biased reasoning, altered memory, and emotional reactions to political opponents. Yet much of this evidence comes from surveys or behavioral tasks, leaving open the question of whether such bias is also reflected in the earliest stages of perception. Previous research in social neuroscience has shown that social categories like race can influence the brain’s early responses to faces. The current study aimed to extend this work to the political domain by testing whether partisanship shapes the way the brain initially processes politicians’ faces.</p>
<p>“We were intrigued by the question of how deeply partisanship shapes our perception, especially at the neural level. Prior research shows partisanship can distort memory and reasoning, but much of that work is based on self-report or behavioral tasks. We wanted to go a step further and see whether partisan biases appear in the brain within milliseconds of seeing a politician’s face, before a person has time to consciously reflect,” said study author Gustavo Couto de Jesus of the University of Amsterdam.</p>
<p>“Faces are powerful stimuli for studying bias and social identity. They’re rich with emotional and social information, and we naturally use them to quickly assess traits like trustworthiness, competence, and group membership. Prior research even shows that the way we process faces can reflect out-group categorization and dehumanization. That makes them ideal for probing the subtle, often unconscious ways we respond to political leaders.”</p>
<p>“To explore this, we used event-related potentials (ERPs), a method that tracks electroencephalographic (EEG) brain activity with millisecond precision, and combined it with a face-viewing task,” Couto de Jesus explained. “We began by conducting a review of previous ERP research in areas such as race and minimal group bias, where early neural differences have been consistently observed in response to in-group and out-group faces.”</p>
<p>“Based on this literature, we expected to find similar early effects when participants viewed in-party versus out-party political leaders, particularly in components like the P200 and N200. The P200 is linked to rapid, automatic attention to salient or potentially threatening stimuli, activated by the out-group, while the N200 is associated with conflict detection and cognitive control, activated by the in-group. Our goal was to determine whether political identity, like other social groupings, influences attentional processes in the earliest stages of face perception.”</p>
<p>The experiment took place in the Netherlands, a country with a multi-party system, allowing researchers to examine partisan effects in a more diverse political context. The study included 51 adult participants, most of them university students, who were asked to identify both their preferred political parties (in-parties) and those they strongly opposed (out-parties).</p>
<p>Participants viewed a series of video clips showing Dutch political leaders and unfamiliar individuals. Each video began with a static neutral facial expression, transitioned into a dynamic emotional expression, and ended with a second static image. For the purposes of the EEG analysis, only the first 800 milliseconds of the neutral face display were analyzed. During this interval, EEG was used to record participants’ brain responses to the different faces.</p>
<p>To measure the strength of participants’ political identification, the researchers used “feeling thermometers,” asking people to rate how warmly they felt toward the political parties in question. Stronger identification was expected to predict greater neural differentiation between in-party and out-party leaders.</p>
<p>The most consistent finding was that the N170 component — a negative deflection in brain activity about 170 milliseconds after seeing a face — was significantly stronger when participants viewed politicians compared to unfamiliar individuals. This suggests that politicians’ faces tend to grab more early-stage visual attention, potentially due to their familiarity or emotional salience. The effect was small but statistically reliable and was also supported by a data-driven analysis looking across the whole brain.</p>
<p>In contrast, the study found no such pattern for the N250 component, which is often thought to reflect facial familiarity. Participants’ brains did not respond differently to politicians and strangers in this time window. This suggests that while politicians’ faces may draw attention, they might not be processed as more personally familiar than strangers’ faces — at least not in the way that would elicit a classic familiarity signal.</p>
<p>The researchers also looked for differences in brain activity when comparing in-party and out-party political leaders, focusing on the P200 and N200 components. These ERP signals have been linked to attentional biases toward in-group or out-group members in studies of race and social categorization. But in this study, no significant differences emerged between in-party and out-party conditions, even when accounting for individual differences in partisanship strength.</p>
<p>“Based on previous research in social neuroscience, particularly studies involving race and minimal group paradigms, we expected to observe early neural differences between in-party and out-party politicians, especially in components like the P200 and N200 that emerge before 350 milliseconds,” Couto de Jesus told PsyPost. “The absence of such effects in our study suggests that partisanship may not operate like other social categories at these initial stages of perceptual processing.”</p>
<p>“We also examined neural responses up to 800 milliseconds after stimulus onset and still found no evidence of differentiation based on party alignment, suggesting that even later, more evaluative stages of processing were not engaged. One possibility is that political group membership, unlike more visually or evolutionarily salient social cues, does not trigger automatic bias in the absence of additional context or task relevance. This points to the idea that partisan identity may be more cognitively mediated, requiring semantic or situational cues to influence neural processing, particularly when individuals are simply viewing faces without being asked to evaluate or react to them.”</p>
