Tomorrow is April Fool's Day, but we'd only consider you a fool if you don't check out what's new #ThisWeekInNPP

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There are Oscar winners, and then there #ThisWeekInNPP features - which is more prestigious? 🤔 I'll let you decide 🏆

See below for the latest on the neurobiology alcohol use disorder risk, novel pharmacological strategies for PTSD, and so much more #TWiNPP 👇

a woman is talking to a man with the words time well spent below her ALT: a woman is talking to a man with the words time well spent below her

That's all for now, but don't forget - time reading #ThisWeekInNPP is time well spent ⌛️

The clocks may have changed this weekend (at least in North America) 🕓 but one thing always remains constant - another stellar lineup of NPP articles is here 🤩 #ThisWeekInNPP

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We're back with another run down of what's new #ThisWeekInNPP

See below for the latest on continuous theta burst stimulation, transcriptional signatures from a mouse model of TRD, and a precision pharmacotherapy for late-life depression 👇

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Large-scale behavioral characterization of oxycodone self-administration in heterogeneous stock rats reveals initial analgesic effects are associated with addiction-like behaviors Neuropsychopharmacology - Large-scale behavioral characterization of oxycodone self-administration in heterogeneous stock rats reveals initial analgesic effects are associated with addiction-like...

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Kallupi et al. use large-scale phenotyping of rats 🐀 to unveil genetic variants underlying susceptibility to opioid use disorder

@kallupi_marsida @SierraSimpson @neuroselo @esneddon21 Abraham Palmer Olivier George

Fundamentals of healthcare delivery science for the non-health systems scientist: the final step in translational research for late-life psychiatric and neurocognitive disorders Neuropsychopharmacology - Fundamentals of healthcare delivery science for the non-health systems scientist: the final step in translational research for late-life psychiatric and neurocognitive...

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In this perspective, Colenda et al. emphasize the importance of healthcare delivery science in ensuring successful translation of evidence-based interventions to the clinic / @BrentForester

Medial prefrontal-thalamic white matter microstructure is associated with harm avoidance in OCD: a discovery and transdiagnostic replication study Neuropsychopharmacology - Medial prefrontal-thalamic white matter microstructure is associated with harm avoidance in OCD: a discovery and transdiagnostic replication study

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In this diffusion MRI study, Santos et al. identify a dorsomedial prefrontal-thalamic pathway underlying harm avoidance in multiple psychiatric disorders / @Mananar2468 @nastasiayendiki @Haber_Lab

www.nature.com/artic..."

Stereoselective, sex-dependent 5-HT2A receptor modulation of cortical plasticity by MDMA in mice Neuropsychopharmacology - Stereoselective, sex-dependent 5-HT2A receptor modulation of cortical plasticity by MDMA in mice

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Next, Gaines-Smith et al. demonstrate how stereoselective enantiomers of MDMA drive cortical plasticity in a sex-specific manner 🐀 \ @jessi_maltman @jgmaeso

Whole brain grey matter synaptic terminal density, age and intellectual functioning in schizophrenia: an in vivo [11C]UCB-J positron emission tomography study Neuropsychopharmacology - Whole brain grey matter synaptic terminal density, age and intellectual functioning in schizophrenia: an in vivo [11C]UCB-J positron emission tomography study

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In this PET study, Onwordi et al. investigate grey matter synaptic terminal density in individuals with schizophrenia / Sameer Jauhar

Effects of electroconvulsive shock on the function, circuitry, and transcriptome of dentate gyrus granule neurons Neuropsychopharmacology - Effects of electroconvulsive shock on the function, circuitry, and transcriptome of dentate gyrus granule neurons

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Santiago et al. identify immature granule neurons in the hippocampus as a key mediator of the antidepressant effects of electroconvulsive shock therapy ⚡️ @Phi_hD @Rene_Hen

Hypocretin receptor 1 blockade early in abstinence prevents incubation of cocaine seeking and normalizes dopamine transmission Neuropsychopharmacology - Hypocretin receptor 1 blockade early in abstinence prevents incubation of cocaine seeking and normalizes dopamine transmission

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First up, Clark et al. investigate hypocretin signaling in early abstinence as a potential therapeutic target in cocaine use disorder / @sanjo234

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Artic blast? Not at NPP! As always, our #TWiNPP lineup is hot hot hot 🔥

See below for what's cool #ThisWeekInNPP 🥶⤵️

A dual role of hippocampal perineuronal nets in plasticity and protection is revealed by improvement and impairment of diet-induced memory dysfunction Neuropsychopharmacology - A dual role of hippocampal perineuronal nets in plasticity and protection is revealed by improvement and impairment of diet-induced memory dysfunction

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Hippocampal perineuronal nets (PNNs) exert a timing-dependent dual role in cognition, balancing plasticity & neuroprotection, with results suggesting PNN–PV interactions as a key regulator of memory & as a potential therapeutic target 💊

The spectrum of bipolar disorder in older adults Neuropsychopharmacology - The spectrum of bipolar disorder in older adults

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Late-life bipolar disorder is marked by disproportionate cognitive impairment & medical comorbidity that drive functional decline, underscoring the need for age-adjusted clinical strategies 🧠

AI in geriatric psychiatry: precision meets human experience Neuropsychopharmacology - AI in geriatric psychiatry: precision meets human experience

