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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/masturbation-shows-promise-in-alleviating-womens-menopausal-symptoms/" 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;">Masturbation shows promise in alleviating women’s menopausal symptoms</a>
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<p><p>Recent research indicates that self-stimulation may serve as an effective non-pharmacological method for managing symptoms associated with the menopausal transition. The findings suggest that while masturbation is an under-discussed topic in medical settings, many women report it aids in sleep regulation and mood stabilization. These results were published in the journal <em><a href="https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/fulltext/9900/the_role_of_masturbation_in_relieving_symptoms.554.aspx" target="_blank">Menopause</a></em>.</p>
<p>Menopause brings a variety of physical and psychological changes that can significantly disrupt daily life and workplace productivity. Common symptoms include sleep disturbances, mood volatility, and genitourinary issues like dryness or pain. Hormone therapy remains the primary medical treatment for these issues. </p>
<p>However, usage rates for hormone therapy have declined over the last two decades due to health concerns and contraindications. Consequently, there is a distinct need for accessible, low-risk management strategies that can supplement or replace pharmaceutical interventions.</p>
<p>“Most women going through menopause experience a range of symptoms, some of which are considered highly disruptive and negatively affect everyday quality of life. Hormone therapy can be a great option for treating them, but usage rates are low and not everyone has access to care, which presents a need for more options that are affordable and accessible,” said study author Justin Lehmiller, senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, host of the <a href="https://www.sexandpsychology.com/podcasts/" target="_blank">Sex and Psychology Podcast</a>, and author of <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3XdS2GA" target="_blank">Tell Me What You Want</a></em>.</p>
<p>Previous scientific literature has established links between sexual activity and physiological benefits. For instance, orgasm releases neurochemicals such as endorphins and oxytocin, which can blunt pain perception and promote relaxation. Additionally, genital stimulation increases blood flow to the region, potentially oxygenating tissues and countering atrophy. </p>
<p>To investigate whether these known physiological mechanisms translate into symptom relief for women undergoing menopause, the research team recruited a demographically representative sample of women residing in the United States. Participants were gathered through opt-in internet panels to match census data regarding race, age, and geography. The initial pool included 1,500 women between the ages of 40 and 65.</p>
<p>To focus specifically on the menopausal transition, the researchers excluded premenopausal respondents from the final analysis. The final analytic sample consisted of 1,178 participants. The researchers categorized these participants based on their menstrual history over the preceding year.</p>
<p>Those experiencing cycle changes but who still had at least one period were labeled perimenopausal. Those without a period for at least a year were labeled postmenopausal. This distinction allowed the team to compare experiences across different stages of reproductive aging.</p>
<p>The survey presented a checklist of fifteen potential symptom management strategies. Options included lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, medical treatments like antidepressants and hormone therapy, and sexual behaviors including masturbation. Participants indicated which strategies they currently used.</p>
<p>Analysis of the data revealed that approximately 61 percent of the participants had engaged in masturbation within the past year. When asked about symptom management specifically, about 10 to 13 percent of the women identified regular masturbation as a strategy they actively employ. This usage rate was lower than lifestyle interventions such as exercise but higher than medical interventions like hormone therapy.</p>
<p>Participants rated the effectiveness of each strategy they utilized on a five-point scale. The data showed that women who used masturbation for symptom relief rated it as highly effective. In terms of perceived benefit, it ranked similarly to partnered sex and higher than many other common strategies such as supplements or Kegel exercises.</p>
<p>This pattern of high efficacy held true for both perimenopausal and postmenopausal respondents. The researchers also sought to identify which specific symptoms were most responsive to self-stimulation. Perimenopausal women reported the greatest improvements in mood swings, irritability, and difficulty falling asleep.</p>
<p>Postmenopausal women similarly identified sleep initiation as a primary benefit. They also reported relief from vaginal pain and bloating, though these were less common than sleep benefits. Qualitative responses supported these statistical findings, with women describing feelings of relaxation and reduced restlessness.</p>
<p>“We found that a sizable number of women reported that self-pleasure positively impacted menopausal symptoms, especially those related to changes in sleep and mood,” Lehmiller told PsyPost. “Compared to other methods of symptom relief, masturbation was rated as being one of the most effective, which points to its potential as a way of managing certain symptoms and potentially augmenting other forms of treatment.” </p>
<p>“For instance, to the extent that hormone therapy enhances desire and reduces vaginal dryness and pain, it may make masturbation more comfortable—and masturbation, in turn, may provide additional benefits, such as by making it easier to fall and stay asleep.”</p>
<p>The authors note that the specific benefits of masturbation appear to align with its biological effects. For example, the release of oxytocin and dopamine during sexual arousal helps regulate mood. This offers a plausible explanation for why psychological symptoms were frequently cited as improving.</p>
<p>Similarly, the physical relaxation that follows orgasm may directly address insomnia. Sleep disturbances are among the most disruptive complaints during menopause. Finding a non-drug method to address sleep latency could improve overall quality of life.</p>
<p>A significant portion of the survey addressed communication with healthcare providers. The results indicated a substantial gap in doctor-patient dialogue regarding sexual health. </p>
<p>“Only about half of menopausal women in our study said that their doctor had ever even talked to them about menopause, which is pretty shocking,” Lehmiller said. “Menopause isn’t some rare or uncommon thing—every woman will experience it at some point. The fact that so many women say they aren’t hearing about it at all from their doctors is problematic to say the least because there’s so much that can be done to alleviate symptoms and enhance quality of life.”</p>
<p>Less than 8 percent of participants reported that their physician had ever discussed masturbation with them. Despite this lack of professional guidance, a large number of respondents expressed openness to the idea. Approximately half of the perimenopausal women stated they would be willing to try masturbation as a treatment if a doctor recommended it. </p>
<p>The study also explored potential negative effects. A very small minority of women reported that masturbation worsened their symptoms. Exploratory analyses suggested this was associated with poorer overall health or difficulty achieving orgasm.</p>
<p>For women with genito-pelvic pain or other chronic conditions, sexual activity might exacerbate discomfort. This highlights that masturbation may not be a suitable strategy for every patient. Individual health contexts play a significant role in determining the viability of this approach.</p>
