Lauren Granata Carollo, PhD
@lgranatacarollo.bsky.social
science writer | neuroscience | psychology | medicine
Fantastic work showing just how dynamic the brain is during adolescence, and how early life experiences have lasting effects on anxiety and amygdala-prefrontal cortex development
#SciComm #neuroskyence
#SciComm #neuroskyence
Happy to share that my (first) first author paper from the Brenhouse Lab is officially out in Neurobiology of Stress! Here, we investigated the impacts of early life adversity on the adolescent amygdala 🧠
🔗 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
🔗 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Interactive effects of early life adversity and adolescent basolateral amygdala activity on corticolimbic connectivity and behavior
Corticolimbic development is shaped by the environment and relies on coordinated neuronal activity. Prior work revealed that early life adversity (ELA…
www.sciencedirect.com
August 26, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Fantastic work showing just how dynamic the brain is during adolescence, and how early life experiences have lasting effects on anxiety and amygdala-prefrontal cortex development
#SciComm #neuroskyence
#SciComm #neuroskyence
People with OCD may be able to better suppress unwanted behaviors during the time of day they are most alert, a highly individual trait.
Aligning treatment schedules according to patients’ chronotype (morning or evening) might improve therapy outcomes and preparedness for symptoms.
🧠🩺
Aligning treatment schedules according to patients’ chronotype (morning or evening) might improve therapy outcomes and preparedness for symptoms.
🧠🩺
The rollercoaster of obsessive-compulsive disorder: How chronotype and time of day affect behavioral inhibition in adults with OCD
Chronotype, a person's circadian preference, reflects individuals’ natural pattern
of alertness levels throughout the day. It has been shown that chronotype contributes
to within-day symptom fluctuati...
www.jmoodanxdisorders.org
March 5, 2025 at 10:04 PM
People with OCD may be able to better suppress unwanted behaviors during the time of day they are most alert, a highly individual trait.
Aligning treatment schedules according to patients’ chronotype (morning or evening) might improve therapy outcomes and preparedness for symptoms.
🧠🩺
Aligning treatment schedules according to patients’ chronotype (morning or evening) might improve therapy outcomes and preparedness for symptoms.
🧠🩺
Myokines form an important bridge between skeletal muscles and the brain.
Released by muscles during and after exercise, some myokines can cross the blood-brain barrier, amplifying its cognitive and mental health benefits.
💪🧠📈🧪 #SciComm
Released by muscles during and after exercise, some myokines can cross the blood-brain barrier, amplifying its cognitive and mental health benefits.
💪🧠📈🧪 #SciComm
Myokines and the Brain: A Novel Neuromuscular Endocrine Loop | The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
PsychiatryOnline.org is the platform for all American Psychiatric Association Publishing journals, DSM, and bestselling textbooks, as well as APA Practice Guidelines, and continuing medical education.
psychiatryonline.org
March 4, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Myokines form an important bridge between skeletal muscles and the brain.
Released by muscles during and after exercise, some myokines can cross the blood-brain barrier, amplifying its cognitive and mental health benefits.
💪🧠📈🧪 #SciComm
Released by muscles during and after exercise, some myokines can cross the blood-brain barrier, amplifying its cognitive and mental health benefits.
💪🧠📈🧪 #SciComm
Runners can't trust their own perceptions of how long they've had pain from an injury? Can’t say I’m surprised 🤷♀️
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
February 27, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Runners can't trust their own perceptions of how long they've had pain from an injury? Can’t say I’m surprised 🤷♀️
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
People with PTSD tend to have over-general memories. With practice recalling specific details of positive memories, they can find some symptom relief.
This is shown for the first time in a clinical trial incorporating memory-specificity training into trauma-focused CBT in first responders.
🧠🩺
This is shown for the first time in a clinical trial incorporating memory-specificity training into trauma-focused CBT in first responders.
🧠🩺
Augmenting trauma‐focused cognitive behavior therapy for post‐traumatic stress disorder with memory specificity training: a randomized controlled trial
Although trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy (TF-CBT) is the recommended treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), up to one-half of patients do not respond to this intervention. The...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
February 26, 2025 at 8:27 PM
People with PTSD tend to have over-general memories. With practice recalling specific details of positive memories, they can find some symptom relief.
This is shown for the first time in a clinical trial incorporating memory-specificity training into trauma-focused CBT in first responders.
