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Shared genetic roots of 14 psychiatric disorders revealed

Researchers from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) report that most genetic influences on mental illness are shared across diagnostic categories, revealing a more interconnected biological landscape than traditional classifications suggest.

11 Dec 2025

Optogenetic tool helps decipher mechanisms of brain dysfunction in Huntington’s disease

Synaptic plasticity — the brain's ability to modify the connections between neurons to support learning — is one of the neural functions profoundly altered in Huntington's disease, with a direct impact on brain function.

10 Dec 2025

Study provides new insights into brain signaling during sleep and wakefulness

An international team led by the University of Michigan has introduced new methods that reveal which regions of the brain were active throughout the day with single-cell resolution.

10 Dec 2025

Machine learning models can help diagnose ALS earlier from a blood sample

Using machine learning models, researchers at Michigan Medicine have identified a potential way to diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, earlier from a blood sample, a study suggests.

10 Dec 2025

WSU researchers discover how a neural circuit drives relapse after opioid use

Washington State University researchers have discovered how a neural circuit – or a connection between two brain regions – drives relapse after opioid use, a finding that could lead to more effective treatments for opioid use disorders.

9 Dec 2025

Physical activity may help restore ease of movement and agility during aging

The brain-chemical surge that comes with running may bolster coordination and speed in the old and young alike, a new study of middle-aged mice shows.

9 Dec 2025

Study reveals how brain protein KCC2 influences reward learning

A new finding from researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center shows that the learning process of associating cues with rewards can be altered by increased or decreased activity of a specific protein in the brain.

9 Dec 2025

Novel wireless device uses light to send information directly to the brain

In a new leap for neurobiology and bioelectronics, Northwestern University scientists have developed a wireless device that uses light to send information directly to the brain - bypassing the body's natural sensory pathways.

8 Dec 2025

Early exposure to fat-related food smells increases lifelong obesity risk

Early exposure to fat-related food odors during development alters central sensory processing and metabolic regulation, independently of maternal obesity or nutrient intake. These sensory cues program long-term susceptibility to obesity, impaired thermogenesis, and altered brain responses to dietary fat in adulthood.

7 Dec 2025

Smartphone motor tests can predict dopamine deficiency in Parkinson’s disease without brain scans

Researchers explore the use of smartphones coupled with clinical scores to evaluate motor function and predict dopamine deficiency.

7 Dec 2025

Brainwide circuitry mapping reveals how psilocybin drives therapeutic neural rewiring

An international collaboration led by Cornell University researchers used a combination of psilocybin and the rabies virus to map how – and where – the psychedelic compound rewires the connections in the brain.

5 Dec 2025

Researchers highlight five pathways through which microplastics can harm the brain

Microplastics could be fueling neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, with a new study highlighting five ways microplastics can trigger inflammation and damage in the brain.

5 Dec 2025

Study provides first molecular evidence that ferroptosis can drive neurodegeneration

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, the Technical University of Munich and the LMU University Hospital Munich uncovered a mechanism that protects nerve cells from premature cell death, known as ferroptosis.

4 Dec 2025

Engineered herpes virus activates potent immune responses against glioblastoma

Researchers at Mass General Brigham have modified a herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) that stimulates the immune system to attack glioblastoma cells.

4 Dec 2025

Study shows glial cells actively shape addictive responses to nicotine

Nicotine addiction remains one of the most persistent public health challenges worldwide, driven by changes in the brain that reinforce repeated use and make quitting extremely difficult.

4 Dec 2025

Understanding how adult brains adapt to challenge and change

In a revelatory Genomic Press Interview published today in Brain Medicine, Dr. Paul Lucassen, full professor at the University of Amsterdam and leader of the Brain Plasticity group, shares his scientific journey that helped transform our understanding of how adult brains adapt to challenge and change.

4 Dec 2025

Scientists reveal new mechanisms of electrical oscillations in neurons

Researchers at UT San Antonio have uncovered new details about electrical signals happening within nerve cells, deepening scientists' understanding of the brain.

3 Dec 2025

Understanding why simple images feel more aesthetically pleasing

Humans may find images that take less energy to process aesthetically pleasing, suggesting that our attraction to beauty is at least partially an energy conservation strategy.

3 Dec 2025

Hidden cellular layers in the hippocampus' CA1 region revealed

Researchers at the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have identified a previously unknown pattern of organization in one of the brain's most important areas for learning and memory.

3 Dec 2025

Protein tied to ALS and dementia plays a role in regulating DNA mismatch repair

New Houston Methodist research has revealed that a protein associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also plays a role in regulating DNA mismatch repair, a process essential for replicating genetic information and cell health.

2 Dec 2025