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How can AI and robotics support—but not replace—mental health of geriatric population? This review explores the promise & limitations of computational tools in addressing late-life mental health 🤖🧠 / Pitt GPN Lab

Age matters: a narrative review and machine learning analysis on shared and separate multidimensional risk domains for early and late onset suicidal behavior Neuropsychopharmacology - Age matters: a narrative review and machine learning analysis on shared and separate multidimensional risk domains for early and late onset suicidal behavior

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This work explores heterogeneity in suicide risk among individuals with late-life depression; while early-life & emotion regulation factors distinguished early-onset risk, social & cognitive factors distinguished late-onset risk 🧠

Prolonged grief disorder in later life: advancing our understanding of biopsychosocial mechanisms to guide future personalized interventions Neuropsychopharmacology - Prolonged grief disorder in later life: advancing our understanding of biopsychosocial mechanisms to guide future personalized interventions

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This review discusses prolonged grief disorder (PGD) occurring in a subset of bereaved individuals and identifies older adults as a high-risk group with substantial downstream impacts on health, cognition & mortality 🧠

Clinical staging and profiling of affective disorders Neuropsychopharmacology - Clinical staging and profiling of affective disorders

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In this review, the authors discuss whether clinical staging in affective disorders can improve outcome prediction and guide more precise treatment allocation 💊

The role of ovarian hormones in risk aversion in female rats Neuropsychopharmacology - The role of ovarian hormones in risk aversion in female rats

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Loss of ovarian hormones ⬆️ risk-taking in ♀️🐀, while estradiol restored risk aversion; estradiol signaling was mediated by ERα, identifying a potential mechanism by which ovarian hormones regulate risk-related decision-making

Nancy Almand Ator, Ph.D. 1944–2025 Neuropsychopharmacology - Nancy Almand Ator, Ph.D. 1944–2025

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Nancy Almand Ator, Ph.D., Member of the ACNP, passed away on November 7th, 2025

The role of brain health and resilience in reshaping trajectories of late-life neuropsychiatric disorders Neuropsychopharmacology - The role of brain health and resilience in reshaping trajectories of late-life neuropsychiatric disorders

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This is a comprehensive review from the panel of experts of the roles that resilience and brain health across the lifespan can play in improving trajectories of late life neurological and psychiatric disorders 🧠 / @DrLavretsky

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Another week has flown by, and we're back with an exciting recap of what's new #ThisWeekInNPP

See below for the latest on late-life neuropsychiatric disorders, perineuronal nets, ovarian hormones and risk aversion, and more! ⬇️

Getting into the weed—the genetics of cannabis use in modern America Neuropsychopharmacology - Getting into the weed—the genetics of cannabis use in modern America

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This 💫Research Highlight 💫 discusses recent findings showing that common genetic variation substantially contributes to individual differences in lifetime cannabis use, based on large-scale genome-wide association analyses

Synaptic effects of interleukin-6 on human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons Neuropsychopharmacology - Synaptic effects of interleukin-6 on human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons

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This study investigated how IL-6 affects human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived dopamine neurons, identifying sex-specific mechanisms and potential anti-inflammatory targets for inflammation-related depression

Psychotherapy for older adults with depression: a narrative review | Neuropsychopharmacology The purpose of this narrative review was to examine the efficacy and effectiveness of psychotherapy for older adults with depressive disorders or clinically significant depressive symptoms; describe extensions of psychotherapy across populations, settings, providers, and modalities; review mechanisms and predictors of treatment response; and consider future directions. Numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses demonstrate that psychotherapy benefits many depressed older adults, with the strongest evidence for a variety of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) approaches, including problem-solving therapy (PST) and behavioral activation (BA), and consistent evidence for interpersonal, reminiscence, and life review therapies as well. Great advances have been made extending these interventions, particularly CBT-based interventions, such as adaptations for older adults with psychiatric, physical, or cognitive comorbidities; in primary care, aging services, and residential settings; and low-intensity, often technology-based interventions. Several neurobiological, psychological, behavioral, social, and treatment-related mechanisms and predictors of psychotherapy response have been identified, which may explain heterogeneity of treatment effects and may lead towards more personalized, tailored interventions to achieve better outcomes for more older adults. More research is needed in all areas, including expanding from traditional psychotherapy models to novel technology-based, neuroscience-informed interventions, and implementation research to continue expanding the reach, feasibility, and acceptability of evidence-based psychotherapy.

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This narrative review examines the efficacy of psychotherapy for depression in older adults and its extension across populations, highlighting mechanisms of treatment response and future directions focused on personalized, scalable care

Consciousness, subjectivity, and aging in western thought Neuropsychopharmacology - Consciousness, subjectivity, and aging in western thought

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Despite age-related cognitive decline, older adults compensate through increased emotion regulation, positivity bias, & meaning-making grounded in personal narratives shaped by social &existential experiences / @gsalexopoulos

Intrinsic connectivity patterns of striatal subfields predict individual dimensions of psychopathology and are associated with cholinergic and serotonergic neurotransmission in schizophrenia Neuropsychopharmacology - Intrinsic connectivity patterns of striatal subfields predict individual dimensions of psychopathology and are associated with cholinergic and serotonergic...

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Connectivity profiles of ventral & rostral striatal subfields selectively predicted cognitive & affective symptoms, respectively, and connectivity patterns were spatially associated with serotonergic & cholinergic receptor distributions