Grey Matter News and Research

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Grey matter is a major component of the central nervous system, consisting of neuronal cell bodies, neuropil (dendrites and both unmyelinated axons and myelinated axons), glial cells (astroglia and oligodendrocytes) and capillaries.

Neuroscientists detect five broad phases of brain structure in the average human life

Neuroscientists at the University of Cambridge have identified five "major epochs" of brain structure over the course of a human life, as our brains rewire to support different ways of thinking while we grow, mature, and ultimately decline.

25 Nov 2025

Does coffee truly boost memory and focus or is it all hype?

Coffee’s bioactive compounds, especially caffeine, show potential cognitive, neuroprotective, and neuroplasticity benefits across animal and human studies. However, most findings are observational, mechanisms remain uncertain, and optimal intake is still unclear.

23 Nov 2025

Heart damage during middle age linked to greater dementia risk in later life

People with signs of damage to their heart during middle age are more likely to develop dementia in later life, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers.

5 Nov 2025

Advanced MRI technique reveals early markers of hereditary frontotemporal dementia

An international study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden demonstrates that it is possible to detect subtle changes in the brain and identify early signs of hereditary frontotemporal dementia using advanced brain imaging techniques.

16 Oct 2025

Maternal PFAS levels can predict children's brain structural and functional outcomes

Researchers from the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Finland, and örebro University, Sweden, have discovered that the levels of PFAS in mothers' blood during pregnancy is associated with their children's brain structure and function.

13 Oct 2025

Cognitive behavioral therapy linked to increased grey matter in emotion processing regions

Psychotherapy leads to measurable changes in brain structure. Researchers at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) and the University of Münster have demonstrated this for the first time in a study in "Translational Psychiatry" by using cognitive behavioral therapy.

27 Aug 2025

Study reveals pandemic life made brains age faster, even without catching COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated biological brain aging in older adults by an average of 5.5 months over less than three years, regardless of infection status. Social disruption, age, male sex, and socioeconomic disadvantage heightened vulnerability, while only infected individuals showed measurable declines in executive function.

23 Jul 2025

New cases of dementia decline while prevalence continues to increase due to population aging

New cases of dementia in the United States declined from 2015 to 2021, but the number of people living with the condition continued to rise due to population aging, with nearly 2.9 million traditional Medicare beneficiaries (around 12%) living with a dementia diagnosis in 2021, finds a study published by The BMJ today.

21 May 2025

Chronic overwork may lead to changes in brain regions associated with emotion and cognition

Long working hours may alter the structure of the brain, particularly the areas associated with emotional regulation and executive function, such as working memory and problem solving, suggest the findings of preliminary research, published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

14 May 2025

Laughing gas can potentially transform treatment for tough-to-beat depression

Nitrous oxide-better known as "laughing gas"-can potentially transform treatment for tough-to-beat depression.

3 Apr 2025

Study links childhood air pollution exposure to weaker brain connections

A new study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, has found that children exposed to higher levels of air pollution in early and mid childhood have weaker connections between key brain regions.

1 Apr 2025

Marathon running temporarily reduces brain myelin levels

Marathon running causes a temporary decline in brain myelin content, but levels return to normal within two months. This reversible change may reflect the brain tapping into myelin lipids as an emergency energy source during extreme exertion.

25 Mar 2025

UAB research unveils structural brain changes in pregnant women

A study led by the UAB has analyzed the brains of women during pregnancy for the first time using neuroimaging techniques.

17 Jan 2025

Study sheds light on early brain differences between genders

Sex differences in brain structure are present from birth, research from the Autism Research Centre at the University of Cambridge has shown.

7 Jan 2025

Early exposure to parental smoking linked to higher MS risk

Cutting early life exposure to parental smoking may lower the risk of developing MS (multiple sclerosis) in those who are genetically predisposed to the disease, finds research published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

11 Dec 2024

Study reveals brain structure differences in women with peripartum depression

Researchers have identified structural grey matter differences in the brains of women with a history of peripartum depression and those without within a group of major depressive disorder patients.

6 Dec 2024

Men face sharper brain aging from obesity and heart risks

Obesity and cardiovascular risk factors accelerate brain volume loss, with males experiencing earlier and more significant impacts, highlighting the importance of early interventions to prevent neurodegeneration.

1 Dec 2024

Cardiovascular disease risk linked to early brain decline in men

Men with cardiovascular disease risk factors, including obesity, face brain health decline a decade earlier - from their mid 50s to mid 70s - than similarly affected women who are most susceptible from their mid 60s to mid 70s, suggest the findings of a long term study, published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.

26 Nov 2024

Maintaining healthy weight may support brain vascular health in aging population

A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), Volume 16, Issue 18 on September 18, 2024, entitled, "Determinants of cerebral blood flow and arterial transit time in healthy older adults."

8 Oct 2024

Researchers link air pollution to cerebral atrophy but find no impact on cognitive function

Exposure to mid- to high-range PM2.5 is linked to cerebral atrophy, but there is no significant impact on cognitive function. The findings suggest that urbanization plays a role in modulating the effects of air pollution on brain structure.

6 Oct 2024