Neuroscience
Study links gum disease to greater white matter changes in the brain
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Research published October 22, 2025, in Neurology® Open Access reports that older adults with gum disease had more white matter hyperintensities—a marker of tissue damage—than peers without gum disease, even after accounting for other risks.
Online brain training tied to decade‑equivalent boost in cholinergic function, McGill trial finds
Heather Vogel Fact checked
A double‑blind McGill University–led clinical trial reports that 10 weeks of BrainHQ exercises increased a PET marker of cholinergic function in healthy older adults by an amount the authors say roughly offsets about a decade of age‑related decline. The peer‑reviewed study used a specialized tracer to confirm the biochemical change.
Scientists reverse brain aging in mice using stem cells
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai have developed young immune cells from human stem cells that reversed signs of aging and Alzheimer's disease in mice. The treatment improved memory and brain structure in the animals. The findings, published in Advanced Science, suggest potential for personalized therapies against cognitive decline.
Neurons use fat—not just sugar—for energy, study ties pathway to rare brain disorder
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Researchers in Australia and Finland report that neurons can fuel themselves with fat as well as sugar, challenging long‑held assumptions about brain energy. The discovery, published in Nature Metabolism, links a lipid‑processing enzyme to a rare hereditary spastic paraplegia and suggests that targeted fatty acid supplements may restore cellular energy in laboratory models.
Sleep deprivation triggers brain cleaning during wakefulness
October 27, 2025 15:11Wired discusses algorithm for AI consciousness
October 24, 2025 07:37Genetic studies uncover variants linked to fibromyalgia risk
October 22, 2025 21:11Toxic alliance of proteins may trigger Alzheimer's disease
October 21, 2025 17:43Scientists uncover early brain damage before MS symptoms
October 21, 2025 03:53Study connects ultra-processed foods to brain changes
October 20, 2025 00:10Northwestern study uncovers why superagers retain youthful memories
October 19, 2025 00:14Stanford scientists scale up mini-brain production using xanthan gum
October 17, 2025 00:21Johns Hopkins identifies brain nanotubes that may spread Alzheimer’s
October 15, 2025 00:48Mother's voice recordings boost brain development in premature babies
Researchers directly visualize alpha‑synuclein oligomers in human Parkinson’s brain tissue
Heather Vogel Image generated by AI Fact checked
Scientists in the U.K. and Canada report the first direct visualization and measurement of alpha‑synuclein oligomers—the small protein clusters long suspected of triggering Parkinson’s—in human brain tissue. Using an ultra‑sensitive imaging method, the team found these clusters were larger and more numerous in Parkinson’s than in age‑matched controls, a result published in Nature Biomedical Engineering that may help guide earlier diagnosis and targeted therapies.
Scientists receive $14.2 million NIH award to map the body’s ‘hidden sixth sense’
Heather Vogel Fact checked
A team led by Nobel laureate Ardem Patapoutian at Scripps Research, working with collaborators at the Allen Institute, has secured a five-year, $14.2 million NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award to build what they describe as the first atlas of interoception—the internal sensory system that helps keep breathing, blood pressure and digestion in balance. ([eurekalert.org](https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1101449?utm_source=openai))
UCSF researchers test LSD-based MM120 for generalized anxiety disorder
Heather Vogel Fact checked
UCSF neuroscientist Jennifer Mitchell and collaborators are evaluating MM120, a pharmaceutical form of LSD, as a potential treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. A randomized clinical trial published in JAMA found that a single dose reduced anxiety symptoms versus placebo, with benefits persisting up to 12 weeks in the optimal dose group, according to the study and the drug’s sponsor.
Running reverses junk food's depressive effects in rats
New research from University College Cork shows that voluntary exercise can counteract the mood-damaging impacts of a high-fat, high-sugar diet in rats. The study highlights specific gut metabolites and hormones that explain these benefits. However, poor diet still limits brain neurogenesis despite exercise.
Genetic change protected early humans from lead's evolutionary impact
Researchers have uncovered evidence that ancient hominids were exposed to lead as early as two million years ago, potentially influencing brain evolution. Modern humans possess a unique genetic variant in the NOVA1 gene that shielded them from lead's toxic effects on language development. This discovery, published on October 15, 2025, suggests it gave Homo sapiens an advantage over Neanderthals.
Cognitive ability tied to understanding speech in noisy settings, study finds
Heather Vogel Fact checked
Among people with clinically normal hearing, intellectual ability strongly predicted how well they understood speech amid competing voices, according to a peer-reviewed study from University of Washington researchers.