Summary: Recent research shows that Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline are not unavoidable consequences of aging. Large clinical trials demonstrate that targeted lifestyle interventions—regular physical activity, heart-healthy diets, social engagement and cognitive stimulation—can improve brain function and slow decline. These approaches mirror proven strategies for reducing cardiovascular disease and some cancers, indicating broad benefits … Read more

Summary: A large-scale dietary trial found that a green-Mediterranean (green‑MED) diet can slow brain aging by changing blood proteins associated with neurodegeneration. Using MRI-based brain-age estimates and blood proteomic profiling, researchers followed nearly 300 participants for 18 months and observed that diet influenced the brain age gap and specific circulating proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease … Read more

Summary: Scientists have discovered a promising therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative diseases by increasing levels of a protein called PI31. PI31 helps deliver proteasomes—the cell’s protein-degrading machines—to synapses, where they clear damaged or unwanted proteins. In fruit fly and mouse models, restoring PI31 preserved synaptic function, prevented neuronal degeneration, reversed motor defects, and in some cases … Read more

Summary: Researchers investigated how people evaluate honesty when information comes from friends versus strangers, using brain imaging to observe decision-making in contexts that involved potential gains or losses. Volunteers were more likely to accept deceptive statements when those statements promised a benefit, and the researchers identified brain networks tied to risk assessment, reward processing, and … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified a mechanism by which nanoplastics disrupt energy metabolism in the brain, offering new insights into how environmental pollution may contribute to neurodegeneration. The polystyrene nanoplastics tested interfered with mitochondrial electron transfer and reduced ATP production in both general and synaptic mitochondria, processes essential for healthy brain function. Because mitochondrial energy systems … Read more

Summary: Long-term stress measured through hair cortisol may help predict mental health risks in children living with chronic physical illnesses. In a four-year study of 244 children, researchers found that persistently high cortisol levels were strongly linked to symptoms of anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems. Children whose hair cortisol declined over time showed fewer emotional … Read more

Summary: Researchers have validated a new PET tracer that measures synapse loss after spinal cord injury (SCI), revealing molecular changes at the injury site and in distant brain regions. In rat models, the tracer detected substantial reductions in synaptic density both within the spinal cord and in areas such as the amygdala and cerebellum, demonstrating … Read more

Summary: A new study from Scripps Research shows how the brain learns to perpetuate alcohol addiction not primarily for pleasure but to avoid the stress of withdrawal. Researchers identified a midline brain region, the paraventricular thalamus (PVT), that becomes highly active when rats learn to associate environmental cues with the relief that alcohol provides during … Read more

Summary: Psychologists are increasingly using artificial intelligence to detect subtle psychological signals in speech — from the words people choose to the tone, pace, and loudness of their voice. These cues can reveal personality traits and early signs of mental health conditions that a clinician might miss. AI offers the potential for faster, more consistent … Read more

Summary: Researchers have uncovered how the brain uses visible objects as anchors to stabilize our sense of direction, clarifying a key element of spatial navigation. Experiments in mice revealed that neurons in the postsubiculum become more active when the animal faces an object, while neurons tuned to other directions are suppressed. This sharpening of directional … Read more