Translational Psychiatry

Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) often suffer from mental health issues such as depression. Crosstalk between proinflammatory cytokines and hippocampal circuits may be a potent risk factor for behavioral abnormalities in depression, including anxiety, and mood disorders, which negatively controlled hippocampal neurogenesis via the upregulation of several proinflammatory cytokines. However, th…

Abstract Developing clinically useful brain-based biomarkers remains a central challenge in translational psychiatry and neurology. Traditional approaches focusing on disorder-specific signals have shown limited clinical utility. EEG, a scalable and non-invasive measure of brain function, illustrates the value of an alternative perspective: transdiagnostic and dimensional biomarker development. H…

Abstract Hypertension (HTN), when prolonged, extends beyond the cardiovascular system, impairs neurovascular function, and progresses into cognitive impairment. Thus, it is essential to understand the mechanism that drives HTN-induced brain pathogenesis for devising novel therapy. This study explored spatial learning, vessels-associated microglia and neuroinflammation during angiotensin II (Ang I…

Abstract Many autistic children have spoken vocabulary delays that impact communication abilities during critical developmental periods. Behavioral and brain predictors of spoken language development in autism have been independently identified but rarely evaluated simultaneously. Here, we examined how fine motor skills, joint attention, and white matter microstructure of speech-related tracts ar…

Liafensine is a triple reuptake inhibitor targeting transporters for serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). It did not exhibit efficacy in non-biomarker-selected TRD patients in two Phase 2b studies. We utilized the blood samples from the patients enrolled in these two studies and extracted genomic DNA to conduct a genome‑wide association study aiming to…

Abstract Although 10-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an FDA-approved treatment for depression, we do not understand the mechanisms through which rTMS induces therapeutic change. Two competing theories suggest that 10-Hz rTMS induces N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP), and/or removal of inhibitory gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors…

Abstract Social communication deficits are common across mental-health disorders, yet little is known about how individuals perceive their own gesture behaviours. Gaining insight into this, particularly across different disorders, could enhance our understanding of social communicative impairments and disruptions in self-awareness. The current study included 274 participants: N = 113 with schizop…

Abstract Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD) is characterised by episodes of altered perception linked to past psychoactive drug use, accompanied by distress and functional impairment. To date, clinical characterisation has been limited in scale. Using TriNetX, a global federated health research network of electronic health records, we conducted a retrospective cohort study compari…

Abstract Introduction Social Defeat (SD), an animal-derived concept characterised by experiences of subordination, may influence biological mechanisms affecting mental health. Despite evidence linking inflammation to mental disorders and animal studies suggesting SD’s inflammatory effects, to date, no review has comprehensively examined these relationships in human populations. This systematic re…

Chronic sleep deprivation impairs cognition and triggers neuroinflammation, but effective molecular therapies are lacking. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) offers neuroprotection, though its delivery across the blood–brain barrier remains a challenge. This study investigates exosomes as a vehicle to enhance brain delivery of HSP70 for treating chronic sleep deprivation. We engineered HEK293T cells t…

Cannabis use during pregnancy is increasing, often to alleviate stress and anxiety, yet the impact of prenatal cannabis exposure alone, or in combination with psychosocial stress on maternal regulation and downstream offspring neurodevelopment remains unclear. Here, we developed a translational rodent model combining prenatal Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure with chronic psychosocial stress…

Neuropathic pain (NP) is frequently comorbid with anxiety and depression, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms in the brain remain poorly understood, hindering the development of targeted therapies. This study aimed to identify key transcriptional networks and regulatory pathways in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) associated with NP-induced anxiodepression. We analyzed transcriptomic data …