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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/surprising-new-research-links-lsd-induced-brain-entropy-to-seizure-protection/" 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;">Surprising new research links LSD-induced brain entropy to seizure protection</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Feb 17th 2026, 08:00</div>
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<p><p>Two recent studies conducted by scientists at the University Health Network and the University of Toronto provide new evidence regarding the effects of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) on the brain. The findings suggest that this psychedelic compound may have unexpected neuroprotective properties against severe seizures in mice. </p>
<p>Additionally, the research indicates that LSD significantly alters the electrical stability of brain networks. These papers, published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nexres.2025.100704" target="_blank">Next Research</a></em> and <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2025.150142" target="_blank">Brain Research</a></em>, challenge conventional assumptions about psychedelics and safety in the context of epilepsy.</p>
<p>Lysergic acid diethylamide is a potent psychoactive substance known for its ability to alter perception, mood, and cognitive processes. It functions primarily by binding to serotonin receptors in the brain. These receptors are proteins that receive chemical signals to regulate various biological functions. While LSD is famous for its recreational use and its ability to induce hallucinations, medical researchers are increasingly examining its potential therapeutic benefits. Past studies suggest it may help treat conditions such as depression and anxiety.</p>
<p>The rationale for investigating LSD in the context of seizures stemmed from a need to improve treatments for epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. It affects roughly 50 to 60 million people globally. Current medications fail to control seizures in about one-third of patients. This drug resistance creates an urgent need for alternative therapeutic approaches.</p>
<p>“This work started in a completely different direction than it ended up going in,” said study author <a href="https://www.brabin.ca/" target="_blank">Brenden Rabinovitch</a>, a PhD student affiliated with the University of Toronto and the Krembil Brain Institute.</p>
<p>The researchers initially designed the study to test the safety of LSD rather than its efficacy as a treatment. They were interested in using psychedelics to treat functional seizures. Functional seizures are behavioral events that resemble epileptic seizures but are psychological in origin. They do not involve the abnormal electrical discharges seen in epilepsy. Because some patients suffer from both epilepsy and functional seizures, the scientists needed to verify that LSD would not worsen epileptic seizures before proposing it as a treatment.</p>
<p>“We thought this was a fascinating phenomenon that psychedelics could potentially treat due to their therapeutic promise in functional neurological disorder and other psychiatric disorders,” Rabinovitch said. “However, we knew this was very non-traditional, since psychedelics are often treated as potential seizure-inducing drugs, although there is no evidence to suggest this is true in the context stated (we also <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1326815" target="_blank">wrote a review</a> on this recently).” </p>
<p>“Now, it is also important to consider that between 9–11% of epilepsy patients have some functional seizures. If a drug we think may treat functional seizures also has a risk of inducing seizures, that is a clear conflict. Thus, we initially set out to do a ‘safety’ experiment, and we viewed a ‘positive’ result as one in which LSD had no effect on epileptic seizures at all. When we saw that certain behavioural characteristics of seizures actually improved in these mice, we were shocked to say the least.”</p>
<p>The first study, published in <em>Next Research</em>, utilized a mouse model to observe the effects of LSD on acute seizures. The researchers worked with adolescent male and female C57BL/6J mice. They divided the animals into groups and administered either a saline solution or LSD. The LSD was given at doses of 17 or 30 micrograms per kilogram. Forty minutes after this pre-treatment, the researchers injected the mice with kainic acid. Kainic acid is a chemical that mimics the neurotransmitter glutamate. It overstimulates neurons and reliably induces seizures in rodents.</p>
<p>The researchers recorded the behavior of the mice for eighty minutes following the injection. They used a modified version of the Racine scale to measure seizure severity. This scale rates behaviors from mild stages, such as facial movements and freezing, to severe stages, such as full-body convulsions and continuous seizing. The team analyzed the video footage to determine how the pre-treatment influenced the onset, severity, and outcome of the seizures.</p>
<p>The results revealed a distinct difference between the treated mice and the control group, particularly among the males. In the control group, nearly 40 percent of the male mice progressed to status epilepticus. Status epilepticus is a medical emergency where a seizure lasts longer than five minutes or seizures occur close together without recovery. This state is life-threatening. In the control group, roughly 23 percent of the male mice died as a result.</p>
<p>The mice treated with the higher dose of LSD showed a complete absence of status epilepticus. None of the male mice in the 30-microgram group entered this dangerous state, and none of them died. The lower dose of LSD also provided protection, reducing the incidence of severe seizures and death compared to the controls. The drug appeared to alter the early stages of the seizure as well. The treated mice spent more time in a “freezing” state and less time performing repetitive involuntary movements known as automatisms.</p>
<p>“We thought that the best-case scenario was LSD would have no effect on the behavioural seizure characteristics,” Rabinovitch told PsyPost. “At worst, we thought the mice might go into status epilepticus—a prolonged, life-threatening seizure state—and we would urgently need to treat them with an anti-epileptic drug and provide fluids and other supportive treatments until the LSD was fully out of their system.” </p>
<p>“I almost did not believe it when I did the seizure-induction injections and some of the mice did not progress past stage 1 or 2 on the Racine scale, which is a standard measure of seizure severity ranging from mild facial movements at stage 1 up to full convulsive seizures at stage 5.”</p>
<p>The results for the female mice were less dramatic. The female control group was naturally more resistant to the kainic acid and did not experience status epilepticus or death even without the drug. However, the researchers noted that LSD increased the variability of the behavioral responses in both sexes. This suggests that the drug affects individuals differently, leading to a wider range of reactions.</p>
<p>To understand the mechanism behind these behavioral changes, the scientists focused on how LSD modulates the electrical activity of the brain in freely moving mice. The researchers surgically implanted electrodes into the brains of male mice. They targeted two specific regions: the hippocampus and the cortex. The hippocampus is essential for memory and navigation, while the cortex is involved in sensory processing and decision-making.</p>
