https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. For decades, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (BD) were treated as distinct and unrelated psychiatric disorders. Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder characterized by altered thinking and emotional patterns, hallucinations, false or irrational beliefs (i.e., delusions), cognitive deficits, and disorganized speech. BD, on the other hand, is marked by extreme mood swings, ranging between periods of high-energy (i.e., mania or hypomania) and depressive episodes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-common-biomarker-schizophrenia-bipolar-disorder.html Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:00:06 EST news689857373 New research indicates that a drug commonly prescribed for gout may also lower the risk of heart attack and stroke when taken at an appropriate dose. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-gout-early.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 22:10:01 EST news689848812 The eyes may reveal how experiences are recalled, according to new Baycrest research that suggests that shifts in eye movements play a critical role in memory retrieval. The findings offer new insight into how memory works and how it may change with brain disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-eye-movements-memory-recall.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:54:31 EST news689878442 Survivors of firearm injuries often experience long-term physical and functional health challenges that extend beyond the initial trauma, according to Rutgers Health researchers. Their recent study has examined the physical health needs, health care access and barriers to care for firearm injury survivors. The work was done in collaboration with street outreach workers from Cure4Camden, a Camden, N.J., community-based violence intervention program. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-firearm-injury-survivors-term-health.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:57:46 EST news689871421 Lucid dreaming (LD) is one of the most fascinating parts of human consciousness, where you realize you are actually dreaming while you're still asleep and, in some situations, can decide what happens next. There is a growing interest in lucid dreaming among scientists, but research is often scattered across different fields and long-term evidence of how it affects our health is lacking. So, a group of researchers conducted a massive review of existing studies to pull all the evidence together and discovered that this state of mind could help treat mental health issues like chronic nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-lucid-mental-health-therapy.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:40:05 EST news689868150 Individuals with strong attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, related to inefficient cognitive executive function, may experience a surprising benefit: a natural inclination toward a type of intuitive thinking that supports creative breakthroughs, according to a new study from Drexel University researchers. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-adhd-symptoms-distinct-creative-problem.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:41:29 EST news689866861 Many people may have a dim view of their fat tissue, yet scientists have come to recognize adipose as a necessary and metabolically active organ, carrying out many vital functions within the body. In the case of obesity, too much fat can contribute to conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Intriguingly, for people with certain rare genetic and autoimmune disorders, such as familial partial lipodystrophy type 2 (FPLD2), the abnormal loss and distribution of adipose tissue can also lead to diabetes and metabolic disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-uncovering-rare-disease-resulting-abnormal.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:21:51 EST news689865661 A new study reveals that certain brain regions are more active in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during cognitively demanding tasks. The findings could help inform new ways in which the condition is treated and assessed. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-reveals-insights-brain-regions-linked.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:36:03 EST news689859301 Chronic alcohol consumption profoundly alters gene expression in key brain regions involved in reward, impulse control, and decision-making, according to a study led by researchers at the Institute for Neurosciences, a joint center of Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). Published in the journal Addiction, the work provides new insight into the biological basis of alcohol addiction and points toward potential therapeutic targets. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-decades-reshape-gene-key-human.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 03:00:02 EST news689339341 Panic attacks are sudden bouts of intense fear without an obvious cause. An estimated 10% of people experience at least one panic attack in their lifetime. But between 2% and 3% of the population have such frequent and severe panic attacks that they meet the criteria for the debilitating condition "panic disorder." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-intensive-patients-panic-disorder-standard.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 00:00:03 EST news689592121 Panic disorder (PD) is a mental health disorder characterized by recurring panic attacks, episodes of intense fear and anxiety accompanied by physical sensations and physiological responses such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, blurred vision and other symptoms. Estimates suggest that approximately 2–3% of people worldwide experience PD at some point during their lives. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-differences-brains-people-panic-disorder.html Sun, 08 Feb 2026 12:50:01 EST news689517774 There is no known cure for Huntington's disease. A genetic mutation creates harmful proteins that accumulate and cause the disease's typical symptoms. A team from the Department of Human Genetics at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, has now shown how targeted ubiquitin tagging at two positions in the mutated huntingtin protein affects its breakdown and distribution within the cell. This insight could provide a starting point for future therapies. The team in Bochum, led by Professor Hoa Huu Phuc Nguyen, worked closely with Israeli researcher Professor Aaron Ciechanover, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2004 for his work on the protein degradation system. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-huntington-proteins-pile-key-tags.html Sun, 08 Feb 2026 11:00:01 EST news689527367 New research explores how hormonal contraceptive use may influence cardiovascular and thrombotic risk in women, including those with anxiety, depression or PTSD. Antonia Seligowski, Ph.D., of the Neurocardiac Effects of Stress & Trauma Laboratory within the Department of Psychiatry at Mass General Brigham, is the senior author of a paper published in JAMA Network Open, titled "Hormonal contraceptive use, stress disorders, and cardiovascular and thrombotic risk in women." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-qa-discusses-interplay-hormonal-contraceptive.html Sat, 07 Feb 2026 17:30:01 EST news689527212 A new study identifies significant gaps in judges' knowledge about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which can lead to inequities in how people with this disorder are treated in legal settings. The study recommends remedies to address these shortcomings. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-california-state-court-gaps-autism.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 19:30:01 EST news689607677 A research team from the Department of Psychiatry at Tohoku University, led by Dr. Zhiqian Yu and Professor Hiroaki Tomita, has uncovered compelling evidence that maternal perinatal depression—psychological distress occurring during pregnancy or postpartum—elevates the risk of autistic-related traits in toddlers, with a particularly strong impact on girls. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-maternal-perinatal-depression-autistic-traits.