Summary: Transplanting fecal microbiota from young mice into older mice reversed key markers of aging in the gut, brain, and eye. In contrast, transferring microbes from aged animals into young mice triggered brain inflammation and reduced a protein important for normal vision. Source: University of East Anglia Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) — sometimes dismissed as … Read more

NIH researchers use rodent study to uncover novel approach to improve drug delivery to the brain Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, have identified a promising strategy to increase delivery of small therapeutic agents to the central nervous system. Using laboratory rats, the team … Read more

By the time most people receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease—based on clinical signs of cognitive decline—their brains have often experienced a decade or more of progressive damage. Although the exact mechanisms that drive neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s are not fully resolved, two well-established features of the disease are accumulation of the amyloid-β peptide (the … Read more

Summary: Researchers have experimentally documented abnormal fetal brain development after a pregnant primate contracted the Zika virus, providing an important model for testing prenatal therapies. Source: UW Medicine Findings could lead to new ways to test prenatal therapies to protect babies For the first time, scientists have experimentally demonstrated abnormal fetal brain development following Zika … Read more

Summary: A recent study from Lund University shows that an AI conversational assistant can perform psychiatric assessment interviews with greater diagnostic accuracy than commonly used mental health rating scales. In a sample of 303 people with confirmed psychiatric diagnoses, the AI assistant Alba conducted brief conversational interviews and provided DSM-5–based diagnostic suggestions. Alba’s assessments aligned … Read more

Summary: A new double-blind, placebo-controlled study shows that dopamine directly influences mentalising—the ability to infer others’ thoughts, feelings and intentions—in healthy adults. In a trial with 33 volunteers, blocking dopamine receptors with haloperidol reduced accuracy when participants ascribed mental states to animated interactions, highlighting dopamine’s role in socio-cognitive function and carrying implications for conditions such … Read more

Summary: New research shows that an FDA-approved rheumatoid arthritis drug can reduce severe, unexplained chronic itch by blocking immune signals that directly activate nerve cells in the skin. FDA-approved arthritis drug may work in new ways to fight itch Chronic itch causes persistent, often debilitating scratching, but its underlying mechanisms have been difficult to pin … Read more

Summary: Researchers have identified new genetic signatures linked to age-related macular degeneration, paving the way for improved diagnosis, personalized treatment and drug screening for this currently incurable eye disease. Source: Garvan Institute Researchers have moved closer to better diagnosing and treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by uncovering specific genetic and molecular signatures in the retinal … Read more

Summary: A new study examines how lexical tones influence infants’ ability to link spoken labels with objects. Source: University of Tennessee Infants show more sensitivity to non-native speech sounds than previously assumed, according to research published in the Journal of Memory and Language. The study provides new insight into how babies begin to map words … Read more

Summary: Adults who developed cognitive symptoms—commonly called “brain fog”—after mild COVID-19 infection showed abnormalities in their cerebrospinal fluid. Researchers suggest an overactive immune response triggered by SARS-CoV-2 may underlie these cognitive problems. Source: UCSF New cognitive symptoms following otherwise mild COVID-19 were linked to measurable abnormalities in cerebrospinal fluid, offering clues about how SARS-CoV-2 may … Read more