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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.

Probiotics improve emotional state in healthy adults, study finds

A randomized controlled trial in 88 healthy adults found that probiotics reduced negative mood when assessed using daily self-reports, though traditional questionnaires failed to detect significant changes. These findings suggest that daily mood tracking may offer a more sensitive way to capture subtle emotional effects of probiotics in non-clinical populations.

10 Apr 2025

Study reveals how the brain balances hormones and metabolism during lactation

Nursing poses major metabolic demands on mothers, to which they respond by eating more and saving energy to sustain milk production.

10 Apr 2025

Alcohol reshapes reward learning differently in male and female rats

Chronic alcohol exposure causes lasting impairments in decision-making in male rats, altering how the brain processes reward-based learning. A new study reveals sex-specific neural changes in the striatum, with female rats showing resilience despite altered brain activity.

10 Apr 2025

Study reveals brain circuit behind apathy in advanced cancer

The fatigue and lack of motivation that many cancer patients experience near the end of life have been seen as the unavoidable consequences of their declining physical health and extreme weight loss.

10 Apr 2025

Can psychedelics break compulsive eating habits in obesity?

A review by Oxford researchers explores how psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD may help disrupt compulsive eating behaviors in subsets of obese individuals. The paper outlines proposed neurobiological, epigenetic, and gut-brain mechanisms while emphasizing the need for human trials.

10 Apr 2025

Combined use of alcohol and cannabis could fuel addiction risks

Many young adults drink alcohol and use cannabis together, at the same time, as a coping mechanism or to relieve stress.

10 Apr 2025

Epigenetic discovery offers hope for reducing addiction relapse

New research on the biological basis of addiction has found that the critical epigenetic enzyme histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) limits the expression of the gene Scn4b, regulating neuronal activity and thereby the formation of strong drug-related memories, which can trigger relapse in individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs).

10 Apr 2025

Sleep enhances memory for life events over the long term

While sleep's positive impact on cognition has long been recognized, Baycrest researchers have revealed that a good night's sleep may actively enhance memory rather than simply protect it from decline.

10 Apr 2025

Researchers uncover a new genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disorders

A seminal study from researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and their collaborators in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, and Iceland has uncovered a new genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs).

10 Apr 2025

Innovative research offers hope for veterans with brain trauma

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious issue affecting thousands of people in the U.S. every year. For military service members, the impact is even more profound.

10 Apr 2025

USC researchers reveal brain activity behind post stroke urinary incontinence

A new USC-led study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reveals the neural mechanisms that contribute to urinary incontinence, a common condition affecting stroke survivors that has a significant impact on their quality of life.

10 Apr 2025

AI-powered digital twin of mouse visual cortex

Much as a pilot might practice maneuvers in a flight simulator, scientists might soon be able to perform experiments on a realistic simulation of the mouse brain. In a new study, Stanford Medicine researchers and collaborators used an artificial intelligence model to build a "digital twin" of the part of the mouse brain that processes visual information.

10 Apr 2025

WPI researcher receives NSF CAREER Award to create bioadhesives for medical applications

A Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researcher is developing a new class of medical adhesives by bringing together hydrogels and glue-like polymers to safely and reliably connect human tissues to therapeutic devices implanted in the body, such as pacemakers, insulin pumps, and artificial joints.

9 Apr 2025

Breakthrough molecule offers hope for treating rare mitochondrial diseases

A medical breakthrough could result in the first treatment for rare but serious diseases in which genetic defects disrupt cellular energy production.

9 Apr 2025

Heavy drinking linked to increased risk of brain lesions

Heavy drinkers who have eight or more alcoholic drinks per week have an increased risk of brain lesions called hyaline arteriolosclerosis, signs of brain injury that are associated with memory and thinking problems, according to a study published on April 9, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Apr 2025

Study explores impact of parental Alzheimer’s on tau protein spread in the brain

While some studies have suggested that having a mother with Alzheimer's disease may put you more at risk of developing the disease, a new study finds that having a father with the disease may be tied to a greater spread of the tau protein in the brain that is a sign of the disease, according to a study published on April 9, 2025, online in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Apr 2025

Protein linked to Parkinson's also found to drive melanoma growth

A small protein involved in neurodegeneration leading to Parkinson's disease also drives a type of skin cancer known as melanoma, new research led by Oregon Health & Science University finds.

9 Apr 2025

Cannabis users have elevated dopamine levels associated with psychosis

A McGill University-led study found that people with cannabis use disorder (CUD) had elevated dopamine levels in a brain region associated with psychosis.

9 Apr 2025

Scientists stop long-COVID symptoms in mice using a new antiviral compound

Australian scientists developed a novel antiviral that targets the SARS-CoV-2 PLpro enzyme, showing strong preclinical efficacy in reducing both acute and long COVID symptoms in mice.

9 Apr 2025

Eating ultra-processed foods may rewire your brain’s hunger and reward circuits

High intake of ultra-processed foods is linked to adverse metabolic health and microstructural brain changes in regions that control appetite and reward. These effects occur both through obesity-related pathways and independently via inflammation and dyslipidemia.

9 Apr 2025