<p>After the mice recovered from surgery, the researchers recorded their baseline brain activity using intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG). They then administered the same 30-microgram dose of LSD used in the seizure study. They continued to record the electrical signals to observe changes in neural oscillations. Neural oscillations, or brain waves, are rhythmic patterns of electrical activity produced by the synchronized firing of neurons.</p>
<p>The analysis, published in <em>Brain Research</em>, showed that LSD caused a broad reduction in the power of these brain waves. The term “power” in this context refers to the strength or amplitude of the electrical signal. The researchers observed this decrease across all measured frequency bands, including delta, theta, alpha, and beta waves. This effect was most pronounced in the ventral hippocampus, a region associated with emotional memory.</p>
<p>In addition to reducing signal power, the drug increased the variance of the brain activity. Variance refers to the fluctuation or instability of the signal over time. The brain waves became less predictable and more heterogeneous after LSD administration. This finding aligns with the “entropic brain” theory. This hypothesis suggests that psychedelics work by increasing the entropy, or disorder, within the brain. They disintegrate rigid, organized networks and allow for a more flexible state of connectivity.</p>
<p>The scientists propose a theoretical link between the two studies. Seizures are characterized by hypersynchronization. This means that large groups of neurons fire together in an excessive and rigid pattern. By inducing a state of desynchronization and lowering the power of neural rhythms, LSD may make it difficult for this hypersynchronized seizure activity to organize and spread. The drug essentially introduces enough noise or “chaos” into the system to prevent the seizure from generalizing across the brain.</p>
<p>The researchers emphasize that these findings are preliminary. There are several limitations to consider. Both studies were conducted in mice, and human brain physiology is significantly more complex. The protective effects against status epilepticus were clear in male mice, but the differences were harder to assess in females due to their natural resistance to the seizure model used. Additionally, the variability in the responses suggests that the effects of LSD are highly individual-specific.</p>
<p>The scientists also caution against interpreting this as a recommendation for using LSD to treat epilepsy directly. The study used a specific timing for the dosage relative to the seizure induction. In a clinical setting, predicting when a seizure will occur is often impossible. </p>
<p>“The average person should not look at this and immediately think that we should start dosing people with LSD to cure their seizures,” Rabinovitch said. “I think people can take away the idea that epilepsy may be a condition which benefits from multi-target drugs rather than classical single-target anti-seizure medications (ASMs), which have focused on blocking excitatory and enhancing inhibitory transmission in the brain.” </p>
<p>“Epilepsy is complex, so maybe complex drugs could be of benefit to individuals who are ‘drug-resistant’—meaning their seizures persist after having tried two or more classical ASMs. More broadly, novel treatments in the future of epilepsy drug development may want to focus on drugs with broad, multi-mechanism pharmacology instead of focusing on single mechanisms that may differ from person to person.”</p>
<p>The primary long-term goal for the researchers is to explore the use of LSD for functional seizures. Since functional seizures are psychogenic, the psychological effects of psychedelics could address the root cause of the disorder. The fact that the drug appears safe—and potentially protective—regarding epileptic seizures removes a significant barrier to testing it in patient populations who may have both conditions.</p>
<p>“In the long term, we would love the opportunity to run a clinical trial with patients who have functional seizures but do NOT have epilepsy,” Rabinovitch explanined. “This would be the ideal population since we think they would stand to benefit the most from treatment due to the psychological nature of their seizures, absent other neurological pathologies.”</p>
<p>“Looking ahead, we would love to follow up by examining how the electrical (EEG) signal of mice undergoing seizures may be altered with LSD. We are also interested in more translational questions around the framing of treatment. For example, does it make sense to ‘treat’ seizures with LSD directly, or is LSD something that may augment concomitant anti-seizure medications? It is also not clear that LSD would work like a traditional rescue medication such as diazepam, because when and how often it is given likely has a substantial effect on outcomes. This was a preliminary investigation, so we naturally have many ideas for how this could play out.”</p>
<p>The scientists urge the medical research community to remain open to ideas that might initially seem counterintuitive. They note that epilepsy is still a surprisingly misunderstood condition given how many people it affects globally.</p>
<p>“This has resulted in nearly all anti-seizure medications being different flavors of the same idea for over 50 years,” Rabinovitch said. “This is likely a contributing factor to 1/3 of epilepsy patients being treatment-resistant with uncontrollable seizures. When we look at the blossoming of psychedelic research in recent years, it is quite clear that these drugs—when used appropriately in controlled clinical settings with physician supervision—have potential ameliorative effects for many more conditions than we had previously thought.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nexres.2025.100704" target="_blank">Lysergic acid diethylamide inhibits status epilepticus and mortality in a mouse model of acute kainic acid-induced motor seizures</a>,” was authored by BS Rabinovitch, W Hu, C Tang, N Silverman, EC Lewis, and PL Carlen.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2025.150142" target="_blank">Lysergic acid diethylamide modulates hippocampal and cortical local field potential oscillatory rhythms in male mice</a>,” was authored by B.S. Rabinovitch, N. Silverman, D. Ji, D. Shizgal, E.C. Lewis, and P.L. Carlen.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/scientists-have-found-a-fascinating-link-between-breathing-and-memory/" 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 have found a fascinating link between breathing and memory</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Feb 17th 2026, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>New research suggests that the natural rhythm of breathing plays an important role in organizing the brain activity required for human memory. The study indicates that successful memory retrieval is linked to the timing of inhalation and exhalation, with specific brain patterns synchronizing to the respiratory cycle. These findings were published in <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1221-25.2025" target="_blank">The Journal of Neuroscience</a></em>.</p>
<p>Scientists have known for some time that respiration serves functions beyond simply supplying oxygen to the body. Previous studies in both animals and humans have demonstrated that breathing can influence brain activity during sleep and wakefulness. For instance, prior research has shown that people tend to identify facial expressions or perceive tactile stimuli more accurately when they are inhaling.</p>
<p>Despite this knowledge, the specific neural mechanisms connecting breathing phases to the conscious recovery of memories have remained less clear. The research team sought to determine if respiration acts as a pacemaker that synchronizes the brain activity required to recall specific associations. They aimed to understand whether the timing of breathing aligns with the replay of neural patterns that represent stored memories.</p>
