<table style="border:1px solid #adadad; background-color: #F3F1EC; color: #666666; padding:8px; -webkit-border-radius:4px; border-radius:4px; -moz-border-radius:4px; line-height:16px; margin-bottom:6px;" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><span style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:20px;font-weight:bold;">PsyPost – Psychology News</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="font:13px Helvetica, sans-serif; border-radius:4px; -moz-border-radius:4px; -webkit-border-radius:4px; background-color:#fff; padding:8px; margin-bottom:6px; border:1px solid #adadad;" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/two-hour-naps-during-night-shifts-may-restore-brain-function-and-memory-in-nurses/" 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;">Two-hour naps during night shifts may restore brain function and memory in nurses</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Dec 31st 2025, 08:00</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#494949;text-align:justify;font-size:13px;">
<p><p>A new study suggests that taking a two-hour nap during a night shift may help restore brain function and memory in nurses. The research provides evidence that napping can reverse some of the disruptive effects of sleep deprivation on brain connectivity. These findings were published in the <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.70121" target="_blank">Journal of Sleep Research</a></em>.</p>
<p>Nursing is a demanding profession that requires round-the-clock patient care. This necessity often forces medical staff to work night shifts, which disrupts their natural sleep-wake cycles. The resulting sleep loss is frequently associated with a decline in cognitive performance.</p>
<p>Previous studies indicate that this cognitive decline can lead to serious consequences. These include a higher risk of workplace accidents, such as needle stick injuries, and an increase in medication errors. Chronic sleep deprivation is also linked to broader health issues like depression, heart disease, and obesity.</p>
<p>Hospitals and researchers have sought effective strategies to mitigate these risks. One common countermeasure is the “nighttime nap,” or a scheduled break for sleep during a shift. While napping is known to reduce sleepiness, the biological mechanisms behind its restorative effects have not been fully understood.</p>
<p>The authors of the current study aimed to map how a nighttime nap affects the brain’s functional organization. They specifically wanted to observe changes in brain connectivity and memory performance following sleep loss. They employed advanced brain imaging techniques to visualize these internal changes.</p>
<p>The study recruited 24 female nurses from the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital in China. The participants were young adults with an average age of approximately 20 years. All subjects were right-handed and reported having good sleep habits prior to the study.</p>
<p>The researchers designed an experiment involving three different monitoring sessions for each nurse. These sessions were spaced out by two to four weeks to prevent any lingering effects from previous trials. The participants stayed at the institution during the sessions to ensure compliance with the protocol.</p>
<p>The first condition was labeled “rested wakefulness.” During this phase, participants followed a normal schedule and slept from midnight to 8:00 a.m. This session served as a baseline for normal brain activity and cognitive function.</p>
<p>The second condition involved total sleep deprivation. The nurses remained awake for 24 continuous hours, starting from 8:00 a.m. on the first day until 8:00 a.m. the next. This session mimicked the physical and mental strain of a challenging night shift without a break.</p>
<p>The third condition was the nighttime nap session. Participants stayed awake for the majority of the 24-hour period but were allowed to sleep for two hours. This nap occurred between 2:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., a common time for breaks during night shifts.</p>
<p>Following each of these sessions, the researchers assessed the participants between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. They used functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, to scan brain activity while the nurses lay still with their eyes closed. This method allowed the team to observe the brain’s “resting state.”</p>
<p>The team analyzed the imaging data using a metric called functional connectivity density. This technique quantifies the number of functional connections a specific brain region, or voxel, has with the rest of the brain. A higher density suggests that a region plays a more central role in processing information.</p>
<p>In addition to brain scans, the nurses completed cognitive assessments to measure memory performance. One assessment was the Complex Figure Test. This task required participants to copy a complicated line drawing and then redraw it from memory after a delay.</p>
<p>Another assessment was the California Verbal Learning Test. This tool measures verbal memory by asking participants to recall lists of words immediately and after a waiting period. These tests provided concrete data on how well the nurses could retain and retrieve information.</p>
<p>The study found that performance on these memory tests dropped significantly after the session with total sleep deprivation. The nurses struggled to recall details of the drawings and remembered fewer words from the lists. This decline aligns with established knowledge regarding the impact of fatigue on the brain.</p>
<p>However, the results showed a marked improvement following the nighttime nap session. The nurses performed better on both visual and verbal memory tasks after taking the two-hour nap compared to when they remained awake the whole time. The nap appeared to offer a protective benefit against cognitive lapses.</p>
<p>The fMRI scans revealed that sleep deprivation caused widespread disruptions in brain connectivity. Areas of the brain involved in high-level cognition showed reduced connectivity density. These areas included the frontal and parietal lobes, which are essential for planning and memory.</p>
<p>The reduction in connectivity suggests that the brain exerts less voluntary control when exhausted. The networks responsible for maintaining focus and processing complex tasks became less integrated. This neural breakdown likely explains the poor performance on the memory tests.</p>
<p>Concurrently, regions involved in sensory processing and the thalamus showed increased connectivity during sleep deprivation. The thalamus acts as a relay station for information traveling to the cerebral cortex. The researchers interpreted this increase as a compensatory mechanism.</p>
<p>It appears the brain attempts to maintain alertness by ramping up activity in sensorimotor and visual networks. This heightened state might represent the brain’s effort to fight off sleep and remain responsive to the environment. The brain shifts its resources from complex thinking to basic alertness.</p>
<p>The data indicated that the nighttime nap helped reverse these abnormal connectivity patterns. The brain scans from the nap session looked more like the scans from the rested session. The connectivity in cognitive regions was restored to near-normal levels.</p>
<p>This restoration was particularly evident in the thalamus and the default-mode network. The default-mode network is a system of brain regions active when the mind is at wakeful rest. The nap allowed the brain to exit its hyper-alert compensatory state and return to a balanced functional organization.</p>
<p>The researchers also analyzed the statistical relationship between brain changes and test scores. They found that the degree of restoration in brain connectivity correlated with the improvement in memory performance. Nurses who showed the most “normalized” brain scans also had the best memory scores.</p>
<p>This correlation provides evidence that the recovery of brain networks is the mechanism driving the cognitive benefits of napping. The nap allows the brain to reset its communication pathways. This reset facilitates better information processing and memory retention.</p>
