Brain

Chinese authorities recently approved a novel drug claimed to improve cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Derived from a seaweed, it's suggested to reduce neuroinflammation by modulating a person’s gut microbiome.

A thought-provoking new study, led by researchers from the University of Cambridge, has uncovered distinct differences in brain structure in obese children compared to those of normal weight.

In an unusual turn of events a new Alzheimer’s drug, previously declared a failure in March, has been resurrected with the pharmaceutical company behind the treatment suggesting the earlier decision was premature and based on incorrect data analysis.

New research is offering compelling evidence to suggest levels of a steroid hormone called allopregnanolone can affect fetal brain development, and when disrupted can result in cerebral abnormalities and increases in autism risk.

A new study out of Northwestern University has found the old advice of solving a problem by "sleeping on it" is not only true, but can be improved by using sound cues to manipulate our brain while we sleep.

A study has homed in on a gene linked to “short sleepers”, those with the ability to slumber for less than six hours a night with no negative consequences. The gene mutation also was found to prevent memory problems associated with sleep deprivation.

A landmark new study is strongly linking excessive neural activity with shorter lifespans. The study suggests a protein known to suppress neural excitation affects a number of longevity pathways, effectively slowing the aging process.

New research is elucidating the effects of maternal stress during pregnancy on fetal development. The research is finding links between a mother's stress levels during pregnancy and several birth outcomes including brain development and a baby’s sex.

Researchers from UT Southwestern implanted “memories” into the brains of zebra finches, teaching them to sing a song they’ve never actually heard.

Ghrelin, the “hunger hormone”, has been associated with brain lesions thought to play a role in cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer's.

A slender robotic thread could snake its way through the brain’s blood vessels and tend to clots, guided by magnets the whole way.

The most advanced mini-brains yet created have begun producing brain waves resembling those of preterm babies.