Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

Auburn researchers discover fundamental principle of how brain cells stay connected

Scientists at Auburn University have uncovered a fundamental principle of how brain cells stay connected, and their discovery could change how we understand Alzheimer's disease.

27 Mar 2025

Dopamine neurons play a central role in sustaining hedonic eating

A previously overlooked dopamine-producing brain circuit drives hedonic eating, or eating for pleasure, according to a new study in mice.

27 Mar 2025

With few dentists and fluoride under siege, rural America risks new surge of tooth decay

In the wooded highlands of northern Arkansas, where small towns have few dentists, water officials who serve more than 20,000 people have for more than a decade openly defied state law by refusing to add fluoride to the drinking water.

27 Mar 2025

Unveiling leptin signaling in the DMH for metabolic effects

Scientists at Pennington Biomedical Research Center have gained greater clarity in the brain regions and neurons that control metabolism, body temperature and energy use.

27 Mar 2025

Cell's stress response is more nuanced and compartmentalized than previously thought

The body's cells respond to stress-toxins, mutations, starvation or other assaults-by pausing normal functions to focus on conserving energy, repairing damaged components and boosting defenses.

26 Mar 2025

Study identifies PDGFRA as a potential target for pediatric high-grade gliomas

Pediatric high-grade gliomas, particularly H3K27M diffuse midline gliomas (DMG), are aggressive malignant brain tumors with a poor prognosis.

26 Mar 2025

CZI announces a new grand challenge to revolutionize life science imaging research

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) announced a new grand challenge to develop groundbreaking imaging technologies to transform how scientists observe, measure and understand living cells and organisms.

26 Mar 2025

Common sugar substitute increases activity in the brain's hypothalamus

Compared to sugar, consuming sucralose-a widely used sugar substitute-increases activity in the hypothalamus, a brain region that regulates appetite and body weight, according to a new USC study.

26 Mar 2025

Study finds association between heart dysfunction and smaller brain volumes

People who have early signs of heart problems may also have changes in brain health that can be early signs of dementia, such as loss of brain volume, according to a meta-analysis published on March 26, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Mar 2025

Neighborhood disadvantage linked to higher dementia risk

People living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods may be more likely to develop dementia than people living in neighborhoods with fewer disadvantages, according to a study published on March 26, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Mar 2025

This molecule links your diet to stroke and Alzheimer’s—here’s how to stop it

A new review explores how TMAO, a gut-derived metabolite from red meat and other foods, contributes to heart and brain diseases. It also highlights promising interventions—like plant-based diets, probiotics, and nutraceuticals—to lower TMAO levels and reduce health risks.

26 Mar 2025

Discovery provides crucial molecular targets for future obesity treatments

The pleasure we get from eating junk food - the dopamine rush from crunching down on salty, greasy French fries and a luscious burger - is often blamed as the cause of overeating and rising obesity rates in our society.

26 Mar 2025

Researchers identify key gene linked to heroin addiction

Opioid use disorder is associated with more than 350,000 deaths annually worldwide. Guided by the need for an increased understanding of critical neurobiological features of addiction, researchers have now found a unique molecular signature and genes in the orbitofrontal cortex associated with heroin-seeking behavior.

26 Mar 2025

Rethinking autism diagnosis with AI and clinical expertise

In diagnosing autism – the developmental variant that affects around 80 million people worldwide – medical practitioners today put too much emphasis on a child's lack of sociability and not enough on their interests and how they naturally behave spontaneously with objects.

26 Mar 2025

Higher education linked to faster cognitive decline after stroke

When someone has a stroke, it can accelerate the loss of cognitive ability over the coming years.

26 Mar 2025

Study highlights the flexible nature of numerical quantity processing in the brain

The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT, President: TOKUDA Hideyuki, Ph.D.) has revealed, through fMRI-based brain activity analysis, that multiple regions in the human cerebral cortex flexibly represent numerical quantity.

26 Mar 2025

Addressing cardiovascular risk factors in emerging adulthood

Many teenagers enter adulthood with significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and the transition from adolescence to adulthood is a key time to address these risk factors and reduce the risk of developing future cardiovascular disease, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

26 Mar 2025