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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.

Gene therapy breakthrough offers hope for severe Dravet syndrome cases

AAV-Navβ1 gene therapy effectively reduces seizures and prolongs life in a mouse model of SCN1B-linked Dravet syndrome, paving the way for future treatments.

18 Feb 2025

Do probiotics enhance sports performance?

Researchers found that probiotics may enhance endurance, recovery, and immune function in athletes, but the evidence for strength and power performance remains limited.

17 Feb 2025

Chronic stress rewires the brain, dulling sound perception

Repeated stress disrupts auditory processing, making sounds seem quieter over time, as shown in a new study on mice.

17 Feb 2025

Study sheds new light on brain evolution

In a new study published in Science, a Belgian research team explores how genetic switches controlling gene activity define brain cell types across species.

17 Feb 2025

New AI hub for healthcare and neuromodulation set to launch in Geneva

The University hospitals of Geneva (HUG), the Department of Health and Mobilities (DSM) of the Canton of Geneva and the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuro Engineering enter into a three-party agreement to create an artificial intelligence (AI) reference hub for healthcare and neuromodulation with its inauguration set for the second half of the year.

17 Feb 2025

MARBLE algorithm decodes brain activity to identify universal mental patterns

In the parable of the blind men and the elephant, several blind men each describe a different part of an elephant they are touching – a sharp tusk, a flexible trunk, or a broad leg – and disagree about the animal's true nature.

17 Feb 2025

Study shows how pituitary macrophages impact hormone regulation

Finnish researchers show in a new study that pituitary macrophages, the immune cells located in the pituitary gland, help regulate hormonal balance. It is possible that in the future, macrophage cells could be used to treat endocrine disorders that can lead, for example, to infertility.

17 Feb 2025

Breakthrough technology enables mRNA delivery across the blood-brain barrier

Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed a lipid nanoparticle system capable of delivering messenger RNA (mRNA) to the brain via intravenous injection, a challenge that has long been limited by the protective nature of the blood-brain barrier.

17 Feb 2025

Obesity and cognition: Surprising study links higher BMI to better memory

Higher BMI in early adulthood and midlife is linked to better memory performance, particularly in men and Black Americans, challenging traditional views on obesity and cognition.

16 Feb 2025

Diabetes drugs may boost brain health but experts warn of risks

Researchers reviewed 374 studies to explore how GLP-1RAs, originally for diabetes, may impact brain health, finding potential benefits for dementia and addiction but inconsistent results for mood disorders.

16 Feb 2025

Novel method for generating antibodies could revolutionize Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research

In diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, specific proteins misfold and clump together, forming toxic aggregates that damage brain cells.

16 Feb 2025

New research sheds light on brain inflammation in Alzheimer's

Brain inflammation, while a crucial part of the body's immune response, takes on a detrimental role in Alzheimer's disease.

16 Feb 2025

Gene therapy shows promise in treating SCN1B-linked epileptic encephalopathies

Dravet syndrome and other developmental epileptic encephalopathies are rare but devastating conditions that cause a host of symptoms in children, including seizures, intellectual disability, and even sudden death.

14 Feb 2025

Prozac's surprising immune-boosting effects could lead to new treatments for sepsis

Antidepressants like Prozac are commonly prescribed to treat mental health disorders, but new research suggests they could also protect against serious infections and life-threatening sepsis.

14 Feb 2025

Study reveals key role of opsin 3 in regulating food intake and energy balance

Scientists discovered years ago that the hypothalamus - which helps to manage body temperature, hunger, sex drive, sleep and more - includes neurons that express the protein opsin 3 (OPN3).

14 Feb 2025

Sotagliflozin could be used to reduce the risk of deadly cardiovascular events, trial shows

Sotagliflozin, a drug recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes and kidney disease with additional cardiovascular risk factors, can significantly reduce heart attack and stroke among these patients, according to results from an international clinical trial led by a Mount Sinai researcher.

14 Feb 2025

UVA receives $9.3 million NIH grant for ketamine seizure treatment trial

University of Virginia Brain Institute and School of Medicine researchers have received an initial $9.3 million award from the National Institutes of Health for a $30 million clinical trial to determine if the powerful anesthetic ketamine can save patients from prolonged, life-threatening grand mal seizures that won't respond to other treatments.

14 Feb 2025

Brain's opiate pathway triggers dessert cravings even after fullness

Who hasn't been there? The big meal is over, you're full, but the craving for sweets remains. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne have now discovered that what we call the "dessert stomach" is rooted in the brain.

14 Feb 2025

Intracranial hemorrhages linked to higher dementia risk

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have found that intracranial hemorrhages, or "brain bleeds" caused by a ruptured blood vessel in the brain, double a person's risk of developing dementia later in life.

14 Feb 2025