<p>Qualitative data provided additional context to the statistical figures. Women were given the opportunity to describe their experiences in their own words. Many described masturbation as a form of self-care that reconnected them with their bodies.</p>
<p>Some participants explicitly mentioned the “use it or lose it” concept regarding vaginal health. They felt that regular activity helped maintain elasticity and lubrication. Others focused on stress reduction, noting that it served as a release valve for daily anxieties.</p>
<p>As with all research, there are some limitations to consider. The study relied on self-reported data, which introduces the possibility of recall bias. Participants were asked to remember past symptoms and behaviors, which may not always be accurate.</p>
<p>Additionally, the cross-sectional nature of the survey means that it captures a snapshot in time rather than tracking changes over a long period. This design allows for the identification of associations but cannot definitively prove that masturbation causes symptom relief. It is possible that women with fewer severe symptoms are simply more likely to masturbate.</p>
<p>The sample was limited to women in the United States. Cultural attitudes toward female sexuality vary significantly across the globe. Consequently, these results may not generalize to populations with different social norms regarding self-pleasure.</p>
<p>Selection bias is another potential factor. Women comfortable participating in a survey about sexual behavior may differ from those who declined. This could potentially skew the prevalence estimates of masturbation usage.</p>
<p>“I’ve seen a few comments on social media that seem to minimize the findings,” Lehmiller told PsyPost. “Specifically, some people point to the line that nearly 1 in 5 menopausal women had noticed that self-pleasure provided symptom relief as evidence that it only works for a small number, but that’s an inaccurate conclusion.”</p>
<p>“A substantial number of women in the study (22.5% postmenopausal and 12.5% perimenopausal) said they’d never masturbated, which means they wouldn’t necessarily know whether self-pleasure has an effect. Of the others who had masturbated, they might not have consciously connected self-pleasure to menopause symptoms because many people are not aware of the full range of symptoms (in fact, many discussions of menopause only focus on one symptom: hot flashes).” </p>
<p>“Consistent with this idea, when we asked later on in the survey whether masturbation had improved specific symptoms of menopause and gave a full list, nearly half of perimenopausal and one-third of postmenopausal women reported improvement in at least one symptom. Those aren’t small numbers.”</p>
<p>Future investigations could benefit from experimental designs. The researchers suggest that randomized controlled trials would provide more robust evidence of efficacy. Longitudinal studies tracking women through the menopausal transition could help clarify the timing and magnitude of any benefits.</p>
<p>Further research might also incorporate physiological measures to objectively assess changes. For instance, tracking sleep architecture or hormone levels could validate self-reported improvements. The researchers have conducted preliminary follow-up work suggesting a link between masturbation and vagal efficiency.</p>
<p>“We partnered with Womanizer again this year on an intervention study to more closely explore the link between masturbation and menopause symptoms,” Lehmiller explained. “We are preparing the findings for publication in a scientific journal, but a preliminary report is available <a href="https://www.womanizer.com/media/menstrubation/Womanizer_x_Kinsey_Institute_Report.pdf" target="_blank">here (PDF)</a>.” </p>
<p>“We recruited a sample of peri- and post-menopausal women and tracked them for 3 months while they underwent a masturbatory abstinence phase, a period of masturbating with their preferred method, and a period of masturbating with a clitoral sex toy. We found that reports of most menopausal symptoms went down when participants were masturbating regularly (3-4 times per week) compared to when they abstained. This longitudinal design provides us with more definitive evidence that masturbation does seem to have a positive effect on menopausal symptoms.</p>
<p>“As part of this research, we also did a small psychophysiological study to better understand why masturbation has these effects, and we found some support for the idea that masturbation (particularly with a toy that targets the clitoris) is linked to enhanced vagal efficiency,” Lehmiller continued.</p>
<p>“Vagal efficiency is a measure of the brain-body connection. The vagus nerve connects the brain to all of your vital organs and regulates key body functions, such as heart rate and blood pressure. We think part of what’s going on here is that masturbation may be enhancing vagal tone—and this, in turn, may be reducing stress, improving mood, and facilitating sleep.” </p>
<p>“Something else we found in this study is that the effects of masturbation on menopause symptoms were strongest for women who reached orgasm regularly. This suggests that another part of the benefit here has to do with the neurochemicals released upon orgasm (e.g., oxytocin, serotonin), which may also assist in falling asleep, getting better quality sleep, and just feeling better overall.” </p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/fulltext/9900/the_role_of_masturbation_in_relieving_symptoms.554.aspx" target="_blank">The role of masturbation in relieving symptoms associated with menopause</a>,” was authored by Justin J. Lehmiller, Cynthia A. Graham, Louise Ferrall, Emily A. Mendelson, and Merissa S. Prine.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/scientists-identify-a-fat-derived-hormone-that-drives-the-mood-benefits-of-exercise/" 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 identify a fat-derived hormone that drives the mood benefits of exercise</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 24th 2025, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study published in <em><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-025-03317-1" target="_blank">Molecular Psychiatry</a></em> provides evidence that a single thirty-minute session of physical activity can produce immediate antidepressant effects in both humans and mice. The research identifies a specific biological pathway involving a hormone released by fat cells that alters brain plasticity to improve mood. These findings suggest that short-term exercise could serve as an accessible intervention for alleviating depressive symptoms.</p>
<p>Major depressive disorder places a significant burden on global health systems and affects millions of individuals. Current pharmaceutical treatments often require weeks or even months to become effective and can carry unwanted side effects. While consistent physical activity is recognized for its mental health benefits, the immediate impact of a single exercise session is less understood. </p>
<p>The scientific community lacks a complete picture of the neurobiological processes that translate physical movement into rapid mood elevation. The study aimed to map the specific cellular and molecular events that occur in the brain following acute exercise.</p>
<p>“Depression is one of the most devastating disorders, contributing significantly to disability worldwide. Although regular physical exercise is recognized for its antidepressant effects, the immediate impact of a single bout of exercise has often been overlooked, with limited mechanistic evidence supporting its benefits,” said study author <a href="https://www.sonatayau.com/" target="_blank">Sonata Suk-yu Yau</a>, an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and a principle investigator in the Mental Health Research Center at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.</p>