<p>“Much of memory research has traditionally focused on neural mechanisms within the brain itself. However, growing evidence suggests that bodily rhythms, particularly breathing, can systematically influence brain activity,” explained study author <a href="https://www.schreiner-lab.com/" target="_blank">Thomas Schreiner</a>, Emmy Noether Group Leader at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.</p>
<p>“While this link had been demonstrated for general brain states, it remained unclear whether respiration also shapes the specific neural processes that support remembering. Our motivation was to address this gap by testing whether different phases of breathing are directly linked to the neural signatures of successful memory retrieval in humans.”</p>
<p>For their study, the researchers analyzed data from 18 healthy participants. The group consisted of 15 females and 3 males, with a mean age of approximately 21 years. The experiment involved two separate sessions spaced about one week apart.</p>
<p>During the initial phase of each session, participants completed a learning task. They were shown verbs, such as “jump,” paired with images of either objects or scenes. The participants were instructed to create a mental image or story linking the verb to the picture. This process created an associative memory, which is a type of memory that links two unrelated items.</p>
<p>Later, the participants underwent a memory test to see how well they had retained the information. During this test, they were presented with the verbs they had seen earlier. They were then asked to recall the associated image and describe it.</p>
<p>While the participants performed these tasks, the scientists recorded their physiological activity. They used electroencephalography, or EEG, to monitor electrical activity in the brain. Simultaneously, they used a thermistor airflow sensor to track the participants’ breathing patterns. This setup allowed the team to precisely match moments of brain activity with specific phases of the respiratory cycle.</p>
<p>The researchers analyzed the data to see if memory performance varied depending on where the participant was in their breathing cycle when the memory cue appeared. They examined the EEG data for specific oscillatory patterns. Oscillations are rhythmic fluctuations in electrical activity, often called brain waves.</p>
<p>The team focused specifically on the alpha and beta frequency bands, which range from roughly 8 to 20 Hertz. In memory research, a decrease in power within these frequency bands is typically a sign that the brain is successfully processing information. The scientists also used a sophisticated computer model to detect “memory reactivation.” This refers to the moment the brain recreates the specific neural pattern associated with the original image.</p>
<p>The results revealed a connection between breathing and memory performance. The researchers found that participants were more likely to successfully remember an image if the cue word appeared while they were inhaling. Specifically, the optimal sequence for memory retrieval appeared to involve inhaling when the cue was presented, followed by exhaling as the brain processed the memory.</p>
<p>“We were struck by how selectively the effects emerged during successful remembering, rather than during unsuccessful retrieval or control conditions,” Schreiner told PsyPost. “This suggests that respiration is not merely influencing general arousal, but is specifically linked to the neural reinstatement of stored information.”</p>
<p>When the scientists looked at the neural data, they found that the brain waves tracked with the breathing cycle. The characteristic decrease in alpha and beta power, which signals successful memory engagement, was modulated by respiration. These power decreases were most prominent around the time of exhalation.</p>
<p>The study also showed that memory reactivation was synchronized with breathing. The neural patterns indicating that the participant was bringing the image back to mind tended to emerge during the exhalation phase. This suggests that while inhalation may be important for taking in the cue, exhalation is the period when the brain effectively reconstructs the memory.</p>
<p>The scientists observed a correlation between the strength of this synchronization and how well individuals performed on the test. Participants who showed a stronger coupling between their breathing rhythm and their brain’s reactivation patterns achieved better memory scores. This implies that the coordination between breath and brain is not random but is functionally relevant for cognitive performance.</p>
<p>These findings provide evidence that respiration may act as a scaffold for episodic memory retrieval. Episodic memory involves the recollection of specific events, situations, and experiences. The data suggests that the respiratory cycle helps coordinate the neural conditions necessary for this complex cognitive process.</p>
<p>“Our results suggest that breathing is not just a background bodily function, but is closely coordinated with brain activity that supports remembering,” Schreiner explained. “In particular, the timing of inhalation and exhalation appears to structure when memory related neural patterns are most effectively reactivated. This highlights that cognitive processes such as memory emerge from tight interactions between the brain and the body, rather than from the brain alone.”</p>
<p>However, the researchers note that while the effects are consistent, they are relatively modest in size. This is typical for physiological influences on complex mental tasks. The study identifies a correlation but does not definitively prove that breathing causes the changes in brain activity. It is possible that a third factor, such as general arousal or attention, influences both respiration and memory simultaneously.</p>
<p>The researchers also point out that the study focused on spontaneous breathing. The current data reflects natural, unconscious physiological coupling rather than the effects of a breathing exercise.</p>
<p>“A key caveat is that our findings do not imply that consciously changing one’s breathing will immediately improve memory performance,” Schreiner noted. “The study focuses on spontaneous breathing and its natural coupling to brain dynamics. Whether deliberate breathing interventions can reliably enhance memory remains an open question.”</p>
<p>Another potential limitation involves the role of eye movements. Recent scientific debates have questioned whether alpha and beta power decreases are partly driven by oculomotor activity. Future studies will need to track eye movements alongside respiration and EEG to disentangle these factors completely.</p>
<p>The research team plans to expand this line of research. “Our core research focus is sleep and memory, and we have previously shown that respiration plays a key role in structuring memory reactivation during sleep. With the present study, we aimed to extend this framework to wakeful remembering,” Schreiner said. </p>
<p>“Going forward, we want to push this work further by understanding how respiratory stability or instability shapes memory consolidation during sleep, and how disruptions of breathing, such as in sleep disordered breathing, may impair memory related neural coordination in aging and clinical populations.”</p>
<p>“More broadly, we hope this work contributes to a growing view of cognition as an embodied process, in which brain function is continuously shaped by physiological rhythms throughout the body.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1221-25.2025" target="_blank">Respiration shapes the neural dynamics of successful remembering in humans</a>,” was authored by Esteban Bullón Tarrasó, Fabian Schwimmbeck, Marit Petzka, Tobias Staudigl, Bernhard P. Staresina, and Thomas Schreiner.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/childhood-trauma-changes-how-the-brain-processes-caregiver-cues/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Childhood trauma changes how the brain processes caregiver cues</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Feb 16th 2026, 18:00</div>
