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Mapping brain circuits helps identify the causes of psychiatric symptoms

If a small stroke in one corner of the brain can tip a previously healthy person into mania or set off obsessions and compulsions where none existed before, then the circuit connected to that lesion is telling us something rare in psychiatry.

5 May 2026

GADD45B promotes apoptosis in intestinal injury through DNA demethylation

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common pathophysiological phenomenon that is widely present in various primary intestinal diseases and systemic critical illnesses, potentially leading to multiple organ dysfunction and failure, with high morbidity and mortality.

5 May 2026

Study highlights breakthrough in overcoming diminishing returns of sequential IBD therapies

For patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis who have exhausted other treatment options, a new combination therapy is showing results that offer hope for one of medicine's most treatment-resistant populations, according to findings from two studies to be presented today at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2026.

5 May 2026

New molecular framework paves the way for targeted Parkinson’s therapeutic interventions

A new study led by researchers from VIB and KU Leuven shows that Parkinson's disease can be divided into distinct subtypes, helping explain why a single treatment does not work for all patients. Using an machine-learning-driven analysis, the team identified two main groups and five subgroups of the disease, marking an important step toward more personalized therapies. The findings were recently published in Nature Communications.

5 May 2026

Study links microplastics in arterial plaque to fourfold increase in stroke risk

In a Perspective published today in the inaugural issue of Brain Health (https://doi.org/10.61373/bh026p.0006), an international team of investigators argues that the human microplastic burden has crossed the threshold from environmental concern to brain health emergency. The article appears alongside the launch of Brain Health, a new peer-reviewed journal from Genomic Press dedicated to the science of lifelong brain resilience.

5 May 2026

Telehealth autism tools provide high accuracy for children using short phrases

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down clinics and forced face-to-face interactions behind masks, autism diagnoses for many children came to a halt.

5 May 2026

Global MS initiative opens applications for research data access

The International Progressive MS Alliance announces the MS Clinical and Imaging Data Resource (MS CIDR) is now accepting applications for data access.

4 May 2026

Brain pathways shape distinct itch responses in the face and body

In a new study, researchers from North Carolina State University show that itch sensations in the face are perceived differently from those in the body due to differences in signaling between trigeminal (located in the brain) and spinal pain pathways.

4 May 2026

Protective brain pathway may slow Parkinson’s progression in females

Scientists have identified a protective brain pathway that may help slow the progression of Parkinson's disease by strengthening the brain's own dopamine‑producing neurons, but the positive effect was only observed in females.

4 May 2026

AI model reads genetic code to trace evolutionary history

Researchers at the University of Oregon have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can read genetic code the way large language models like ChatGPT read text. Scanning the genome for biological mutation patterns, the computer model traces pairs of genes back in time to their last common ancestor.

4 May 2026

Dopamine may stretch time perception and shape lasting memories

Ever heard of getting a "dopamine hit" from something you enjoy? These exciting moments also appear to influence memory, although perhaps not in the way you'd expect.

4 May 2026

NIH awards $3.9 million grant to develop a non-opioid pain treatment

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded a $3.9 million grant to a multi-institutional team led by scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute to develop a non-opioid pain therapeutic and advance it into a Phase 1 clinical trial.

4 May 2026

Virginia Tech researcher wins NIH award to study metabolic brain health

Mary Elizabeth Baugh, a research scientist with Virginia Tech's Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health Mentored Research Scientist Development Award to study how metabolic health influences the brain systems that shape what and how we eat.

4 May 2026

Ballroom dancers' brains sync up while moving together

Scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered something that experienced ballroom dancers have long known: When dancers are in tune with each other, their brains may sync up, helping them move as one.

4 May 2026

NIH grant fuels NYU Langone efforts to accelerate medical research discoveries

NYU Langone Health has been awarded a nearly $70 million, seven-year renewal grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to fund its Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). The award is the highest level of funding available nationally under NIH's Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program.

4 May 2026

Cranberry juice may boost antibiotic effectiveness against urinary infections

More than 400 million people experience a urinary tract infection every year, and some epidemiological studies estimate that more than half of all women will develop at least one in their lifetime.

4 May 2026

New research identifies stress response as trigger for heart inflammation

After a heart attack, the body rapidly floods the injured heart with neutrophils - white blood cells that help repair damage but can also make it worse when too many arrive too quickly.

4 May 2026

Randomized controlled trial validates total hip arthroplasty for improving functional capacity

Total hip arthroplasty leads to the best outcomes in the treatment of moderate-to-severe hip osteoarthritis, according to a new study by the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital. During a one-year follow-up, surgery combined with conservative treatment was found to relieve pain and improve functional capacity and quality of life more effectively than conservative treatment alone, which was based on an exercise program.

4 May 2026

Cellular aging in immune cells signals early onset of cognitive depression

Blood tests measuring the aging of certain white blood cells can predict cognitive and mood-related symptoms of depression, rather than physical symptoms.

4 May 2026

Study debunks steroid myths, framing creatine as an essential energy-providing molecule

Creatine, a compound often associated with gym-goers and athletes, has long been touted as a performance-enhancing supplement. But beyond the hype, what does science actually reveal about its effects on the body and mind?

4 May 2026