Brain News and Research

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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.

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

Experimental neurointerventional technique shows promise for severe back pain

Researchers at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) 23rd Annual Meeting presented an experimental neurointerventional technique designed to treat severe back pain, a leading cause of disability and opioid use, by delivering medication directly through the arteries supplying the painful area.

22 Jul 2026

Parenting quality at age 3 predicts adolescent reward responsiveness

In 465 young people followed from late childhood to late adolescence, EEG reward responses increased until mid-adolescence before declining by age 18. Higher positive parenting and lower negative parenting at age 3 predicted stronger developmental changes in neural responses to monetary rewards, while early stress exposure showed no significant association.

22 Jul 2026

Frequent TV watching links to higher white matter lesion volume

ARIC researchers linked self-reported TV watching and occupational sitting in midlife with brain MRI measures obtained roughly 24 years later in 1,712 adults without dementia. Frequent TV watching was associated with greater white matter hyperintensity volume and lower volumes in several brain regions, while sitting at work was associated with lower white matter hyperintensity volume and larger selected cortical volumes.

22 Jul 2026

UVA researchers develop a new experimental approach to target glioblastoma

University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists have developed a promising new experimental approach to targeting glioblastoma, the most common and deadliest brain cancer.

22 Jul 2026

Fecal microbe capsules show promise in treating chronic insomnia

In a randomized clinical trial published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, ingesting capsules containing fecal microbes from healthy donors helped treat symptoms of insomnia.

22 Jul 2026

New study uses sleep monitoring and AI to detect Alzheimer's

Researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and Hospital Universitario Severo Ochoa in Leganés, part of the public health network of the Comunidad de Madrid, have developed a methodology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze brain electrical activity during sleep and facilitate the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's.

22 Jul 2026

UWM neuroscientist explores how estrogens regulate memory and brain function

Karyn Frick likes to think big. In college, she spent the summer after her junior year studying the neurobiology of memory in a lab at Johns Hopkins University. For hours at a time, Frick would watch rats scurry through mazes, entranced by their behavior.

22 Jul 2026