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<p><p>For most young children, the sight and voice of a parent serve as a primary source of comfort and safety. A new study suggests that for children who have experienced interpersonal violence or abuse, the brain processes these caregiver signals in a distinct way. Researchers found that a history of threat experiences is linked to heightened activity in the insula, a brain region involved in sensing the body’s internal state and determining what is important in the environment. These findings, published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.70104" target="_blank">Developmental Science</a></em>, offer new insight into how early adversity may shape the developing brain.</p>
<p>Scientists have spent decades trying to understand how difficult childhoods influence biological development. One prevailing theory is the Dimensional Model of Adversity and Psychopathology. This framework suggests that different types of bad experiences affect the brain in specific ways.</p>
<p>The model distinguishes between two main categories of adversity: threat and deprivation. Threat involves the presence of harm, such as physical abuse or exposure to domestic violence. Deprivation involves the absence of expected inputs, such as neglect or a lack of cognitive stimulation.</p>
<p>Researchers hypothesized that threat and deprivation would trigger different biological mechanisms. This theory draws heavy inspiration from animal research. Studies on rodents have shown that when rat pups experience rough handling by their mothers, their brain activity shifts.</p>
<p>In these animal models, pups exposed to rough care process maternal cues aberrantly. Instead of the mother’s presence calming the pup’s fear circuitry, it can increase activity in areas of the brain associated with threat detection. The human equivalent of this phenomenon has been difficult to isolate until recently.</p>
<p>Nicolas Murgueitio, a researcher affiliated with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Emory University School of Medicine, led the investigation. He worked alongside a team of psychologists and neuroscientists from institutions including Harvard University and New York University. The team aimed to test if the specific effects of threat observed in rodents would appear in human children.</p>
<p>The researchers recruited 148 children between the ages of four and nine for the study. This age range is significant because it represents a period of high plasticity in brain development. It is also a time when children are heavily dependent on their caregivers for emotional regulation.</p>
<p>To understand the children’s backgrounds, the team used a comprehensive set of interviews and questionnaires. They collected data from both the children and their guardians. This allowed them to create detailed scores for each child regarding their exposure to threat and deprivation.</p>
<p>Threat scores included experiences like physical abuse, sexual abuse, and witnessing domestic violence. Deprivation scores accounted for physical neglect, lack of educational materials in the home, and limited parental involvement in learning. This detailed accounting allowed the scientists to separate the effects of violence from the effects of neglect.</p>
<p>The core of the study involved observing the children’s brains in action using functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI. This technology measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow. While inside the scanner, the children completed a task designed to engage their emotions and attention.</p>
<p>The researchers used a “multimodal” stimulus, meaning it engaged both sight and hearing. Children saw a picture of their primary caregiver and heard a recording of that caregiver’s voice. The voice provided a “scaffold,” or a helpful prompt, such as telling the child they were about to see pictures of kids playing.</p>
<p>For comparison, the children also saw pictures and heard recordings of a stranger. These strangers were matched to the caregivers in terms of sex, race, and age. This comparison allowed the researchers to isolate the brain’s specific response to the parent, rather than just its response to any adult face or voice.</p>
<p>When the researchers analyzed the brain scans of the entire group, they found widespread activity in response to caregivers. Areas of the brain associated with visual processing and social cognition lit up more for parents than for strangers. This indicates that, generally, a parent is a highly engaging social signal for a child.</p>
<p>The team then looked for specific patterns linked to the children’s adversity scores. They found that a history of deprivation was not associated with differences in how the brain responded to the caregiver. The level of neglect a child experienced did not predict changes in neural activation during this specific task.</p>
<p>However, the results for threat experiences were different. Children with higher levels of threat exposure showed significantly greater activation in the insula when processing their caregiver’s cues. This effect remained even when the researchers controlled for levels of deprivation.</p>
<p>The insula is a complex region of the brain deep within the cerebral cortex. It plays a key role in “interoception,” which is the sense of the physiological condition of the body. It helps an individual feel their own heartbeat or gut feelings.</p>
<p>Beyond monitoring the body, the insula is central to the “salience network.” This network helps the brain decide what is most important in the immediate environment. It acts as a filter, highlighting things that deserve immediate attention and mental resources.</p>
<p>The increased insula activity suggests that for children exposed to violence, the caregiver is a highly salient stimulus. The researchers interpret this as a sign that the brain is allocating extra resources to process the caregiver’s presence. In a safe environment, a parent is a source of predictability.</p>
<p>In an environment characterized by threat, a parent may be a source of both care and danger. This duality can make the caregiver a confusing or unpredictable signal. The insula may be working harder to predict what the caregiver will do next or to prepare the body for a potential reaction.</p>
<p>The researchers had originally hypothesized that they would see differences in the amygdala. The amygdala is a small, almond-shaped structure often referred to as the brain’s fear center. Previous studies on institutionalized children had suggested that adversity blunts the amygdala’s response to parents.</p>
<p>In this study, however, threat exposure did not correlate with changes in amygdala activation. The authors suggest this might be due to the nature of the task. The children were listening to a helpful, regulating voice rather than just looking at a static face.</p>
<p>This multimodal approach creates a more complex social experience than simple picture-viewing tasks. It may be that the addition of the voice and the “scaffolding” context engages the brain’s salience network more than its basic threat detection centers. The findings align with the idea that the brain adapts to its environment in specific, functional ways.</p>
<p>There are several caveats to consider when interpreting these results. The study was cross-sectional, meaning it looked at the children at a single point in time. It cannot definitively prove that the threat experiences caused the brain differences, only that they are related.</p>
