Two recent studies illuminate different cellular mechanisms in Parkinson's disease: one showing how alpha-synuclein protein clumps block waste recycling in neurons, and another revealing that the LRRK2-G2019S mutation disrupts development of astrocytes, the brain's support cells.
Researchers have overturned longstanding scientific dogma by discovering that beginning around age 50, the brain's memory center loses its longtime resident immune cells (microglia) and replaces them with more inflammatory immune cells derived from peripheral blood stem cells. This previously unrecognized migration may help explain how normal aging sets the stage for Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine and University of California, San Francisco have identified a novel toxic mechanism in which hyperphosphorylated tau protein enters nerve cell mitochondria and reverses electron flow, potentially driving Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative tauopathies.
Researchers have developed engineered mouse models for studying psychedelic drug actions, proposed a new neurobiological theory called 'apical hypercontextualisation' to explain altered perception, and identified psychedelic candidates that may reduce side effects while maintaining therapeutic benefits.
A team led by pathologist Aaron W. James at Johns Hopkins Medicine found in January that sensory neurons in skeletal tissue constantly sense their environment, opening potential new treatment approaches for growth plate injuries.
Researchers found that mild inflammation during pregnancy led mouse offspring to develop persistent brain overactivity and autism-like behaviors, but remarkably, one dose of rapamycin reversed these symptoms in adult mice within hours.
Keith Thomas, paralyzed from the chest down since a 2020 diving accident, has regained the ability to move his arms and hands and feel touch through a 'double neural bypass' brain-computer interface that routes signals around his spinal cord injury. The breakthrough technology, developed by researchers at Northwell Health's Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, allows him to feed himself and drink from a cup.
Researchers discovered that each pregnancy brings distinct patterns of brain changes, with second pregnancies causing different neural rewiring than first pregnancies. The findings could improve understanding of maternal brain health.
Research published in Nature Communications shows that a 25mg dose of psilocybin induced both acute functional changes (detected via EEG one hour later) and enduring anatomical changes (detected via DTI one month later) in 28 healthy adults experiencing their first psychedelic trip.
New research using brain imaging has revealed three distinct subtypes of ADHD, each associated with different underlying brain systems, co-occurring conditions, and learning challenges. The findings suggest that inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptom profiles follow separate neural pathways, potentially enabling more targeted treatment interventions.
Medical professionals and neuroscientists are highlighting evidence-based strategies for maintaining brain health, including mental challenges, physical exercise, social engagement, and quality sleep. Research shows the brain begins shrinking around age 40, losing approximately 5% of volume per decade, making preventive habits increasingly important.