🧠🩺
This is shown for the first time in a clinical trial incorporating memory-specificity training into trauma-focused CBT in first responders.
🧠🩺
Could speech patterns be the key to diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases?
This machine learning model can distinguish between Parkinson's disease and traumatic brain injury with a simple speech test.
Noninvasive tests like this hold promise for accessible methods of early detection.
#SciComm 🧠📈🧪
This machine learning model can distinguish between Parkinson's disease and traumatic brain injury with a simple speech test.
Noninvasive tests like this hold promise for accessible methods of early detection.
#SciComm 🧠📈🧪
Exploring Speech Biosignatures for Traumatic Brain Injury and Neurodegeneration: Pilot Machine Learning Study
Speech features are increasingly linked to neurodegenerative and mental health conditions, offering the potential for early detection and differentiat…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 25, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Could speech patterns be the key to diagnosing neurodegenerative diseases?
This machine learning model can distinguish between Parkinson's disease and traumatic brain injury with a simple speech test.
Noninvasive tests like this hold promise for accessible methods of early detection.
#SciComm 🧠📈🧪
This machine learning model can distinguish between Parkinson's disease and traumatic brain injury with a simple speech test.
Noninvasive tests like this hold promise for accessible methods of early detection.
#SciComm 🧠📈🧪
“In the future, it will be necessary to talk about post‐traumatic stress disorders in the plural.”
This review sheds light on the current landscape and developing ideas in PTSD research.
🧠📈 🧠🩺
This review sheds light on the current landscape and developing ideas in PTSD research.
🧠📈 🧠🩺
Post‐traumatic stress disorder: evolving conceptualization and evidence, and future research directions
The understanding of responses to traumatic events has been greatly influenced by the introduction of the diagnosis of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this paper we review the initial versio...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
February 23, 2025 at 3:22 PM
“In the future, it will be necessary to talk about post‐traumatic stress disorders in the plural.”
This review sheds light on the current landscape and developing ideas in PTSD research.
🧠📈 🧠🩺
This review sheds light on the current landscape and developing ideas in PTSD research.
🧠📈 🧠🩺
A new study helps us understand a major aspect of anxiety and depression - loneliness - and how our approach/avoidance systems can affect social connectedness.
#SciComm #PsychSky
#SciComm #PsychSky
Driven by rewards or punishments? Understanding real world social functioning in anxiety and depressive disorders
Social disconnection is prevalent in anxiety and depressive disorders and adversely
impacts well-being. Prevailing treatment approaches assume social disconnection is
a by-product of anxiety or depres...
www.jmoodanxdisorders.org
February 22, 2025 at 8:23 PM
More than “the love hormone,” a new study in female rats shows that oxytocin and progesterone modulate cocaine seeking behavior.
Oxytocin's interactions with ovarian hormones could point to important therapeutic avenues for cocaine use disorder in women.
#SciComm 🧠📈🧪
Oxytocin's interactions with ovarian hormones could point to important therapeutic avenues for cocaine use disorder in women.
#SciComm 🧠📈🧪
Oxytocin attenuates demand for cocaine in female rats
There are substantial sex differences in substance use disorders (SUDs), and a key feature of SUD is pathologically high economic demand for drug. The…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 21, 2025 at 9:13 PM
More than “the love hormone,” a new study in female rats shows that oxytocin and progesterone modulate cocaine seeking behavior.
Oxytocin's interactions with ovarian hormones could point to important therapeutic avenues for cocaine use disorder in women.
#SciComm 🧠📈🧪
Oxytocin's interactions with ovarian hormones could point to important therapeutic avenues for cocaine use disorder in women.
#SciComm 🧠📈🧪
⚠️ Alarm calling is a common behavior animals use to alert others of danger and scare off predators.
But not all individuals call the same. A new study in marmots shows the tendency to alarm call is a heritable trait and differs depending on age, sex, and colony size.
🧪 #SciComm #AnimalBehavior
But not all individuals call the same. A new study in marmots shows the tendency to alarm call is a heritable trait and differs depending on age, sex, and colony size.
🧪 #SciComm #AnimalBehavior
Is the propensity to alarm-call heritable and related across multiple contexts?
Alarm calling is an important antipredator behaviour by which individuals alert conspecifics and heterospecifics of possible danger and/or ward off po…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 20, 2025 at 7:05 PM
⚠️ Alarm calling is a common behavior animals use to alert others of danger and scare off predators.
