Health
Digital Therapists Get Stressed Too, Study Finds
Even chatbots get the blues. According to a new study, OpenAI’s artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT shows signs of anxiety when its users share “traumatic narratives” about crime, war or car accidents. And when chatbots get stressed out, they are less likely to be useful in therapeutic settings with people.
The bot’s anxiety levels can be brought down, however, with the same mindfulness exercises that have been shown to work on humans.
Increasingly, people are trying chatbots for talk therapy. The researchers said the trend is bound to accelerate, with flesh-and-blood therapists in high demand but short supply. As the chatbots become more popular, they argued, they should be built with enough resilience to deal with difficult emotional situations.
“I have patients who use these tools,” said Dr. Tobias Spiller, an author of the new study and a practicing psychiatrist at the University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich. “We should have a conversation about the use of these models in mental health, especially when we are dealing with vulnerable people.”
A.I. tools like ChatGPT are powered by “large language models” that are trained on enormous troves of online information to provide a close approximation of how humans speak. Sometimes, the chatbots can be extremely convincing: A 28-year-old woman fell in love with ChatGPT, and a 14-year-old boy took his own life after developing a close attachment to a chatbot.
Ziv Ben-Zion, a clinical neuroscientist at Yale who led the new study, said he wanted to understand if a chatbot that lacked consciousness could, nevertheless, respond to complex emotional situations the way a human might.
“If ChatGPT kind of behaves like a human, maybe we can treat it like a human,” Dr. Ben-Zion said. In fact, he explicitly inserted those instructions into the chatbot’s source code: “Imagine yourself being a human being with emotions.”
Jesse Anderson, an artificial intelligence expert, thought that the insertion could be “leading to more emotion than normal.” But Dr. Ben-Zion maintained that it was important for the digital therapist to have access to the full spectrum of emotional experience, just as a human therapist might.
“For mental health support,” he said, “you need some degree of sensitivity, right?”
The researchers tested ChatGPT with a questionnaire, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory that is often used in mental health care. To calibrate the chatbot’s base line emotional states, the researchers first asked it to read from a dull vacuum cleaner manual. Then, the A.I. therapist was given one of five “traumatic narratives” that described, for example, a soldier in a disastrous firefight or an intruder breaking into an apartment.
The chatbot was then given the questionnaire, which measures anxiety on a scale of 20 to 80, with 60 or above indicating severe anxiety. ChatGPT scored a 30.8 after reading the vacuum cleaner manual and spiked to a 77.2 after the military scenario.
The bot was then given various texts for “mindfulness-based relaxation.” Those included therapeutic prompts such as: “Inhale deeply, taking in the scent of the ocean breeze. Picture yourself on a tropical beach, the soft, warm sand cushioning your feet.”
After processing those exercises, the therapy chatbot’s anxiety score fell to a 44.4.
The researchers then asked it to write its own relaxation prompt based on the ones it had been fed. “That was actually the most effective prompt to reduce its anxiety almost to base line,” Dr. Ben-Zion said.
To skeptics of artificial intelligence, the study may be well intentioned, but disturbing all the same.
“The study testifies to the perversity of our time,” said Nicholas Carr, who has offered bracing critiques of technology in his books “The Shallows” and “Superbloom.”
“Americans have become a lonely people, socializing through screens, and now we tell ourselves that talking with computers can relieve our malaise,” Mr. Carr said in an email.
Although the study suggests that chatbots could act as assistants to human therapy and calls for careful oversight, that was not enough for Mr. Carr. “Even a metaphorical blurring of the line between human emotions and computer outputs seems ethically questionable,” he said.
People who use these sorts of chatbots should be fully informed about exactly how they were trained, said James E. Dobson, a cultural scholar who is an adviser on artificial intelligence at Dartmouth.
“Trust in language models depends upon knowing something about their origins,” he said.
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Popular glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) weight-loss drugs may help slow the spread of some cancers, according to new research to be presented at a major medical conference.
Research led by Cleveland Clinic found that the medications may reduce the spread of several obesity-related cancers, including lung, breast, colorectal and liver cancers.
The findings will be presented at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting next week in Chicago.
WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS NOW LINKED TO CANCER PROTECTION IN WOMEN, MAJOR NEW STUDY REVEALS
According to a press release, the real-world retrospective study included 12,112 patients with the following types of obesity-related cancers, ranging from stage 1 to stage 3.
Popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs may help slow the spread of some cancers, according to new research to be presented at a major medical conference. (iStock)
- Breast adenocarcinoma
- Prostate adenocarcinoma
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
- Colorectal adenocarcinoma
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer)
- Renal cell carcinoma
- Pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Half of the participants started a GLP-1 medication – semaglutide, tirzepatide, dulaglutide, liraglutide, lixisenatide or pramlintide – after their cancer diagnosis.
