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.

Two heart nerve cell types sustain cardiac stability in mice

Researchers identified two major intrinsic cardiac neuron populations in mice: Npy-positive neurons regulate parasympathetic heart rate control and support coronary perfusion, while Ddah1-positive neurons help maintain electrical stability during extreme stress. Removing Npy-positive neurons caused fatal cardiac failure, whereas loss of Ddah1-positive neurons increased susceptibility to malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest under stress.

23 Jul 2026

Persistent financial hardship accelerates age-related cognitive decline

Persistent financial hardship accelerates age-related cognitive decline, according to a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.

23 Jul 2026

Study provides a practical recall-by-genotype strategy for precision psychiatry research

Clinical biobanks that combine genomic data with electronic health records (EHRs) have become powerful resources for discovering genetic variants associated with disease.

23 Jul 2026

Targeting acid ceramidase could improve healthy aging and longevity

Our population is aging. The United Nations reports that by 2050, the number of people over the age of 85 on our planet is set to triple.

23 Jul 2026

Longer activity bouts link to lower future dementia and mental health risks

A UK Biobank analysis of 66,483 adults found that longer daily moderate-to-vigorous activity bouts and less fragmented activity were associated with lower subsequent risks of inpatient diagnoses of dementia, depression, and anxiety, independent of total activity time. In neuroimaging data from 13,108 participants, these activity patterns were also associated with more favorable brain measures, although the observational analyses cannot establish cause and effect.

23 Jul 2026

Study reveals how DNA misfolding causes congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect, affecting approximately 1 in 100 babies born each year. One of the many causes for this disorder is having only one functional copy of the gene TBX5, instead of two healthy copies, inherited from parents.

23 Jul 2026

Researchers link genome folding to gene activity and brain tissue organization in Alzheimer's

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the University of Washington shed new light on Alzheimer's disease that could point to new directions for treatment.

23 Jul 2026

Study reveals dynamic remodeling of genome architecture during brain aging

Researchers have discovered that the human brain undergoes widespread age-related changes in genome regulation beginning in midlife that may help explain why aging is the greatest risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

23 Jul 2026

Researchers develop artery-on-a-chip platform to predict stroke risk

Predicting an individual's risk of ischemic stroke is difficult because thrombosis embolization-the process of a blood clot detaching from the area where it formed and traveling to and then sticking in another blood vessel-is based on factors that are unique to each person.

23 Jul 2026

Time zone changes disrupt vital gut bacteria during travel

A dream holiday, an exotic destination, a long-haul flight, and finally some well-deserved rest. The problem is that many travelers arrive at their destination only to spend the first days of their vacation struggling with fatigue, sleep disturbances, low energy levels, and digestive issues.

23 Jul 2026

Compact genetic switch enables targeted gene therapy for epilepsy

Epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide, making it one of the most common neurological disorders.

23 Jul 2026

Short-term immunosuppressive therapy briefly restores autism-like brain changes in adult mice

A new mouse study led by UCLA Health suggests that inflammation during pregnancy can trigger autism-like changes in offspring, but also that those brain and behavior effects may be rapidly but temporarily reversible in adulthood with a short-term dose of the immunosuppressive drug rapamycin.

23 Jul 2026

New imaging platform tracks hundreds of neurons at unprecedented depths

The brain is a vast, densely interconnected network of neurons computing in parallel. Watching these computations unfold in real time could reveal how the brain processes sensation and guides behavior.

23 Jul 2026

AI platform uncovers promising target for chronic pain treatmen

Despite the widespread availability of analgesics, pain management remains one of the most significant and pervasive challenges in modern medicine, with more than 20% of the global population suffering from chronic pain, especially chronic neuropathic pain characterized by central sensitization.

22 Jul 2026

Multiple sclerosis mortality trends underscore need for comprehensive patient care

An analysis of more than 42,000 U.S. deaths linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) found that death rates varied by age, geography, and race and ethnicity, with Black patients dying younger than white patients and high blood pressure emerging as a growing contributor.

22 Jul 2026

Prolactin activates brain pathway promoting maternal caregiving behavior

New research has found a hormone is responsible for making mothers' interactions with newborns feel rewarding rather than just necessary.

22 Jul 2026

SuperAgers retain exceptional memory through mechanisms beyond genetics

Many people assume that some memory decline is an inevitable consequence of getting older. But a select group of older adults, known as SuperAgers, reach their 80s and 90s while retaining memory performance as good as or better than people in their 50s and 60s.

22 Jul 2026

Plasma exchange improves recovery in rare inflammatory nerve disease

Plasma exchange can help treat people with a rare inflammatory disease that can cause blindness, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published on July 22, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

22 Jul 2026

Multiple sclerosis deaths occur earlier among Black patients

Black people with multiple sclerosis (MS) die from MS at a younger age than white people, with a peak mortality rate at ages 65 to 74 for Black people and ages 75 to 84 for white people, according to a study published July 22, 2026, in Neurology® Open Access, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

22 Jul 2026

Racial and geographic disparities continue affecting stroke treatment outcomes

Three studies presented today at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery's (SNIS) 23rd Annual Meeting found that racial, geographic and socioeconomic disparities continue to influence stroke treatment and outcomes across the United States.

22 Jul 2026