University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU)

In women suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after experiencing sexual assault, the connectivity between two areas of the brain within the fronto-limbic system is altered, according to a study presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology conference held in Amsterdam (Netherlands). The study, led by a researcher at Hospital Clínic in Barcelona, compared brain images of 40 women with PTSD following a recent sexual assault and 45 control cases. In 22 of these 40 women, communication between the amygdala—which helps process emotions such as fear—and the prefrontal cortex—which helps regulate those emotions—had almost completely disappeared.

Until now, perceived well-being followed a U-shaped curve depending on age, declining – due to worry, stress or depression – until people reached middle age, around 50, and then rebounding into old age. With malaise, the U is inverted and we talk about the ‘unhappiness curve’, shaped like a hump. Now, research published in PLOS One with data from the US and the UK claims that this age-related malaise is declining and that there is no longer such a hump. The reason for the change is said to be the deterioration of mental health among young people, especially those under 25. The study also includes data from 44 countries between 2020 and 2025, including Spain, and confirms that the malaise no longer takes the form of a hump, but decreases with age.

Research estimates that 15.6 million people born between 2008 and 2017 worldwide will develop gastric cancer at some point in their lives if current trends continue. In Spain, there would be 58,641 cases, or 1.24% of people in this age group. The team used data on gastric cancer from 185 countries in 2022 combined with mortality projections based on United Nations demographic data. The estimates, published in the journal Nature Medicine, show that 76% of cases could be attributed to Helicobacter pylori, a common bacterium found in the stomach.

A study evaluating the mathematical and linguistic performance of first- and second-year primary school students in France—more than 2.6 million children between 2018 and 2022—shows that the gender gap in mathematics appears within a few months of starting primary school. This gap increases with years of schooling, not with age, adds the research published in Nature.

The number of adolescents with anxiety problems seems to be increasing, especially in developed countries. An opinion article published in the journal Science proposes that maternal stress, quality of care and environmental conditions in the early years, together with current social and technological changes, may contribute to explaining this trend. 

The report Participation of women scientists as expert sources in the media: motivations and obstacles, carried out by FECYT's SMC España with the Gureiker research group (UPV/EHU) analyses the data from a survey, a pioneer in Spain, on the factors that influence the media participation of scientists as expert voices. All the people contacted as information sources by the SMC Spain team were surveyed over a three-month period, starting in March 2024. Of the sources consulted, 43.91% were women and 56.09% were men. However, of the total number of people who accepted SMC's proposals and appeared as sources, 37.66% were women and 62.34% were men. The greater media exposure of male scientists benefits them for future interventions. In terms of barriers that prevent researchers from speaking in the media, lack of time due to family responsibilities affects female scientists (22.95 % of respondents) more than male scientists (10 %).  

An artificial intelligence (AI) model led by the company Meta is capable of translating speech and text, including direct speech-to-speech translations, from up to 101 languages in some cases. According to the research team, this model - called SEAMLESSM4T - can pave the way for fast universal translations ‘with resources to be made publicly available for non-commercial use’. The work is published in the journal Nature.

The report 'Experiences of researchers who interact with the media and social networks in Spain', carried out by FECYT’s Science Media Centre Spain (SMC) in collaboration with the research group Gureiker, from the University of the Basque Country, analyses data from a survey, the first of its kind in Spain, on the relationship with the media and social networks of the expert sources contacted by the SMC Spain from March 2022 to July 2024. The results show that scientists have a positive or very positive perception of their participation in the media (83.12%). However, 51.05% of respondents admit to having suffered an attack after communicating science. Women receive significantly more attacks than men: 56.86% of female scientists report attacks compared to 46.21% of male scientists. The social network X (formerly Twitter) is the most common avenue for this type of attack. 

According to a Lancet Public Health commission on commercial gambling, stricter regulations are needed on a global scale to reduce its impact on health and wellbeing worldwide. The authors argue that the harms caused by gambling are a threat to public health, exacerbated by the rapid expansion and digital transformation of the industry. These harms include physical and mental health problems, increased risk of suicide, gender-based violence and financial problems.

The Twinning project is a UK-based initiative that organises soccer-based programmes, with the collaboration of professional clubs such as some Premier League clubs, to improve the mental and physical health of prisoners. Research has studied the behaviour of more than 670 of these participants and a group that did not participate, as well as collecting data related to the possible reintegration of those who were in this programme. According to the authors, who publish their research in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, ‘the results indicate that social bonding is associated with better behaviour in prison and a greater willingness of host communities to support reintegration efforts’.