<p>“Rapid-acting antidepressant treatments that offer sustained effects and minimal side effects remain scarce. This issue is particularly concerning given the rising prevalence of adolescent depression, highlighting the importance of non-pharmacological preventative measures to reduce the risk of developing depression. </p>
<p>“This study provides clinical evidence for the effectiveness of a single session of exercise in alleviating depressive symptoms. Additionally, mechanistic support from animal studies demonstrates that a single bout of exercise rapidly increases levels of the adipocyte-secreted hormone adiponectin, which activates neural activity and promotes new spine formation in the prefrontal cortex, ultimately leading to a rapid response.”</p>
<p>The researchers recruited forty university students and staff for the human portion of the experiment. Half of these participants exhibited symptoms of anxiety or depression based on initial screening, while the other half did not. All individuals completed a thirty-minute running session on a treadmill at a moderate intensity. </p>
<p>Psychological assessments conducted before and after the session showed that the exercise reduced total mood disturbance. Participants reported higher levels of vigor and self-esteem alongside reductions in negative feelings such as tension and fatigue.</p>
<p>To investigate the underlying biology, the team utilized a mouse model designed to simulate depression through chronic unpredictable stress. These mice underwent a similar thirty-minute treadmill protocol. Behavioral tests measured the animals’ motivation and mood states. </p>
<p>For example, the forced swim test measures how long a mouse struggles to escape water versus floating passively. The exercised mice displayed significantly reduced depression-like behaviors compared to sedentary controls. This antidepressant response emerged within two hours and persisted for up to twenty-four hours.</p>
<p>The investigators then examined brain tissue to identify which areas were active during the exercise. They mapped the expression of c-Fos, a protein that indicates recent neuronal activity. This mapping revealed increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex. This region plays a significant role in emotion regulation and mood disorders.</p>
<p>Further analysis pinpointed the specific type of cells activated within this region. The study showed that glutamatergic neurons, which are excitatory nerve cells, were primarily responsible for the increased activity. The researchers sought to determine if this activity was the cause of the mood improvement.</p>
<p>They utilized a technique called chemogenetics, which allows for the remote control of specific cell groups using engineered receptors and specific drugs. They artificially inhibited these specific neurons before the mice exercised. This inhibition prevented the antidepressant effects usually seen after running. This indicates that the activation of these neurons is necessary for the mood benefit. Conversely, chemically activating these neurons in sedentary mice mimicked the antidepressant effects of exercise.</p>
<p>The team investigated chemical signals that might bridge the gap between the body and the brain. They focused on molecules known as exerkines, which are released by peripheral organs during physical activity. They observed that the exercise session led to elevated levels of adiponectin in the medial prefrontal cortex. Adiponectin is a hormone typically secreted by fat tissue.</p>
<p>In the mice, the rise in brain adiponectin levels correlated directly with the reduction in depression-like behavior. This suggests a communication pathway where the body signals the brain to regulate mood. The study established that the glutamatergic neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex possess receptors specifically for adiponectin, known as AdipoR1.</p>
<p>When the researchers genetically removed these receptors, the exercise no longer produced an antidepressant response. This confirmed that the hormone must bind to these specific receptors to initiate the mood-regulating process. The team then looked inside the neurons to understand what happened after the receptor was activated.</p>
<p>They tracked a protein known as APPL1. Under normal conditions, APPL1 resides in the cell’s main body, or cytoplasm. The data showed that following exercise, adiponectin signaling caused APPL1 to move into the cell nucleus. This translocation peaked approximately two hours after the exercise session ended.</p>
<p>Once inside the nucleus, APPL1 appeared to influence how DNA is packaged and read. This process is known as epigenetic regulation. The study found increased acetylation of histone H4, a chemical change that loosens the DNA structure to allow for gene expression. This modification essentially unlocks specific genetic instructions.</p>
<p>This process led to the increased production of proteins essential for building connections between neurons. These proteins included components necessary for synaptic transmission. Consequently, the researchers observed the formation of new dendritic spines. Dendritic spines are small protrusions on neurons that receive signals from other neurons.</p>
<p>The formation of new spines indicates a physical rewiring of the brain, known as neural plasticity. Blocking the movement of APPL1 into the nucleus prevented both the formation of these new connections and the antidepressant behavioral effects. This links the molecular journey of APPL1 directly to the structural changes in the brain and the subsequent improvement in mood.</p>
<p>The findings suggest that “a single bout of exercise lasting 30 minutes at moderate intensity is effective in alleviating depressive mood,” Yau told PsyPost. “Physical exercise is one of the most accessible and low-cost interventions for immediately reducing depressive symptoms, and it may also be effective in preventing the development of depression.”</p>
<p>But the study, like all research, includes some caveats. The human trial involved a relatively small sample size of university students, which may not represent the general clinical population or those with severe depressive disorders. </p>
<p>Additionally, the animal mechanisms were primarily explored in male mice. It remains unclear whether female mice share the exact same biological pathways, as hormonal differences can influence depression and exercise responses.</p>
<p>“Our long-term goal is to provide robust scientific evidence for both the acute and sustained beneficial effects of physical exercise in alleviating depressive mood among the general population with mood disturbances, as well as patients with depression,” Yau explained. “As a next step, we plan to investigate the optimal intensity and shortest duration of a single bout of exercise to enhance its practicality and accessibility.” </p>
<p>“Additionally, we aim to examine the influence of gender and age on the response to single-bout exercise. Ultimately, our objective is to develop population-based guidelines with optimal single-bout exercise prescriptions for mood improvement, serving as an effective strategy to prevent the development of depression.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-025-03317-1" target="_blank">Rapid antidepressant effect of single-bout exercise is mediated by adiponectin-induced APPL1 nucleus translocation in anterior cingulate cortex</a>,” was authored by Tong Cheng, Formolo Douglas Affonso, Jiasui Yu, Yunxiao Zhong, Zonghao Ma, Akhlaq Hussain, Formolo Natalia Paludo Silveira, Li Zhang, Kenneth King-yip Cheng, Georg S. Kranz, Kangguang Lin, Gang Chen, Parco Ming-Fai Siu, Jung Sun Yoo, Cora Sau Wan Lai, Aimin Xu, Kwok-Fai So, and Suk-Yu Yau.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/does-your-dog-have-adhd-scientists-are-finding-signs-of-neurodivergence-in-animals/" 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;">Does your dog have ADHD? Scientists are finding signs of neurodivergence in animals</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 23rd 2025, 18:00</div>
