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.

Baylor researchers develop SAMENT method to map metastatic tumor niches

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and collaborating institutions developed a method that reveals the cellular makeup of tissues that support metastatic cancer growth, which is the primary cause of death for most patients with solid tumors.

28 Apr 2026

Harvard scientists create first detailed map of smell receptors

For most of us, the sense of smell is an integral part of everyday life; it plays a critical role in providing information about our surroundings, alerting us to potential dangers, enhancing our sense of taste, and evoking emotions and memories.

28 Apr 2026

Engineered gut bacteria successfully treat metabolic drivers of liver disease

When the liver fails, toxins - such as ammonia - that should be filtered from the blood build up and reach the brain.

28 Apr 2026

Stanford research shows group brain scan averages hide unique individual activity

Studying cognition by averaging data from many people's brain scans hides how individuals use their brains, new Stanford Medicine research has shown.

28 Apr 2026

New scientific statement defines brain health across life

Brain health isn't determined only by genetics or what happens later in life. A growing body of research shows that a range of factors-from mental health and sleep to environment, lifestyle and social conditions-play a powerful role in shaping how the brain functions and ages.

28 Apr 2026

The simple link between core strength and brain health

The brain is more mechanically connected to the body than previously appreciated, scientists reported today (April 27) in Nature Neuroscience. Through a study using mice and simulations, the team found a potential biological mechanism underlying why exercise is thought to benefit brain health: abdominal contractions compress blood vessels connected to the spinal cord and the brain, enabling the organ to gently move within the skull.

28 Apr 2026

Scientists uncover why brain damage continues after stroke

Every stroke begins with a sudden interruption of blood flow in the brain. But what happens afterward—why neurons continue to lose function and die over the following days—has remained one of the most important unanswered questions in neuroscience.

28 Apr 2026

FINGERS-7B to eradicate Alzheimer's symptoms

Alzheimer's disease is best addressed as early as possible, ideally before symptoms become apparent. To enable early, accurate risk prediction both for individuals and whole populations, a team of AI researchers, physicians, and scientists centered at MIT has released FINGERS-7B, the first AI foundation model built to make Alzheimer's preventable.

28 Apr 2026

MIT’s optical paradox redefines high-resolution imaging

Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers discovered a paradoxical phenomenon in optical physics that could enable a new bioimaging method that's faster and higher-resolution than existing technology.

28 Apr 2026

Ultra-processed foods linked to poorer attention and higher dementia risk scores

Research shows that higher ultra-processed food consumption may impair attention and elevate modifiable dementia risk, highlighting concerns for brain health.

28 Apr 2026

Sleep and age shape EEG brain signals during wakefulness

Clinicians use electroencephalography (EEG) to assess brain activity in epilepsy and sleep pathologies, and this powerful tool has shown promise for other conditions.

28 Apr 2026

Noninvasive brain monitoring reveals hidden oxygen deprivation in ICU patients

In neurological intensive care, it is quickly learned that the brain cannot wait. As the most sensitive organ in the human body, it can sustain irreversible damage after just a few minutes of severe hypoxia.

27 Apr 2026

Single protein shapes both brain connectivity and vascular stability

The communication network in the developing brain builds when neurons partner up to form contact points called synapses, allowing signals to pass form one cell to another.

27 Apr 2026

Three cognitive trajectories identified in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease

Cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease differs substantially from one person to the next and is not well predicted by existing medical tests.

27 Apr 2026

UC San Diego Health performs first spine surgery on the West Coast using new robotic system

UC San Diego Health is the first health system on the West Coast to perform spine surgery using a new robotic system with advanced imaging and guidance, a major step forward in surgical care.

27 Apr 2026

Brain injury survivors use psychedelics to manage symptoms

A new study from the University of Victoria (UVic) has identified a segment of traumatic brain injury survivors who are using psychedelics to self-medicate for cognitive, mood and somatic symptoms such as headaches.

27 Apr 2026

Scientists seek to reverse neurodegeneration by eliminating harmful RNA pollution

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, the Salk Institute and Sanford Burnham Prebys have received a four-year, $13 million award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to investigate how to reverse age-related neurodegeneration by eliminating what the researchers call "RNA pollution" in aging neurons.

27 Apr 2026

Stronger slow-wave sleep helps older adults regulate anxiety overnight

Researchers at Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas have identified a specific feature of sleep that helps older adults regulate anxiety overnight - and shown that, as it deteriorates with age, emotional wellbeing deteriorates along with it.

27 Apr 2026

Shared brain connectivity patterns found across major neurodevelopmental disorders

Differences in brain connectivity are linked to several neurodevelopmental disorders, yet scientists still struggle to determine what changes are shared or unique to each condition.

25 Apr 2026

Traditional plant extract may treat bone and mood disorders in postmenopausal women

Postmenopausal women are at higher risk for both osteoporosis and depression, yet no single treatment effectively addresses both conditions because their shared biological basis remains poorly understood.

25 Apr 2026