<p>The study has some limitations. The sample consisted entirely of young female nurses. The findings might not apply in the same way to male nurses or older adults.</p>
<p>The sample size was also relatively small, with only 24 participants completing the protocol. Larger studies are needed to confirm these effects across a broader and more diverse population. A larger sample would provide more statistical weight to the findings.</p>
<p>The researchers did not use electroencephalography to measure sleep quality during the nap. While they monitored the participants, they did not have data on sleep stages. Future research should include objective measures of sleep depth to see if sleep quality impacts the degree of brain restoration.</p>
<p>The study focused primarily on memory function using specific tests. Subsequent investigations could examine how naps affect other cognitive abilities necessary for nursing. These might include decision-making under pressure, reaction time, or emotional regulation.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.70121" target="_blank">Restorative Effect of Nighttime Naps on Brain Functional Organisation and Memory in Night Shift Nurses</a>,” was authored by Jia-Hui Lin, Jing-Yi Zeng, Hui-Wei Huang, Yan-Juan Lin, and Hua-Jun Chen.</p></p>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:13px; text-align: center; color: #666666; padding:4px; margin-bottom:2px;"></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="font:13px Helvetica, sans-serif; border-radius:4px; -moz-border-radius:4px; -webkit-border-radius:4px; background-color:#fff; padding:8px; margin-bottom:6px; border:1px solid #adadad;" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/the-most-popular-psychology-and-neuroscience-studies-of-2025/" 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 most popular psychology and neuroscience studies of 2025</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Dec 31st 2025, 06:00</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#494949;text-align:justify;font-size:13px;">
<p><p>2025 has been a year of remarkable discovery in the fields of psychology and neuroscience, captivating readers with findings that challenge long-held assumptions about the human mind and body. From the hidden influence of gut bacteria on social anxiety to the surprising linguistic agility of older adults, researchers have uncovered complex connections that shape our daily lives.</p>
<p>The following collection details the 11 most popular articles featured on PsyPost this past year, highlighting the stories that resonated most with the public and offering new insights into mental health, cognitive longevity, and the biological underpinnings of behavior.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.psypost.org/a-common-childhood-virus-could-be-silently-fueling-alzheimers-disease-in-old-age/">A Dormant Virus May Wake Up to Cause Alzheimer’s</a></strong></h3>
<p>A dormant virus residing in nerve cells may eventually contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Research indicates that the herpes simplex virus type 1, responsible for cold sores, can reactivate later in life and damage brain cells. This process appears to be particularly harmful in individuals carrying the APOE4 gene, a known genetic risk factor for dementia. The study suggests that as the immune system weakens with age, the virus wakes up and triggers inflammation and the accumulation of toxic proteins. These findings propose that antiviral treatments or vaccines could potentially offer a new avenue for preventing neurodegeneration.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.psypost.org/common-medications-linked-to-subtle-shifts-in-cognitive-performance-study-finds/">Everyday Medications Leave a Cognitive Footprint</a></strong></h3>
<p>Common prescription and over-the-counter medications appear to leave a distinct mark on cognitive function across the population. An analysis of over half a million individuals identified a cognitive footprint associated with various drugs, revealing that some, such as certain antidepressants and epilepsy treatments, are linked to slight reductions in processing speed and memory. In contrast, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucosamine showed a positive association with cognitive performance. While the effects are small on an individual level, the widespread use of these medications implies they could have a cumulative impact on public health.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.psypost.org/common-sleep-aid-blocks-brain-inflammation-and-tau-buildup-in-alzheimers-model/">Insomnia Drug Shows Promise Against Alzheimer’s Damage</a></strong></h3>
<p>A medication typically used to treat insomnia has demonstrated the ability to reduce brain damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease in mice. The drug, lemborexant, works by blocking specific receptors in the brain that regulate wakefulness, promoting deeper sleep. This restoration of sleep rhythms appeared to lower the buildup of tau protein and decrease inflammation within the brain. The results suggest that targeting the sleep-wake system could serve as a viable strategy to slow the progression of neurodegenerative conditions, although further research is needed to confirm these effects in humans.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.psypost.org/scientists-demonstrate-a-novel-sleep-based-technique-to-weaken-negative-memories/">Rewriting Negative Memories During Sleep</a></strong></h3>
<p>Scientists have developed a method to reduce the emotional intensity of negative memories during sleep. By using audio cues to reactivate positive memories while participants slept, researchers were able to interfere with the consolidation of negative associations formed earlier. This technique, known as targeted memory reactivation, not only weakened the recall of unpleasant events but also increased the involuntary surfacing of positive ones. The study provides evidence that the sleeping brain can be guided to reorganize emotional memories, potentially offering a non-invasive tool for managing conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.psypost.org/scientists-find-the-biological-footprint-of-social-anxiety-may-reside-partially-in-the-gut/">Social Anxiety Transmitted Through Gut Bacteria</a></strong></h3>
<p>The biological roots of social anxiety may extend beyond the brain to the gut microbiome. When researchers transplanted gut bacteria from socially anxious adolescents into newborn rats, the animals developed increased sensitivity to social fear and exhibited changes in brain chemistry. The study identified specific bacterial imbalances, such as elevated levels of <em>Prevotella</em>, that correlated with these behavioral shifts. This discovery indicates that the gut-brain axis plays a functional role in regulating social behavior and that targeting the microbiome could eventually lead to novel treatments for anxiety disorders.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.psypost.org/scientists-uncover-a-subtle-everyday-behavior-that-signals-alzheimers-risk/">Brief Stops While Walking Signal Cognitive Risk</a></strong></h3>
<p>Subtle changes in walking patterns may serve as an early warning sign of cognitive decline before standard tests detect any issues. Using smartphone data to track movement during a navigation task, researchers found that older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s frequently paused to reorient themselves. These brief stops distinguished them from cognitively healthy peers and younger adults. The findings imply that everyday navigation behaviors could offer a simple, non-invasive way to screen for early dementia risk, allowing for timelier interventions.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.psypost.org/researchers-fed-7-9-million-speeches-into-ai-and-what-they-found-upends-our-understanding-of-language/">Older Adults Adapt to New Language Trends Surprisingly Fast</a></strong></h3>
