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New imaging model can detect early brain changes in Huntington's disease

Researchers have shown that an imaging model can detect microstructural abnormalities in the brain associated with Huntington's disease, potentially offering a new method for monitoring disease progression and evaluating new treatments.

11 Aug 2026

Senescent brain immune cells secrete protein linked to cognitive decline

Brain-resident immune cells that have reached an old-age state called "senescence" secrete a protein that causes dysfunction in other brain cells, according to a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine.

11 Aug 2026

Early-life stress rewires brain epigenetics to heighten sensitivity to future stress

. Early-life stress increased SETD7 and H3K4me1 in the ventral tegmental area of mice, creating an epigenetically primed state that heightened later transcriptional, neuronal, and behavioral responses to stress. Reducing Setd7 during development lowered H3K4me1 and weakened these stress-sensitizing effects, identifying a mechanism that may help explain how early adversity leaves lasting biological effects.

11 Aug 2026

Newly discovered protein pathway limits spinal cord injury damage

Spinal cord injury begins with immediate mechanical damage, but much of the lasting neurological loss develops during the secondary phase, when inflammation, oxidative stress and disrupted metabolism continue to injure surviving tissue.

10 Aug 2026

Using AI to improve precision of visual cortical prostheses

Researchers from three institutions, including UC Santa Barbara, have demonstrated that artificial intelligence has the potential to make future visual prostheses, like a bionic eye, more precise, predictable and responsive to an individual user.

7 Aug 2026

Neural stem cells split early into distinct neuron lineages

The cerebral cortex is densely packed with different nerve cells that enable us to perceive, think and act. Yet how these cell types arise while the brain develops is still not fully understood.

5 Aug 2026

Engineered spinal interneurons show promise for repairing spinal cord injuries

Spinal cord injuries affect an estimated 15 to 20 million people worldwide, often causing lasting impairments in movement, sensation, and independence.

5 Aug 2026

Occupational pesticide exposure may significantly increase ALS risk

Workplace exposure to pesticides (herbicides and insecticides) is linked to a 60-70% heightened risk of the most common form of motor neuron disease-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS for short, finds a synthesis of the available evidence, published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

4 Aug 2026

Cells share universal on switches but evolve unique strategy to silence genes

The signals that cells use to switch genes on have remained almost unchanged across two billion years of evolution, but the ones used to switch genes off vary dramatically from one branch of life to another, according to a new study from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona.

3 Aug 2026

Study uncovers brain mechanism that drives sustained motivation

What enables us to sustain effort toward goals, even when the task becomes increasingly difficult? A recent study by researchers at Nagoya University in Japan revealed the underlying brain mechanism, showing that orexin neurons play a crucial role in driving and regulating motivated behavior.

3 Aug 2026

Slow-maturing microglia may enable powerful human cognitive abilities

Microglia are the most common immune cells in the brain, where they defend against intruders and engulf damaged neurons.

27 Jul 2026

New blood protein biomarkers estimate timing of ALS symptoms

Months to several years before amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) symptoms arise, levels of certain blood proteins may dramatically shift.

27 Jul 2026

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