Tag: Appetite and ingestive regulation

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Tideglusib improves novel object recognition memory in the preclinical DBA/2J mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

IntroductionDuchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe X-linked neuromuscular disorder characterized by progressive muscle wasting. Approximately 1 in 3 DMD patients experience cognitive dysfunction, with research suggesting an Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-like pathology. We have previously shown that treatment with the glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3) inhibitor, tideglusib, improves muscle quality, function, and insulin sensitivity in the DBA/2J (D2) mdx mouse model of DMD. In this brief follow-up study, we report the effects of tideglusib treatment on cognitive function.MethodsMale D2 WT and mdx mice were purchased from Jackson Laboratories. Mice were separated into the following groups: (1) WT, (2) mdx-vehicle, and (3) mdx-tideglusib (10 mg/kg/day via oral gavage for 4 weeks). A novel object recognition test was performed to assess recognition memory. Hippocampus and serum samples were collected for BACE1 activity assays, amyloid beta (Aβ) ELISAs, and western blotting.ResultsCompared to vehicle-treated mdx mice, tideglusib-treated mdx mice demonstrated improved recognition memory. These changes to recognition memory were accompanied by greater expression of beta-catenin, an indirect downstream marker of GSK3 inhibition. While there were no changes in BACE1 activity, tideglusib-treated mdx mice had higher concentrations of Aβ in the serum and lower protein levels of receptor of advanced glycation end products.DiscussionThe results from this brief follow-up study offer preliminary support for tideglusib as a treatment for both muscle and brain impairments in mdx mice, potentially improving cognitive function through enhanced vascular Aβ clearance.
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MDMA Assisted Therapy for BN

Conditions: Bulimia Nervosa

Interventions: Drug: MDMA-AT; Drug: MDMA-AT-BN; Behavioral: Standard Treatment (ST)

Sponsors: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Not yet recruiting
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Gut microbiota profiles in anorexia nervosa: associations with disease severity, BMI, and history of childhood trauma

Study objectivesEmerging evidence suggests a possible link between anorexia nervosa (AN) and alterations in the gut microbiota. This study aimed to characterize the gut microbiota profile in a cohort of Chinese female patients with AN.MethodA comparative analysis of the gut microbiota was conducted between 30 female patients with AN and 30 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs). Fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. All participants were assessed using the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Bioinformatics analysis was performed using QIIME2, and statistical analyses were carried out with SPSS 26.0 and R software. Correlations between microbiota differences and body mass index (BMI), EDI, and CTQ were further investigated.ResultsThe analysis revealed differences in beta diversity and the abundances of specific microbial taxa between the two groups; however, no significant differences were observed in alpha diversity nor in the associations between gut microbiota and BMI, disease severity, or childhood trauma.ConclusionsThis study identified limited differences in the gut microbiota composition between patients with AN and HCs. Critically, no robust associations between gut microbiota and clinical features were found after rigorous multiple comparison correction. While nominal (uncorrected) correlations were observed between the specific microbiota and psychological traits, these results are exploratory and should be considered hypothesis-generating. They highlight a potential avenue for future research but require validation in larger, longitudinal cohorts to determine their reproducibility and biological significance.
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The Download: the state of AI, and protecting bears with drones

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

Want to understand the current state of AI? Check out these charts. 

If you’re following AI news, you’re probably getting whiplash. AI is a gold rush. AI is a bubble. AI is taking your job. AI can’t even read a clock. Stanford’s 2026 AI Index—the field’s annual report card—cuts through the noise.  

The data reveals a technology evolving faster than we can manage. From the China-US rivalry and model breakthroughs to public sentiment and the impact on jobs, here are the index’s key findings on the state of AI today. 

—Michelle Kim 

Why opinion on AI is so divided 

Stanford’s 2026 AI Index is full of striking stats. It also reveals a field riddled with inconsistencies, most notably in the gap between experts and non-experts.  

