Brain News and Research

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The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Experimental drug targets early toxic amyloid to slow Alzheimer’s disease

An experimental drug developed at Northwestern University has demonstrated further promise as an early intervention for Alzheimer's disease.

18 Dec 2025

New research highlights varied cold perception across body tissues

Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche A research team led by Félix Viana, co-director of the Sensory Transduction and Nociception laboratory at the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint research center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH), has demonstrated that the body uses different molecular mechanisms to detect cold in the skin and in internal organs.

18 Dec 2025

Researchers decipher anti-MOG antibody construction, paving way for therapies

MOG Antibody-associated Disease (MOGAD) is a rare autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The blood of patients contains antibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), a protein in the myelin layer that surrounds the neurons in the brain. It is believed that these antibodies contribute to the destruction of this protective layer in the brain.

18 Dec 2025

Many women suffer in silence from treatable pelvic floor conditions

Many women assume pelvic floor health issues are simply their fate—part of having vaginal deliveries, getting older, gaining weight or entering menopause. Perhaps they have watched their mothers and grandmothers live with symptoms, such as urinary incontinence and pain.

17 Dec 2025

Eating high-fat cheese and cream may be linked to lower dementia risk

Eating more high-fat cheese and high-fat cream may be linked to a lower risk of developing dementia, according to a new study published on December 17, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Dec 2025

Study finds small sex differences in recovery after ischemic stroke

When examining recovery during the first year after an ischemic stroke, a new study has found for daily tasks such as eating, dressing and driving, female participants experienced slightly worse recovery than male participants.

17 Dec 2025

High-dose rifampicin does not improve survival in tuberculosis meningitis

Each year, 11 million people worldwide develop tuberculosis, and about 1.4 million die from it. Meningitis occurs in 1–2% of patients and is the most severe complication of tuberculosis, arising when the bacteria reach the brain.

17 Dec 2025

Cannabis use alters sleep stages in people with chronic pain

The most frequently reported reasons for medicinal cannabis use are for pain relief and improvements in sleep.

17 Dec 2025

Distant astrocytes found to play a key role in spinal cord repair

Cedars-Sinai investigators have discovered a healing mechanism that could one day be harnessed to help treat patients with spinal cord injuries, stroke, and neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

17 Dec 2025

Neural mechanisms underlying behavioral flexibility revealed in mice

From work meetings to first dates, it's essential to adjust our behavior for success. In certain situations, it can even be a matter of life or death.

17 Dec 2025

How the brain tracks distance in the dark without landmarks

Whether you are heading to bed or seeking a midnight snack, you don't need to turn on the lights to know where you are as you walk through your house at night.

17 Dec 2025

Plant-based omega-3s work better than expected in a year-long diet study

A year-long, diet-controlled intervention shows that flaxseed oil–derived alpha-linolenic acid significantly increases erythrocyte EPA, DPA, and DHA across omnivorous, vegetarian, and vegan diets. The magnitude of improvement is driven mainly by baseline omega-3 status, while absolute EPA and DHA levels in vegans remain lower than in omnivores.

17 Dec 2025

Brain structural changes linked to chronic PTSD in World Trade Center responders

New research among World Trade Center (WTC) responders with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has uncovered measurable physical changes in their brain structure, consistent with changes in the balance of myelinated to unmyelinated neurons (fast- and slow-conducting nerve cells) across both hemispheres of the brain.

17 Dec 2025

Rethinking dopamine’s role in movement and Parkinson’s disease

A McGill-led study is challenging a popular theory about how dopamine drives movement, a discovery that could shift how scientists think about Parkinson's disease treatments.

17 Dec 2025

Lysophosphatidylcholines show gene-dependent effects in early Alzheimer’s disease

A new study presents robust evidence on the role of lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) in the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers discovered that LPCs-compounds that transport a variety of healthy fatty acids to the brain-either promote Alzheimer's or protect against it, depending on a person's genetics.

17 Dec 2025

Stress may help explain why patients with depression are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease

Patients with depression are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and a new study suggests that stress may help explain why.

17 Dec 2025

Hyperphosphorylated tau may help protect the brain from infection

One of the main proteins that contributes to Alzheimer's disease is called phospho-tau (p-tau). When p-tau gets too many phosphate groups attached to it (a process called hyperphosphorylation), it starts to stick together and form clumps called "tangles" inside of brain nerve cells.

17 Dec 2025