<p>The age range of the participants also presents a variable. A four-year-old relies on a parent differently than a nine-year-old does. While the researchers controlled for age in their statistical models, developmental changes across this span are rapid and substantial.</p>
<p>Another limitation lies in the comparison between a caregiver and a stranger. The caregiver is a familiar person, while the stranger is novel. It is possible that the brain differences reflect how traumatized children process familiarity versus novelty, rather than the caregiver specifically.</p>
<p>The researchers also note that their sample was relatively low-risk compared to populations in the foster care system or institutional settings. The children had lower levels of deprivation on average. This might explain why deprivation did not show a strong link to brain activity in this specific group.</p>
<p>Future research will need to explore the long-term consequences of this heightened insula activity. It remains to be seen whether this neural pattern predicts later mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression. Understanding the behavioral outcomes of these brain differences is a necessary next step.</p>
<p>The team suggests that future studies should look at how these brain responses relate to attachment styles. Disorganized attachment, where a child seeks comfort from a parent but also appears frightened of them, might be the behavioral behavior counterpart to these neural findings. Connecting the biology to the behavior could inform better interventions.</p>
<p>This study provides evidence that not all childhood adversity impacts the brain in the same way. The distinction between threat and deprivation appears to be biologically real. Violence and abuse may uniquely alter the neural circuitry involved in processing the people closest to us.</p>
<p>By identifying the insula as a key player, this research opens new avenues for understanding the impact of trauma. It suggests that for some children, the mere presence of a parent triggers a heightened state of internal monitoring and attention. Recognizing this burden on the developing brain is the first step toward helping these children heal.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.70104" target="_blank">Neural Responses to Caregivers After Early Life Threat Experiences</a>,” was authored by Nicolas Murgueitio, Michelle Shipkova, Lucy A. Lurie, Micaela Rodriguez, Laura Machlin, Maresa Tate, Sneha Boda, Zoe Priddy, Cathi B. Propper, Katie A. McLaughlin, Regina M. Sullivan, and Margaret A. Sheridan.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/ai-chatbots-generate-weight-loss-coaching-messages-perceived-as-helpful-as-human-written-advice/" 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;">AI chatbots generate weight loss coaching messages perceived as helpful as human-written advice</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Feb 16th 2026, 16:00</div>
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<p><p>Artificial intelligence systems are increasingly being tested for their ability to support personal health goals. A recent study published in the <em>Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science</em> provides evidence that AI chatbots can generate weight-loss coaching messages that are perceived as helpful as those written by human experts. The findings suggest that large language models may soon offer a scalable way to provide personalized support for individuals managing obesity.</p>
<p>Obesity remains a significant global health challenge. It affects a large percentage of the adult population and increases the risk of conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. While losing a moderate amount of weight can reduce these risks, accessing consistent and personalized coaching is often difficult and expensive. Many people rely on mobile health applications that send automated messages to help them stay on track.</p>
<p>Current automated systems typically rely on pre-written templates. These messages often function on simple rules. For example, if a user does not log their food, the system sends a generic reminder. Previous research indicates that users often find these messages repetitive and impersonal. This lack of customization can lead to lower engagement and limited success in weight management programs.</p>
<p>Scientists conducted this study to determine if modern artificial intelligence could solve this problem. They utilized large language models, which are advanced AI systems capable of understanding and generating human-like text. The researchers wanted to see if an AI chatbot could create messages that felt personalized and empathetic rather than robotic.</p>
<p>“Overweight and obesity affect around 40% of adults worldwide and over 70% in the United States, posing serious health risks. At the same time, there is a growing shortage of clinicians available to provide weight-loss coaching,” said study author Zhuoran Huang, a PhD student at Northeastern University.</p>
<p>“Automated coaching messages are one potential way to increase access while saving time and costs. Still, most existing systems rely on pre-written, templated messages that many users find repetitive and impersonal. We wanted to examine whether generative AI, such as ChatGPT, could create more personalized and engaging coaching messages without the high development costs of traditional tailored systems. While interest in AI for health interventions is increasing, there has been limited research testing whether AI-generated weight-loss coaching messages are feasible to produce or how they compare with messages written by experienced human coaches.”</p>
<p>The study included 87 adults who were already enrolled in a year-long behavioral weight-loss trial. These participants had a body mass index, or BMI, that classified them as overweight or obese. BMI is a standard measure used to estimate body fat based on height and weight. The researchers designed the experiment to measure how helpful the participants found specific coaching messages.</p>
<p>The scientific investigation took place in two phases. In both phases, the researchers presented participants with hypothetical scenarios based on typical weight-loss data. These scenarios included situations where a person might have lost weight, gained weight, or maintained their weight over the previous week. For each scenario, the participants reviewed data summaries regarding calorie intake and physical activity.</p>
<p>Participants then read ten coaching messages. A trained human coach with a master’s degree and extensive experience wrote five of the messages. The AI chatbot, specifically ChatGPT, generated the other five messages based on prompts provided by the researchers. Participants rated each message on a scale of one to five. They also attempted to identify whether a human or a computer wrote each message.</p>
<p>In the first phase, the researchers gave the AI basic instructions to act as a coach and summarize the data. The results favored the human coach. Participants rated the human-written messages as significantly more helpful than the AI-generated ones. Only 66 percent of the AI messages received a rating of three or higher. Feedback indicated that the AI sounded impersonal, overly negative, and somewhat bossy.</p>
<p>Based on this feedback, the researchers adjusted the instructions given to the AI for the second phase. They explicitly asked the chatbot to use an empathetic and encouraging tone. They also instructed it to include touches of humor and to avoid being overly repetitive.</p>
<p>The results in the second phase showed a marked improvement. The participants rated the revised AI messages as equally helpful to the human messages. In this phase, 82 percent of the AI-generated messages received a helpfulness rating of three or higher. This suggests that with the right instructions, AI can perform at a level comparable to a human professional in this specific context.</p>
