Neuroscience

An incredible new study has discovered a novel communication pathway between fat cells and the brain. The findings reveal that the brain can directly send messages to fat tissue and influence metabolic processes.

MIT scientists have uncovered a mechanism for how a common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s contributes to the disease. It centers on lipid metabolism, and early investigations suggest it could eventually lead to new treatments for the disease.

Clumps of misfolded proteins that gather in the brain have been linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. Now, newly identified nanobodies show promise in destabilizing the structure of these clumps, potentially leading to new treatments.

A fascinating new study has found two common viruses may be working in tandem to trigger the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings build on a growing body of evidence implicating the herpes virus in neurodegenerative disease.

It’s unsurprising but unfortunate that as we get older, our capacity to learn new skills diminishes. A new study by researchers at EPFL has found that non-invasive electrical brain stimulation can help older adults learn new motor skills much faster.

Associating positive or negative emotions to specific memories is core to survival. Researchers have identified a specific molecule that seems to drive the assignment of emotions to memories, which could lead to new treatments for anxiety and depression.

Researchers at Rice University have shown how they can hack the brains of fruit flies to make them remote controlled. The flies performed a specific action within a second of a command being sent to certain neurons in their brain.

A new study suggests brain inflammation is the key factor linking sleep disturbances with Alzheimer’s disease. It's hypothesized the same overactive immune cells in the brain that contribute to cognitive decline can disrupt certain sleep cycles.

A striking study looking at over 20,000 people has found as little as four alcoholic drinks a week can be linked to brain changes associated with cognitive decline. The research is the first to correlate brain iron levels with moderate alcohol consumption.

A great deal of attention is often given to the negative effects of video games. But for several years researchers have discovered games also have the capacity to generate a number of cognitive benefits, including improvements to decision-making skills.

A fascinating study has shed light on the phenomenon of using sound for pain relief. Using state-of-the-art brain-imaging techniques, researchers discovered the neural mechanism by which sound reduces pain sensitivity, and reported some unexpected results.

Much research into Alzheimer's focuses on the buildup of brain plaques as a primary cause, but the case is far from closed, particularly in the eyes of scientists at NYU who have shown how declining acidity levels in lysosomes might play key part.