But not all individuals call the same. A new study in marmots shows the tendency to alarm call is a heritable trait and differs depending on age, sex, and colony size.
🧪 #SciComm #AnimalBehavior
But not all individuals call the same. A new study in marmots shows the tendency to alarm call is a heritable trait and differs depending on age, sex, and colony size.
🧪 #SciComm #AnimalBehavior
Measurement-based care helps patients stay more engaged with their psychiatric treatment, which is linked to better outcomes.
For example, patients with MDD respond better to treatment when they track their symptoms with self-report scales. (1/2)
#Skychiatry #PsychSky
For example, patients with MDD respond better to treatment when they track their symptoms with self-report scales. (1/2)
#Skychiatry #PsychSky
Perspectives on Enhanced Measurement-Based Care Among Healthcare Providers, Adults, Adolescent Patients with Major Depressive Disorder and Pediatric Family Members: A Multicenter Online Investigation
Measurement-based care (MBC) is an emerging, objective, and systematic evidence-based practice for monitoring symptom severity and treatment efficacy to assist clinicians in developing individualiz...
www.tandfonline.com
February 19, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Measurement-based care helps patients stay more engaged with their psychiatric treatment, which is linked to better outcomes.
For example, patients with MDD respond better to treatment when they track their symptoms with self-report scales. (1/2)
#Skychiatry #PsychSky
For example, patients with MDD respond better to treatment when they track their symptoms with self-report scales. (1/2)
#Skychiatry #PsychSky
How does the prenatal environment affect infant stress regulation after birth?
A new study shows an association between economic hardship during pregnancy and higher levels of resting cortisol in 6-month-old infants.
#DevPsych
A new study shows an association between economic hardship during pregnancy and higher levels of resting cortisol in 6-month-old infants.
#DevPsych
Prenatal exposure to social adversity and infant cortisol in the first year of life
Exposure to social adversity has been associated with cortisol dysregulation during pregnancy and in later childhood; less is known about how prenatal exposure to social stressors affects postnatal...
www.tandfonline.com
February 18, 2025 at 9:32 PM
How does the prenatal environment affect infant stress regulation after birth?
A new study shows an association between economic hardship during pregnancy and higher levels of resting cortisol in 6-month-old infants.
#DevPsych
A new study shows an association between economic hardship during pregnancy and higher levels of resting cortisol in 6-month-old infants.
#DevPsych
Telemental health care allows youth to more easily access psychiatric services, but logistical and financial barriers (e.g., lack of reliable internet access) make it harder for some to utilize them.
Identifying these barriers will help to find ways to improve current inequities.
#PsychSky
Identifying these barriers will help to find ways to improve current inequities.
#PsychSky
Use of Telemental Health Care by Children and Adolescents in the United States | American Journal of Psychiatry
PsychiatryOnline.org is the platform for all American Psychiatric Association Publishing journals, DSM, and bestselling textbooks, as well as APA Practice Guidelines, and continuing medical education.
psychiatryonline.org
February 17, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Telemental health care allows youth to more easily access psychiatric services, but logistical and financial barriers (e.g., lack of reliable internet access) make it harder for some to utilize them.
Identifying these barriers will help to find ways to improve current inequities.
#PsychSky
Identifying these barriers will help to find ways to improve current inequities.
#PsychSky
Could early life stress affect the onset and severity of Alzheimer's? How can we build resilience throughout life to promote healthy aging?
Review on the mechanisms connecting early life stress and Alzheimer's Disease 🧪
#SciComm #NeuroSky
Review on the mechanisms connecting early life stress and Alzheimer's Disease 🧪
#SciComm #NeuroSky
How Can Early Stress Influence Later Alzheimer's Disease Risk? Possible Mediators and Underlying Mechanisms
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, age-related neurodegenerative disorder
to which genetic mutations and risk factors contribute. Evidence is increasing that
environmental and lifestyle-relate...
www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com
February 13, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Exercise positively affects mood and mental health by increasing production of neuroprotective factors.
But, new research shows that developmental stress could interfere with these processes.
Individuals have varied responses to exercise, shaped by past experiences 🧪
#DevPsych #NeuroSky #SciComm
But, new research shows that developmental stress could interfere with these processes.
