Summary: New preclinical research links the immune system to Alzheimer’s disease and suggests targeting complement C3 signaling could protect against neurodegeneration. Source: Brigham and Women’s Hospital Inhibiting the immune molecule complement C3 may offer a promising therapeutic strategy to slow or prevent neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease. During healthy brain development, a carefully regulated process called … Read more

Summary: Neurons derived from stem cells can integrate into the appropriate brain regions, form functional connections with native neurons, and restore motor function in mouse models of Parkinson’s disease. Source: University of Wisconsin–Madison The adult brain has a very limited ability to repair itself after injury, stroke, or neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s. Stem cells, … Read more

Summary: New research indicates that the natural sweetener stevia can interfere with bacterial communication in the gut microbiome. Source: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev A recent study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) suggests that stevia, a widely used natural low-calorie sweetener, may disrupt microbial communication in the gut and could contribute … Read more

Findings suggest the subject of Christina’s World suffered from a neurological disorder. Andrew Wyeth’s Christina’s World is among the most iconic images in American art: a luminous painting of a young woman sprawled in a field, her gaze fixed on a distant farmhouse beneath a wide sky. The work, widely reproduced and held in the … Read more

Summary: High-resolution, three-dimensional structures of the brain’s most common nicotinic acetylcholine receptor reveal how nicotine binds and how the receptor assembles—insights that could guide development of new therapies for nicotine addiction. Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center UT Southwestern researchers have published atomic-scale blueprints of the most abundant class of human brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in … Read more

Summary: A new cross-linguistic study finds that individual speech sounds (phonemes) are statistically linked to emotional valence, with these cues strongest at the start of words and some sounds more typically signaling negative emotion—allowing listeners to detect affective meaning before a word is complete. Source: Bocconi University New research published in the journal Cognition by … Read more

Summary: Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a wearable ring that objectively measures the intensity of scratching. Combining an accelerometer with a contact microphone and machine learning, the device captures both movement and high-frequency vibrations of scratching. This new tool can improve how researchers evaluate itch-relief treatments and offers a privacy-sensitive approach to continuous … Read more

Summary: A long-term study clarifies how brain insulin sensitivity influences body weight, visceral fat accumulation, and the success of lifestyle interventions. Source: DZD The location and amount of body fat matter more for health than total weight alone. New long-term findings from the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Zentrum München and Tübingen University … Read more

Summary: A new MRI study from Kiel University reports that men with a sexual interest in children show heightened activity in the left anterior insular cortex when viewing images of young animals, pointing to a possible malfunction in the brain’s nurturing system. Source: Kiel University Background and objective Why some adults develop a sexual interest … Read more

Summary: A mouse study shows that the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve given to mothers during pregnancy can influence fetal brain development by enhancing nutrient transport and cellular growth pathways. These results point to the maternal gut microbiome as a potential non-pharmaceutical target for supporting healthy fetal growth, though human studies are required to confirm the effects … Read more