Plasma Proteomics of Sleep Traits Reveals Systemic Immune-Metabolic Pathways and Genetically Prioritized Proteins
A new plasma proteomics study of over 400,000 UK Biobank participants links habitual sleep traits to systemic immune‑metabolic pathways. By integrating accelerometer‑derived sleep measures with genome‑wide association data, researchers identified dozens of proteins whose circulating levels vary with sleep duration, quality and daytime napping. Genetic colocalisation prioritized a subset of these proteins as likely causal mediators of sleep‑related cardiometabolic risk. The work provides a molecular map that could inform therapeutic targets for sleep‑related disease.
Cannabinoid Use Generalizes Stress Responses: Involvement of Astrocyte Plasticity and Activation of Matrix Metalloproteinases in the Nucleus Accumbens Core
The study shows that a single acute stress event amplifies THC + CBD self‑administration in male rats and triggers PTSD‑like behaviors, including generalized stress responses and avoidant coping. Cannabinoid abstinence disrupts astrocyte‑synapse interactions in the nucleus accumbens core and elevates matrix metalloproteinase‑2/9...
Hierarchical Neural Variability Reveals Adaptive and Maladaptive Mechanisms of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury
Researchers examined hierarchical neural variability in 160 adolescents with non‑suicidal self‑injury (NSSI) and 50 psychiatric controls using resting‑state fMRI. They found increased variability at both connectivity and whole‑brain topology levels in the NSSI group. Connectivity‑level variability correlated with better emotional...
NgR-Dependent Plasticity in a dCA3CaMKIIα → VTADA → NAc Circuit Underlies Stress Resilience and Susceptibility
The study demonstrates that chronic stress up‑regulates Nogo‑receptor (NgR) in dorsal CA3 (dCA3) glutamatergic neurons, and that NgR deletion in this region confers resilience to stress‑induced depressive‑like behaviors. NgR knockdown restores synaptic efficacy in the dCA3 → VTA dopamine → NAc circuit, while NgR...
Alcohol Abstinence Precipitates Alcohol Seeking and Aversion-Resistant Intake in Association with Increased BNST Activity
The study shows that a 28‑day forced alcohol abstinence period intensifies ethanol‑seeking behavior and drives aversion‑resistant drinking in C57BL/6J mice. Using operant self‑administration and the STAR phenotyping protocol, researchers identified high, low, and aversion‑resistant drinkers, with the latter displaying persistently...
Sex-Specific Regulation of Angiogenin in Alzheimer’s Disease
Researchers examined angiogenin (ANG), a stress‑responsive ribonuclease, across Alzheimer’s disease (AD) models, postmortem brains and large transcriptomic cohorts (n = 645). They discovered that ANG expression is dysregulated in a sex‑dependent fashion: male AD brains exhibit reduced ANG protein, while female brains...
Reduced BCL2 Level in Astrocytes Contributes to Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in the Striatum of Offspring Exposed to Maternal Preeclampsia
Researchers discovered that offspring of mothers with preeclampsia exhibit markedly reduced BCL2 expression in striatal astrocytes, compromising the integrity of the blood‑brain barrier (BBB). Using a reduced‑uteroplacental perfusion pressure (RUPP) mouse model, the team showed increased BBB permeability, swollen astrocytic...
A Hierarchical Multi-Scale Framework for Schizophrenia: Integrating Symptom Networks, Functional Circuits, and Molecular Pathways
Researchers Cheng et al. present a hierarchical multi‑scale framework that unifies symptom network analysis, functional circuit mapping, and molecular pathway data in schizophrenia. By applying Gaussian graphical models to clinical symptom ratings, resting‑state fMRI connectomes, and transcriptomic atlases, they construct...
Assessing the De Novo Paradigm in Sporadic Early-Onset Alzheimer Disease Trios
A nationwide French study examined 49 sporadic early‑onset Alzheimer disease (EOAD) trios using exome and genome sequencing to assess de novo mutations (DNMs). Three probands carried pathogenic de novo APP or PSEN1 variants, while 53 additional DNMs were identified across the remaining...
Psychedelic-Induced Hypomania and Mania: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
A systematic review and meta‑analysis of 42 studies examined the incidence of hypomania and mania triggered by psychedelic compounds. The authors pooled data from 3,210 psychedelic exposures and found an overall hypomania/mania rate of roughly 3.2%, with a markedly higher...
Convergent Mitochondrial Impairment and Apoptosis Driven by Simultaneous Down-Regulation of Multiple Genes at 11p11.2 in Alzheimer’s Disease
Researchers identified that simultaneous down‑regulation of several genes within the 11p11.2 risk locus occurs in Alzheimer’s disease brains. Integrated transcriptomic and functional analyses revealed that this coordinated gene suppression disrupts mitochondrial complex I, elevates reactive oxygen species, and activates caspase‑7–mediated...
Correction: A Genome-Wide Investigation of Depression Among Individuals with and without Irritability
A recent correction to a genome‑wide association study (GWAS) on depression clarifies findings for individuals with and without irritability. The original analysis, led by researchers at McGill University, identified several novel genetic loci linked to depressive symptoms, with distinct patterns...
Genetic Investigation of the Association Between Maternal Dietary Patterns and Offspring ADHD
A multi‑cohort genetic trio analysis examined whether maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy causally influence offspring ADHD. Using polygenic scores for diet, the study found that child genetic liability, not maternal diet, primarily drives ADHD risk, indicating strong genetic confounding. Maternal...
White Matter Microstructure in Relatives of People with Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder: An ENIGMA Meta-Analysis
The ENIGMA Relatives Working Group combined diffusion‑tensor imaging data from 2,510 participants across 11 international sites to assess white‑matter microstructure in first‑degree relatives of schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) patients. Relatives of BD patients displayed higher fractional anisotropy (FA)...
Cerebral Cortical Alterations in Adolescent Early-Onset Psychosis: A Surface-Based Morphometry Mega-Analysis
A mega‑analysis of 387 adolescents with early‑onset psychosis (EOP) and 338 matched controls revealed widespread reductions in cortical thickness, surface area, volume, and local gyrification index. Effect sizes ranged from –0.31 to –0.58, with surface‑area deficits 1.5‑times larger than those...