<p>A large-scale analysis of historical speeches challenges the idea that language evolution is driven solely by younger generations. By feeding millions of congressional speeches into artificial intelligence models, researchers discovered that older adults adopt new word meanings at nearly the same rate as younger speakers. In some instances, older individuals even led the shift in linguistic trends. These results suggest that language change is a communal process where people of all ages continuously update their vocabulary, countering the stereotype that older adults remain linguistically static.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.psypost.org/timing-of-coffee-consumption-may-affect-longevity-researchers-say/">Morning Coffee Habits Linked to Longer Life</a></strong></h3>
<p>The time of day one consumes coffee may influence its potential health benefits. An analysis of dietary habits linked morning coffee consumption to a lower risk of mortality, particularly from heart disease, compared to non-drinkers or those who drank coffee throughout the day. The protective effect did not appear for individuals who consumed coffee in the afternoon or evening, possibly because late caffeine intake disrupts circadian rhythms and sleep. This research indicates that maximizing the health advantages of coffee might depend on aligning consumption with the body’s natural biological clock.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.psypost.org/common-blood-pressure-drug-shows-promise-for-treating-adhd-symptoms/">Blood Pressure Medication May Alleviate ADHD Symptoms</a></strong></h3>
<p>A medication commonly prescribed for high blood pressure has shown potential as a treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. In experiments with zebrafish and rats, amlodipine effectively reduced hyperactivity and impulsivity, mirroring the effects of standard stimulant medications but without the same side effect profile. Genetic analyses further supported a link between the calcium channels targeted by the drug and ADHD symptoms in humans. This repurposing of an existing, well-tolerated drug could provide a new therapeutic option for those who do not respond well to current stimulants.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.psypost.org/a-common-calorie-free-sweetener-alters-brain-activity-and-appetite-control-new-research-suggests/">Calorie-Free Sweeteners May Trick the Brain into Hunger</a></strong></h3>
<p>Calorie-free sweeteners might trick the brain into a state of increased hunger. A study using brain imaging found that consuming sucralose triggered greater activity in the hypothalamus, a region that regulates appetite, compared to sugar or water. This reaction suggests that the sweet taste of sucralose, unaccompanied by the calories the body expects, may disrupt natural satiety signals and heighten the motivation to eat. The effect was particularly pronounced in women and individuals with obesity, indicating that non-caloric sweeteners could inadvertently influence food-seeking behavior.</p>
<h3><strong><a href="https://www.psypost.org/caffeine-and-cognition-new-study-reveals-genetic-differences-in-mental-performance/">Genetics Determine How Caffeine Affects Brainpower</a></strong></h3>
<p>Genetic differences appear to dictate how caffeine affects mental performance. Researchers found that individuals who metabolize caffeine quickly performed worse on emotion recognition tasks when they consumed high amounts of the stimulant. In contrast, these same fast metabolizers showed improved executive function with moderate caffeine intake. The study highlights that the cognitive impact of caffeine is not uniform and depends on a complex interaction between an individual’s genetic makeup and their daily consumption habits.</p></p>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:13px; text-align: center; color: #666666; padding:4px; margin-bottom:2px;"></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="font:13px Helvetica, sans-serif; border-radius:4px; -moz-border-radius:4px; -webkit-border-radius:4px; background-color:#fff; padding:8px; margin-bottom:6px; border:1px solid #adadad;" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/the-science-of-purpose-based-performance-could-save-your-new-years-resolutions/" 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 science of purpose-based performance could save your New Year’s resolutions</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Dec 30th 2025, 18:00</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#494949;text-align:justify;font-size:13px;">
<p><p>People worldwide make New Year’s resolutions every year in an attempt to improve their lives. Common resolutions are to <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2018/12/13/new-years-resolutions-2019-exercise-healthy-eating">exercise more, eat healthier, save money, lose weight and reduce stress.</a></p>
<p>Yet, <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2018/12/13/new-years-resolutions-2019-exercise-healthy-eating">80% of people</a> agree that most people won’t stick to their resolutions. This pessimism is somewhat justified. <a href="https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/307bcd90p8/Results%20for%20Editorial%20(NYRs2019)%20293%207.12.2018.xlsx%20%20%5BGroup%5D.pdf">Only 4% of people</a> report following through on all of the resolutions they personally set.</p>
<p>We have spent years studying motivation, emotion regulation and behavior in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2011.00699.x?casa_token=w9Ab8dT0x90AAAAA:iTW6U0RG_40yBgVOYkr43mhJEQHtq_Hgf36mbbWwbXHQ4C0iFg1YnlQBrVmjD2R2FzrIMeQ5pUvzCA">family relationships</a>, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02701367.2018.1481919">athletic performance</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980014000627">health information processing</a> in the marketplace. Now at USC’s <a href="https://www.marshall.usc.edu/faculty-research/labs-and-institutes/usc-performance-science-institute">Performance Science Institute</a>, we help people attain and sustain high performance in all aspects of their lives.</p>
<p>Based on our research, we propose a potential solution to the problem of New Year’s resolutions that people can’t keep: encouraging people to reframe their resolutions to emphasize purpose-based performance.</p>
<h2>Why the failures?</h2>
<p>What leads to so many abandoned New Year’s resolutions?</p>
<p>A large body of research on <a href="https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/bitstream/handle/123456789/10973/06GollwitzerSheeran_ImplementationIntentionsAndGoalAchievement.pdf?sequence=">goal-setting</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1016/j.jcps.2009.08.003?casa_token=Mw2E9Xk36MAAAAAA:KkZ-BGGfaH4WUJIGLfUd3xqvuiuzhMn5nK69HmguvaKharsOwMB-8XqQLeqa3SP3S5LtB0uzy32nWA">habits</a> provides insight into the various reasons for failed resolutions.</p>
<p>Many people are <a href="https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/resolution">not framing their resolutions in ways</a> that will motivate them over time. For example, “exercise more” is a fairly clear directive, but it lacks depth and personal meaning that could help promote follow through. Overly simplified resolutions, such as “exercise more” and “eat healthier” contribute to the ongoing problem that emerges <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/many-people-actually-stick-resolutions-214812821.html">as early as mid-January each year</a>: unintentional neglect of important self-improvement goals.</p>
<h2>Make it purposeful</h2>
<p>Purpose has been defined simply as <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/purpose">someone’s reason for doing something</a>. However, scientists have recently developed a <a href="https://www.templeton.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Psychology-of-Purpose-FINAL.pdf">more comprehensive framework</a> for purpose.</p>
<p>Purpose is associated with positive outcomes for people of all ages. People with a sense of purpose <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0092656616300836">make more money</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3827458/">cope with life hardships more effectively</a> and are <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0091415017702908?casa_token=DwwR6YMw5aEAAAAA:WiiCjeuux_R8W8iw_Zkz7fi9zrThaEr2iYaTKPdSV6QqFcUz9tvUiD4DJIgKhbhxmXvSkbop9zo">healthier across the lifespan</a>. Organizations that foster or reinforce employees’ sense of purpose are now referred to as “<a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/269405/high-performance-workplaces-differently.aspx">high performance workplaces</a>”.</p>