<p>The study also revealed that participants had difficulty distinguishing between the two sources. In the second phase, participants misidentified the AI messages as human-written 50 percent of the time. This indicates that the updated prompts allowed the technology to mimic human speech patterns effectively.</p>
<p>Qualitative feedback helped explain these numerical findings. Participants expressed appreciation for the empathy and specific suggestions found in the revised AI messages. They liked that the messages validated their struggles without being overly critical.</p>
<p>However, the analysis also highlighted distinct differences. Some participants noted that the AI messages still felt slightly formulaic. They described the AI as being too focused on the data, whereas the human coach tended to sound more curious about the person behind the numbers. The human messages were often described as encouraging more autonomy, while the AI messages were sometimes perceived as more instructional.</p>
<p>Participants also pointed out the importance of context. Some noted that the AI messages made assumptions based solely on the numbers. For instance, if a person did not log their food, the AI might assume they forgot. A human coach might consider that the person was on vacation or sick. This highlights a lingering gap in the AI’s ability to understand the full complexity of a user’s life.</p>
<p>“Our study provides initial evidence that AI can generate weight-loss coaching messages that people find helpful and that are difficult to distinguish from those written by humans,” Huang told PsyPost. “We found that 82% of AI-generated messages were rated ‘somewhat helpful’ or better, comparable to messages written by an experienced human coach. </p>
<p>“However, participants noted that AI messages sometimes felt more formulaic and data-focused, suggesting that there is still room for improvement in capturing the warm, empathetic tone that human coaches naturally provide. This technology could potentially help address gaps in access to coaching support, though much more research is needed.”</p>
<p>“The findings suggest promising potential for practical application. AI-generated messages received ratings of helpfulness comparable to those from an experienced human coach, and participants could not reliably distinguish between them in this setting. As AI technology continues to advance, this approach could help scale weight-loss support and allow clinicians to devote more time to complex or highly personalized care.”</p>
<p>There are some limitations to this study that should be noted. The participants rated the helpfulness of messages based on hypothetical data rather than their own real-time progress. It is possible that people would react differently if the feedback were directed at their actual behaviors and weight fluctuations. Additionally, the study measured perceived helpfulness rather than actual weight loss. Believing a message is helpful does not guarantee it will lead to behavior change.</p>
<p>“This study should be viewed as a proof of concept showing that AI can generate coaching messages perceived as comparable in quality to those written by experienced human coaches,” Huang said. “We see this technology as a tool to support clinicians by handling routine coaching tasks and helping address workforce shortages, not as a replacement for human expertise.”</p>
<p>Future research will need to test these AI-generated messages in active clinical trials. Scientists intend to investigate whether receiving these messages actually helps people lose weight over time. They also aim to explore how to make the AI more sensitive to situational contexts, such as illness or travel.</p>
<p>Another area for future investigation involves safety and privacy. Using large language models in healthcare requires strict adherence to data protection laws. Researchers must ensure that these systems do not accidentally provide inaccurate medical advice. Establishing protocols for human oversight will be essential before such technology is widely deployed.</p>
<p>The study, “Comparing Large Language Model AI and Human-Generated Coaching Messages for Behavioral Weight Loss,” was authored by Zhuoran Huang, Michael P. Berry, Christina Chwyl, Gary Hsieh, Jing Wei and Evan M. Forman.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/cognitive-flexibility-mediates-the-link-between-romance-and-marriage-views/" 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;">Cognitive flexibility mediates the link between romance and marriage views</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Feb 16th 2026, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>Young adults who are happier in their romantic relationships are more likely to have positive views about marriage—and a flexible mindset that considers different perspectives may help explain why. This new research was published in <em><a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40359-025-03901-8" target="_blank">BMC Psychology</a></em>.</p>
<p>Romantic relationships formed during young adulthood often shape expectations about the future, including whether someone wants to marry. Previous research has shown that relationship quality affects mental well-being and life satisfaction, but less is known about how it influences beliefs about marriage itself.</p>
<p>Psychologists have also increasingly focused on “cognitive flexibility”—which is the ability to adjust one’s thinking, manage challenges, and see situations from multiple angles—as a key factor in maintaining healthy relationships.</p>
<p>Turkish authors Büşra Ekinci (Ministry of National Education, Türkiye) and Murat Canpolat (Inonu University) wanted to explore whether this mental flexibility might help explain how relationship satisfaction translates into positive attitudes toward marriage. They suspected that people who can adapt and communicate effectively may be better able to navigate relationship challenges, leading them to view marriage as more appealing and achievable.</p>
<p>To test this idea, the team surveyed a group of 436 young adults living in Türkiye aged 18 to 29 years old.</p>
<p>Participants completed questionnaires measuring how satisfied they were in their romantic relationships (Relationship Satisfaction Scale), how positively they viewed marriage (Inonu Marriage Attitude Scale), and how flexible they were in their thinking and problem-solving (Cognitive Flexibility Scale).</p>
<p>The researchers then analyzed the data using statistical models to examine how these factors were related.</p>
<p>The results showed a clear pattern. Participants who reported higher relationship satisfaction were significantly more likely to have positive attitudes toward marriage. Those with greater cognitive flexibility also tended to report both higher relationship satisfaction and more favorable views of marriage.</p>
<p>Importantly, cognitive flexibility partly explained the link between the two. In other words, being able to adapt one’s thinking and approach challenges constructively appeared to help transform positive relationship experiences into a more optimistic outlook on marriage.</p>
<p>Individuals with flexible thinking styles may be better equipped to handle disagreements, adjust expectations, solve problems, and maintain emotional balance, making the idea of marriage seem more stable and appealing.</p>
<p>Ekinci and Canpolat shared the potential applications of their findings: “To support young adults’ cognitive flexibility and positively develop their attitudes toward marriage, individual or group psychological counseling programs can be implemented where individuals can share the satisfaction they derive from their romantic relationship experiences, the positive and negative emotional processes they experience, and receive professional support.”</p>