Individuals have varied responses to exercise, shaped by past experiences 🧪
#DevPsych #NeuroSky #SciComm
Gene Expression After Exercise Is Disrupted by Early‐Life Stress
Exercise can be leveraged as an important tool to improve neural and psychological health, either on its own or to bolster the efficacy of evidence-based treatment modalities. Research in both humans....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
February 13, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Reflecting on #SciComm lately and wanted to share about my writing journey! Here are 5 things I’ve learned.
5 Lessons I've Learned as a Science Writer
Even though I've worked as a science writer in an official capacity for almost 2 years now, I only recently got comfortable fully owning the title. Technically, I've been writing about science since t...
granatalauren.wixsite.com
February 12, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Reflecting on #SciComm lately and wanted to share about my writing journey! Here are 5 things I’ve learned.
The growth of telemental health care allows more children and adolescents to receive psychiatric services.
Still, logistical and financial barriers (e.g., lack of reliable internet access) sustain disparities. Identifying such barriers can help make mental health care more equitable.
#PsychSky
Still, logistical and financial barriers (e.g., lack of reliable internet access) sustain disparities. Identifying such barriers can help make mental health care more equitable.
#PsychSky
Use of Telemental Health Care by Children and Adolescents in the United States | American Journal of Psychiatry
PsychiatryOnline.org is the platform for all American Psychiatric Association Publishing journals, DSM, and bestselling textbooks, as well as APA Practice Guidelines, and continuing medical education.
psychiatryonline.org
February 12, 2025 at 1:46 AM
The growth of telemental health care allows more children and adolescents to receive psychiatric services.
Still, logistical and financial barriers (e.g., lack of reliable internet access) sustain disparities. Identifying such barriers can help make mental health care more equitable.
#PsychSky
Still, logistical and financial barriers (e.g., lack of reliable internet access) sustain disparities. Identifying such barriers can help make mental health care more equitable.
#PsychSky
Reposted by Lauren Granata Carollo, PhD
A federal judge issued a nationwide temporary pause on plans by the NIH to substantially slash research overhead payments
www.statnews.com/2025/02/11/j...
www.statnews.com/2025/02/11/j...
Halt on Trump administration’s cuts to NIH research payments expanded nationwide
A federal judge issued a nationwide temporary pause on plans by the NIH to substantially slash research overhead payments.
www.statnews.com
February 11, 2025 at 2:16 PM
A federal judge issued a nationwide temporary pause on plans by the NIH to substantially slash research overhead payments
www.statnews.com/2025/02/11/j...
www.statnews.com/2025/02/11/j...
"Indirect costs" is a misnomer.
Maintenance/utilities are essential. People who keep labs running - those who perform necessary project management, database oversight, safety/regulatory compliance, and more - move research forward.
The costs are vital and must be restored.
🧪 #MedSky
Maintenance/utilities are essential. People who keep labs running - those who perform necessary project management, database oversight, safety/regulatory compliance, and more - move research forward.
The costs are vital and must be restored.
🧪 #MedSky
22 states sue to block Trump administration cuts to NIH research payments
Attorneys general sued the Trump administration to block a NIH decision that would slash grant payments for research overhead
www.statnews.com
February 10, 2025 at 7:41 PM
"Indirect costs" is a misnomer.
Maintenance/utilities are essential. People who keep labs running - those who perform necessary project management, database oversight, safety/regulatory compliance, and more - move research forward.
The costs are vital and must be restored.
🧪 #MedSky
Maintenance/utilities are essential. People who keep labs running - those who perform necessary project management, database oversight, safety/regulatory compliance, and more - move research forward.
The costs are vital and must be restored.
🧪 #MedSky
Reposted by Lauren Granata Carollo, PhD
🚨RED ALERT for 🧪:
The Trump NIH just gashed indirect costs. This is a direct attack on universities.
“Pursuant to this Supplemental Guidance, there will be a standard rate of 15% across all NIH grants for indirect costs.” 😮
Just a devastating Friday night news dump. #scicomm #academicaky
The Trump NIH just gashed indirect costs. This is a direct attack on universities.
“Pursuant to this Supplemental Guidance, there will be a standard rate of 15% across all NIH grants for indirect costs.” 😮
Just a devastating Friday night news dump. #scicomm #academicaky
February 7, 2025 at 11:40 PM
🚨RED ALERT for 🧪:
The Trump NIH just gashed indirect costs. This is a direct attack on universities.
