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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.

Scientists reveal how rare gene mutations drive schizophrenia risk

Researchers analyzed the largest exome-sequencing dataset to date and identified new rare coding variants and genes linked to schizophrenia risk. The study highlights converging genetic pathways, implicating chromatin organization and GABAergic signaling in schizophrenia neurobiology.

4 Aug 2025

Impulsivity shapes diet and gut bacteria in healthy adults, study finds

Impulsivity in healthy adults is linked to unhealthy dietary choices, such as higher intake of alcohol and sugary drinks and lower fiber consumption. These dietary behaviors, in turn, are associated with changes in specific gut bacterial genera, highlighting an indirect pathway between personality traits and the gut microbiome.

4 Aug 2025

HIV trial points to semaglutide as a new anti-aging contender

Once-weekly semaglutide significantly slowed epigenetic aging in adults with HIV-associated lipohypertrophy, as measured by multiple DNA methylation clocks in a randomized controlled trial. These exploratory findings suggest GLP-1 receptor agonists could impact biological aging but require further validation in broader populations.

4 Aug 2025

Editorial emphasizes the critical role of heart-lung interactions in pulmonary vascular disease

A new editorial published in Comprehensive Physiology underscores the critical importance of understanding heart-lung interactions in pulmonary vascular disease (PVD).

4 Aug 2025

Understanding the importance of B vitamins for health

Eight different vitamins make up the B complex, and they all play crucial roles in the body, such as producing energy, keeping our nervous system healthy, and supporting cell development.

4 Aug 2025

Psychedelic and non-hallucinogenic drugs promote neuroplasticity through shared pathways

Understanding exactly how psychedelics promote new connections in the brain is critical to developing targeted, non-hallucinogenic therapeutics that can treat neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases.

4 Aug 2025

Herbal remedies show promise for treating depression

This scoping review analyzes OTC products for depression, uncovering effective treatments and emphasizing the need for further studies on herbal efficacy.

4 Aug 2025

New research unveils vast influence of B vitamins on health and disease

Eight essential nutrients make up the suite of B vitamins also known as the B complex. Researchers from Tufts University and elsewhere have revealed that these B vitamins influence a vast spectrum of human health and disease, including cognitive function, cardiovascular health, gastric bypass recovery, neural tube defects, and even cancer.

4 Aug 2025

Johns Hopkins uncovers protein's unexpected role in brain signaling

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they unexpectedly found new information about a protein's special role in getting brain cells to communicate at the right time and place in experiments with genetically engineered mice.

4 Aug 2025

New research highlights exercise's broad impact in Parkinson's disease

It was the early 2000s when researchers first showed that exercise can help relieve the tremors that are common with Parkinson's Disease.

4 Aug 2025

New Swiss study probes lingering fatigue after Legionnaires' disease

Researchers in Switzerland launched the LongLEGIO study to compare the long-term health impacts of Legionnaires’ disease and other bacterial pneumonias. Baseline data reveal key differences in comorbidities and quality of life between the groups, with follow-up underway.

4 Aug 2025

Metformin’s blood sugar control starts in the brain, not just the liver, study finds

Low, clinically relevant doses of metformin lower blood glucose by inhibiting the Rap1 protein in specific neurons of the hypothalamus, revealing a brain-first mechanism. This action is essential for metformin’s effect at therapeutic doses and highlights new directions for diabetes treatment.

3 Aug 2025

Mapping the brain’s serotonin switch could lead to better antidepressants

In a discovery that could guide the development of next-generation antidepressants and antipsychotic medications, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed new insights into how a critical brain receptor works at the molecular level and why that matters for mental health treatments.

1 Aug 2025