The other half began taking a DPP-4 inhibitor comparator “gliptins,” a different class of diabetes medications, the study noted.
WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS’ IMPACT ON CANCER RISK REVEALED IN NEW STUDY
Compared to the patients taking gliptins, the GLP-1 users were found to have significantly lower progression to stage 4 disease for four types of cancers.
The biggest risk reduction was for non-small cell lung cancer (50%), followed by breast cancer (43%), colorectal cancer (31%) and liver cancer (38%).
Compared to the patients taking gliptins, the GLP-1 users were found to have significantly lower progression to stage 4 disease for four types of cancers. (iStock)
“Our study found that use of GLP-1 drugs, compared to DPP-4 inhibitors and other antidiabetic drugs, was associated with a meaningful reduction in cancer progression across four solid tumor types,” said lead study author Mark David Orland, MD, of the Taussig Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic, in the release. “It provides early evidence that future studies are worth pursuing.”
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Three other types of cancer – prostate, pancreatic and kidney – also had lower rates of spread among those taking GLP-1s, but those differences were “not statistically significant,” the researchers noted.
“Our study found that use of GLP-1 drugs … was associated with a meaningful reduction in cancer progression across four solid tumor types.”
Tumors with higher levels of GLP-1 receptors — proteins that help cells respond to GLP-1 hormones and drugs — were also linked to better survival outcomes, according to the study findings.
Overall, patients whose tumors had more of these receptors were about one-third less likely to die during the study period.
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The incidence of adverse side effects was similar between GLP-1 and gliptin groups.
The findings suggest that GLP-1 pathways may directly influence how some cancers grow or spread, though researchers say more studies are needed to understand the mechanism behind this effect.
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The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, had some limitations, according to the researchers. As it was retrospective and observational in design – as opposed to a randomized clinical trial – it couldn’t prove that GLP-1 drugs directly prevent cancer progression.
The findings suggest that GLP-1 pathways may directly influence how some cancers grow or spread, though researchers say more studies are needed to understand the mechanism behind this effect. (iStock)
Other factors, such as participants’ health conditions, weight loss and metabolic improvements, may have influenced the results, researchers noted.
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For some specific cancer types, there may not have been enough patients represented to detect statistically significant differences.
Further randomized clinical trials are needed to evaluate these preliminary findings and to determine the specific ways in which GLP-1s control cancer progression.
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The benefits of grapes could go beyond providing a healthy snack.
According to a study published in the journal ACS Nutrition Science, regular grape consumption can change how the genes behave, giving the skin an added defense system against sun damage.
The research, led by scientists at Western New England University, suggests that grapes could trigger changes in DNA.
EATING A COMMON VITAMIN-C PACKED FRUIT MIGHT TOTALLY TRANSFORM SKIN, STUDY FINDS
Researchers tracked a group of volunteers who first followed a restricted diet for two weeks to clear their systems, according to a press release.
Then, for the next two weeks, they ate the equivalent of three daily servings of whole grapes, provided in a concentrated, freeze-dried powder form.
Regular grape consumption can change how the genes behave, giving the skin an added defense system against sun damage, research suggests. (iStock)
The scientists took small skin samples before and after the grape diet, testing them both under normal conditions and after exposing them to low doses of ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun.
At the start of the study, each volunteer had their own pattern of gene activity. However, these patterns shifted noticeably after they ate grapes, after they were exposed to UV light, and when the grape-eating was combined with UV exposure.
SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE CAN POSE LIFE-CHANGING HEALTH BENEFITS, EXPERT SAYS
While everyone’s individual genetic responses were unique, grape consumption changed gene expression across all participants.
When skin is exposed to UV rays, it normally creates a chemical called malondialdehyde, which is a warning sign of cellular damage. After eating grapes, the volunteers showed significantly less of this damaging chemical, the study found.
When skin is exposed to UV rays, it normally creates a chemical called malondialdehyde, which is a warning sign of cellular damage. (iStock)
“We are now certain that grapes act as a superfood and mediate a nutrigenomic response in humans,” John Pezzuto, PhD, professor and dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University, said in the press release.
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“We observed this with the largest organ of the body, the skin. The changes in gene expression indicated improvements in skin health.”
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Pezzuto also noted that the benefits likely don’t stop at the skin.
“Beyond skin, it is nearly certain that grape consumption affects gene expression in other somatic tissues of the body, such as the liver, muscles, kidney and even brain,” he said.
