Frontier mental health research: psychedelics & drug studies

Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.

4 papers

Impact of anxiety on prefrontal cortex encoding of cognitive flexibility

Junchol Park, Bita Moghaddam
Neuroscience Summary & key facts 2016 221 citations

This review looks at studies in humans and animals that link anxiety and stress with poorer cognitive flexibility — the ability to change strategies when rules or goals change. It describes evidence that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is central to flexible behavior, that anxiety or PFC disruptions are associated with…

Memory and Neural Mechanisms Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies Stress Responses and Cortisol

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Predominantly Inattentive Subtype/Presentation: Research Progress and Translational Studies

Ike dela Peña, Michael C. Pan, Chau Giang Thai, Tamara Alisso
Brain Sciences Summary & key facts 2020 43 citations

Research on the predominantly inattentive attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD-PI) subtype/presentation is important given its high prevalence, but paradoxically it is under-recognized and undertreated. The temporal stability of the inattention symptom could impact the high worldwide prevalence of ADHD-PI. Some evidence suggests differences in the nature of attentional deficit in ADHD-PI vs.…

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Functional Brain Connectivity Studies Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Creatures of Habit: The Neuroscience of Habit and Purposeful Behavior

Alana I. Mendelsohn
Biological Psychiatry Summary & key facts 2019 16 citations

This article explains that much of everyday behavior comes from habits, which are triggered by cues and run automatically, while goal-directed actions are based on expected outcomes and are more flexible. Brain studies show these two strategies use different but connected circuits: a prefrontal–dorsomedial striatum loop for goal-directed control and…

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies Neuroscience, Education and Cognitive Function

What Are the Experiences of Adults With ADHD of Engaging in ADHD Medication Treatment? A Systematic Review and Meta-Ethnography

Lee Reeves, Anna Tickle

The review found that adults generally felt ADHD medications reduced their ADHD symptoms. But experiences differed a lot because of social, psychological, and physical side effects. People talked about taking medicines in the context of “fitting in” at school, work, and with family and friends. That idea of fitting in…

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
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