On jobs, 73% of US experts view AI’s impact positively, compared to just 23% of the public. Similar divides emerged on the economy and healthcare. What’s driving this disconnect? 

Part of the answer may lie in their diverging experiences. Those using AI for coding and technical work see it at its best, while everyone else gets a more mixed bag. The result is two very different realities. Read the full story on what they are—and why they matter. 

This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday. 

—Will Douglas Heaven 

Job titles of the future: Wildlife first responder 

Grizzly bears have made such a comeback across eastern Montana that in 2017, the state hired its first-ever prairie-based grizzly manager: wildlife biologist Wesley Sarmento.  

For seven years, Sarmento worked to keep both bears and humans out of trouble. He acted like a first responder, trying to defuse potentially dangerous situations. He even got caught in some himself, which led him to a new wildlife safety tool: drones. Find out the results of his experiments in digital ecology. 
 
 —Emily Senkosky 

This article is from the next issue of our print magazine, which is all about nature. Subscribe now to read it when it lands on Wednesday, April 22.  

The must-reads 

I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 

1 Human scientists still trounce the top AI agents at complex tasks  
The best agents perform only half as well as experts with PhDs. (Nature) 
+ Can AI really help us discover new materials? (MIT Technology Review) 
 
2 OpenAI is escalating its fight with Anthropic while pulling away from Microsoft 
A leaked memo exposes plans to attack Anthropic. (Axios) 
+ And says Microsoft “limited our ability” to reach clients. (The Information $) 
+ While touting a budding alliance with Amazon. (CNBC) 

3 Carbon removal technology is stalling—and that may be good news 
Better solutions could now emerge. (New Scientist) 
+ Here are three that are set to break through. (MIT Technology Review) 
 
4 AI is finding bugs faster than we can fix them—and hackers will benefit 
Welcome to the bug armageddon. (WSJ $)  
+ AI may soon be capable of fully automated attacks. (MIT Technology Review) 
 
5 A Texas man has been charged with the attempted murder of Sam Altman 
He allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at the OpenAI CEO’s home last Friday. (NPR) 
+ The suspect reportedly had a list of other AI leaders. (NYT $) 
 
6 AI is beginning to transform mathematics 
It’s proving new results at a rapid pace. (Quanta) 
+ One AI startup plans to unearth new mathematical patterns. (MIT Technology Review) 
 
7 Students are turning away from computer science 
It’s had a massive drop in enrollments. (WP $) 
+ AI coding tools have diminished the degree’s value. (NYT $)  
 
8 India’s bid to become a data center hub is sparking a fierce backlash 
Farmers are protesting Delhi’s courtship of hyperscalers. (Rest of World) 
 
9 Meta is set to overtake Google in advertising revenue this year 
And become the world’s largest digital ad platform for the first time. (WSJ) 
 
10 AI influencers are taking over Coachella  
Synthetic content creators are “everywhere” at the festival. (The Verge) 

Quote of the day 

“These people are almost nothing like you. They are most likely sociopathic/psychopathic and, in the case of Altman, consistently reported to be a pathological liar.” 

—The alleged firebomber of Sam Altman’s home shares his distrust of AI leaders in a blog post. 

One More Thing 

We’ve never understood how hunger works. That might be about to change. 

A few years ago, Brad Lowell, a Harvard University neuro­scientist, figured out how to crank the food drive to the maximum. He did it by stimulating neurons in mice. Now, he’s following known parts of the neural hunger circuits into uncharted parts of the brain. 

The work could have important implications for public health. More than 1.9 billion adults worldwide are overweight, and more than 650 million are obese. Understanding the circuits involved could shed new light on why these numbers are skyrocketing. 

Read the full story. 

—Adam Piore 

We can still have nice things 

A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.) 

Top image credit: Stephanie Arnett/MIT Technology Review | Getty Images 

+ Someone built a mechanical version of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater from Lego. 
+ Enjoy this wholesome clip of toddlers discovering the existence of hugs. 
+ This interactive body map shows exactly which exercises you need. 
+ Jon McCormack’s photos of nature’s patterns are breathtaking. 