<p>However, the researchers caution that the study cannot prove cause and effect. As the data were collected at one point in time, it is unclear whether relationship satisfaction leads to positive marriage attitudes, or whether people who already value marriage are more likely to report higher satisfaction.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40359-025-03901-8" target="_blank">Romantic relationship satisfaction and marriage attitudes in young adults: The mediating role of cognitive flexibility</a>,” was authored by Büşra Ekinci and Murat Canpolat.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/low-dose-psilocybin-reduces-weight-gain-and-hyperglycemia-in-mice-fed-obesogenic-diet/" 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;">Low-dose psilocybin reduces weight gain and hyperglycemia in mice fed obesogenic diet</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Feb 16th 2026, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>A study of mice fed a high-fat/high-fructose diet (designed to induce obesity) found that 12 weeks of treatment with low-dose psilocybin reduced weight gain, symptoms of fatty liver, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. It did not produce observable effects on the central nervous system. The paper was published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2025.108080"><em>Pharmacological Research</em></a>.</p>
<p>Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain species of mushrooms, often referred to as “magic mushrooms.” In the body, psilocybin is converted into psilocin, which affects brain function by acting primarily on serotonin (5-HT2A) receptors. These effects can alter perception, mood, cognition, and sense of self. Subjective experiences may include changes in visual perception, intensified emotions, and altered patterns of thought.</p>
<p>Historically, psilocybin-containing mushrooms have been used in ritual and spiritual practices in several cultures. In contemporary science, psilocybin has gained attention for its potential therapeutic effects. Clinical research suggests it may reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and existential distress, particularly in controlled, supportive settings.</p>
<p>Psilocybin-assisted therapy typically combines the drug with psychological preparation and integration sessions. The compound is generally considered to have low addiction potential, though its effects can be psychologically intense. Legal status varies widely across countries, with some allowing medical or research use and others maintaining strict prohibitions.</p>
<p>Study author Martina Colognesi and her colleagues wanted to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of low, non-psychedelic doses of psilocybin in mice. They were interested in the potential of psilocybin to treat obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and liver steatosis. Liver steatosis, or fatty liver, is a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation of fat within liver cells, often associated with metabolic disorders, alcohol use, or insulin resistance.</p>
<p>The study was conducted on C57BL/6J mice, a widely used inbred strain of laboratory mice. The genetic background of these mice is well defined, making them one of the strains used regularly in genetic, behavior, and neuroscience research. Study authors used male mice because males do not experience the cyclic hormonal fluctuations of estrous cycles seen in female mice.</p>
<p>The mice were fed a diet rich in both fats and fructose. This was done by adding 30% fructose to the drinking water for 17 weeks. In this diet, 60% of the energy intake of these mice came from fat. This type of treatment is known to induce obesity and type 2 diabetes, as well as liver steatosis in mice.</p>
<p>After the first 5 weeks, the mice were divided into two groups. One group received 0.05 mg per kilogram of body weight of psilocybin via oral gavage (direct administration into a mouse’s stomach using a feeding tube) for the remaining 12 weeks. The other group was a control group that received water during the same period in the same way. After this period, mice underwent a series of behavioral tests, and study authors performed a series of biochemical analyses on them and analyzed their tissues.</p>
<p>Results showed that, compared to the control group, mice that received psilocybin had reduced body-weight gain, liver steatosis, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. Interestingly, the psilocybin treatment did not elicit effects on the central nervous system of these mice.</p>
<p>Further analyses revealed that lipid pathways in the liver and carbohydrate metabolism were almost completely normalized in the group of mice receiving psilocybin. Additionally, study authors report that psilocybin treatment improved muscle strength and function in these mice, potentially by restoring their leptin sensitivity. Leptin is a hormone that regulates energy balance by signaling the brain to reduce appetite and increase energy expenditure.</p>
<p>“Overall, chronic low-dose psilocybin exerts broad metabolic benefits via a hepatic 5-HT2B-dependent mechanism [a mechanism in the liver involving the 5-HT2B serotonin receptor], distinct from its psychedelic effects, supporting its potential as a novel therapeutic strategy for liver steatosis, obesity, T2DM [type 2 diabetes mellitus], and sarcopenia,” the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>The study contributes to the scientific understanding of the potential therapeutic effects of psilocybin. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on mice, not on humans. While mice and humans share many physiological similarities, they are still very different species. Results in humans might not be identical.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2025.108080">Low, non-psychedelic doses of psilocybin as a novel treatment for MASLD, obesity and Type 2 Diabetes via 5-HT2B receptor-dependent mechanisms,</a>” was authored by Martina Colognesi, Daniela Gabbia, Anna Signor, Miles Sarill, Lucia Centofanti, Andrea Rinaldi, Luciano Cascione, Sara Nunziata, Marco Banzato, Andrea Mattarei, Giovanna Finzi, Sonia Sonda, Diana Pendin, Ilaria Zanotto, Stefano Comai, Gianfranco Pasut, Abdullah Alajati, Miriam Saponaro, Loredana Bucciarelli, Maria Elena Lunati, Giulia Guarato, Ilaria Goggi, Stefano La Rosa, Camillo Morano, Rita Clara Paroni, Michele Dei Cas, Giuseppe Daniele, Marco Gentilucci, Marco Pappagallo, Andrea Alimonti, Paolo L. Manfredi, Franco Folli, and Sara De Martin.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/standard-mental-health-tests-may-be-inaccurate-for-highly-intelligent-people/" 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;">Standard mental health tests may be inaccurate for highly intelligent people</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Feb 16th 2026, 10:00</div>
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<p><p>Psychologists and the public alike have frequently debated whether exceptional cognitive ability comes with a cost to emotional well-being. A new analysis suggests that we may not be able to answer this question because the standard tools used to diagnose depression and distress may become inaccurate when applied to highly intelligent people. </p>
<p>The researchers found that as intelligence scores rise, the questions on common mental health surveys lose their ability to consistently measure the underlying psychological condition. These results were published in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2025.101963" target="_blank">Intelligence</a></em>.</p>