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<p><p>I live with several cocker spaniels. They are smart and affectionate, but sometimes air-headed, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/com0000352">impulsive</a> and extremely sensitive. It’s common for friends to describe my dogs as “having ADHD” as one of my canine whirlwinds whizz past.</p>
<p>People are increasingly aware of <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-its-time-to-rethink-the-notion-of-an-autism-spectrum-263243">neurodiversity</a>, and diagnoses such as <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/">autism</a> and ADHD (<a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/adhd-adults/">attention deficit hyperactivity disorder</a>) are becoming more common. And scientists are starting to give their attention to the idea that some of our animal cousins may also experience the world in different ways because of diversity in how their brains function. The concept is new, but this research may help deepen our bonds with our pets.</p>
<p>Anyone who has lived with, trained or cared for animals will be aware of how <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10539-020-09776-w">individual their differences in personality</a> can be. But can animals really be neurodivergent? What might this mean for how we care for, train and manage them?</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/dneu.22960">Neurodiversity</a> is a variation in how people behave and how their brains function. This is the result of structural and chemical differences in the brain. But diagnosing animals with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1079/9781786393401.0167">human conditions can be problematic</a>.</p>
<p>Animals cannot directly tell us how they perceive the world, or answer typical diagnostic questions. We can only ever describe animal behaviour through the lens of our own understanding, for example <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376635717304321">labelling some dogs as impulsive</a>. For those dogs, however, their outward impulsivity might be normal behaviour for their breed, in the same way that many <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787815001549">cats are solitary</a>.</p>
<p>However, research indicates that a range of species including <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-023-02276-9">dogs</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.549810/full">rats</a>, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/14/7550">mice</a> and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8645879/">non-human primates</a> can show genetic and behavioural signs of neurodivergence. For instance, structural differences in genes known to be associated with hypersocial behaviour <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature08837">have been found in dogs</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938411004689">Impulsive behaviour in dogs</a> is also linked to low levels of the neurotransmitters <a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/serotonin-vs-dopamine.html">serotonin and dopamine</a>. Serotonin is important for emotional stability, while dopamine helps with focus.</p>
<p>Imbalances and difficulty in <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11604610/">regulating these neurotransmitters</a> may also be associated with ADHD in people, and is often characterised by impulsivity. This also raises the interesting possibility that by breeding animals to live alongside us, we selected animals with behaviour similar to what is reported by neurodiverse people.</p>
<h2>Modelling animal autism</h2>
<p>Scientists have developed <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2022.845155/full">animal models of autism</a> to help them understand factors linked to increased risk and to be able to explore potential <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu3793#core-R45-1">therapeutic support</a>. These models are developed from selectively bred, laboratory-housed animals and might not fully represent typical population diversity. However, they are still valuable in helping us understand the biological basis of neurodiversity.</p>
<p>For example, some beagle dogs have a mutation in a gene called Shank3, which is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn.2016.183">linked with autism in humans</a> and often characterised by difficulties in social interactions. Beagles with the Shank3 mutation also <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu3793">exhibit low desire</a> to interact with people. It turns out that they have reduced cell to cell signalling in regions of the brain linked with attention.</p>
<p>They also demonstrate less of what is known as <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(19)30550-1?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867419305501%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">neural coupling</a> with people. Neural coupling is where the brain activity of two or more individuals aligns when interacting. It typically occurs when people are <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/neurosciences/abstract/S0166-2236(20)30150-8?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0166223620301508%3Fshowall%3Dtrue">storytelling or teaching</a>, but a <a href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202402493">2024 study</a> also found it happens when dogs and humans gaze into each other’s eyes.</p>
<p>The Shank3 mutation might therefore result in impaired neural processing and signalling, <a href="https://theconversation.com/gazing-at-your-dog-can-connect-your-brain-with-theirs-research-shows-239859">limiting spontaneous social interactions</a> and bonding between dogs and people. However, multiple factors are involved in the development of brain and behaviour.</p>
<p>Puppies who have had <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-60546-w">limited or negative</a> early experiences with people might become less social and people-oriented. It is not easy to identify if the cause of this behaviour is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.022">biological, environmental or a combination</a> of the two.</p>
<p>Shank3 canine research has also provided a hint at potential supportive medical interventions for human autism. A single dose of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-023-01574-8">the psychedelic drug LSD</a> was given to dogs with the Shank3 mutation. This resulted in increased attention and enhanced neural coupling with people over five days.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2020705118">Mice</a> and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/npp201682">humans</a> also seem to show a greater inclination to social behaviour after LSD administration. There are obviously legal, safety and ethical issues associated with its use, but animal models can certainly help us understand the underlying differences in how the neurodivergent brain functions.</p>
<p>These models might also help us diagnose human neurodivergence. Typical adult diagnostic processes involve lengthy <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1403129/full?fbp=fb.1.1743206400031.71078435847139346">discussion and review</a> of how someone copes with daily life, which can be difficult as neurodivergent people often have <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-patterns-of-conversation-could-help-identify-early-signs-of-autism-in-children-227499">communication difficulties</a>.</p>
<p>Dogs with behavioural differences are similarly evaluated using <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209852">assessment scales</a>, mostly administered by their handlers and carers. However, video analysis and machine-based learning have been trialled as a more objective way to identify dogs with ADHD-like behaviour.</p>
