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.

Early physical activity linked to mental health benefits in later childhood and adolescence

Physical activity in early childhood, especially taking part in organised sports,may ward off several mental health disorders in later childhood and adolescence, suggests research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

14 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

Researchers map brain networks involved in word retrieval

How are we able to recall a word we want to say? This basic ability, called word retrieval, is often compromised in patients with brain damage. Interestingly, many patients who can name words they see, like identifying a pet in the room as a "cat", struggle with retrieving words in everyday discourse.

13 May 2025

New insights into how the brain creates a unified visual experience

People have a lot of misconceptions about what the brain's left and right hemispheres do, but one well-known aspect of this division may be even more true than people realize: The brain not only splits up visual spatial perception-processing what's on our left in the right hemisphere and what's on our right in the left hemisphere-it takes cognitive advantage of that.

13 May 2025

Advanced microscopy reveals how hormonal fluctuations shape the brain

Hormone levels fluctuate like the tides, ebbing and flowing according to carefully orchestrated cycles.

13 May 2025

Hormone FGF21 reverses fatty liver disease by signaling the brain

A pioneering research study published today in Cell Metabolism details how the hormone FGF21 (fibroblast growth factor 21) can reverse the effects of fatty liver disease in mice. The hormone works primarily by signaling the brain to improve liver function.

13 May 2025

New AI approach helps detect silent atrial fibrillation in stroke victims

Detecting atrial fibrillation (AF) from brain scans using AI could support future stroke care, according to a recent study published in the Karger journal Cerebrovascular Diseases.

13 May 2025

Researchers unlock new paths toward treating stress-related psychiatric disorders

In a comprehensive Genomic Psychiatry review article published today, researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center have synthesized decades of research on stress hormone systems in primate brains, potentially unlocking new paths toward treating stress-related psychiatric disorders.

13 May 2025

Sedentary behavior linked to increased Alzheimer's risk in older adults

Over 6 million Americans are impacted by Alzheimer's disease, and researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh are discovering how lifestyle habits can impact the likelihood of developing the disease.

13 May 2025

New brain network discovery could revolutionize depression diagnosis

In a comprehensive Genomic Press Commentary published today, researchers have identified what could be the first reliable biomarker for depression risk, potentially transforming how this devastating condition is identified and treated.

13 May 2025

Early cardiovascular benefits of semaglutide seen within months in SELECT trial

Semaglutide can rapidly reduce heart attacks and other serious cardiovascular complications in adults with overweight or obesity who have pre-existing cardiovascular disease but not diabetes, according to a secondary analysis of the landmark Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes (SELECT) trial from the same international author team being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Malaga, Spain.

12 May 2025

Exploring how play affects cognitive functioning in children with autism

Step into physical therapy professor Anjana Bhat's colorful Move 2 Learn Innovation Lab on the University of Delaware's Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus, and you may see children moving to the beat or leaping over structures as part of an obstacle course.

12 May 2025

Simple vest could help older adults maintain weight loss long term

Wearing a weighted vest during a 6-month calorie-restricted weight loss program helped older adults with obesity regain less weight over 24 months compared to those on diet alone. This benefit may be due to better preservation of resting metabolic rate during the intervention.

12 May 2025

Estrogen-related receptors could be a key to repairing energy metabolism and muscle fatigue

A new Salk Institute study suggests estrogen-related receptors could be a key to repairing energy metabolism and muscle fatigue.

12 May 2025

Mice study sheds light on the mechanisms underlying sex differences in psychiatric conditions

Conditions such as Tourette syndrome (TS), schizophrenia, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have sex differences with unknown mechanisms.

12 May 2025

Study links gum disease symptoms to higher risk of multiple chronic conditions

A major new study presented at EuroPerio11, the world's leading congress in periodontology and implant dentistry by the EFP, has found that people with signs of gum disease are more likely to suffer from multiple chronic health conditions, a state known as multimorbidity.

12 May 2025

CAR-T cell therapy linked to brain fog in cancer patients

After treatment with CAR-T cells - immune cells engineered to attack cancer - patients sometimes tell their doctors they feel like they have "brain fog," or forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.

12 May 2025

Large language models help predict epileptogenic zones for surgery

Epilepsy, one of the most common neurological disorders characterized by recurrent seizures, affects over 70 million people worldwide.

12 May 2025

Researchers uncover how Entamoeba histolytica evades the immune system

The single-celled parasite Entamoeba histolytica infects 50 million people each year, killing nearly 70,000. Usually, this wily, shape-shifting amoeba causes nothing worse than diarrhea.

12 May 2025

Novel Alzheimer's therapy shows low risk of severe side effects

The Food and Drug Administration's approval in 2023 of lecanemab - a novel Alzheimer's therapy shown in clinical trials to modestly slow disease progression - was met with enthusiasm by many in the field as it represented the first medication of its kind able to influence the disease.

12 May 2025