<p>The concept of the “tortured genius” is a cultural staple. It suggests that high intelligence is accompanied by social isolation, existential anxiety, or other psychological difficulties. Previous research on this topic has produced conflicting results. Many large-scale studies indicate that intelligence generally correlates with better health and happiness.</p>
<p>However, other researchers argue that this relationship might not be a simple straight line. They propose a “nonlinear” relationship. This means intelligence could be protective up to a certain point, but extremely high levels might eventually lead to negative outcomes. This phenomenon is sometimes called the “too-much-of-a-good-thing” effect.</p>
<p>Stanisław K. Czerwiński, Roman Konarski, and Paweł A. Atroszko from the University of Gdańsk in Poland conducted this investigation. They sought to clarify these contradictions by using advanced statistical modeling. They wanted to see if the link between intelligence and mental health changes shape at the high end of the IQ spectrum. They also aimed to investigate whether this dynamic differs between men and women.</p>
<p>Social environments often react differently to high intelligence depending on a person’s gender. The authors hypothesized that highly intelligent women might face unique stressors. These could include feeling alienated due to being in the minority in certain professional fields or facing social disapproval for prioritizing a career. If true, the “curvilinear” drop in mental health might be steeper for women than for men.</p>
<p>To test these ideas, the team analyzed data from two massive American datasets. These were the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97). These government-funded studies have tracked thousands of individuals over several decades.</p>
<p>The researchers used a cognitive test called the Armed Forces Qualification Test to estimate intelligence. To measure mental health, they looked at responses to the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the Mental Health Inventory-5. These are standard questionnaires asking people how often they feel sad, nervous, or downhearted.</p>
<p>The team first used a method called polynomial regression. This statistical approach allows for curved lines rather than just straight ones. Initially, the data seemed to support the “tortured genius” hypothesis. The models showed a U-shaped pattern.</p>
<p>In this initial pattern, mental health appeared to improve as intelligence increased, but only up to a certain threshold. After that point, higher intelligence scores were associated with worse mental health. This inflection point appeared at the upper end of the intelligence distribution. The researchers also used a technique called piecewise regression to confirm this breakpoint.</p>
<p>However, the researchers did not stop with the initial finding. They chose to investigate the validity of the mental health tests themselves. They applied a sophisticated technique known as local structural equation modeling. This method allowed them to check if the survey questions functioned the same way for people of all intelligence levels.</p>
<p>This step is designed to test for “measurement invariance.” Measurement invariance is a assumption in psychological testing. It implies that a test measures the same construct in the same way for everyone, regardless of their background or ability. If a test lacks invariance, it is like using a rubber ruler that stretches or shrinks depending on what is being measured.</p>
<p>The investigation revealed a fundamental problem with the data. The researchers found a lack of measurement invariance across intelligence levels. This was true for both the depression scale used in the 1979 cohort and the mental health inventory used in the 1997 cohort.</p>
<p>Specifically, the “factor loadings” for the test items decreased as intelligence increased. A factor loading is a number that indicates how well a specific question correlates with the overall concept it is supposed to measure. For example, answering “yes” to “I felt sad” should strongly indicate the presence of depression.</p>
<p>For participants with average intelligence, the questions were strong indicators of their mental health state. But for participants with high intelligence, the link between the specific questions and the general psychological condition became weaker. The items lost their diagnostic power at the high end of the spectrum.</p>
<p>This phenomenon occurred for both men and women. The researchers observed that the model fit—a statistic showing how well the data matches the theory—deteriorated significantly at high intelligence levels. This suggests that the standard questions might not mean the same thing to a highly intelligent person as they do to others.</p>
<p>There are several reasons why this might happen. Highly intelligent individuals might interpret the wording of questions differently. They might engage in overthinking or semantic analysis of simple phrases like “trouble keeping my mind on what I was doing.”</p>
<p>It is also possible that behaviors labeled as symptoms of pathology in the general population are merely characteristic traits of giftedness. For instance, intense focus or “hyperfixation” could be mistaken for obsessive behavior or attention deficits. Alternatively, gifted individuals might be better at masking symptoms, or their symptoms might manifest in ways these specific tests do not catch.</p>
<p>Because of this lack of invariance, the researchers could not rely on the initial U-shaped curves they found. The apparent drop in mental health among the highly intelligent might be a statistical artifact. It could be a mirage caused by the failure of the measurement tool rather than a real psychological trend.</p>
<p>The study implies that comparing mental health scores across different levels of intelligence is scientifically unsound with these current instruments. If the “ruler” changes length for smart people, researchers cannot say with certainty whether they are happier or sadder than average. This casts doubt on previous studies that claimed to find linear or nonlinear relationships without checking for invariance.</p>
<p>The authors note several limitations to their work. The study relied solely on samples from the United States. Cultural factors heavily influence gender roles and the social experience of intelligence. The results might differ in other countries or cultures.</p>
<p>Additionally, the study examined only two specific mental health scales. It is possible that other diagnostic tools might remain valid across intelligence levels. The researchers also pointed out that the intelligence test was taken under “low-stakes” conditions, which might affect effort and scoring for some participants.</p>
<p>Future research needs to address the measurement problem before drawing conclusions about the “mad genius.” Scientists may need to develop new mental health assessments specifically designed or validated for the gifted population. These tools would need to account for the unique cognitive processing styles of highly intelligent people.</p>
<p>Furthermore, future studies should investigate whether this measurement issue applies to other psychological traits. If intelligence changes how people answer questions about depression, it might also change how they answer questions about personality, anxiety, or social attitudes. Understanding this could lead to a substantial reassessment of how psychological research is conducted across the ability spectrum.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2025.101963" target="_blank">Lack of measurement invariance in mental health assessment across intelligence levels: Investigation into nonlinearity reveals a broader issue</a>,” was authored by Stanisław K. Czerwiński, Roman Konarski, and Paweł A. Atroszko.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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