<p>For this method, dogs’ movements in a new environment and when exposed to a robot dog were analysed by machine, rather than a person. Results from a 2021 study of dogs showed <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/10/2806">81% agreement</a> between objective and more traditional diagnosis.</p>
<p>This kind of animal research may help make the case for <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12993-018-0143-x">minimising subjectivity</a> in human diagnosis. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12993-018-0143-x">Objective measurements</a> have in fact also been trialled for humans, such as <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1087054720972786">eye movement in ADHD assessments</a>.</p>
<h2>Neurodiverse behaviours</h2>
<p>Behavioural problems in cats and dogs that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787818302727?via%3Dihub">harm their wellbeing are common</a>. One 2024 paper that collected owner-reported data from over 43,000 dogs in the US reported that more than <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S155878782400090X">99% of pet dogs enrolled in the study</a> presented with at least one behavioural problem.</p>
<p>Again, some of the reported behavioural concerns, such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787818302727">separation-related behaviours, fear, anxiety and obsessive behaviour</a>, mimic challenges associated with some forms of neurodivergence in people. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787820300356">Managing pets with such behavioural problems can be distressing</a> and may even lead to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-59837-z">rehoming or euthanasia</a>. Perhaps this could sometimes be avoided if owners had a better understanding of what was going on.</p>
<p>In short, the evidence suggests that like us, animals can experience and respond to the world differently. Some of this will be due to natural differences in personality, but it is also likely that a proportion of our pets have differences in their brain structure and chemistry.</p>
<p>Neurodivergent children benefit from an <a href="https://theconversation.com/too-many-neurodiverse-children-dont-have-a-full-diagnosis-heres-why-169038">appreciation of their specific and sometimes complex needs</a>. Perhaps we can also create enriching management and training approaches for our potentially neurodiverse animal companions.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/265888/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/autistic-dogs-neurodiversity-in-our-pets-and-what-it-might-mean-for-us-265888">original article</a>.</em></p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/the-psychological-link-between-whiteness-and-americanness-begins-in-childhood/" 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;">The psychological link between whiteness and “Americanness” begins in childhood</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 23rd 2025, 16:00</div>
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<p><p>In the U.S. and elsewhere, <a href="https://www.loc.gov/law/help/birthright-citizenship/global.php">nationality tends to be defined</a> by a set of legal parameters. This may involve birthplace, parental citizenship or procedures for naturalization.</p>
<p>Yet in many Americans’ minds these objective notions of citizenship are a little fuzzy, as social and developmental psychologists <a href="https://psychology.uchicago.edu/directory/katherine-d-kinzler">like me</a> have documented. Psychologically, some people may just seem a little more American than others, based on factors such as race, ethnicity or language.</p>
<p>Reinforced by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/mar/01/how-americas-identity-politics-went-from-inclusion-to-division">identity politics</a>, this results in different ideas about who is welcome, who is tolerated and who is made to not feel welcome at all.</p>
<h2>How race affects who belongs</h2>
<p>Many people who <a href="https://hbr.org/2019/08/research-on-many-issues-americans-biases-are-decreasing">explicitly endorse egalitarian ideals</a>, such as the notion that all Americans are deserving of the rights of citizenship regardless of race, still implicitly harbor prejudices over who’s “really” American.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.88.3.447">classic 2005 study</a>, American adults across racial groups were fastest to associate the concept of “American” with white people. White, Black and Asian American adults were asked whether they endorse equality for all citizens. They were then presented with an implicit association test in which participants matched different faces with the categories “American” or “foreign.” They were told that every face was a U.S. citizen.</p>
<p>White and Asian participants responded most quickly in matching the white faces with “American,” even when they initially expressed egalitarian values. Black Americans implicitly saw Black and white faces as equally American – though they too implicitly viewed Asian faces as being less American.</p>
<p>Similarly, <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1348/014466607X224521">in a 2010 study</a>, several groups of American adults implicitly considered British actress Kate Winslet to be more American than U.S.-born Lucy Liu – even though they were aware of their actual nationalities.</p>
<p>Importantly, the development of prejudice can even include feelings that disadvantage one’s own group. This can be seen when Asian Americans who took part in the studies found white faces to be more American than Asian faces. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015868">related 2010 study</a> found that Hispanic participants were also more likely to associate whiteness with “Americanness.”</p>
<h2>Language and nationality</h2>
<p>These biased views of nationality begin at a young age – and spoken language can often be a primary identifier of who is in which group, as I show in my book “<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/how-you-say-it-katherine-d-kinzler?variant=39934359109666">How You Say It</a>.”</p>
<p>Although the U.S. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/20/us/english-us-official-language-trnd">traditionally has not had a national language</a>, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2017/02/01/language-the-cornerstone-of-national-identity/">many Americans feel</a> that English is critical to being a “true American.” And the president <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/designating-english-as-the-official-language-of-the-united-states/">recently released an executive order</a> claiming to designate English as the official language.</p>
<p>In a <a href="http://www.doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12845">2017 study</a> conducted by my research team and led by psychologist Jasmine DeJesus, we gave children a simple task: After viewing a series of faces that varied in skin color and listening to those people speak, children were asked to guess their nationality. The faces were either white- or Asian-looking and spoke either English or Korean. “Is this person American or Korean?” we asked.</p>
<p>We recruited three groups of children for the study: white American children who spoke only English, children in South Korea who spoke only Korean, and Korean American children who spoke both languages. The ages of the children were either 5-6 or 9-10.</p>
<p>The vast majority of the younger monolingual children identified nationality with language, describing English speakers as American and Korean speakers as Korean – even though both groups were divided equally between people who looked white or Asian.</p>
<p>As for the younger bilingual children, they had parents whose first language was Korean, not English, and who lived in the United States. Yet, just like the monolingual children, they thought that the English speakers, and not the Korean speakers, were the Americans.</p>