<p>In the context of goal-setting for the new year, the concept of purpose-based performance becomes especially relevant. In our research, we have found that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02701367.2018.1481919?journalCode=urqe20">purpose-based performance is much healthier</a> and more sustainable than outcome-driven performance.</p>
<p>Purpose-based performance has three critical, interrelated components: <a href="https://www.templeton.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Psychology-of-Purpose-FINAL.pdf">goal orientation, personal meaning and focus on something or someone beyond the self</a>. We provide three questions that you can ask yourself when developing New Year’s resolutions to inspire purpose-based performance.</p>
<h2>What are my longer-term goals?</h2>
<p>The first thing to consider is your long-term goals, and how each resolution fits with those goals. Purpose-based performance includes goal orientation, or an internal compass that directs people toward some long-term aim. This orientation helps people organize and prioritize more immediate actions to make progress toward that aim. People who are goal-oriented and remind themselves of their “end game” live <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780203146286">consistently with their beliefs and values</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1750984X.2018.1480050">perform better</a> on the immediate goals they set.</p>
<p>When setting New Year’s resolutions, many people end up with a long list of simple resolutions without thinking deeply about their rationale for each resolution, or where each resolution will take them. Linking an immediate goal with a longer-term aim can sustain progress. Thinking about who you want to become can help you decide which resolution(s) to take on.</p>
<h2>Why is this personally important?</h2>
<p>The next step to consider is why each resolution is personally meaningful for you. When people pursue personally meaningful goals, they are not only more intrinsically motivated but also find more joy in the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2003-04013-005">process of goal pursuit</a>. They are able to reframe challenges as opportunities for personal growth. In one study with elite athletes, we found that personal meaning helped them regulate their emotions when things didn’t go their way and display more <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Frel0000289">patience</a> as they pursued their goals.</p>
<p>Someone who pursues a goal for external rewards that are contingent on a particular end result – for example, validation that comes from winning – is likely to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02701367.2018.1481919">experience shame</a> when they fall short of their goal. Even when they win, they may feel disappointed because the end result does not bring meaning to their life. This is exemplified by the “<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetorch/2016/09/08/493111873/after-going-for-gold-athletes-can-feel-the-post-olympic-blues">post-Olympic blues</a>,” when Olympians experience depression after such a significant accomplishment.</p>
<p>Spend time thinking about your motivation for each resolution. Ask yourself, are you focused on a particular outcome because it will give you self-esteem, status or something else? It can be helpful to think about the potential meaning found in the process of pursuing a goal, regardless of whether you attain the desired outcome.</p>
<h2>Who will be positively affected by this?</h2>
<p>The final step is to consider who or what, beyond yourself, will be positively affected by your resolution(s). Desire to be a part of something greater than the self, or transcendent motivation, is beneficial for performance for several reasons.</p>
<p>Linking a resolution to transcendent motivation can be a powerful source of inspiration. Someone may link exercise goals to a charitable cause they care about, or they may think about how improving their health will make them a better partner, friend or parent. Research shows transcendent motivation improves <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2014-38071-001">self-regulation</a> when things get dull or repetitive during goal pursuit, and it strengthens character virtues <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jopy.12481">like patience and generosity</a>. When someone’s transcendent motivation is <a href="https://faculty.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/BolinoGrant_Annals2016_2.pdf">prosocial in nature</a>, they are willing to accept feedback about performance and receive increased social support in the workplace.</p>
<p>Think about the bigger picture. Consider whom you are helping with each goal. Potential impact beyond yourself is added fuel for your goal pursuit.</p>
<h2>Reframing your resolutions</h2>
<p>What might New Year’s resolutions that incorporate purpose-based performance look like? Using the three questions above, we have reworked three common resolutions to reflect purpose-based performance:</p>
<ul>
<li>“Exercise more” becomes “I commit to working out two times per week so I can be more present and energized with my children, so they feel more loved and inspired by me.”</li>
<li>“Save money” becomes “I commit to saving US$100 per paycheck so I feel more secure in my role as a husband and father, which will ultimately benefit my family.”</li>
<li>“Lose weight” becomes “I commit to losing ten pounds so I feel more confident at work, and my coworkers will experience a more positive version of me.”</li>
</ul>
<p>Cheers to a new, purpose-filled year!</p>
<p> </p>
<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/how-putting-purpose-into-your-new-years-resolutions-can-bring-meaning-and-results-129182">original article</a>.</em></p></p>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:13px; text-align: center; color: #666666; padding:4px; margin-bottom:2px;"></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="font:13px Helvetica, sans-serif; border-radius:4px; -moz-border-radius:4px; -webkit-border-radius:4px; background-color:#fff; padding:8px; margin-bottom:6px; border:1px solid #adadad;" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/shocking-headlines-spark-initial-doubt-but-eventually-build-belief/" 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;">Shocking headlines spark initial doubt but eventually build belief</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Dec 30th 2025, 16:00</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#494949;text-align:justify;font-size:13px;">
<p><p>When news headlines begin with sensational words like “Shocking,” readers initially tend to doubt the accuracy of the information presented. However, new research suggests that this skepticism fades over time, leading people to eventually believe the claims made in those headlines. These findings were published recently in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502251343979" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Communication Research</a></em>.</p>
<p>This phenomenon suggests that while clickbait-style language might hurt credibility in the short term, it may be effective at planting information that people eventually accept as true. The study highlights a potential mechanism by which misinformation or sensationalized news can bypass critical filters over long periods.</p>
<p>Journalists and content creators frequently use emotional language to capture attention. Previous analyses have shown that posts with highly emotional content are shared more frequently.</p>
<p>Despite this, it was not fully understood how specific high-intensity words affect belief over time. Past research mainly looked at whether words were positive or negative rather than how stimulating they were.</p>