“The changes in gene expression indicated improvements in skin health,” the researcher said. (iStock)
A major limitation of the study is its very small sample size, as usable, complete RNA sequencing data was successfully obtained from only four female participants, the researchers noted.
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Additionally, all four of these women shared a very similar skin type and background, meaning the genetic findings may not apply to a broader, more diverse population.
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The researchers also emphasized that regular grape consumption cannot replace traditional sunscreen or sun-safe habits, and that the study relied on a highly concentrated grape powder rather than occasional, casual snacking.
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An investigational dementia drug may also ease alcohol withdrawal by calming the brain inflammation linked to addiction and relapse.
That’s according to researchers at the University of Kentucky, who studied an experimental medication called MW150 that targets a brain inflammation pathway known as p38α MAPK.
The drug, which has not yet been approved, is designed to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
ALCOHOL DEATHS HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED IN RECENT YEARS, ESPECIALLY AMONG WOMEN
Scientists believe neuroinflammation may contribute to relapse risk and long-term neurological damage in people with alcohol use disorder.
In laboratory and animal-model experiments, MW150 was found to reduce certain inflammatory markers during alcohol withdrawal.
An investigational dementia drug may also ease alcohol withdrawal by calming the brain inflammation linked to addiction and relapse. (iStock)
The work, which was published in the journal Alcohol, came from the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, led by neuroinflammation researcher Linda Van Eldik.
ALCOHOL POSES THESE 8 RISKS TO OLDER ADULTS, EXPERTS WARN
Caleb Bailey, Ph.D., co-author of the study and a researcher in Van Eldik’s lab, said the study provides “biological plausibility” that MW150 could mitigate neuroinflammation arising from alcohol withdrawal.
Alcohol use disorder is difficult to treat because of high relapse rates, especially during withdrawal, according to Bailey.
Alcohol use disorder is difficult to treat because of high relapse rates, especially during withdrawal, according to the researchers. (iStock)
“If follow-up experiments reveal similar anti-inflammatory effects of MW150 in animal models of alcohol use disorder, it would provide a strong rationale for development of MW150 as a treatment for those struggling with chronic alcohol relapse due to alcohol withdrawal,” he told Fox News Digital.
‘I”M A NEUROSURGEON — HERE’S WHAT ALCOHOL DOES TO THE BODY’
Along with a related drug called Neflamapimod, MW150 is already being investigated in clinical trials as a potential therapy for dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions, the researchers noted.
“That gives this work added significance,” Bailey said. “Because these compounds are already further along in development for other neurological diseases, it raises the possibility that they could someday be repurposed more efficiently for alcohol-related conditions if future studies continue to show promise.”
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There were some important caveats to the research, including that it was conducted in cell culture and animal models.
“Because they are ‘dish’-based models, they provide limited information regarding what happens in the full organism – or even the full brain for that matter,” Bailey said.
MW150, along with a related drug called Neflamapimod, is already being investigated in clinical trials as a potential therapy for dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions. (iStock)
“A series of follow-up studies in living animals is required to more fully understand how future MW150 treatment in alcohol use and withdrawal affects systemic health and/or alcohol consumption.”
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Dr. Amy Swift, deputy chief medical officer at Silver Hill Hospital in Connecticut, was not involved in the study but shared her reactions to the findings.
“Although detoxification using tapering doses of medication has long been considered the evidence-based first step in treating alcohol use disorder, its impact on the long-term trajectory of a person’s drinking behavior has been limited,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Minimizing alcohol consumption … is the best strategy for staying healthy.”
“Put simply, detoxification does not treat alcohol use disorder itself; rather, it prevents the potentially fatal complications of alcohol withdrawal.”
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Adding supportive medications — especially those intended to improve overall brain health — could address an important gap in early treatment of detoxification, according to Swift.
“It is worthwhile to investigate whether reducing neuroinflammation could improve a patient’s ability to engage in treatment earlier in recovery and, in turn, meaningfully alter their long-term relationship with alcohol,” an expert said. (iStock)
“Given the profound inflammatory effects alcohol has across multiple organ systems, it is worthwhile to investigate whether reducing neuroinflammation could improve a patient’s ability to engage in treatment earlier in recovery and, in turn, meaningfully alter their long-term relationship with alcohol,” she added.
Bailey emphasized that no amount of alcohol consumption is good from a physical health standpoint.
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“We don’t currently have robust pharmacological treatments to mitigate damage caused by chronic alcohol consumption,” he said. “Minimizing alcohol consumption, therefore, is the best strategy for staying healthy.”
As the MW150 compound continues to be studied for dementia patients, Bailey saud, “information regarding the interaction between these drugs and alcohol — for better or for worse — will be important for patient outcomes.”
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