<p>As they age, however, children increasingly view racial characteristics as an integral part of nationality. By the age of 9, we found that children were considering the white English speakers to be the most American, compared with Korean speakers who looked white or English speakers who looked Asian.</p>
<p>Interestingly, this impact was more pronounced in the older children we recruited in South Korea.</p>
<h2>Deep roots</h2>
<p>So it seems that for children and adults alike, assessments of what it means to be American hinge on certain traits that have nothing to do with the actual legal requirements for citizenship. Neither whiteness nor fluency in English <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/educators/naturalization-information">is a requirement to become American</a>.</p>
<p>And this bias has consequences. <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1177/0146167210380928">Research has found</a> that the degree to which people link whiteness with Americanness is related to their discriminatory behaviors in hiring or questioning others’ loyalty.</p>
<p>That we find these biases in children does not mean they are in any way absolute. We know that <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/20183186">children begin to pick up on these types</a> of biased cultural cues and values at a young age. It does mean, however, that these biases <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199890712.001.0001">have deep roots in our psychology</a>.</p>
<p>Understanding that biases exist may make it easier to correct them. So Americans celebrating the Fourth of July perhaps should ponder what it means to be an American – and whether social biases distort your beliefs about who belongs.</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/whos-the-most-american-psychological-studies-show-that-many-people-are-biased-and-think-its-a-white-english-speaker-256418">original article</a>.</em></p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-research-explores-if-having-a-crush-lowers-relationship-satisfaction/" 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 research explores if having a crush lowers relationship satisfaction</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 23rd 2025, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>A study in Canada found that many individuals harbor attraction to people outside of their primary romantic relationship with no harm noted to that relationship. However, there were some individuals in whom attraction to people other than their partner was linked to decreases in satisfaction with their primary relationship. This was especially the case when relationship satisfaction was low from the start. The research was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.70033"><em>Personal Relationships</em></a>.</p>
<p>People sometimes feel romantic or sexual interest towards someone who is not their primary partner. This is commonly called a “crush”, but researchers call it extradyadic attraction. Extradyadic attraction is a common human experience and does not necessarily mean a person plans to cheat. Such attraction arises from novelty, proximity, or natural biological responses to new attractive individuals. People in committed relationships often feel conflicted when it occurs because it can challenge their sense of loyalty.</p>
<p>Extradyadic attraction tends to be stronger when relationship satisfaction or emotional intimacy is low. Stress, boredom, or unmet needs within the relationship can also make outside attraction feel more salient. Individuals differ in how they interpret such feelings based on personality, values, and attachment style. Some people experience guilt and avoid the person who triggered the attraction, while others rationalize or minimize the feelings. In healthy relationships, partners usually handle extradyadic attraction by strengthening communication and boundaries.</p>
<p>Study author Lucia F. O’Sullivan and her colleagues wanted to examine how extradyadic attraction affects a person’s primary relationship. More specifically, they wanted to see whether the intensity of extradyadic attraction varies over time and whether it is associated with the quality of the primary romantic relationship. These authors hypothesized that if a person feels extradyadic attraction towards the same individual (who is not their partner), this attraction will become more intense over time and be accompanied by decreased quality of their primary relationship.</p>
<p>Study participants were 567 individuals recruited into a longitudinal study of “attraction and romantic relationships” using social media (e.g., Facebook) and crowdsourcing sites (e.g., Prolific Academic). To be included, prospective participants were required to be between 22 and 35 years of age, residents of the U.S., the U.K., or Canada, to be in a romantic relationship of at least three months duration, and having an agreement with one’s partner to be romantically and sexually exclusive. They also needed to be reporting attraction towards someone outside their relationship with whom they have never been romantically or sexually involved.</p>
<p>Participants’ average age was 28.5 years. 55% of them were women. 82% reported being heterosexual. Participants were surveyed 4 times in the scope of the study – at the start, 4, 6, and 12 months after the start. They completed assessments of extradyadic attraction intensity using a scale developed by study authors, and of their primary relationship quality using the Investment Model scale (for commitment), the Couples Satisfaction Index (for romantic satisfaction), and the GMSEX (for sexual satisfaction).</p>
<p>Of the initial group, only 183 participants completed all four assessments. 172 were in the same primary relationship at the end of the study that they reported at the start. The analyses were based on these 172 participants. The average intensity of the extradyadic attraction did not change over time. However, there was pronounced variability in participants in this regard – while some became less attracted to the person who is not their primary partner, others became more attracted to him/her.</p>
<p>Individuals who felt extradyadic attraction towards the same individual throughout the study period reported significantly lower initial intensity levels and tended to feel a lower level of attraction as the study progressed. Those who felt extradyadic attraction for different individuals over the course of the study started with higher intensity levels and tended to feel slightly higher levels of attraction as the study progressed.</p>
<p>Overall, for many participants extradyadic attraction was not accompanied by corresponding harms to their primary relationship in the form of reduced satisfaction. This was the case regardless of whether the object of their attraction varied over the year or was stable.</p>
<p>However, some extradyadic attractions were linked to decreases in romantic and sexual satisfaction with the primary relationship. While those who started with low relationship quality saw further declines, specifically in sexual satisfaction, the study also found that a group starting with high relationship quality experienced severe drops in romantic satisfaction over the year.</p>
