Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Innovative VR therapy helps ease anxiety in cardiovascular disease

Living with cardiovascular disease often takes a serious emotional toll - and with stress known to worsen heart health, there's growing interest in low-risk, innovative ways to help patients cope.

6 Aug 2025

Targeted microglia replacement shows promise against fatal neurodegenerative conditions

Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff diseases, genetic disorders affecting the brain, have no effective treatment and are typically fatal within the first years of life.

6 Aug 2025

Breast milk fatty acids help babies sleep longer, study finds

Researchers found that higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in human milk are associated with longer sleep duration in exclusively breastfed two-month-old infants. The strongest effects were observed for daytime (diurnal) sleep, especially with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

5 Aug 2025

New insights reveal how sugar metabolism protects neurons from degeneration

Unlike most cells in the human body, neurons-the functional cells of our nervous system-cannot typically replace themselves with healthy copies after being damaged.

4 Aug 2025

Sleep strengthens motor learning through targeted brain rhythms

When faced with difficult tasks, sometimes people hit a mental wall and make the decision to "sleep on it." Returning to the task after sleeping, they often perform better. Why? Rhythmic brain activity during sleep transforms task-related information into stronger, longer-term memory.

4 Aug 2025

Targeted botox delivery shows promise for treating jaw disorder

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) limits jaw function and is so painful that it lessens the quality of life.

4 Aug 2025

Understanding the importance of B vitamins for health

Eight different vitamins make up the B complex, and they all play crucial roles in the body, such as producing energy, keeping our nervous system healthy, and supporting cell development.

4 Aug 2025

Metformin’s blood sugar control starts in the brain, not just the liver, study finds

Low, clinically relevant doses of metformin lower blood glucose by inhibiting the Rap1 protein in specific neurons of the hypothalamus, revealing a brain-first mechanism. This action is essential for metformin’s effect at therapeutic doses and highlights new directions for diabetes treatment.

3 Aug 2025

Unraveling the mysteries of post-acute infection syndromes

In recent years, doctors and scientists are increasingly studying long-lasting illnesses that begin after someone recovers from an infection.

1 Aug 2025

Narrow Medicare drug coverage linked to worse outcomes in MS patients

Medicare drug plans are increasingly excluding coverage of new specialty drugs that treat complex conditions like cancers and autoimmune diseases. New research from the USC Schaeffer Center shows how these barriers may come at a cost to patients' health.

1 Aug 2025

Synthetic torpor moves closer to real-world medical use

Nature is often the best model for science. For nearly a century, scientists have been trying to recreate the ability of some mammals and birds to survive extreme environmental conditions for brief or extended periods by going into torpor, when their body temperature and metabolic rate drop, allowing them to preserve energy and heat.

1 Aug 2025

Copper may protect brain health after stroke

Research shows dietary copper intake boosts cognitive function in older adults, particularly those with a stroke history, highlighting its neuroprotective role.

1 Aug 2025

Gut bacteria produce hormone-like proteins that regulate weight and blood sugar

Our intestines are home to trillions of microorganisms that produce substances capable of regulating all the body's organs via the bloodstream and the gut's nervous system.

31 Jul 2025

Using tongue coating to spot early signs of Parkinson’s disease

Tongue coating analysis reveals potential biomarkers for early Parkinson's disease detection, offering a non-invasive and cost-effective diagnostic approach.

31 Jul 2025

Flooding linked to increased hospitalizations among older adults

New research examining 17 years of data from Medicare hospitalization claims and major flooding events finds increased rates of skin diseases, nervous system diseases, and injuries or poisonings among adults aged 65 and older following major floods.

31 Jul 2025

Infant brain activity shows faster maturation after general anesthesia

New research published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) finds that prolonged and/or repeated exposure to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) anesthetic agents (sevoflurane, propofol) for infants in the first two months of life resulted in an accelerated maturation of brain electrical activity patterns evoked by visual stimuli when recorded at 2-5 months of age, compared to infants who did not have early general anesthesia exposure.

30 Jul 2025

Antiviral treatment shows no benefit for early Alzheimer’s patients

The idea that herpes infections trigger or contribute to Alzheimer's disease has been gaining favor among some scientists, raising hope that herpes treatments could slow progression of Alzheimer's symptoms among patients.

30 Jul 2025

Gut mycobiota could help predict disability in multiple sclerosis

Gut fungal communities may impact multiple sclerosis severity, offering new insights into MS pathogenesis and potential microbiome-based treatment strategies.

29 Jul 2025

New research provides the first clinically relevant overview of childhood brain tumors

Childhood brain tumor survival depends on the type of tumor. Comparing survival rates across countries is difficult, because brain tumors aren't recorded in the same way everywhere in Europe. A new study led by the Princess Máxima Center is helping to change that. For the first time, the research provides a clear and clinically relevant overview of survival outcomes for children with brain tumors.

29 Jul 2025

Researchers map key mechanism for bladder function

Urinary incontinence is a devastating condition affecting over 33 million Americans, according to the National Association for Continence, leading to significant adverse impacts on patients' mental health and quality of life. Disorders of urination are also a key feature of all neurological disorders.

29 Jul 2025