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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.

Psychedelics linked to lingering visual disturbances resembling early psychosis

Every night, as he fell asleep, a 25-year-old man saw an eye in his ceiling. It was huge and unblinking, and it felt as if the whole world was being sucked into it.

4 Nov 2026

Children exposed to cannabis and tobacco before birth scored lower on thinking tests

In an exploratory analysis of 8,706 U.S. children aged 9 to 11, prenatal exposure to both cannabis and tobacco was associated with modestly lower fluid cognition scores compared with cannabis-only exposure or neither substance. Differences from tobacco-only exposure were not statistically significant, nor were differences in crystallized cognition, and the observational findings could not establish causation.

4 Nov 2026

Faulty cellular recycling may link pulmonary arterial hypertension to brain damage

A commentary in The Journal of Clinical Investigation examines evidence linking pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) to cerebellar abnormalities, focusing on impaired lysosomal lipid metabolism, oxysterol accumulation, and microglial inflammation. Findings from human imaging, mouse models, and cultured cells suggest that NCOA7 may help protect against these changes, although the proposed mechanisms and therapeutic implications require further investigation.

4 Nov 2026

Exercise may improve mood and memory, and researchers say doctors should prescribe it

In a Viewpoint, researchers examined evidence that exercise can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, support cognition, and may help lower the risk of cognitive decline, although evidence for dementia prevention remains largely observational. The authors argue that exercise should be prescribed as a structured component of brain-health care, with individualized recommendations that account for medical conditions, safety, and barriers to participation.

4 Nov 2026

Gut-brain dopamine pathway drives learned food preferences over time

If you can remember your first sip of coffee, the memory might not be a pleasant one. Coffee's bitter flavor is one we naturally steer clear of. So how do coffee fans learn to love it?

4 Nov 2026

Deep learning method maps spatial architecture of brain cancer cells

Glioblastoma is the deadliest and most common type of malignant brain tumour in adults. One of the reasons it's almost always incurable is that individual tumour cells are very different from one another and shift dynamically between various 'states'.

4 Nov 2026

Maternal brain activity reflects emotional bond with baby before birth

Pregnancy and motherhood are associated with neural adaptations that help prepare women for caregiving.

4 Nov 2026

Novel treatment clears dementia-linked proteins from the waking brain

The brain's own clearance mechanisms are most active during sleep. Researchers have now shown that this natural clearance process can also be enhanced while people are awake.

4 Nov 2026

Cannabis dominates youth hospital visits while alcohol impacts older adults

A large national study analyzing emergency department visits and hospitalizations related to alcohol or cannabis use across the U.S. has found diverging age patterns: Among people who presented to the hospital for a substance-related problem, cannabis was involved in the majority of visits by adolescents and young adults, while alcohol predominated among older adults.

4 Nov 2026

Good sleep protects brain health in people with cardiometabolic disease

People with type 2 diabetes, heart disease or stroke who sleep well have better cognitive function and greater brain volume than people with the same conditions who sleep poorly, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet.

4 Nov 2026

East Anglian Air Ambulance proves rapid pre-hospital blood test can diagnose brain bleeds in minutes

A pioneering blood test used at the scene of medical emergencies can identify patients with bleeding on the brain within minutes, according to East Anglian Air Ambulance, which has been trialing the technology in a US-first for air ambulances as part of its BRAIN-FIRST program.

4 Nov 2026

Eating peanuts every day may change your brains insulin response

The study finds that unsalted peanuts may enhance brain insulin responsiveness, providing new insights into dietary influences on cognitive health in aging.

4 Nov 2026

Genetic family mapping uncovers hidden links across ALS and FTD

Researchers at the Macquarie University Brain Institute and Clinic have helped accelerate the search for disease-causing genes by building new genetic 'families'.

3 Nov 2026

Gq-coupled receptors activate cAMP signaling to regulate brain synapses

By studying G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) in mouse hippocampal slices, Qi Ding and colleagues provide evidence of unconventional receptor signaling that has implications for the function of synapses in the brain.

3 Nov 2026

Study reveals how breast milk sugar may help protect infants against jaundice

A new study by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine sheds light on the role of breast milk in supporting intestinal development and preventing hyperbilirubinemia, a condition in which bilirubin, a waste product from broken-down red blood cells, builds up in the blood and causes yellowing of the skin and eyes known as jaundice.

3 Nov 2026

DHA improves autism-like behaviors in a preclinical rat study

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition marked by social and communication difficulties and repetitive behaviors.

3 Nov 2026

Compounds that give citrus fruits their scent may affect gut health

A review published in Food & Function found that dietary terpenoids, naturally occurring compounds in fruits, herbs, and vegetables, can suppress inflammatory signalling and improve intestinal barrier function in laboratory and animal studies. However, human evidence remains limited to two small studies of geraniol-based interventions for irritable bowel syndrome, with further research needed to establish clinical efficacy, appropriate dosing, and long-term safety.

3 Nov 2026

Heart disease and depression may affect brain aging in an unexpected way

A longitudinal study of 5,423 adults in England found that cardiovascular disease was associated with faster cognitive decline, with the strongest association observed among participants with consistently low depressive symptoms. Those with persistent moderate or high depressive symptoms generally experienced poorer cognitive performance and faster overall deterioration, despite showing a weaker additional association between cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline.

3 Nov 2026

Scientists use extracellular vesicles to track source of chronic inflammation

A new technique to diagnose chronic inflammation developed at Nagoya University can read information from the surface and within individual extracellular vesicles in blood and urine.

3 Nov 2026

FSU neuroscientist wins grant to study temperature's impact on salt taste

A Florida State University neuroscientist has received a new grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate how a food or drink's temperature affects the way our brains process the taste of salt, a neural mechanism that plays a significant role in shaping eating behaviors and nutrition habits.

3 Nov 2026