Summary: New research has identified a promising therapeutic target to prevent dangerous cardiovascular and metabolic complications associated with obstructive sleep apnea. The study shows that gut microbes change bile acids, and those modified bile acids influence disease pathways systemically. Using genetically engineered mouse models, investigators found that deleting a specific bile acid sensor—the farnesoid X … Read more

Summary: A new study shows that holding pseudoscientific or illusory beliefs about health is linked to reduced trust in conventional medicine and an increased likelihood of choosing unvalidated therapies. Analysis of more than 1,500 participants found that stronger illusory health beliefs predicted greater use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and lower adherence to evidence-based … Read more

Summary: Comparing the transcriptomes—the full map of gene activity—across many brain disorders reveals shared molecular signatures, clarifies relationships among diseases, and offers a promising path toward more accurate diagnosis and improved treatment strategies. Source: PLOS New research from Yashar Zeighami and colleagues at McGill University presents a molecular approach to characterize and compare brain diseases. … Read more

Summary: Researchers have discovered a new molecular-mechanical mechanism that temporarily reduces auditory sensitivity by softening the gating spring in sensory hair cells. This adaptive response could help protect the inner ear from loud sounds that cause hearing damage. Source: University of Colorado A recent study published in PNAS describes a newly identified mechanism that regulates … Read more

Summary: Researchers examined how young children begin to understand and use deception, tracking their thinking and behavior as they learn when and how to lie. Source: The Conversation. Lying carries clear costs for both the liar and those who are deceived. For the person who lies, maintaining a false story is mentally demanding: it requires … Read more

Summary: A large new study led by Monash University found that unusually high levels of HDL-C (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), commonly called “good cholesterol,” were linked to an increased risk of dementia in older adults. This analysis of participants in the ASPREE study included 18,668 initially healthy older adults and found that those with very high … Read more

Summary: Nostalgic music activates brain regions tied to memory, reward, and self-processing, a finding that could help improve quality of life for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers report that familiar, emotionally charged songs can trigger vivid autobiographical memories and engage multiple brain systems. Understanding these neural mechanisms may open new therapeutic avenues for … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified two genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease in African Americans. Source: Boston University Medical Center. New research has uncovered two genetic risk loci associated with late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in African Americans. Published online in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the study pinpoints variants near the genes COBL and SLC10A2 and highlights a … Read more

Summary: New research shows that cognitive deficits in psychotic disorders—including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder—are linked to how brain networks are organized. Crucially, this brain–cognition relationship appears before the first psychotic episode in people at clinical high risk, revealing potential pathways for earlier diagnosis and targeted intervention. The findings describe a reproducible brain network signature associated … Read more

Summary: A new clinical study finds that short-term sleep loss can change the composition of gut bacteria previously associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans. Source: Uppsala University. New clinical results from Uppsala University indicate that restricting sleep alters the relative abundance of specific gut bacteria linked to impaired metabolic health. The study … Read more