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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.

A hot night changed sleep, anxiety and stress markers

The study highlights how heat exposure affects anxiety and sleep, revealing nighttime heat's broader impact on biological markers linked to stress and health.

7 Oct 2026

Could speech offer a window into aging?

Research on speech clocks shows promise for aging biomarkers, connecting speech age gaps to dementia phenotypes and social factors in a large cohort study.

7 Oct 2026

Study reveals lasting brain changes linked to childhood maltreatment

Childhood abuse leaves a scar on the brain, a new neuroimaging study led by UCLA psychologists has shown.

6 Oct 2026

Long-term opioid use does not improve chronic back pain outcomes

Taking opioids for years does not seem to improve pain and functioning in people with chronic back pain, according to a new Northwestern University study that compared 70 long-term opioid users to 70 similar patients not taking opioids.

6 Oct 2026

NIH grant funds trial of wellness intervention for TBI caregivers

A University of Cincinnati College of Medicine physician-researcher has received a five-year, $2.5 million R01 grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), marking a major career milestone.

6 Oct 2026

Blood protein patterns may help explain pain levels in sickle cell disease

A small pilot study led by a Rutgers researcher has found differences in blood proteins between people experiencing high and low levels of pain from sickle cell disease, findings that may inform research on new treatments and better pain management.

6 Oct 2026

Study identifies RGS4 protein as potential target for chronic pain

Chronic pain can continue long after an initial injury. When a nerve outside the brain and spinal cord (a peripheral nerve) is damaged and does not heal properly, it keeps sending constant pain signals.

6 Oct 2026

USC researchers receive $4 million to test psychedelic therapy and mindfulness for depression

A team of USC researchers has received an up to $4 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to conduct a clinical trial of psychedelic therapy and mindfulness training for depression.

6 Oct 2026

UCLA scientist develops new way to map cellular metabolism

Nutrition advice is everywhere. Eat more protein. Cut back on sugar. Get more fiber. But beneath all that advice is a surprisingly basic gap in our understanding: Scientists still have a limited view of what happens when specific nutrients reach individual cells inside the body.

6 Oct 2026

New review identifies pistachios as a promising whole food for sleep research

Nearly one-third of U.S. adults report sleeping less than seven hours a night, below the minimum amount recommended for most adults, while nearly one in five has trouble staying asleep most days or every day.

6 Oct 2026

Novel peptide approach reduces chronic neuropathic pain in mice

Understanding and treating chronic neuropathic pain has remained challenging due to its complex nature. New research from the lab of Clifford Woolf, MB, BCh, PhD, at Boston Children's Hospital's FM Kirby Neurobiology Center describes a novel approach for reducing pain by disrupting interactions within pain-sensing nerve cells called nociceptors

6 Oct 2026

Timing of brain surgery critical for certain Parkinson's patients

The timing of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery is a critical factor in preserving cognitive function for Parkinson's disease patients with a specific genetic mutation, according to a new study by an international team of researchers.

6 Oct 2026

C-Path and University of Arizona collaborate to investigate cellular mechanisms of Parkinson's disease in women

Critical Path Institute (C-Path) today announced a research collaboration with the University of Arizona to investigate the cellular mechanisms that drive Parkinson's disease in women.

6 Oct 2026

Experimental cancer drug works differently than researchers originally thought

A cancer drug currently being tested in patients may have entered clinical trials based on an incorrect understanding of how it works, according to a new study led by the University of Sydney in collaboration with Goethe University, Oxford University and the Institute of Cancer Research, London.

6 Oct 2026

Human dental pulp stem cell secretome boosts stroke recovery

Ischemic stroke can leave lasting neurological damage after the initial vascular event, with oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, neuronal death, and disruption of neural connectivity contributing to impaired recovery.

6 Oct 2026

Targeting the brain's Default Mode Network may help better manage chronic low back pain

Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

6 Oct 2026

Overweight dementia patients likely to live longer than normal weight peers

People who are overweight or obese when they are diagnosed with dementia are likely to live longer than those in a normal weight range, according to a new study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and NYU School of Global Public Health.

6 Oct 2026