<p>The findings from this study indicate that while the human brain tends to give special attention to the faces of political leaders, early neural responses do not appear to reflect partisan bias.</p>
<p>“We found that politicians’ faces, in general, elicit stronger early neural responses (specifically in the N170 component) than unfamiliar faces, suggesting that political figures are attentionally salient,” Couto de Jesus summarized. “However, we did not find evidence that this early processing differs based on whether the politician belongs to someone’s preferred (in-party) or opposing (out-party) group.”</p>
<p>“In short: political faces grab our brain’s attention early, but partisan bias doesn’t seem to kick in at that stage. These findings suggest that early perceptual processing prioritizes political figures based on their social relevance, but evaluative biases such as those shaped by partisanship may require additional context or meaning to be activated, or simply emerge later.”</p>
<p>The authors caution that their findings may reflect the specific context of the Netherlands, where political polarization is generally lower than in countries like the United States. In such an environment, partisan identities may be less automatically activated, reducing the likelihood of early neural differentiation. More polarized societies might show stronger effects.</p>
<p>Additionally, the study examined only the earliest stages of brain activity. It’s possible that partisan bias emerges at later processing stages — during evaluation, interpretation, or memory — rather than during initial visual perception. Functional brain imaging (fMRI), for instance, might detect longer-lasting effects that occur after more cognitive elaboration.</p>
<p>“Our findings don’t imply that partisanship has no influence on perception — it clearly does, especially when it comes to how people interpret, evaluate, and respond to political information,” Couto de Jesus said. “However, this study suggests that the mere sight of a political leader’s face, presented without any additional message, task, or context, may not be sufficient to trigger partisan bias in the brain’s early stages of processing. This is especially notable given the complexity of our research setting: we conducted the study in the Netherlands, a multiparty system where political allegiances are more fragmented than in two-party systems.”</p>
<p>“Additionally, the politicians we included, two from the participant’s in-party and two from an out-party, may inevitably vary in public familiarity and personal resonance. It’s also important to acknowledge that EEG and ERPs primarily measure cortical activity at the surface of the brain and may not fully capture deeper neural processes, such as those occurring in the amygdala or other subcortical structures involved in emotional processing. If a neural process is too weak and too ‘hidden,’ it can be obfuscated by other more prominent neural processes.”</p>
<p>Future research could also explore how different cues interact with visual processing. They also call for cross-cultural studies comparing countries with different political climates.</p>
<p>“We’d like to explore what kinds of contexts or cues are necessary to activate partisan bias in the brain,” Couto de Jesus explained. “Does it emerge only when we hear a politician speak, when we observe an emotional expression, or when we’re placed in a situation that demands a judgment or decision? One important next step is to examine how visual cues like a politician’s face interact with other types of political information, such as explicit party labels, ideological statements, or emotionally charged messages. Combining these elements could help us better understand how and when motivated reasoning kicks in, as individuals begin to selectively attend to, interpret, and evaluate information through a partisan lens.”</p>
<p>“We’re also interested in whether these dynamics differ across political environments. In more polarized settings, like the United States, partisan identities may be more chronically activated and more likely to produce early neural differentiation.”</p>
<p>“More broadly, we see political information processing as a series of stages, beginning with basic perception, moving through affective and evaluative responses, and ultimately influencing reasoning and decision-making,” Couto de Jesus continued. “Our aim is to examine how each of these stages builds on the one before, and whether early neural responses can predict later biased interpretations or behaviors. By understanding where in this pipeline partisanship begins to exert its influence, we can better grasp the conditions under which political biases are triggered, amplified, or possibly even resisted.”</p>
<p>The findings (or lack thereof) adds a layer of complexity to the understanding of political cognition. They indicate that while political attitudes can influence how people interpret and evaluate information, they may not automatically alter the brain’s earliest perceptual responses. In some contexts, basic visual processing appears to operate independently of partisan bias.</p>
<p>“The study highlights the importance of not over-attributing bias to every cognitive process,” Couto de Jesus explained. “While partisanship clearly shapes how people interpret and respond to political information, our findings suggest that early visual perception and attention, such as seeing a politician’s face without added context, may engage more face-specific attributes or focus on the general politician category.”</p>
