Anxiety

In the largest and longest follow-up study to date investigating the lingering effects of COVID-19, researchers have found more than two-thirds of hospitalized patients report at least one ongoing symptom six months after contracting the disease.

Research has suggested that anxiety is an early indicator for Alzheimer's disease, which often follows mild cognitive decline (MCI). A new study has now found a link between anxiety and an increased rate of progression from MCI to Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers have discovered a set of neurons in the mouse brain that appear to control physiological responses to fear, like heart palpitations and pupil dilations. Tests in mice suggest this region could be a new drug target for anxiety treatments.

A new analysis of US patient data has found nearly one in five people are diagnosed with a psychiatric illness within three months of a positive COVID-19 test. The study suggests recovered patients are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety or depression.

Four terminally ill cancer patients in Canada have been granted a special exemption to legally possess and consume psilocybin. They are the first in the country, outside a clinical trial, allowed to do so since the psychedelic was made illegal in 1974.

A new review is suggesting psilocybin may have great potential as a treatment for OCD. The review sums up the current evidence arguing psychedelic therapy should be effective for OCD in the same way it has shown efficacy treating depression and anxiety.

Neuroscientists from the University of Cambridge have identified apathy as an important early sign of dementia. The research finds apathy is distinct from depression, and offers a more accurate longitudinal association with the onset of dementia.

A new study has solved a long-standing mystery of how acute stress seems to amplify inflammatory disease, despite the fact many stress hormones actually suppress the immune system. It found a specific immune cell is released by fat cells when stressed.

A new study has described the discovery of a novel protein that may be associated with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The discovery points to the possibility of a future antibody treatment for a variety of mental health disorders.

A new study is offering the first long-term insights into the efficacy of a single dose of psilocybin, in conjunction with psychotherapy, in treating depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer.

A new study from a team of Brazilian scientists is reporting results from the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial exploring the effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on anxiety, and anxiety-induced tremors, in Parkinson’s patients.

Scientists at UC Berkeley have homed in on exactly which phase of sleep seems to best keep anxiety levels in check. The research suggests sleep deprivation lowers activity in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region that helps regulate our emotions.