Neurology Advisor (2/10, Saha) reports, “Pregnancy and breastfeeding are associated with less later-life cognitive decline, according to” research. Investigators came to this conclusion after conducting “a longitudinal secondary analysis of 2 Women’s Health Initiative cohorts: the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS; n=7427) and the Women’s Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA; n=2304).” The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

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— “Pregnancy, Breastfeeding Linked to Reduced Cognitive Decline in Older Age,”Rajan Saha, Neurology Advisor, February 10, 2026

MedPage Today (2/10, Jeffrey) reports, “Exercise effectively reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, comparable to results seen with pharmacological or psychological interventions, according to a systematic umbrella review with a meta-meta-analysis of randomized trials.” Researchers observed that “exercise had a medium-sized effect on reducing depression symptoms (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.61, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.54), while it had a small-to-medium effect on reducing anxiety symptoms (SMD -0.47).” They noted that “while exercise was effective across all age groups, the greatest benefits of exercise on depression were seen in adults ages 18 to 30 years (SMD -0.81), as well as among postnatal women (SMD -0.70).” The review was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (2/9) reports a study of Swedish registry data found that “the male-to-female ratio of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be more equal than commonly believed.” The research team “analyzed nearly 2.8 million individuals born in Sweden between 1985 and 2020 – identifying 78,522 (2.8%) who were diagnosed with ASD by the end of 2022. Across the whole cohort, the male-to-female ratio of ASD was 1.6:1 – though the data showed that the yearly gap has been shrinking over time.” They noted the “average age of ASD diagnosis was 14 years – among males, diagnoses peaked between ages 10 to 14 while in females diagnoses peaked between ages 15 to 19. In 2022, the ASD male-to-female ratio at age 10 was 3:1 – but by age 20, the ratio dropped to 1.2:1.” The findings “show a pattern of significant ‘catch-up’ in recognizing ASD in females over the past 40 years in Sweden.” The study was published in The BMJ.

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— “Is Autism a Predominantly Male Disorder?, Psychiatric News , February 9, 2026

Psychiatric News (2/6) reported, “Socially isolated older adults who received one of two brief, telephone-based psychosocial interventions showed significant reductions in loneliness at 12 months compared with those who received ‘befriending’ phone calls that didn’t include psychosocial skills,” according to findings from a study of 1,151 older adults in Hong Kong. However, “the findings were mainly applicable to lonely, Cantonese-speaking, older adults with limited resources and may not be generalizable to populations with greater socioeconomic, cultural, or linguistic diversity.” The research was published in JAMA Network Open.

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— “Brief Lay-Delivered Phone Interventions Can Reduce Loneliness Among Older Adults, Psychiatric News, February 6, 2026

Research by Lauren Osborne, M.D., reproductive psychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, has identified a potential biomarker for postpartum depression (PPD). Examining the metabolic progesterone pathway throughout pregnancy showed that a lower pregnanolone-to-progesterone ratio and elevated isoallopregnanolone in the third trimester were associated with PPD risk. Further investigation may help determine who can benefit from earlier treatment intervention.

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— “Dr. Lauren Osborne: Research Uncovers a Potential Biomarker for Postpartum Depression Risk, NYP, February 5, 2026

MedPage Today (2/4, George) reports, “A large longitudinal study challenged longstanding assumptions about the gender prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).” Investigators found that “among 2.7 million people born in Sweden between 1985 and 2022 and followed from birth up to age 37, 2.8% were diagnosed with autism at a mean age of 14.3 years.” The data indicated that “diagnosis rates increased steadily throughout childhood, peaking at 645.5 per 100,000 person-years for males ages 10-14 and 602.6 per 100,000 person-years for females ages 15-19.” The findings were published in The BMJ.

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— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (2/3) reports a systematic review of 110 studies across more than 20 countries found that “aggressive obsessions – intrusive thoughts of intentionally or unintentionally harming oneself or others – are a common feature of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).” Researchers observed that “lifetime and current (i.e., past-week) prevalence rates of aggressive obsessions were 70.3% and 52.6%, respectively. Aggressive obsessions were the primary and most distressing symptom for 28% of patients.” In addition, “patients with early-onset OCD and/or suicidal ideation were more likely to report aggressive obsessions than patients with late-onset OCD and/or no suicidal ideation.” The researchers “noted that the results underscore the importance of appropriate recognition and treatment of aggressive obsessions in OCD, given how commonly they are misidentified.” The review was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

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— “Aggressive Obsessions Common in OCD, Psychiatric News, February 3, 2026

HealthDay (2/3, Thompson) reports a systematic review of 169 previous clinical trials found that “talk therapy is the best way to ease grief and depression following the death of a loved one.” Of the clinical trials reviewed, “76 evaluated whether psychotherapy could help people with their grief.” The review says, “Across studies, we found a positive effect of psychotherapy on grief disorder symptoms.” The researchers “also found some benefit from expert-facilitated support groups and enhanced contact from a person’s health care team, although the evidence there was not as strong.” The review was published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

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— “Grief Best Managed Through Talk Therapy, Evidence Shows,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, February 3, 2026

HealthDay (2/2, Thompson) reports a study found that “the symptoms women experience on the verge of menopause could be vastly different from what they might expect.” According to researchers, “women in perimenopause…expect to be plagued with hot flashes and night sweats. However, these women reported symptoms like exhaustion and fatigue far more frequently than those typically associated with menopause.” When middle-aged women participants were “asked which symptoms they associate with perimenopause, the women most often named hot flashes (71%), sleep problems (68%) and weight gain (65%). But women who actually were in perimenopause listed their most common symptoms as exhaustion (95%); fatigue (93%); irritability (91%); sleep problems (89%); depression (88%); and brain fog (87%).” The study was published in Menopause.

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— “Early Menopause Symptoms Might Not Be What Most Women Expect,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay, February 2, 2026

The AP (2/2, Swenson) reports HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Monday that the agency “will devote $100 million toward a pilot program addressing homelessness and substance abuse in eight cities, building on an executive order” the President “signed last week related to addiction.” The agency “will also make faith-based organizations eligible for addiction-related grants and expand states’ ability to use federal health funding for substance abuse treatment in certain situations involving children, Kennedy said.” Kennedy also “said SAMHSA’s new pilot program will be called STREETS, or Safety Through Recovery, Engagement and Evidence-Based Treatment and Supports.” The initiatives “represent some quick momentum for” the President’s “executive order signed last Thursday launching what [he] calls the ‘Great American Recovery Initiative’ to better align federal resources on the addiction crisis.”

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— “HHS unveils program to address homelessness and addiction, part of a set of new initiatives,”Ali Swenson , AP, February 2, 2026