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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.

Scientists identify unique receptor that accelerates early neuron growth

Cells have surface receptors that couple to proteins and other molecules to initiate or inhibit certain behaviors.

17 Jun 2026

U-M Health neurosurgeons complete first human implant of wireless brain computer interface

Neurosurgeons at University of Michigan Health completed the first-in-human implant of a Paradromics Inc., wireless brain-computer interface, or BCI, as part of a national clinical trial for patients with difficulty speaking.

17 Jun 2026

Mirror exposure shapes the social brain in young infants

A study assessed whether exposure to their own reflection influences the development of facial mimicry, a process associated with empathy and emotion recognition, in 4-month-old infants.

17 Jun 2026

USC study reveals nuanced Alzheimer's genetic risk in Hispanic populations

Researchers at the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC analyzed brain imaging and clinical data from more than 17,000 participants across five major aging and Alzheimer's disease studies.

17 Jun 2026

Probiotics help reduce depressive symptoms in older adults

In a pilot clinical trial published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society that included older adults with depression receiving standard care, adding probiotic therapy produced modest but meaningful reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms compared with adding a placebo.

17 Jun 2026

Researchers eliminate embryonic senescent cells, triggering severe neurovascular flaws

Among the body's most crucial protective features are the brain barrier systems, including the blood-brain and blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barriers. These barriers are made of highly specialized cells that allow essential nutrients to enter, yet repel dangerous toxins and pathogens that may be circulating in the bloodstream. Scientists have long known what these barriers do, but less about how they are built during development.

17 Jun 2026

Blood proteins reveal which aging cells may raise disease risk

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16 Jun 2026

Retinal photographs may reveal early Alzheimer's disease risk

Often called "the window to the soul," the eyes may also offer clues about something less poetic but just as important: the health of the brain.

16 Jun 2026

Real-time brain stimulation improves gait for Parkinson's patients

UC San Francisco researchers have developed a new form of deep brain stimulation (DBS) that adjusts in real time as a person walks, helping improve gait and reduce falls in people with Parkinson's disease.

16 Jun 2026

Purdue develops next-generation platform to accelerate cancer drug discovery

Researchers at the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (PICR) have developed a next-generation technology platform designed to dramatically accelerate one of the slowest and most challenging stages of cancer drug discovery: identifying promising compounds that could eventually become new therapies.

16 Jun 2026

FutureNeuro launches proteomics study to personalize psychosis treatment

FutureNeuro, the Research Ireland Centre for Translational Brain Science hosted by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, has launched a new proteomics study aimed at identifying biological markers that could support more personalized treatment for people experiencing first‑episode psychosis.

16 Jun 2026

Hormone cycles dictate how the brain absorbs neuroprotective drugs

Consider what we ask of a clinical trial. We gather people who differ in nearly every way that matters, we give them the same drug at the same dose, and then we average the result and call the average truth.

16 Jun 2026

New USC clinical trial explores psilocybin for mental health

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the Brain and Creativity Institute at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center have launched the University of Southern California's first study of psychedelic therapy.

16 Jun 2026

Women track nighttime disruptions more accurately than men, new data shows

Women are more likely than men to report poor sleep, even though objective measurements show that their sleep is better in several respects, according to new research from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

16 Jun 2026

Individual traits and cultural factors reshape how brains process musical emotion

A new study from the University of Jyväskylä shows who is more likely to experience mixed emotions while listening to music – and that our relationship with music is more complex and nuanced than we might assume.

16 Jun 2026

Prevention proves cheaper than treatment for Li-Fraumeni syndrome

Screening people with the rare, inherited cancer-causing condition Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) brings both medical and economic benefits to patients and healthcare systems, according to research to be presented to the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics today (Tuesday).

15 Jun 2026

Bilingual speakers use identical brain systems for both languages

In a new JNeurosci paper, Xuanyi Chen and Esti Blanco-Elorrieta, from New York University, explored whether Spanish–English speakers use the same or different brain mechanisms to speak each language.

15 Jun 2026

Childhood factors causing later menarche impact lifelong adult health

Problems in adulthood such as tobacco use disorder and some conditions related to the digestive system, heart, bladder, joints and brain, are all shown to be affected by some influences that occurred in childhood, according to research presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago, Ill.

15 Jun 2026

Study reveals different factors driving rising neurological disease rates

The growing number of people living with Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and motor neuron disease (MND) is being driven by different underlying factors, according to new research due to be presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2026 and published in Neurology.

15 Jun 2026

Study investigates whether obesity accelerates brain aging

Scientists have long known that being obese increases the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. What remains unclear is how that risk develops in the brain.

15 Jun 2026