<p>“Overall, it is possible to foster an attraction to people outside of one’s relationships without much in the way of decrements, although we do not know for sure without establishing causal links. Most of these relationships appeared to be functioning at an optimal or suboptimal level. Clearly, some people have extradyadic attractions that are linked to a worsening in their relationships, primarily in terms of lowered romantic satisfaction, but also some downward shifts in commitment and sexual satisfaction,” study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study contributes to the scientific understanding of psychological intricacies of romantic relationships. However, it should be noted that only around 1 in 3 participants completed the study. This high attrition rate leaves room for survivorship bias to have affected the results.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.70033">Do Crushes Pose a Problem for Exclusive Relationships? Trajectories of Attraction Intensity to Extradyadic Others and Links to Primary Relationship Commitment and Satisfaction,</a>” was authored by Lucia F. O’Sullivan, Charlene F. Belu, and Lucia Tramonte.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-study-finds-links-between-dietary-mineral-intake-and-mental-health-risk/" 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 study finds links between dietary mineral intake and mental health risk</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 23rd 2025, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>A large-scale study has identified associations between the dietary intake of certain minerals and the likelihood of developing common mental health conditions. Published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.120271" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Journal of Affective Disorders</a></em>, the research found that individuals with higher intakes of iron, selenium, and manganese were less likely to be diagnosed with certain disorders over time. The findings also point to a correlation between high calcium intake and an increased likelihood of developing depression and anxiety.</p>
<p>Mental health conditions represent a significant and growing global health challenge, affecting hundreds of millions of people and impacting economies worldwide. In light of this, researchers are exploring a range of strategies to support mental well-being, including nutritional science. The brain requires a steady supply of essential nutrients to function properly, and minerals play fundamental roles in many of its most basic processes, from producing energy in cells to facilitating communication between neurons.</p>
<p>Prior research had already pointed to connections between individual minerals and mental health. For instance, iron is necessary for producing neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that regulate mood, while magnesium helps modulate the activity of the nervous system. Deficiencies in minerals like zinc and selenium have been linked to depressive symptoms and cognitive decline. However, many previous studies were limited by small sample sizes or designs that only captured a snapshot in time, making it difficult to establish clear patterns.</p>
<p>A team of researchers from Xi’an Jiaotong University in China sought to address these limitations. They aimed to conduct a comprehensive assessment of how the intake of twelve different minerals relates to the risk of six different mental disorders over a long period.</p>
<p>To conduct their investigation, the scientists utilized data from the UK Biobank, a major biomedical database containing health information from over half a million participants. They focused on a group of nearly 200,000 individuals who had no diagnosed mental disorders at the beginning of the study. Each participant’s dietary habits were assessed using detailed 24-hour food questionnaires completed on multiple occasions, allowing the researchers to estimate their average daily intake of twelve essential minerals, including calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and selenium.</p>
<p>The research team then followed these individuals for a median period of 13 years, tracking their health records to identify new diagnoses of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or incidents of suicide. Using statistical models, they analyzed the relationship between the participants’ baseline mineral intake and their subsequent risk of developing one of these conditions.</p>
<p>These models were adjusted to account for a wide range of other factors that could influence mental health, such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, body mass index, smoking, alcohol use, and pre-existing physical health conditions like diabetes or heart disease.</p>
<p>The analysis revealed several distinct associations between mineral consumption and mental health outcomes. Higher intake of iron, magnesium, and selenium was each associated with a lower risk of developing depression. Specifically, individuals with the highest intake of iron had about a 12 percent lower risk compared to those with the lowest intake. In contrast, higher consumption of calcium was linked to an increased risk of both depression and anxiety. People in the highest calcium intake group had an approximately 10 percent higher risk of depression and a 15 percent higher risk of anxiety.</p>
<p>The study also identified links for other conditions. A higher intake of manganese was associated with a reduced risk of suicide, and greater consumption of zinc appeared to be protective against PTSD. The researchers found no statistically significant associations between any of the twelve minerals and the risk of developing schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. These primary findings remained largely consistent even after the scientists performed additional analyses to ensure the results were robust.</p>
<p>The team also explored whether these associations differed based on sex or age. They found that the protective associations of iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and selenium against depression were more pronounced in women than in men. Similarly, the links between higher potassium, magnesium, and copper intake and a lower risk of depression were stronger in participants aged 55 or younger compared to their older counterparts. These subgroup findings suggest that demographic factors may influence the relationship between nutrition and mental health.</p>
<p>In another test of their results, the researchers re-ran their analysis after excluding individuals who already had chronic diseases at the start. In this “healthy” population, some of the initial findings were no longer statistically significant. For example, the connections between calcium and depression, and between several minerals and anxiety, became weaker. This suggests that the presence of other health conditions might play a part in how dietary minerals affect mental health risk.</p>
<p>The study provides a comprehensive look at the complex interplay between dietary minerals and mental illness, but the researchers note some important limitations. Because the study was observational, it can only identify associations; it cannot prove that mineral intake directly causes or prevents any mental disorder. It is possible that other unmeasured lifestyle factors could be involved. Additionally, the study population from the UK Biobank is predominantly white and generally healthier than the average population, so the findings may not be applicable to everyone.</p>
<p>Future research will be needed to confirm these findings in more diverse populations and to explore the biological mechanisms behind these associations. Understanding exactly how minerals like calcium and iron influence brain pathways related to mood could eventually lead to more targeted nutritional recommendations for mental health. For now, the study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that a balanced diet, with adequate intake of a wide range of essential minerals, may be an important component of maintaining psychological well-being.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.120271" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associations of dietary mineral intakes with the risk of six common mental disorders: A prospective cohort study</a>,” was authored by Weixuan Da, Meijuan Kang, Hanchi Wang, Lina Qin, Yue Che, Yijia Li, Tingting Mao, Jin Feng, Bolun Cheng, Huan Liu, Yumeng Jia, Li Liu, Yan Wen, and Feng Zhang.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/broken-copies-of-a-key-brain-gene-may-drive-schizophrenia-and-other-disorders/" 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;">Broken copies of a key brain gene may drive schizophrenia and other disorders</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 23rd 2025, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>A new study has identified specific genetic variants that confer a high risk for developing schizophrenia and other mental disorders, with symptoms often appearing in childhood. The research, published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-025-03279-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Molecular Psychiatry</a></em>, suggests that for some individuals, a single gene may be a primary driver of their condition, a finding that could shift perspectives on the origins of mental illness.</p>
