Summary: A systematic review and meta-analysis led by University College London (UCL) found that GLP-1 receptor agonists—medications such as semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide—produce more than just weight loss. The evidence indicates these drugs substantially reduce core symptoms of binge eating disorder (BED), including the frequency of binge episodes, loss-of-control eating and emotional eating, while also … Read more

Summary: Researchers revealed a fundamental failure in the body’s internal clearance system: as we age, long-lived tissue-resident macrophages lose their ability to engulf and remove expiring neutrophils. When these short-lived white blood cells are not cleared, they convert into highly toxic, senescent “zombie” neutrophils that damage healthy tissues and drive chronic inflammation across organs. By … Read more

Summary: Researchers have provided the first in vivo evidence of widespread deficits in muscarinic acetylcholine M1 receptors in people with schizophrenia. Using a novel, highly selective PET radiotracer, the team found a marked 13%–19% reduction in M1 receptor availability across multiple brain regions involved in cognition. These findings support a shift toward non-dopaminergic, precision treatments … Read more

Summary: Researchers have revealed a short-lived biological buffer in human hearing. Using real-time electroencephalography (EEG) while participants shifted attention between overlapping conversations, an international team found that the brain does not immediately abandon its prior focus. Instead, it briefly “dual tracks” both speakers for about one to two seconds before completing the cognitive handoff. Key … Read more

Summary: Researchers monitored real-time auditory processing in more than 300 children and adolescents using high-density electroencephalography (EEG). By separating the brain’s rhythmic oscillations from the underlying background activity, the team isolated the brain’s aperiodic signal—a measure that reflects the balance between neural excitation and inhibition. Their results show that autistic youths with greater everyday communication … Read more

Summary: Researchers have shown that innocuous temperature perception is encoded predominantly by a single, bidirectional population of peripheral neurons. Using high-resolution, live-tissue imaging in awake mice, the team found that most temperature-sensitive cells are multifunctional: they increase firing during cooling and reduce their baseline activity when the skin warms. These results indicate the brain reads … Read more

Summary: A new study shows that branched O-mannose glycans produced by the brain-specific enzyme MGAT5B are essential to maintain the narrow architecture of the nodes of Ranvier. Mice lacking MGAT5B develop abnormally widened axonal nodes in white matter, which disrupts saltatory conduction, slows nerve propagation, and impairs motor coordination. The research team traced the defect … Read more

Summary: Using advanced non-linear statistical modeling on a cohort of more than 2,400 older adults, researchers identified a clear curved relationship between nightly sleep duration and levels of phosphorylated tau 181 (p-tau181) in blood. Regularly sleeping about 8.5 hours or more per night was strongly associated with higher plasma p-tau181, a protein closely linked with … Read more

Summary: Using tailored adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors to deliver a functional human FMR1 gene into the central nervous system, researchers restored production of the FMRP protein across key cortical and subcortical regions in Fmr1 knockout mice. This targeted gene replacement reversed several severe, translationally relevant traits—even when administered after major stages of brain development had … Read more

Summary: Combining standard observational tracking with sibling comparisons and genetics-based Mendelian randomization, an international research team demonstrates that loneliness has a direct, independent causal effect on deteriorating mental health and reduced subjective wellbeing. The study frames loneliness as a high-priority public health concern and offers a clear basis for policy action. The research integrates multiple … Read more