IntroductionMental health monitoring is crucial to long-term recovery in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment; however, little is known about how changes in physiological indicators align with changes in self-reported mental health over time.MethodsWe examined longitudinal associations of resting heart rate (RHR) and heart rate variability (HRV) collected via a WHOOP® photoplethysmography device with self-reported stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms among individuals in SUD treatment. Participants (N = 59) continuously wore the device and completed at least two mental health and stress assessments during the first month of residential treatment. ResultsLinear regression results indicated favorable changes in mental health and/or physiologic metrics, with notable heterogeneity in concurrent subject-level trends. Among participants with decreased RHR (better physiological functioning), 39% (N=23) also endorsed decreased stress, 42% (N=25) decreased anxiety, and 39% (N=23) improved depressive symptoms. Of those with increased HRV (greater stress adaptability), 39% (N=23) endorsed decreased stress, 39% (N=23) improved anxiety, and 41% (N=24) reduced depressive symptoms.DiscussionConcurrent changes in physiologic and mental health metrics during the first month of treatment varied across participants. These findings highlight the importance of integrating subjective mental health measures with physiological indicators to capture clinically relevant change during early SUD treatment.
Association between plasma proBDNF levels and cognitive impairment in patients with alcohol dependence: a case–control and longitudinal study
BackgroundAlcohol dependence is frequently accompanied by cognitive impairment. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling plays a critical role in synaptic plasticity, while the precursor form, proBDNF, has been increasingly implicated in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. However, the association between plasma proBDNF levels and cognitive impairment in alcohol dependence remains unclear.MethodsEighty male patients with alcohol dependence and forty-two matched healthy controls were enrolled. Plasma proBDNF levels were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (M-WCST), and the Verbal Fluency Test (VFT). Forty-one patients were reassessed after four weeks of abstinence. Group comparisons and correlation analyses were performed.ResultsPatients with alcohol dependence exhibited significantly elevated plasma proBDNF levels and impaired cognitive performance compared with controls. Plasma proBDNF levels were positively correlated with alcohol consumption severity, and linked to global cognitive deficits alongside nuanced executive performance variations. After four weeks of abstinence, plasma proBDNF levels decreased and cognitive performance improved; however, changes in proBDNF were weakly associated with cognitive recovery.ConclusionsElevated plasma proBDNF levels are associated with alcohol dependence severity and cognitive impairment, suggesting that proBDNF may serve as a peripheral biomarker reflecting the dynamic neurocognitive status in alcohol dependence.
Are Republicans turning against medications for treating opioid addiction?
When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took office in February 2025, he broke new ground as the first health secretary openly in recovery from addiction to drugs and alcohol.
At a public appearance soon after, he delivered precisely the message that many substance use experts had hoped to hear: that evidence-based medications for treating opioid addiction, in particular, would remain essential components of the country’s response to its drug overdose crisis.
Testing STAR and TextSTAR: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Conditions: Sexual Violence; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Opioid Misuse
Interventions: Behavioral: Skills Training in Active Recovery (STAR) Video; Behavioral: Text Skills Training in Active Recovery (TextSTAR) program
Sponsors: University of Wisconsin, Madison; National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Enrolling by invitation
Interventions: Behavioral: Skills Training in Active Recovery (STAR) Video; Behavioral: Text Skills Training in Active Recovery (TextSTAR) program
Sponsors: University of Wisconsin, Madison; National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Enrolling by invitation
Neurocognitive function among individuals with problematic social media use
BackgroundWith the development of technology and the internet, social networks gained momentum quickly and play a central role in daily activities. Despite this, there is a public health concern over excessive or problematic social media use. There is also a debate whether excessive social media use should be considered as a behavioral addiction characterized by impulsivity or an impulse control disorder characterized by compulsivity. The goal of this study is to use neurocognitive tasks to investigate impulsivity and compulsivity among excessive social media users compared with non-excessive users.MethodThe study included 79 participants (age range 18 to 37), divided into two groups: 34 participants who excessively use social media (Mean Age = 23.03, SD = 2.71) and 45 participants who do not excessively use social media (Mean Age = 25.47, SD = 4.3). Participants filled out a demographic questionnaire, questionnaires on social media use, impulsivity, compulsivity, anxiety, and depression. They performed computerized cognitive tasks: GO/NO-GO (with Facebook and traffic sign pictures), Experimental Delay Discounting (EDT), and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).ResultsExcessive users of social media exhibited a lower ability to delay gratification on the EDT, indicating impulsivity. They made fewer non-perseverative errors on the WCST, which indicated high flexibility and test shifting, which is a contradicting evidence for compulsivity. Furthermore, on the GO/NO-GO task, individuals who excessively use social media made more omission errors in response to the “Facebook” sign compared to traffic signs (GO condition), indicating impaired selective attention. Finally, they also showed higher subjective ratings of anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and compulsivity.DiscussionThe results of this study provide evidence for impulsivity indicated by delay discounting tendency, which supports the behavioral addiction model, impaired selection attention and lack of evidence for compulsivity in excessive social media users. Further research on neurocognitive function in excessive social media users is required in order to determine whether it should be considered a behavioral addiction or an impulse control disorder.