<p>“It is also important to acknowledge that how faces are processed can vary widely depending on the design and stimuli. Visually salient group cues may trigger earlier attentional responses than first recalling an individual and then categorizing their partisan identity. To better understand what ERP components like the N170, P200, or N200 reflect in political perception, we need more cross-contextual research. This means using more diverse samples, comparing across political systems, and incorporating richer stimuli that better reflect real-world political experiences. This will help clarify what these neural markers capture and when partisan bias truly begins to shape perception.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17470919.2025.2532469" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An ERP-study on the extent to which partisanship conditions the early processing of politicians’ faces</a>,” was authored by Gustavo Couto de Jesus, Maaike D. Homan, Diamantis Petropoulos Petalas, Bert N. Bakker, Joe Bathelt, and Gijs Schumacher.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-technology-reveals-how-autism-disrupts-brain-cell-communication/" 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;">New technology reveals how autism disrupts brain cell communication</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Aug 15th 2025, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>Autism affects at least 2% of children in the United States – an estimated <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/ss/ss6706a1.htm?s_cid=ss6706a1_w">1 in 59</a>. This is challenging for both the patients and their parents or caregivers. What’s worse is that today there are no drugs that treat the main symptoms of autism. That is in large part because we still don’t fully understand how autism develops and alters normal brain function. One of the main reasons it is hard to decipher the processes that cause the disease is that it is highly variable. So how do we understand how autism changes the brain?</p>
<p>Using a new technology called single-nucleus RNA sequencing, we analyzed the <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.aav8130">chemistry inside specific brain cells</a> from both healthy people and those with autism and identified dramatic differences that may cause this disease. These autism-specific differences could provide valuable new targets for drug development.</p>
<p>I am a neuroscientist in the <a href="https://kriegsteinlab.ucsf.edu">lab of Arnold Kreigstein</a>, a researcher of human brain development at the University of California, San Francisco. Since I was a teenager, I have been fascinated by the human brain and computers and the similarities between the two. The computer works by directing a flow of information through interconnected electronic elements called transistors. Wiring together many of these small elements creates a complex machine capable of functions from processing a credit card payment to autopiloting a rocket ship. Though it is an oversimplification, the human brain is, in many respects, like a computer. It has connected cells called neurons that process and direct information flow – a process called synaptic transmission in which one neuron sends a signal to another.</p>
<p>When I started doing science professionally, I realized that many diseases of the human brain are due to specific types of neurons malfunctioning, just like a transistor on a circuit board can malfunction either because it was not manufactured properly or due to wear and tear.</p>
<h2>RNA messages in the cell drive function</h2>
<p>Every cell in any living organism is made of the same types of biological molecules. Molecules called proteins create cellular structures, catalyze chemical reactions and perform other functions within the cell.</p>
<p>Two related types of molecules – DNA and RNA – are made of sequences of just four basic elements and used by the cell to store information. DNA is used for hereditary long-term information storage; RNA is a short-lived message that signals how active a gene is and how much of a particular protein the cell needs to make. By counting the number of RNA molecules carrying the same message, researchers can get insights into the processes happening inside the cell.</p>
<p>When it comes to the brain, scientists can measure RNA inside individual cells, identify the type of brain cell and and analyze the processes taking place inside it – for instance, synaptic transmission. By comparing RNA analyses of brain cells from healthy people not diagnosed with any brain disease with those done in patients with autism, researchers like myself can figure out which processes are different and in which cells.</p>
<p>Until recently, however, simultaneously measuring all RNA molecules in a single cell was not possible. Researchers could perform these analyses only from a piece of brain tissue containing millions of different cells. This was complicated further because it was possible to collect these tissue samples only from patients who have already died.</p>
<h2>New tech pinpoints neurons affected in autism</h2>
<p>However, recent advances in technology allowed our team to measure RNA that is contained within the nucleus of a single brain cell. The nucleus of a cell contains the genome, as well as newly synthesized RNA molecules. This structure remains intact ever after the death of a cell and thus can be isolated from dead (also called postmortem) brain tissue.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
<p>By analyzing single cellular nuclei from this postmortem brain of people with and without autism, we profiled the RNA within 100,000 single brain cells of many such individuals.</p>
<p>Comparing RNA in specific types of brain cells between the individuals with and without autism, we found that some specific cell types are more altered than others in the disease.</p>
<p>In particular, <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi/10.1126/science.aav8130">we found that certain neurons</a> called upper-layer cortical neurons that exchange information between different regions of the cerebral cortex have an abnormal number of RNA-encoding proteins located at the synapse – the points of contacts between neurons where signals are transmitted from one nerve cell to another. These changes were detected in regions of the cortex vital for higher-order cognitive functions, such as social interactions.</p>
