Psychology

Marking an impressive milestone in the development of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, the FDA has approved the treatment for Expanded Access, allowing certain patients access to the therapy before full market approval is granted.

New Atlas spoke to several leading psychedelic researchers to get their thoughts on three big future-forward questions. Where will psychedelic science be in 2030, what hurdles do researchers face, and what research topic is yet to be answered?

A study is suggesting a neural circuit implicated in overeating may be more broadly linked to impulse control. The research hypothesizes behavioral disorders, from drug addiction to excessive gambling, could be treated by regulating this pathway.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted psilocybin therapy a Breakthrough Therapy designation for the second time in a year, this time with a view on accelerating trials testing its efficacy treating major depressive disorder (MDD).

A new metastudy is suggesting anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce symptoms of depression, affirming the long-suspected link between neuroinflammation and depression. However, another study is claiming there is no causal link between the two factors.

A study has followed thousands of teenagers tracking associations between screen time and depression. The research separated types of screen time, and found TV and social media activity correlated with increased symptoms of depression, but video game and computer use had little negative effect.

A global study into the genetic origins of anorexia suggests the illness is not just a psychiatric condition but also a metabolic disorder. The research revealed metabolic genetic variants unique to those suffering from this chronic eating disorder, and not seen in other psychiatric conditions.

​For decades scientists have been exploring the minds of criminals and a new study is taking this research further than anyone has before, suggesting the brains of individuals that have committed murder are notably different from other criminals, both violent and non-violent​.

​A new study, analyzing real-life incidents caught on CCTV, challenges the long-held proposition that bystanders are generally passive, and will not help others in situations of public assault. It found bystanders do intervene in the vast majority of violent incidents that unfold in public spaces.​

Researchers believe they have homed in on a specific biomarker that can be linked to suicidal thoughts in subjects suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The new study adds to a growing body of research into novel ways clinicians can identify patients at high risk of suicide.

According to a new study from ​Northwestern University, our preference for sweet or bitter beverages isn't so much about flavor, but about the psychoactive buttons these drinks push​ in our brains.

​Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a very serious problem, and it unfortunately often goes undiagnosed. New technology could help, however, as it uses artificial intelligence to determine if someone has PTSD – based on their speech.