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The associations of systemic inflammation and insulin resistance-related indicators with psychopathology and BDNF in patients with chronic schizophrenia

BackgroundThe triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and C-reactive protein-triglyceride-glucose index (CTI) are innovative indicators for assessing insulin resistance (IR) and inflammation, yet research on them in patients with schizophrenia remains limited. This study aimed to explore TyG index and CTI levels and their associations with psychopathology and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in patients with chronic schizophrenia (CS).MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted across one general hospital and two psychiatric hospitals in Anhui Province, China. Socio-demographic information and hematological parameters were collected from participants, and their psychiatric and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS), respectively.ResultsA total of 324 patients with CS and 150 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in the study. Compared with HCs, patients had higher TyG index and CTI levels (all P < 0.001). Binary logistic regression analyses revealed that among patients, a high TyG index level was significantly associated with higher BDNF levels and lower negative factor scores of the PANSS, while a high CTI level was significantly associated with higher depression-hopelessness factor scores of the CDSS and lower negative factor scores of the PANSS (all P < 0.05).ConclusionPatients with CS had higher levels of TyG index and CTI, which were significantly associated with the severity of negative and depressive symptoms, as well as BDNF levels. It is suggested that the integration of the TyG index and CTI into clinical monitoring for patients with CS is necessary.
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Therapeutic Potential of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for Smoking Cessation

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) therapies are under investigation for a growing number of neuropsychiatric conditions, including substance use disorders. Cigarette smoking accounts for the largest proportion of substance use-related morbidity and mortality, in part reflecting increased risk for cardiometabolic disease among people who smoke. Given modest quit rates with approved smoking cessation therapies, medications with novel mechanisms of action are needed to expand the available monotherapy and combination treatment options.

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Analysis of the prevalence of dyslipidemia in early-onset schizophrenia patients and its correlation with clinical characteristics

ObjectiveTo analyze the prevalence of dyslipidemia and related influencing factors in patients with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS).MethodsWe recruited 289 pediatric and adolescent EOS patients from October 2021 to June 2024 in the Third People’s Hospital of Fuyang. Researchers gathered comprehensive demographic and clinical records. Utilizing the 2023 Chinese Guidelines for Lipid Management, they calculated dyslipidemia prevalence and the incidence of irregularities in total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and non-HDL cholesterol. Subsequently, differences in dyslipidemia among different genders, body mass index, and antipsychotic medication groups were analyzed. Finally, independent influencing factors of dyslipidemia in EOS patients were explored.ResultsThe overall prevalence of dyslipidemia was 24.9% (72/289), with abnormal rates of TG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, and non-HDL-C being 15.9%, 6.6%, 6.6%, 4.2%, and 7.3%, respectively. Male patients, those who were overweight or obese, and those taking two antipsychotic drugs had significantly higher rates of dyslipidemia. Regression analysis showed that male gender (OR = 2.04, P = 0.016), overweight/obesity (OR = 4.55, P < 0.001), body roundness index (OR = 1.53, P = 0.005), and the use of two antipsychotic drugs (OR = 1.90, P = 0.030) were risk factors for dyslipidemia in EOS patients.ConclusionThe prevalence of dyslipidemia in EOS patients is relatively high. When monitoring lipid levels in clinical practice, particular attention should be paid to male patients, those who are overweight or obese, and those receiving combined drug therapy.
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GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Psychiatry: A Pharmacoepidemiological Scoping Review

Pharmacoepidemiological studies have expanded the capacity to detect therapeutic benefits and adverse drug effects of medications. In the case of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), their fast uptake for treating diabetes and obesity has generated substantial real-world experience, facilitating exploration of benefits for additional indications. In the context of psychiatric disorders, studies based on pharmacovigilance data and large electronic health record (EHR) databases have shown that initial concerns regarding suicidality with GLP-1RA were not supported by the evidence.