“Pursuant to this Supplemental Guidance, there will be a standard rate of 15% across all NIH grants for indirect costs.” 😮
Just a devastating Friday night news dump. #scicomm #academicaky
The Trump NIH just gashed indirect costs. This is a direct attack on universities.
“Pursuant to this Supplemental Guidance, there will be a standard rate of 15% across all NIH grants for indirect costs.” 😮
Just a devastating Friday night news dump. #scicomm #academicaky
Reposted by Lauren Granata Carollo, PhD
Scientists and journalists need to figure out right quick how to explain to the average person how a massive change in research indirects will impact the medical care they and their children get (eg at the local children’s hospital), the education their children will get, the price of tuition, etc.
February 8, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Scientists and journalists need to figure out right quick how to explain to the average person how a massive change in research indirects will impact the medical care they and their children get (eg at the local children’s hospital), the education their children will get, the price of tuition, etc.
Is baby talk universal? 💬
Across languages from around the world, caregivers use simpler speech structures when responding to their children.
Language simplification appears to be initiated by the infant, creating a feedback loop that supports language development.
#DevPsych #Psychology #NeuroSky
Across languages from around the world, caregivers use simpler speech structures when responding to their children.
Language simplification appears to be initiated by the infant, creating a feedback loop that supports language development.
#DevPsych #Psychology #NeuroSky
Immature vocalizations elicit simplified adult speech across multiple languages
Altriciality, or extended early immaturity, creates opportunities for learning. Across
languages, Elmlinger et al. show that parents simplify their speech in response to
children’s early vocalizations...
www.cell.com
February 9, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Is baby talk universal? 💬
Across languages from around the world, caregivers use simpler speech structures when responding to their children.
Language simplification appears to be initiated by the infant, creating a feedback loop that supports language development.
#DevPsych #Psychology #NeuroSky
Across languages from around the world, caregivers use simpler speech structures when responding to their children.
Language simplification appears to be initiated by the infant, creating a feedback loop that supports language development.
#DevPsych #Psychology #NeuroSky
Throwback from my PhD! In rats, fMRI shows unique responses to threat 😱 and prosocial 😊 vocalizations (played through tiny earbuds).
Results can helps us understand more about the neurobiology of anxiety disorders.
#Scicomm #NeuroSky 🧠
Results can helps us understand more about the neurobiology of anxiety disorders.
#Scicomm #NeuroSky 🧠
Examining Brain Activity Responses during Rat Ultrasonic Vocalization Playback: Insights from a Novel fMRI Translational Paradigm
Despite decades of preclinical investigation, there remains limited understanding of the etiology and biological underpinnings of anxiety disorders. Sensitivity to potential threat is characteristic o...
doi.org
February 9, 2025 at 2:40 AM
New research finds that childhood trauma is associated with dissociation symptoms and white matter changes in the brain.
In regions linked to dissociation, white matter integrity correlated with dissociation severity and childhood trauma scores in people with DID and PTSD. (1/2)
#SciComm #PsychSky
In regions linked to dissociation, white matter integrity correlated with dissociation severity and childhood trauma scores in people with DID and PTSD. (1/2)
#SciComm #PsychSky
Brain white matter structural connectivity of trauma and trauma-related dissociation disorders and symptoms
Experiencing repeated childhood traumatisation impacts brain structure and function in individuals with dissociative identity disorder (DID) and post-…
www.sciencedirect.com
February 7, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Reposted by Lauren Granata Carollo, PhD
NEW #MedSky #PsychSky #NeuroSky
A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis finds no causal relationship between #depression & myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (#MECFS).
Important: people w ME/CFS are NOT “just depressed.” #MedEd
#LongCovid
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis finds no causal relationship between #depression & myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (#MECFS).
Important: people w ME/CFS are NOT “just depressed.” #MedEd
#LongCovid
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 8, 2025 at 4:08 PM
NEW #MedSky #PsychSky #NeuroSky
A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis finds no causal relationship between #depression & myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (#MECFS).
Important: people w ME/CFS are NOT “just depressed.” #MedEd
#LongCovid
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis finds no causal relationship between #depression & myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (#MECFS).
Important: people w ME/CFS are NOT “just depressed.” #MedEd
#LongCovid
www.nature.com/articles/s41...