<p>This suggests that synapses in these upper-layer neurons are malfunctioning, leading to changes in brain functions. In our study, we showed that upper-layer neurons had very different quantities of certain RNA compared to the same cells in healthy people. That was especially true in autism patients who suffered from the most severe symptoms, like not being able to speak.</p>
<h2>Glial cells are also affected in autism</h2>
<p>In addition to neurons that are directly responsible for synaptic communication, we also saw changes in the RNA of other non-neuronal cells – called glia. Glia play important roles in regulating the behavior of neurons, including how they send and receive messages via the synapse. These may also play an important role in causing autism.</p>
<p>So what do these findings mean for future medical treatment of autism?</p>
<p>From these results, I and my colleagues understand that the same parts of the synaptic machinery which are critical for sending signals and transmitting information in the upper-layer neurons might be broken in many people with autism, leading to abnormal brain function.</p>
<p>If we can repair these parts, or fine-tune neuronal function to a near-normal state, it might offer dramatic relief of symptoms for the patients. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4593">Studies</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd.2015.21">are underway to deliver drugs</a> and gene therapy to specific cell types in the brain, and many scientists including myself believe such approaches will be indispensable for future treatments of autism.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/117074/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1"><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p>
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<p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-autism-research-on-single-neurons-suggests-signaling-problems-in-brain-circuits-117074">original article</a>.</em></p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-neuroscience-research-links-psychopathys-antisocial-features-to-distinct-brain-structure-abnormalities/" 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;">New neuroscience research links psychopathy’s antisocial features to distinct brain structure abnormalities</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Aug 15th 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-025-02028-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience</a></em> provides evidence that individuals who exhibit psychopathic traits tend to show structural differences across widespread brain regions. Using advanced brain imaging techniques, researchers found that impulsive and antisocial behaviors—a core feature of psychopathy—are strongly associated with reduced volume in brain areas involved in behavioral regulation and self-control. In contrast, traits related to shallow emotions and manipulativeness appeared to show more variable and weaker associations with brain structure.</p>
<p>Psychopathy refers to a set of personality traits linked to a heightened risk of aggression, violence, and persistent antisocial behavior. People high in these traits often show a lack of empathy and remorse, combined with manipulative tendencies and emotional detachment. They also tend to exhibit impulsive, irresponsible behavior and a higher likelihood of criminal activity and reoffending. Unlike antisocial personality disorder, psychopathy is not formally classified as a clinical diagnosis in many diagnostic systems, but it remains a widely studied and influential construct in both forensic psychology and psychiatry.</p>
<p>Researchers commonly measure psychopathy using the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised, a 20-item assessment tool. It produces a total score along with two dimensions. The first, sometimes called the interpersonal-affective factor, reflects traits like superficial charm, deceitfulness, and emotional coldness. The second, known as the lifestyle-antisocial factor, captures traits such as impulsivity, poor behavioral controls, and a tendency toward antisocial actions. Although these two dimensions often co-occur, they represent distinct behavioral patterns and may involve different underlying brain mechanisms.</p>
<p>While previous research has linked psychopathy to structural brain differences, findings have varied considerably across studies. Some of the inconsistency may stem from small sample sizes, differences in assessment tools, or variability in the characteristics of the participants. Many studies have also relied on nonclinical populations—such as university students—to infer conclusions about psychopathy.</p>
<p>The new study aimed to overcome these limitations by analyzing neuroimaging data from a relatively large sample of forensic cases, focusing specifically on individuals with high psychopathy scores. The researchers wanted to examine whether the two dimensions of psychopathy—affective-interpersonal traits and antisocial behavior—show different patterns of brain structure abnormalities.</p>
<p>“Psychopathy is associated with aggressive and violent behaviour. Elucidating its neurobiological causes could help to find new strategies for therapy or early diagnosis, which is important because currently psychopathy of adults is considered to be difficult or impossible to treat,” said study author Peter Pieperhoff of <a href="https://www.fz-juelich.de/en/inm/inm-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine</a> at Forschungszentrum Jülich.</p>
<p>The study included 39 right-handed men with high psychopathy scores (20 or above on the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised). Participants were recruited from forensic hospitals and parole offices across three German sites. An age-matched group of control participants was also included for comparison. All participants were screened to exclude major psychiatric or neurological disorders, although substance use history was allowed, provided there was a period of abstinence prior to participation.</p>
