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.

New diagnostic chip enables rapid monitoring of brain cancer treatment

New diagnostic chip pulls packets released from tumor cells out of blood, showing whether cancer cells died during chemotherapy infusion.

16 Dec 2025

New rapid blood test enables early and accurate diagnosis of ALS

ALS is a debilitating paralytic disease characterized by the death of upper and lower motor neurons. Fortunately, ALS is relatively rare, with an incidence rate of 1.6 per 100,000 adults, resulting in about 30,000 cases in the United States at any one time.

16 Dec 2025

MEA-driven graph modeling identifies early connectivity changes linked to autism

Multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) provide a noninvasive interface with sub-millisecond temporal resolution and long-term, multi-site recordings, enabling mechanistic investigations of in vitro human brain development and disease-related dysfunction; nevertheless, conventional MEA pipelines largely rely on firing/burst statistics or channel-/waveform-level features, which can be insufficient to systematically characterize and interpret network-level organization and its subtle pathological deviations.

16 Dec 2025

Traumatic brain injury disrupts brain drainage and accelerates Alzheimer’s risk

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have uncovered how and why traumatic brain injury (TBI) increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease, and their work suggests a potential way to prevent that increased risk.

16 Dec 2025

Higher minimum drinking age linked to better grades and mental health

Despite a downward trend in alcohol consumption, drinking rates among European teenagers remain notably high by international standards.

16 Dec 2025

A multi-gene mouse model reveals new mechanisms of Hirschsprung disease

During development of the digestive system, a complex network of nerves forms around it, creating a "second brain" - the enteric nervous system (ENS) - which controls the movement of food and waste through the gut.

16 Dec 2025

Neuron structure variations impact sensory information processing in mice

Closely related subtypes of dopamine-releasing neurons may play entirely separate roles in processing sensory information, depending on their physical structure.

16 Dec 2025

Combining stem cell therapy and BDNF enhancement to manage Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an age-related, progressive, neurodegenerative condition, caused by loss of dopamine-producing neurons.

16 Dec 2025

Study identifies molecular drivers of cerebral small vessel disease

A new study identifies molecular factors that promote small vessel disease - and an active drug that can restore impaired vascular functions.

16 Dec 2025

Functional MRI signals can misrepresent true brain activity

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) found that an increased fMRI signal is associated with reduced brain activity in around 40 percent of cases.

16 Dec 2025

Tau biology expands beyond microtubules to neurodegeneration, metabolism and mental illness

An Thought Leaders Invited Review published today in Genomic Psychiatry by Dr. Peng Lei and colleagues presents a sweeping synthesis of tau protein research that fundamentally reframes our understanding of this molecule's dual identity.

16 Dec 2025

Scientists discover rapid synapse adaptation in neuronal communication

Every movement you make and every memory you form depends on precise communication between neurons. When that communication is disrupted, the brain must rapidly rebalance its internal signaling to keep circuits functioning properly.

16 Dec 2025

Circadian control of neutrophils limits heart damage after myocardial infarction

Neutrophils cause time-of-day–dependent collateral tissue damage after sterile injury through an intrinsic circadian program. Activating a CXCL12–CXCR4 checkpoint repositions neutrophils, limiting inflammatory injury without impairing antimicrobial defense.

15 Dec 2025

Gut bacteria patterns differ in autism and siblings and link to social symptoms

This sibling-controlled East Asian study found that autistic individuals, their unaffected siblings, and typically developing controls differ in gut microbiota diversity and composition, with the clearest separation between autism and typical development. Specific taxa, particularly the butyrate-producing genus Anaerostipes, were modestly associated with social communication and internalising symptoms, supporting a gut–behaviour link without implying causality.

15 Dec 2025

AI uncovers hidden mechanisms of covert attention and emergent neuron types

Shifting focus on a visual scene without moving our eyes - think driving, or reading a room for the reaction to your joke - is a behavior known as covert attention.

15 Dec 2025

Researchers explore how the visual brain system recovers following traumatic injury

The brain shows a capacity to recover from traumatic injury, which somewhat contradicts the widely accepted idea that neurons do not regenerate.

15 Dec 2025

Breast cancer disrupts stress hormone rhythms in the brain

"The brain is an exquisite sensor of what's going on in your body," says Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Assistant Professor Jeremy Borniger. "But it requires balance. Neurons need to be active or inactive at the right times. If that rhythm goes out of sync even a little bit, it can change the function of the entire brain."

15 Dec 2025

New framework tracks response to anti-amyloid therapies in Alzheimer's

In the last few years, progress has been made in the fight against Alzheimer's disease with a class of therapies called anti-amyloid antibodies (anti-Aβ).

15 Dec 2025

Tiny blood particles help shuttle a hormone through the body

Researchers at Touro University Nevada have discovered that tiny particles in the blood, called extracellular vesicles (EVs), are a major player in how a group of hormones are shuttled through the body. Physical exercise can stimulate this process.

15 Dec 2025

Lipoic acid shows limited benefit in progressive multiple sclerosis

The over-the-counter supplement lipoic acid may have a small beneficial effect in slowing the loss of gray matter in the brains of people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis, according to new research led by Oregon Health & Science University and the Portland VA Health Care System.

15 Dec 2025