<p>Mental disorders represent a wide array of conditions with complex causes. While environmental factors play a part, genetics are known to contribute substantially. For many years, the prevailing scientific view has been that most common mental illnesses, like schizophrenia or major depression, are polygenic. This means their genetic basis is thought to arise from the combined small effects of thousands of different genes, rather than a single powerful one. Identifying these risk factors has been a major goal of psychiatric genetics.</p>
<p>This new investigation was conducted by a large international consortium of researchers, coordinated by scientists at the Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Leipzig Medical Center and the University of Heidelberg in Germany. This group has spent years building a registry of individuals with genetic variations in a family of genes known as GRIN genes. This registry provided the foundation for their systematic examination of one gene in particular, GRIN2A, and its potential connection to mental health.</p>
<p>The GRIN2A gene contains the instructions for making a protein called GluN2A. This protein is one component of the N-methyl-D-aspartate, or NMDA, receptor, which is found on the surface of brain cells. NMDA receptors are essential for healthy brain function, playing a central part in learning, memory, and the communication between neurons.</p>
<p>Previous research had already linked alterations in the GRIN2A gene to a range of neurodevelopmental conditions, most notably epilepsy and speech disorders. Recent large-scale genetic analyses also hinted at a possible association with schizophrenia, prompting the current team to explore this link in greater detail.</p>
<p>To conduct their study, the researchers drew upon their international registry of 235 individuals with known variants in the GRIN2A gene. They contacted the treating physicians for each person and used a standardized questionnaire to gather information about their mental health history. They requested details on any diagnoses of mental disorders, such as anxiety, mood, or psychotic disorders, along with the age at which symptoms first appeared. After excluding cases with incomplete information, their final analysis focused on a cohort of 121 individuals.</p>
<p>The team first categorized the genetic variants into two main types. One type, known as missense variants, involves a change to a single building block of the gene, which alters the final protein product but does not necessarily disable it. The other type, called null variants, includes changes that effectively break the gene, preventing a functional protein from being produced at all.</p>
<p>The analysis revealed a clear distinction between these two groups. Among the 84 individuals with null variants, 23 were diagnosed with a mental disorder. In contrast, only two of the 37 individuals with missense variants had a mental disorder. This showed a significantly higher probability of mental illness associated with the null variants.</p>
<p>To understand the magnitude of this risk, the researchers compared their findings to a large control group. They utilized data from FinRegistry, a comprehensive database containing health records for the entire population of Finland. This allowed them to compare the rate of new mental disorder diagnoses in their GRIN2A cohort to that of the general population over time. The results of this comparison were pronounced for individuals with GRIN2A null variants.</p>
<p>The data showed that these individuals had a dramatically elevated incidence of mental illness, particularly during childhood and adolescence. Compared to the control population in the same early age ranges, people with GRIN2A null variants had an 87-fold higher incidence of psychotic disorders, a nearly 12-fold higher incidence of mood disorders, and an almost 6-fold higher incidence of anxiety disorders. This early onset is a notable departure from the typical presentation of many psychiatric conditions, which often emerge in late adolescence or early adulthood.</p>
<p>The study also uncovered an unusual relationship between epilepsy and mental illness in this group. For individuals who had experienced both conditions, the researchers noted a correlation between the age at which their epilepsy subsided and the age their mental disorder began. In more than half of these cases, the psychiatric symptoms appeared after their seizures had stopped.</p>
<p>Additionally, the team identified six individuals whose only major symptom from their GRIN2A null variant was a mental disorder. They did not have the intellectual disability or epilepsy commonly associated with the gene, suggesting that a psychiatric condition can be the sole manifestation.</p>
<p>The researchers also gathered observational data on a potential treatment. Four individuals in the cohort with GRIN2A null variants and mental disorders had been treated with L-serine, a naturally occurring amino acid that can be purchased as a dietary supplement. L-serine is known to help activate NMDA receptors in the brain. Retrospective reports from their physicians indicated that all four experienced improvements in their symptoms, including a reduction in hallucinations and paranoid thoughts.</p>
<p>The study has some limitations. The group of individuals with GRIN2A variants was primarily identified through genetic testing for childhood neurological conditions like epilepsy. This approach may have biased the sample toward more severe cases and could mean the prevalence of isolated mental disorders caused by these variants is underestimated in the wider population. The information on mental health was also collected retrospectively, which can be less precise than data collected in a forward-looking, or prospective, manner.</p>
<p>Finally, the positive results from L-serine treatment are based on a very small number of cases and were not part of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, which is the standard for proving a treatment’s effectiveness.</p>
<p>Future research will need to confirm these findings in larger and more diverse populations. A formal clinical trial would be required to establish whether L-serine is a genuinely effective therapy for the psychiatric symptoms associated with GRIN2A null variants. The study’s results may also encourage a re-evaluation of the role of genetic testing in psychiatry. If single genes can confer such a high risk for early-onset mental illness, genetic diagnosis could become a more common tool, potentially paving the way for targeted, personalized treatments.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-025-03279-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GRIN2A null variants confer a high risk for early-onset schizophrenia and other mental disorders and potentially enable precision therapy</a>,” was authored by Johannes R. Lemke, Andrea Eoli, Ilona Krey, Bernt Popp, Vincent Strehlow, Dirk A. Wittekind, Anna-Leena Vuorinen, Hesham M. Aldhalaan, Sarah Baer, Anne de Saint Martin, Trine B. Hammer, Isabella Herman, Frauke Hornemann, Trine Ingebrigtsen, Damien Lederer, Gaetan Lesca, Dana Marafie, Mikael Mathot, Jill A. Rosenfeld, Rikke S. Møller, Helenius J. Schelhaas, Chelsey Stillman, Alessandro Orsini, Anup D. Patel, Juliette Piard, Pierangelo Veggiotti, Danique R. M. Vlaskamp, Sarah Weckhuysen, Stephen F. Traynelis, Tim A. Benke, Henrike O. Heyne, and Steffen Syrbe.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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