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:55:53 EST news689604902 Chronic sleep disruption doesn't just leave people tired and irritable. It may quietly undermine the gut's ability to repair itself, increasing vulnerability to serious digestive diseases. A new study from the University of California, Irvine, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China Agricultural University reveals, step by step, how disturbed sleep causes the brain to send harmful signals to the intestines, ultimately damaging the stem cells responsible for maintaining a healthy gut lining. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-disruption-gut-ability-stress-brain.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:40:03 EST news689602444 The keto diet might help ease depression in people who aren't responding to antidepressants, a new study reports. People prescribed a keto diet had slightly lower symptoms of depression after six weeks compared to others encouraged to eat more plant-based foods, researchers report in JAMA Psychiatry. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-keto-diet-potential-treatment-depression.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 07:20:01 EST news689583585 Diagnosing substance-use disorder can be difficult because of patient denial related to the stigma attached to addiction. Now a study by the University of Cincinnati has used a novel artificial intelligence to predict substance-use-defining behaviors with up to 83% accuracy, and with 84% accuracy to predict the severity of the addiction. Researchers say this could allow clinicians to provide treatment faster to patients who need it. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-powerful-ai-substance-disorder-treatment.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:40:04 EST news689528230 Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating condition that affects more than 246 million people worldwide, yet scientists have struggled to identify consistent brain markers that could improve diagnosis and treatment. Finding reliable neurobiological markers for MDD has been hampered by the methodological differences observed across neuroimaging studies. Traditional brain imaging studies have produced conflicting results, often due to differences in methods and analysis pipelines. This inconsistency has made it difficult to pinpoint reliable neurobiological signatures of depression. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-brain-fingerprints-unique-major-depressive.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:33:44 EST news689531581 Olympic skiers, bobsledders and speed skaters all have to master one critical moment: when to start. As athletes prepare for the upcoming Winter Olympics, that split second is in the spotlight because when everyone is fast, strong and skilled, a moment of hesitation can separate gold from silver. Research from Carnegie Mellon University helps explain why that split-second pause happens and how the brain controls it, offering insight not only into elite athletic performance, but also how people make everyday decisions when the outcome isn't clear. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-frozen-ice-brain-science-olympic.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:20:04 EST news689528039 About 1 in 4 people suffer from an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives. These include panic disorder with sudden, severe anxiety attacks; generalized anxiety disorder, in which sufferers worry about everyday things over a longer period of time that is difficult to control; and phobias of specific objects or situations. Despite their widespread prevalence, the biological basis of anxiety is still poorly understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-genetic-anxiety-disorders.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 16:02:44 EST news689529722 For many Americans, a routine surgical procedure serves as their first introduction to opioid pain medication. While most stop using these drugs as they heal, a considerable number of "opioid-naïve" patients transition into new persistent opioid use (NPOU)—continuing use long after the typical recovery period. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-key-predictors-chronic-opioid-surgery.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:40:02 EST news689527882 Blood flows around the body through a complex network of vessels, which must constantly adapt to changing needs. The balance between growing new vessels and stabilizing existing vessels, so they aren't leaky, must be finely tuned. Abnormal blood vessel growth has been linked to a wide range of diseases, including bleeding disorders, cancer and diabetic retinopathy, but the underlying mechanisms aren't fully understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-link-protein-key-disorganized-blood.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 14:20:04 EST news689519330 For years, buprenorphine—one of the primary medications used to treat opioid use disorder—has been a critical bridge to recovery, helping to reduce illicit drug use and overdose deaths. But with the changing landscape of the illicit drug market, particularly the rise of the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl, health care providers have found that traditional treatment protocols aren't as effective as they used to be. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-fentanyl-doctors-opioid-disorder.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:30:58 EST news689517001 A new national study of Medicaid enrollees finds that postpartum depression (PPD) rose significantly among women and adolescents living in low-income areas of states that banned or severely restricted abortion following the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-dobbs-state-abortion-higher-postpartum.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 11:20:02 EST news689511947 Alzheimer's disease is often measured in statistics: millions affected worldwide, cases rising sharply, costs climbing into the trillions. For families, the disease is experienced far more intimately. "It's a slow bereavement," says Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Professor Nicholas Tonks, whose mother lived with Alzheimer's. "You lose the person piece by piece." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-blocking-ptp1b-protein-memory-loss.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 10:21:59 EST news689509261 Researchers at University of Tsukuba have discovered that an immunosuppressive drug affects microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain. In mouse models, the drug reduced levels of guanosine nucleotides, which are essential for cell signaling and morphology. This reduction weakened the activity of small G proteins, leading to changes in microglial shape and function. The findings are published in the journal Molecular Brain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-common-immunosuppressant-brain-immune-cells.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:36:34 EST news689506561 In a new study published in JAMA Network Open, Yale researchers examined the burdens for people who use public transit to access methadone treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) at Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) in Connecticut. While previous work has demonstrated long drive times for people using personal vehicles, these analyses did not include travel by public transit, a method of transportation used by many people who need methadone treatment. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-methadone-transit-barrier-accessing-treatment.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:50:03 EST news689425435 Autism has long been viewed as a condition that predominantly affects male individuals, but a study from Sweden published by The BMJ shows that autism may actually occur at comparable rates among male and female individuals. The results show a clear female catch-up effect during adolescence, which the researchers say highlights the need to investigate why female individuals receive diagnoses later than male individuals. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-autism-girls-boys-equal-previously.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:30:01 EST news689414361 After developing an AI tool to recommend antidepressants based on medical history, George Mason University researchers are now examining whether additional patient demographics, such as race and ethnicity, can improve the tool's effectiveness. The answer is yes, according to their new research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-pitfalls-size-ai-mental-health.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:02:53 EST news689443322