Context-dependent interaction between oxytocin gene polymorphisms and alcohol dependence in modulating negative emotions during acute alcohol withdrawal in adult males
ObjectiveThe importance of multiple gene-environment interaction (G × E) has been highlighted in understanding the etiology of negative emotions. This study examines the impact of oxytocin (OXT) polymorphisms (rs2740210, rs6133010, and rs2740209) in combination with alcohol dependence on anxiety and depression symptoms during acute alcohol withdrawal under different social and environmental contexts.MethodA total of 414 Chinese Han male adults undergoing acute alcohol withdrawal were recruited. Participants provided blood samples for genotyping, self-reported measures of depression and anxiety, assessments of alcohol dependence severity, and demographic information regarding social and environmental contexts.ResultsResults revealed a positive correlation between severity of alcohol dependence and symptoms of depression and anxiety, while oxytocin polymorphism did not have a direct effect on depressive and anxiety symptoms. A significant interaction between OXT polymorphism (rs2740210 and rs2740209) and alcohol dependence in relation to anxiety symptoms solely among adults living with family and/or those who were married was observed. Further analyses indicate that the GG and CC genotypes are risk genotypes, while the T allele (rs2740210) and G allele (rs2740209) are non-risk alleles in the interaction between OXT genotypes (rs2740210, rs2740209) and alcohol dependence on anxiety among the aforementioned participants.ConclusionsThese findings provide evidence for distinct G × E interaction effects on anxiety and depression symptoms during acute alcohol withdrawal, supporting the weak diathesis-stress model. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of considering environmental factors when investigating the role of oxytocin as a biological substrate underlying social bonding and the regulation of negative emotions.
Direct modulation of human GABA-A α1β2γ2 receptors by the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol: implications for cannabinoid-related ligands and limitations for anxiolytic drug development
Anxiety disorders are associated with impaired inhibitory neurotransmission mediated by γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA-A) receptors. Although benzodiazepines remain effective anxiolytics, their clinical utility is limited by sedation, cognitive impairment, tolerance, and dependence, prompting the search for mechanistically distinct GABAergic modulators. Among cannabinoid-related molecules, the strongest evidence for direct GABA-A receptor modulation concerns the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), which potentiates recombinant human α1β2γ2 receptors through residues located in the M4 helix of the β2 subunit. Here, we review the structural architecture, biophysical properties, and pharmacological profile of the human GABA-A α1β2γ2 isoform as the relevant molecular framework for evaluating this mechanism, while discussing the broader relevance of cannabinoid-related ligands and selected phytocannabinoids without assuming mechanistic equivalence. We further assess the hypothesis that 2-AG reaches the β2-M4 site through a membrane-access route and identify five conceptual barriers that currently limit translation of this mechanism into anxiolytic drug development: supraphysiological effective concentrations, unresolved synaptic-versus-extrasynaptic actions, uncertain subtype selectivity, incomplete validation of lipid-environment effects, and lack of clinical evidence linking this mechanism to anxiolysis in humans. We conclude that direct modulation through β2-M4 defines a mechanistically intriguing allosteric pathway distinct from benzodiazepine action; however, its location on a shared β2 subunit and the micromolar concentrations required for modulation represent substantial obstacles to the rational design of anxioselective agents based on this mechanism.