<p>Xiaoyu Zhou from Beijing Normal University and colleagues from Tsinghua University sought to close this gap. They focused on “High-Arousal Sentence Starters,” or HASS. These are short, emotionally charged phrases placed at the beginning of a headline, such as “Warning!” or “Shocking!”</p>
<p>The researchers based their work on a psychological concept known as the sleeper effect. This effect occurs when a persuasive message is paired with a signal that it is untrustworthy, known as a discounting cue.</p>
<p>Initially, the discounting cue causes the audience to reject the message. Over time, however, the audience often dissociates the message from the cue. They remember the information but forget that they originally thought the source was unreliable.</p>
<p>The research team proposed that high-arousal sentence starters act as these discounting cues. They theorized that readers see sensational words and immediately associate them with low-quality journalism or fake news.</p>
<p>To test this theory, the researchers designed a series of five longitudinal experiments. They also performed a single-paper meta-analysis to confirm the consistency of their results across all the experiments.</p>
<p>The first study, Study 1.1, involved 503 participants. The researchers presented them with headlines related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some headlines included high-arousal starters, while others did not.</p>
<p>For example, one group saw the headline “Shocking! Smoking may bring lower back pain.” The other group saw a plain version that simply read, “Smoking may bring lower back pain.” Participants rated how much they believed the statements.</p>
<p>Fifty-four days later, the participants returned to rate the headlines again. In this second phase, the high-arousal words were removed from the headlines for everyone.</p>
<p>The results showed a clear pattern. In the initial session, participants rated the headlines with sensational starters as less true than the plain headlines. The sensational language acted as a warning sign that lowered their immediate trust.</p>
<p>However, the follow-up session revealed a shift. Belief in the headlines that originally had the sensational starters increased after the 54-day delay. The initial skepticism had worn off.</p>
<p>The researchers conducted a second study, Study 1.2, to replicate these findings with a shorter time interval. They used general health headlines instead of pandemic-specific ones. This time, the delay was only two weeks.</p>
<p>Even with a shorter break, the pattern remained the same. The immediate effect of the sensational language was to suppress belief. Two weeks later, that suppression evaporated, and belief in the content rebounded.</p>
<p>The team then wanted to see if reading a full article would change the outcome. In Study 2.1, participants read short articles accompanied by headlines either with or without the sensational starters.</p>
<p>The participants rated their belief in the headlines immediately after reading the text. Two weeks later, they were asked to recall the content and rate their belief again.</p>
<p>Once again, the sensational titles reduced belief initially. But after two weeks, the participants who had seen the sensational titles showed an increase in belief. This happened even though they had read a full article that explained the concept.</p>
<p>Study 2.2 was designed to test whether the sleeper effect occurred because people simply forgot the sensational headline. The researchers added a “reinstatement” condition.</p>
<p>In the follow-up session, some participants were explicitly reminded of the original headline they had seen, including the sensational words. Others were not given this reminder.</p>
<p>The results showed that the rebound in belief happened regardless of the reminder. Even when participants were reminded of the “Shocking!” label, their belief in the underlying information had still grown since the first viewing.</p>
<p>This suggests the effect is robust. It implies that the cognitive separation between the “untrustworthy” cue and the information happens deeply. Simply seeing the cue again does not necessarily reverse the belief that has formed.</p>
<p>Finally, Study 3 examined whether this effect extended beyond the specific headline to related beliefs. The researchers wanted to know if a sensational headline made people believe other, connected ideas.</p>
<p>Participants read an article with or without a high-arousal title. They then rated their agreement with statements that were relevant to the topic but not explicitly in the headline.</p>
<p>The data showed that the effect did generalize. The sensational titles initially lowered belief in related arguments. Over time, however, belief in those related arguments increased for the group that saw the sensational titles.</p>
<p>A mini meta-analysis of all five studies confirmed the reliability of these trends. The immediate suppression of belief was a medium-sized effect across the board. The delayed rebound in belief was also consistent and of medium magnitude.</p>
<p>The researchers concluded that high-arousal sentence starters function as discounting cues. They signal to the reader that the news might be fake or low quality. This triggers a defensive skepticism right away.</p>
<p>But as time passes, the association between the information and that skepticism weakens. The content of the headline remains in memory, while the “low credibility” tag fades away.</p>
<p>This leads to a situation where the reader eventually believes the information they once doubted. The initial sensationalism might actually help the information stick in memory, even if it is doubted at first.</p>
<p>These findings have implications for how media is consumed and regulated. It suggests that fact-checking or warning labels might function similarly to these sensational starters.</p>
<p>If a warning label acts as a discounting cue, it might work immediately. But there is a risk that the warning itself is forgotten over time while the false information is remembered.</p>
<p>The authors note that their study focused specifically on health news. It is possible that political or financial news might trigger different reactions.</p>
<p>They also point out that they used true information for ethical reasons. They did not want to implant false beliefs in participants. However, the psychological mechanism suggests false information would behave similarly.</p>
<p>Future research is needed to understand the exact cognitive processes at play. For instance, it is unclear if the rebound happens because the skepticism fades or because the sensationalism makes the content more memorable.</p>
<p>The researchers also suggest looking at different types of arousal words. Words like “Urgent” might have a different impact than words like “Shocking.”</p>
<p>Cultural differences could also play a role. The study was conducted with Chinese participants. Western cultures might respond differently to high-arousal language due to different cultural norms regarding emotion.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502251343979" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Immediate and Delayed Beliefs in Headlines With High-arousal Sentence Starters</a>,” was authored by Xiaoyu Zhou, Zhang Tan, Danjun Wang, Fei Wang, and Kaiping Peng.</p></p>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:13px; text-align: center; color: #666666; padding:4px; margin-bottom:2px;"></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="font:13px Helvetica, sans-serif; border-radius:4px; -moz-border-radius:4px; -webkit-border-radius:4px; background-color:#fff; padding:8px; margin-bottom:6px; border:1px solid #adadad;" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/mass-shootings-increase-local-voter-turnout-but-do-not-shift-presidential-choices/" 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;">Mass shootings increase local voter turnout but do not shift presidential choices</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Dec 30th 2025, 14:00</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#494949;text-align:justify;font-size:13px;">
