From Mediterranean diets to probiotics, scientists reveal how reshaping the gut microbiome could help protect brain function, while highlighting why timing may be critical for slowing cognitive decline. Study: The association between gut microbiota and cognitive decline: A systematic review of the literature. Image credit: Toa55/Shutterstock.com The gut-brain axis is gaining importance as a modulator … Read more
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating neurological disorder caused by malfunctioning immune responses that target the brain and spinal cord of the central nervous system (CNS). What makes our body turn against itself? Failure of the immune system to distinguish ‘self’ from ‘non-self’ entities leads to excessive autoimmune responses against self-proteins like myelin, which forms … Read more
A new mouse study reveals that under certain dietary conditions, gut bacteria can reach the brain without entering the bloodstream, suggesting a possible vagus nerve route and raising new questions about the gut–brain connection. Study: Translocation of bacteria from the gut to the brain in mice. Image Credit: Corona Borealis Studio / Shutterstock In a … Read more
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder, affecting 12%–13% of adolescents in the United States, according to some studies. The pattern of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity can interfere with daily life, raising problems at home, work or school. At the same time, individuals diagnosed with ADHD are at a higher risk of developing substance use … Read more
Announcing a new article publication for BIO Integration journal. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia worldwide. Microglia, as central nervous system (CNS) resident macrophages, are key to AD pathology. Indeed, microglia aggregation around amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits is an AD hallmark. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) … Read more
Emerging evidence suggests widely used metabolic drugs could influence brain aging pathways, yet large clinical trials are still needed to confirm whether they truly alter the course of neurodegenerative disease. Study: The promise of GLP-1 receptor agonists for neurodegenerative diseases. Image Credit: Antonio Marca / Shutterstock In a recent review published in the Journal of Clinical … Read more
Widely used yet often underestimated, betel nut chewing poses significant health risks, and researchers continue to search for effective prevention and treatment strategies. Review: Understanding betel nut addiction: a review of harmful consequences, underlying neurobiology, and emerging intervention strategies. Image Credit: Radhavar / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, researchers summarized … Read more
A multidisciplinary team of University of Cincinnati Cancer Center researchers has received a $40,000 Ride Cincinnati grant to study a delayed release preparation, or wafer, of an immunostimulatory molecule to stimulate the central nervous system (CNS) immune system after surgery to remove glioblastoma, a form of primary brain cancer. Jonathan Forbes, MD, the project’s principal … Read more
In experiments with mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists report new evidence that precursors of myelin-producing cells – one of the few brain cell types that continue to be produced in the adult brain – undergo differentiation widely and at a constant pace, rather than “as needed” in response to injury or advancing age. The findings, … Read more
A new study suggests that stem cells thought to be dormant may offer clues to why our sense of smell declines or is lost. Using a newly devised, three-dimensional model to study the regeneration of nerve tissue in the nose, researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) and colleagues have discovered … Read more