The Download: a Nobel winner on AI, and the case for fixing everything
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.
Three things in AI to watch, according to a Nobel-winning economist
A few months before he won the Nobel Prize in economics in 2024, Daron Acemoglu published a paper that earned him few fans in Silicon Valley. He argued that AI would give only a small boost to US productivity and would not eliminate the need for human work.
Two years later, Acemoglu’s measured take has not caught on. The technology has advanced quite a bit since his cautious predictions, but the data is still largely on his side.
MIT Technology Review spoke with him to understand if any of the latest developments have changed his thesis. Here are the three things Acemoglu is paying closest attention to in AI right now.
—James O’Donnell
This story is from The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter giving you the inside track on all things AI. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Monday.
The case for fixing everything
Stewart Brand, the counterculture icon and tech industry legend, considers maintenance a “civilizational” act. His new book argues that taking responsibility for maintaining something, whether a motorcycle, a monument, or the planet, can be radical.
Brand argues that maintainers haven’t gotten the laurels they deserve—and he’s right. Yet his vision of maintenance often feels solitary: profound, but more about personal fulfillment than tending to a shared world or making it better.
Read the full review of his handsome new book, Maintenance: Of Everything, Part One.
—Lee Vinsel
Lee Vinsel is an associate professor of science, technology, and society at Virginia Tech, a cofounder of The Maintainers, and the host of Peoples & Things, a podcast about human life with technology.
This story is from the latest edition of our print magazine, which is all about nature. Subscribe now to read the full issue and receive future print copies once they land.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 The first zero-day exploit built by AI has been discovered
Google spotted and stopped the attempted “mass exploitation event.” (CNBC)
+ The hackers used AI to discover an unknown bug. (NYT $)
+ AI-powered hacking has exploded into an industrial-scale threat. (Guardian)
+ New tools are simplifying online crime. (MIT Technology Review)
2 OpenAI just launched its answer to Claude Mythos
Daybreak patches vulnerabilities before attackers find them. (The Verge)
+ Sam Altman said it will “continuously secure software.” (Gizmodo)
+ It will rival Anthropic’s Claude Mythos, which arrived a month ago. (BBC)
+ OpenAI is allowing wider access to its cyber models than Anthropic. (CNBC)
3 Trump is heading to China to spread the gospel of American tech
While taking cues from Beijing’s more stringent approach. (Guardian)
+ But investors want Trump and Xi to stay out of AI’s way. (Reuters $)
+ Elon Musk and Tim Cook are joining him on the trip this week. (BBC)
4 Ilya Sutskever has testified on Sam Altman’s “pattern of lying”
OpenAI co-founder Sutskever took the stand in the Altman v. Musk trial. (BI)
+ He said he spent a year gathering proof of Altman’s dishonesty. (Reuters $)
+ But he also added to OpenAI’s defense. (Wired $)
+ While Satya Nadella called attempts to remove Altman “amateur city.” (FT $)
+ Here’s what happened last week in the trial. (MIT Technology Review)
5 A new hantavirus vaccine is in the works
Moderna and Korea University are developing an mRNA vaccine. (Wired $)
+ Here’s what you need to know about the cruise ship outbreak. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Texas has sued Netflix over alleged data harvesting and “addictive” design
AG Ken Paxton accuses Netflix of secretly collecting and selling user data. (Quartz)
+ And spying on children while deliberately fostering addiction. (Guardian)
7 A data center guzzled 30 million gallons of water—and no one noticed
The curious case serves as a warning for other data center projects. (Ars Technica)
8 Europe is reportedly selling spyware to human rights abusers
EU states allegedly sold the tech to countries violating rights. (Bloomberg $)
9 The US government’s AI vetting announcement has mysteriously vanished
It had detailed a security test agreement with Google, xAI, and Microsoft. (Gizmodo)
10 Amazon staff are using AI for pointless tasks just to inflate usage scores
In a bid to impress managers. (FT $)
+ An AI expert says we should stop using AI so much. (MIT Technology Review)
Quote of the day
“This is like the cheating husband complaining about the cheating wife.”