<p><p>A study combining data on mass shootings in the U.S. from the Gun Violence Archive with information about voter turnout found that mass shootings mobilize local voters, but do not shift presidential vote choices. This was particularly notable in heavily Democratic areas. The research was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adx5418"><em>Science Advances</em></a><em>.</em></p>
<p>Mass shootings are incidents in which multiple people are shot in a single event. They often happen in public spaces such as schools, workplaces, or places of worship. In the United States, their occurrence has increased in frequency since the late 20th century, with notable spikes in the 2000s and 2010s. According to the Gun Violence Archive, since 2014, there have been 400 mass shootings per year on average throughout the U.S.</p>
<p>Compared to overall gun violence, mass shootings are rare. However, they receive intense media attention because of their scale and symbolic impact. Mass shootings generate widespread fear and a sense of unpredictability, affecting not only direct victims but entire communities.</p>
<p>They can lead to long-term psychological consequences such as trauma, anxiety, and reduced feelings of safety among the public. Social trust may erode as people begin to perceive everyday public spaces as potentially dangerous. Mass shootings also intensify political and social polarization, particularly around debates on gun control, mental health, and individual freedoms.</p>
<p>Study authors Kelsey Shoub and Kevin Morris conducted a study in which they tested whether mass shootings increase electoral participation in areas where they occurred. They explain that mass shootings can be expected to increase voter turnout if a narrative is established in the community that ties the mass shooting to government (in)action along with a pathway that links that government (in)action with voting in response.</p>
<p>The study authors collected data on all mass shootings that occurred in the 6 months before or after the 2016 and 2020 elections from the Gun Violence Archive (<a href="https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/">https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/</a>). A mass shooting was defined as an incident with “a minimum of four victims shot, either injured or killed, not including any shooter who may also have been killed or injured in the incident.” This definition intentionally included gang-related shootings.</p>
<p>They also collected data on voter turnout from the L2 voter file (<a href="https://www.l2-data.com/">https://www.l2-data.com/</a>). This database contains information about nearly every registered voter in the U.S., including whether they participated in a given election and the geographic coordinates of their home residence.</p>
<p>From this file, they used data referring to the 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections. They used data from the VEST Team to identify precincts and assign mass shootings to specific precincts, while information on precinct-level election results for the specific ballot initiative analysis came from the California Statewide Database.</p>
<p>Results showed that voter turnout increased after a mass shooting, but only in the areas geographically closest to where the shooting took place. This was particularly the case in heavily Democratic areas. However, mass shootings do not seem to have shifted presidential vote choices. Authors also report that pre-election mass shootings were associated with increased support for the 2016 California gun reform ballot initiative.</p>
<p>The 2016 Californian gun reform ballot initiative was a state measure approved by voters that required background checks and Department of Justice authorization for ammunition purchases, banned possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines, mandated reporting of lost or stolen firearms, and strengthened enforcement of gun possession laws by certain prohibited individuals.</p>
<p>“We find that mass shootings mobilize local voters (especially in heavily Democratic areas) but do not shift presidential vote choices. Furthermore, we show that pre-election mass shootings were associated with increased support for a 2016 Californian gun reform ballot initiative. Our results show the (geographically bounded) salience of mass shootings for local political engagement and ballot reform efforts,” study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study sheds light on community reactions to mass shootings in their vicinity. While the authors utilized a regression discontinuity design to make causal claims regarding the increase in voter turnout, they noted that the findings regarding the California ballot initiative specifically should be interpreted as a statistical association rather than a definitive causal link.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adx5418">The effect of mass shootings on voter turnout in the United States,</a>” was authored by Kelsey Shoub and Kevin Morris.</p></p>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:13px; text-align: center; color: #666666; padding:4px; margin-bottom:2px;"></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="font:13px Helvetica, sans-serif; border-radius:4px; -moz-border-radius:4px; -webkit-border-radius:4px; background-color:#fff; padding:8px; margin-bottom:6px; border:1px solid #adadad;" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/researchers-uncover-different-hierarchies-of-moral-concern-among-liberals-and-conservatives/" 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 uncover different hierarchies of moral concern among liberals and conservatives</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Dec 30th 2025, 12:00</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#494949;text-align:justify;font-size:13px;">
<p><p>New research conducted in Portugal offers insight into the psychological roots of political ideology. The findings suggest that the difference between liberals and conservatives is not just about which values they hold, but how they prioritize them when conflicting demands arise. The study was published in the <em><a href="https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/10.1027/1614-0001/a000447" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Journal of Individual Differences</a></em>.</p>
<p>Psychologists aim to understand why people adopt specific political beliefs. One dominant framework for explaining this is Moral Foundations Theory. This theory proposes that human morality rests on five innate psychological pillars. These pillars are care, fairness, loyalty, authority, and purity. Care involves protecting others from harm. Fairness focuses on justice and reciprocity. Loyalty pertains to devotion to one’s group. Authority relates to respect for hierarchy and tradition. Purity concerns the sanctity of the body and spirit.</p>
<p>Past studies typically measured these foundations by asking people how much they value each one in isolation. This method often indicated that liberals rely mostly on care and fairness. It also suggested that conservatives rely moderately on all five foundations. However, this approach has a blind spot. It does not account for the fact that in real life, moral values often compete with one another. A person might have to choose between adhering to a tradition and ensuring fair treatment for an individual.</p>
<p>Pedro J. C. Costa and Paulo A. S. Moreira, researchers based in Portugal at the University of Lusíada and the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, reasoned that understanding political ideology requires looking at these internal trade-offs. They argued that measuring the relative importance of these values is more revealing than measuring their absolute strength.</p>
<p>“Most approaches to political ideology and political orientation are still primarily rooted in disciplines such as philosophy and the social sciences. However, political ideology does not exist solely as an abstract representation of reality; ultimately, it emerges from human holistic subjective experience,” the researchers told PsyPost.</p>
