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.

Breakthrough discovery offers hope for treating neurodegenerative diseases

Researchers have discovered how to block cells dying, in a finding that could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

12 May 2025

Cultural comfort: How pasta became Italy’s edible happiness ritual

A multi-method study of over 1,500 Italians found that pasta consumption is consistently associated with increased happiness, especially when eaten socially. Psychological traits like mindfulness and lower stress enhanced these positive emotional effects.

11 May 2025

Scientists link specific gene variants to post-vaccine myocarditis and pericarditis

A genome-wide association study in Sweden identified rare genetic variants near the SCAF11 and LRRC4C genes that may be linked to heart inflammation following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. The findings shed light on potential biological pathways driving vaccine-associated myocarditis and pericarditis, particularly among younger individuals.

11 May 2025

Long term steroid use raises risk of adrenal insufficiency

Individuals taking steroid tablets for more than 3 months are over 6 times more likely to be diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency than those treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, according to research presented at the first Joint Congress between the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE).

11 May 2025

Obesity in teens alters brain regions tied to memory and emotion

Adolescents with abdominal obesity have larger brain regions linked to memory and emotional control, potentially due to inflammation, according to a large MRI-based study. These brain changes, coupled with socioeconomic disadvantage, may impair cognitive and emotional development during adolescence.

10 May 2025

Gum disease bacterium linked to increased risk of atrial fibrillation

Tempted to skip the floss? Your heart might thank you if you don't. A new study from Hiroshima University (HU) finds that the gum disease bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) can slip into the bloodstream and infiltrate the heart.

10 May 2025

Advancing noninvasive EEG with high spatiotemporal resolution through focused ultrasound

A research paper by scientists from Tianjin University proposed a noninvasive method for locating and decoding intracranial endogenous signals with high spatiotemporal resolution.

10 May 2025

Parental genes found to play role in child outcomes without direct inheritance

Parents' genes - even when not directly inherited by a child - may play a role in their educational and mental health outcomes, finds a new report by UCL researchers.

9 May 2025

New QR4 model identifies hidden risk factors in cardiovascular disease

Collaborative research, led from the University of Oxford and published today in Nature Medicine, has developed a new tool called QR4 that more accurately predicts an individual's 10-year risk of cardiovascular diseases, like heart disease and stroke, particularly identifying high-risk patients that current prediction tools miss.

9 May 2025

Why your baby’s first steps may be written in their DNA

Researchers identified 11 genetic loci linked to the age at which infants start walking, revealing that this milestone is influenced by thousands of common genetic variants. These genetic factors also correlate with brain development, cognitive traits, and neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD.

8 May 2025

St. Jude Children's scientists use brain organoids to study rare encephalopathy

While extremely rare, encephalopathy (a condition affecting brain function) triggered by mutations in the UBA5 gene has devastating impacts, with affected individuals reaching few developmental milestones and experiencing frequent and early-onset seizures.

8 May 2025

New evidence shows long COVID’s toll on health across all U.S. states

A nationally representative U.S. study of over 100,000 adults found that post-COVID conditions (PCCs) significantly reduce quality of life. Key risk factors for poor health outcomes include obesity, inactivity, chronic disease, and socioeconomic disadvantage.

8 May 2025

New brain imaging method shows promise for early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease

An international team, led by researchers at the Champalimaud Foundation (CF), has shown – for the first time in a realistic way – that it may be possible to diagnose Parkinson's disease (PD) years before it becomes untreatable, by scanning people's brains with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

8 May 2025

Sleep deprivation increases inflammation linked to heart disease risk

Even a few nights with insufficient sleep increases promote molecular mechanisms linked to a greater risk of heart problems.

8 May 2025

Eating disorders affect all races and genders on college campuses

What does a person with an eating disorder look like? The picture may not be as clear-cut as many people think.

8 May 2025

High intake of ultra processed foods linked to early signs of Parkinson's

People who eat more ultra processed foods like cold breakfast cereal, cookies and hot dogs are more likely to have early signs of Parkinson's disease when compared to those who eat very few ultra processed foods, according to a study published in the May 7, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 May 2025

Study links sleep apnea to damage in brain areas critical for memory

Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes lower oxygen levels during sleep, is linked to degeneration of brain regions associated with memory through damage to the brain's small blood vessels, according to a study published May 7, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 May 2025

Motivation for healthy habits declines after learning Alzheimer’s risk

Learning about one's risk for Alzheimer's disease may not lead to emotional distress, but motivation to maintain healthy lifestyle changes tends to fade over time, even in people at high risk, according to a study involving a Rutgers Health researcher.

7 May 2025

AI identifies brain cell types through electrical signatures

A decades-old challenge in neuroscience has been solved by harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to identify the electrical signatures of different types of brain cells for the first time, as part of a study in mice led by researchers from UCL.

7 May 2025

Study finds increased risk of age-related cardiovascular diseases in individuals with Down syndrome

Because life expectancy for individuals with Down syndrome has increased dramatically, investigators assessed the risk of age-related cardiovascular diseases in this population.

7 May 2025