—Anupam Chander, a professor of law and technology at Georgetown Law School, tells the New York Times that Elon Musk’s hypocrisy over OpenAI becoming a for-profit company will undermine his courtroom battle with Sam Altman.
One More Thing
STUART BRADFORD
How sounds can turn us on to the wonders of the universe
For decades, astronomy has relied on visual information to make sense of the cosmos: images, charts, and graphs. Now, some researchers are trying something different: listening to the universe.
Using sonification, the process of turning information into sound, they’re helping blind and visually impaired researchers explore the cosmos—and even uncover patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed. The approach is spreading beyond astronomy into fields like climate science, navigation, and education.
Discover how sound could make science more accessible—and even more revealing.
—Corey S. Powell
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.)
+ This musical mashup beautifully blends LCD Soundsystem with Twin Peaks.
+ Match your speculative ideas to sci-fi stories with the Extrapolated Futures Archive.
+ A live-action animation Coyote vs. ACME is coming soon—and the first trailer just dropped.
+ Want to surf elsewhere in the galaxy? Here’s what it would be like to catch waves on distant planets.
Therapeutic Interventions Targeted at Problematic Use of Digital Technology: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Evidence
Background: Problematic use of digital technology has increased across the world. Despite growing research, evidence on treatment effectiveness across digital behaviors remains fragmented. Objective: This study aimed to systematically evaluate and compare the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions targeted at problematic use of digital technology across various behavioral domains. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) 2020 guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD420251052442). Electronic searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase (up to April 2025) were conducted. It identified 125 eligible studies, including 73 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 32 non-RCTs, 14 pre-post studies, and 6 pilot studies. The interventions that were assessed in these studies included psychological therapies, digital or web-based programs, exercise-based interventions, pharmacological treatments, neuromodulation, parent-focused programs, virtual reality–based interventions, educational programs, and multicomponent approaches. Random-effects meta-analyses using standardized mean differences (SMDs) were performed. Results: For problematic internet use, psychological treatments showed a strong effect (effect size=−2.68; <.001). Digital interventions also showed significant benefit (effect size=−1.16; <.001). For smartphone addiction, psychological treatments (effect size=−1.49; <.001) and exercise-based programs (effect size=−3.07; =.001) showed significant improvement. For gaming disorder, psychological treatments showed improvement (effect size=−1.01; =.02), but results were mixed. There were limited studies to calculate pooled results for social media addiction, pornography use, gambling, screen time, and over-the-top content watching. No treatment studies were found for problematic over-the-top content watching. High heterogeneity and evidence of small-study effects were observed in several studies. Conclusions: Overall, structured psychological therapies showed the most consistent benefit. These findings support structured interventions that aim for control of use and reduce cues linked to high use. Evidence remains limited for several emerging digital behaviors. More high-quality studies are needed in clinical settings and for less-studied forms of digital addiction.
Integrating dual-process decision making and social dynamics: A formal modeling framework for addiction.
Psychological Review, Vol 133(4), Jul 2026, 864-891; doi:10.1037/rev0000584
Currently, formal models of addiction focus either on the complex individual decision-making processes involved in addiction or on the social dynamics of addiction. They do not integrate these two levels, which has been identified as a key shortcoming of current formal models of addiction. To address this, we propose a nonlinear dynamical modeling framework of addiction integrating both the individual level and social level of addictive behavior. The individual level of our modeling framework is a formalization of a dual-process theory, where one type of process increases the consumption of addictive goods, and another type of process limits consumption. For our formalization, we build on a well-studied model from ecology, originally used to model periodic outbreaks of the spruce budworm population. To this model, we add the process of incentive sensitization at the individual level and at the social level, we incorporate the critical processes of selection homophily and peer influence. We show that our integrated modeling framework can be used to explain key phenomena identified in addiction literature: a gradual transition to heavy use, sudden relapse and sudden quitting, relatively stable use states over time (i.e., abstinence moderate use, and heavy use), social contagion and sudden outbreaks, clustering of users, and social aid in recovery. In addition, we demonstrate how our modeling framework can be extended to include mutualistic, competitive, and more complex interactions between different addictive behaviors. Finally, we show how our framework can lead to new insights and predictions and suggest avenues for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)