<p>“We argue that a comprehensive understanding of political phenomena requires integrating expressions of political ideology with their psychobiological underpinnings. Our ongoing research is driven by this goal, and the present study contributes to bridging human subjective experiential phenomena—such as moral intuitions—with one of the most disseminated typologies of political ideology: conservatism and liberalism.”</p>
<p>To explore these dynamics, the researchers recruited 425 adults. The participants were Portuguese citizens. The sample included 301 women and had an average age of approximately 31 years. The researchers used a “snowball sampling” method, where initial participants invited others to join the study.</p>
<p>Participants completed the Moral Foundations Questionnaire. This tool presents various scenarios and abstract principles. It asks respondents to rate how relevant these are to their moral judgments. The researchers also administered the Twenty Item Values Inventory to measure basic personal values like benevolence and conservation.</p>
<p>The study also included a survey on religious beliefs and behaviors. Participants reported their belief in God and the frequency of their prayers and attendance at religious services. Finally, the researchers measured political orientation. They used a scale assessing social and economic attitudes. They also asked participants to place themselves on a standard left-right political spectrum.</p>
<p>The researchers analyzed the data using two distinct statistical strategies. First, they looked at “ipsatized” scores. This technique adjusts a person’s score on each moral foundation by subtracting their overall average moral score. This process highlights which values a person prioritizes relative to their other values. It effectively filters out a person’s general tendency to agree or disagree with everything.</p>
<p>The results from the ipsatized scores provided a clearer picture than raw scores. When looking at relative priorities, liberals strongly favored the individualizing foundations of care and fairness. In contrast, conservatives prioritized the binding foundations of loyalty, authority, and purity. This suggests that conservatism is driven by placing group-cohesion values above individual-welfare values.</p>
<p>The second analytical strategy involved a cluster analysis. This method grouped participants based on their patterns of moral responses. The analysis identified three distinct profiles.</p>
<p>The first group was labeled “Individuators.” This group comprised about 38 percent of the sample. Individuators scored high on care and fairness but low on loyalty, authority, and purity. Members of this group were the most likely to identify as liberal. They expressed strong support for liberal social and economic policies. They also reported low levels of resistance to societal change.</p>
<p>The second group was labeled “High Moralists.” This group made up roughly 26 percent of the sample. High Moralists scored high on all five moral foundations. They were particularly distinct in their very high endorsement of loyalty, authority, and purity. This group aligned with traditional conservative ideology. They reported higher levels of religious belief and behavior. They also expressed the most resistance to social change.</p>
<p>The third group was labeled “Low Moralists.” This group accounted for about 20 percent of the sample. Individuals in this cluster showed low endorsement of all five moral foundations. Their scores were below average across the board. Despite their lack of strong moral signaling, they tended to identify with the political right.</p>
<p>The existence of the Low Moralist group offers a nuanced view of right-wing ideology. These individuals aligned with the High Moralists on economic conservatism. However, they did not share the High Moralists’ religious zeal or deep attachment to tradition. This points to a divide within the right wing. It suggests there is a “religious right” that is morally motivated and a “secular right” that may be driven by other factors.</p>
<p>The researchers also found a connection between gender and these moral profiles. Men were more likely to be classified as Low Moralists or High Moralists. Women were more likely to be Individuators. This aligns with evolutionary theories suggesting women have historically invested more in care-oriented behaviors.</p>
<p>The researchers note that these findings help clarify the nature of political polarization. It appears that liberals and conservatives do not just disagree on specific issues. They operate with different hierarchies of moral concern. For liberals, the well-being of the individual is paramount. For conservatives, the preservation of the group and its institutions often takes precedence.</p>
<p>The study provides evidence that political views are not one-dimensional. The researchers performed a principal component analysis on the political variables. This statistical test revealed that liberalism and conservatism formed two distinct factors rather than opposite ends of a single line. This supports the idea that people can hold a mix of views that do not fit neatly into a single category.</p>
<p>“Rather than viewing political ideology and political orientation as purely abstract representations of reality or models of society, our findings suggest they are better understood as genuinely bio-psycho-social phenomena,” the researchers said.</p>
<p>But the study, like all research, has some caveats. The study relied entirely on self-reported data. This method depends on the honesty and self-awareness of the participants. The sample was not random, which means it may not perfectly represent the Portuguese population.</p>
<p>The cultural context of Portugal is also significant. The country has a long Catholic history but has become increasingly secular. The interplay between religion and politics in Portugal differs from that in the United States. Future research would benefit from testing these ideas in other cultures.</p>
<p>The researchers also noted the absence of a measure for “liberty.” Some theorists argue that liberty is a sixth moral foundation. It is particularly important for understanding libertarian political views. Future studies should include this measure to get a more complete picture of the moral landscape.</p>
<p>Despite these limitations, the study offers a valuable perspective on the “culture wars.” It suggests that political disagreements often stem from deep-seated differences in how people rank moral values. Understanding these priorities may help explain why certain political messages resonate with specific groups. It highlights that conservatism is not a monolith but includes both highly religious and secular subgroups.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001/a000447" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unveiling the Moral Priorities of Liberals and Conservatives: Contributions From Variable-Centered and Person-Centered Approaches</a>,” was authored by Pedro J. C. Costa and Paulo A. S. Moreira.</p></p>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:13px; text-align: center; color: #666666; padding:4px; margin-bottom:2px;"></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table style="font:13px Helvetica, sans-serif; border-radius:4px; -moz-border-radius:4px; -webkit-border-radius:4px; background-color:#fff; padding:8px; margin-bottom:6px; border:1px solid #adadad;" width="100%">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/biological-roots-of-ptsd-differ-strikingly-between-men-and-women/" 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;">Biological roots of PTSD differ strikingly between men and women</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Dec 30th 2025, 11:45</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#494949;text-align:justify;font-size:13px;">
<p><p>A new analysis of blood samples from patients with posttraumatic stress disorder reveals that the condition may be driven by fundamentally different biological mechanisms in men compared to women. Researchers found that men with the disorder primarily exhibit deficits in specific stress-regulating lipids, whereas women exhibit heightened signs of systemic inflammation. These results were published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111501" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry</a></em>.</p>