<p>Each participant underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The researchers used a method called deformation-based morphometry to estimate the volumes of various brain regions. These estimates were then analyzed in relation to each participant’s psychopathy scores. The analysis employed <a href="https://julich-brain-atlas.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Julich-Brain Atlas</a>, a detailed neuroanatomical mapping system, along with statistical methods designed to reduce false positives when examining multiple brain regions.</p>
<p>The most consistent finding was that individuals with high scores on the second dimension of psychopathy (impulsive and antisocial behavior) tended to show smaller volumes in several brain areas involved in behavioral control. These included structures within the brainstem, basal ganglia, and thalamus, as well as areas of the frontal cortex and cerebellum. Many of these regions play key roles in motor coordination, inhibition, decision-making, and emotional regulation.</p>
<p>Specifically, the researchers found reduced volumes in the subthalamic nucleus, substantia nigra, thalamic nuclei, and regions of the orbitofrontal cortex. These areas are part of frontal-subcortical circuits, which form feedback loops between the cortex and deeper brain structures. These loops are believed to be essential for regulating impulses, evaluating risks, and modulating emotions. The findings suggest that structural impairments in these networks may contribute to the impulsivity and antisocial tendencies seen in psychopathy.</p>
<p>“The clinical definition of psychopathy encompasses two groups of personality features: Interpersonal/affective and lifestyle/antisocial features,” Pieperhoff told PsyPost. “The latter group of features describes e.g. impulsive, irresponsible behaviour or criminal behavior. In our study, we found that increased scores of this feature group are associated with structural deficits, i.e. reduced volumes of specific brain regions, which are part of certain neuronal circuits. This finding is particularly interesting, because it is known that many brain functions are formed by similar circuits.”</p>
<p>In contrast, the first psychopathy dimension (interpersonal and affective traits) showed much weaker and more variable associations with brain structure. While a few small areas in the orbitofrontal cortex and hippocampus were positively or negatively linked to these traits, the results did not hold up after correcting for multiple comparisons.</p>
<p>This may indicate that these traits are either more behaviorally nuanced or less dependent on consistent structural alterations. Alternatively, the variability could reflect the presence of “successful psychopaths,” who score high on affective and interpersonal traits but manage to avoid overt criminal behavior and may even function effectively in society.</p>
<p>When comparing the brain scans of psychopathic individuals to controls, the researchers observed an overall reduction in total brain volume in the psychopathy group. The most prominent regional volume differences were found in the right subiculum, part of the hippocampus, which plays a role in memory and spatial navigation.</p>
<p>“The mean global brain volume of psychopathic subjects was lower than that of control subjects, which could indicate a disturbance of brain development in psychopathy.”</p>
<p>The researchers acknowledged several limitations. Although the sample size was larger than many previous studies, it was still relatively small given the complexity of the analyses. The psychopathy group came from forensic populations, which often include individuals with varying histories of substance use or cognitive impairment—factors that may also affect brain structure. Intelligence levels were not matched or measured across all participants, which may have introduced additional variability.</p>
<p>“It would be desirable to conduct more in-depth behavioural or psychological investigations of psychopathic subjects, in particular to disentangle their interpersonal/affective peculiarities,” Pieperhoff said.</p>
<p>Another limitation is that the study used structural imaging alone, without incorporating functional data. While changes in brain volume provide important clues, they do not fully capture how these brain regions operate during tasks involving emotion, inhibition, or decision-making. Future research could combine structural and functional imaging to better understand the dynamic processes involved in psychopathy.</p>
<p>“Our study suggests that some people might have more difficulties to behave in a socially adequate way because of certain deviations in their brain structure,” Pieperhoff noted. “But these findings neither relieve anyone of the responsibility for his/her own behaviour, nor do they answer the question what is an adequate protection against psychopathic criminals, recidivism or prevention of violent behaviour in a certain situation. In particular, the causes of these structural deviations of the brain was not answered by our study.”</p>
<p>Despite these limitations, the findings suggest that psychopathy—particularly its antisocial and impulsive features—is linked to disruptions in brain circuits responsible for behavioral regulation. The interpersonal and emotional traits of psychopathy may be less consistently tied to structural abnormalities, or they may involve more individualized patterns of brain differences. Further research is needed to determine how genetic, developmental, and environmental factors shape these neurobiological profiles, and whether they might be useful for clinical or forensic assessments in the future.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-025-02028-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associations of brain structure with psychopathy</a>,” was authored by Peter Pieperhoff, Lena Hofhansel, Frank Schneider, Jürgen Müller, Katrin Amunts, Sabrina Weber-Papen, Carmen Weidler, Benjamin Clemens, Adrian Raine, and Ute Habel.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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