<p>Posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric condition that develops in some individuals following exposure to severe or life-threatening events. It is well established that the disorder does not affect the population uniformly. Women are diagnosed with the condition at nearly twice the rate of men. Women also tend to suffer from longer-lasting symptoms and have higher rates of co-occurring health issues, such as autoimmune diseases. Despite these clear disparities, the biological reasons for this gender gap have remained elusive.</p>
<p>Medical researchers have historically focused on two specific internal networks when studying the effects of trauma. The first is the endocannabinoid system. This network functions as a physiological buffer against stress. It utilizes lipid-based messengers to help the brain process fear, regulate emotional behavior, and return the body to a state of calm after a threat has passed. When this system is working correctly, it aids in the extinction of fear memories.</p>
<p>The second network of interest is the immune system. In times of acute stress or injury, the body releases inflammatory proteins known as cytokines. While this is a protective measure in the short term, chronic inflammation can become maladaptive. Sustained immune activation is known to negatively influence brain circuits that regulate mood and arousal.</p>
<p>Most prior investigations into the biology of trauma have studied these two systems in isolation. Many older studies also combined data from male and female participants, which can obscure sex-specific patterns. To address these gaps, a team led by Primavera A. Spagnolo at the Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School designed a study to analyze both systems simultaneously. The researchers aimed to determine if the molecular fingerprints of the disorder differ based on biological sex.</p>
<p>The research team utilized data and samples from the Mass General Brigham Biobank. They retrospectively selected a cohort of 173 individuals for analysis. This group was engineered to be balanced, consisting of 90 men and 83 women. Approximately half of the participants had a confirmed medical diagnosis of PTSD. The other half served as a healthy control group with no history of psychiatric illness.</p>
<p>The investigators analyzed serum samples to measure the circulating concentrations of key molecules. To assess the stress-buffering system, they measured levels of endocannabinoids. These included anandamide, a molecule essential for mood regulation, and 2-arachidonoylglycerol. They also measured related lipids like oleoylethanolamide and arachidonic acid. To assess immune status, the team quantified levels of several pro-inflammatory markers, including C-reactive protein and various interleukins.</p>
<p>The analysis revealed distinct molecular profiles that varied significantly by sex. Men diagnosed with PTSD showed a marked depletion of endocannabinoids compared to healthy men. Specifically, they had lower levels of anandamide, arachidonic acid, and oleoylethanolamide. This suggests that in males, the pathophysiology of the disorder is linked to a breakdown in the body’s natural ability to chemically buffer stress.</p>
<p>The male patients did not exhibit widespread immune dysregulation. When compared to the healthy male control group, the men with PTSD showed normal levels for most inflammatory markers. The only exception was tumor necrosis factor-alpha, which was elevated.</p>
<p>A completely different biological picture emerged among the female participants. Women with PTSD did not show the depletion of anandamide or arachidonic acid seen in the male group. Their endocannabinoid levels remained largely comparable to healthy women. In fact, one lipid called 2-arachidonoylglycerol was found at slightly higher levels in the female patient group.</p>
<p>Instead of a lipid deficit, the female patients displayed a profile characterized by overactive inflammation. Women with the disorder had significantly higher concentrations of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 compared to healthy women. They also showed elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha. This indicates that for women, the disorder is more closely associated with a persistent state of immune activation.</p>
<p>The researchers performed additional statistical checks to ensure the robustness of these findings. They accounted for a common genetic variation in the FAAH gene. This gene produces an enzyme responsible for breaking down anandamide. Even after controlling for participants’ genotypes, the sex-based divergence remained clear.</p>
<p>The team also examined a subgroup of patients who suffered from major depressive disorder alongside their PTSD. Depression is a common comorbidity that shares many biological features with trauma disorders. The study found that the sex-specific patterns held true in this subgroup as well. Men with both conditions showed low endocannabinoids, while women with both conditions showed high inflammation.</p>
<p>These findings offer a potential explanation for why certain experimental treatments for PTSD have failed in the past. Several clinical trials have tested drugs designed to boost endocannabinoid levels by inhibiting the enzyme that destroys them. These trials have largely been unsuccessful. Spagnolo and her colleagues note that these trials often enrolled a majority of female participants.</p>
<p>If women with PTSD do not suffer from a deficit of endocannabinoids, treatments aimed at replenishing them would likely be ineffective. Conversely, such treatments might be highly beneficial for men, who show a clear deficiency. This study suggests that future therapeutic approaches must be tailored to the sex of the patient. Treatments for women might need to focus on dampening the inflammatory response.</p>
<p>There are limitations to this study that contextualize the results. The researchers used a retrospective design based on electronic health records. They did not conduct real-time clinical interviews to assess the current severity of symptoms. They also lacked data on the timing of the original trauma or childhood adversity.</p>
<p>Additionally, the study did not measure levels of sex hormones like estradiol at the time of blood collection. Estradiol is known to influence both the immune system and endocannabinoid signaling. Spagnolo and her team hypothesize that hormonal fluctuations may play a role in the “multiple-hit” mechanism that makes women more vulnerable to these changes.</p>
<p>The authors recommend that future research should track these biological markers prospectively. They suggest utilizing stress-provoking experimental tasks to see how these systems react in real time. Confirming these distinct pathways could pave the way for precision medicine in psychiatry. The study highlights the necessity of moving beyond a “one size fits all” approach to mental health treatment.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2025.111501" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sex differences in endocannabinoid and inflammatory markers associated with posttraumatic stress disorder</a>,” was authored by Therese A. Rajasekera, Anna Joseph, Hui Pan, Jonathan M. Dreyfuss, Doruntina Fida, Julia C. Wilson, Madeline Behee, Raina N. Fichorova, Resat Cinar, and Primavera A. Spagnolo.</p></p>
</div>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:13px; text-align: center; color: #666666; padding:4px; margin-bottom:2px;"></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
<p><strong>This information is taken from free public RSS feeds published by each organization for the purpose of public distribution. Readers are linked back to the article content on each organization's website. This email is an unaffiliated unofficial redistribution of this freely provided content from the publishers. </strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><s><small><a href="#" style="color:#ffffff;"><a href='https://blogtrottr.com/unsubscribe/565/DY9DKf'>unsubscribe from this feed</a></a></small></s></p>