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brain shrinkage

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·July 18, 2026·13 min read

Heavy TV Watching Systematically Shrinks Your Brain

High-frequency midlife television consumption drives long-term cortical atrophy and white matter degradation.

This is a drawing of a shrew and a brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 1, 2025·7 min read

Shrews Shrink and Regrow Brains, Offering Clues for Human Diseases

Scientists used non-invasive MRI to study shrews that seasonally shrink and regrow their brains, uncovering water loss as the key driver of this rare phenomenon. Despite losing about nine percent of their brain volume in winter, shrew brain cells remain alive, with aquaporin-4 proteins playing a key role in regulating water movement.

This shows an older man sitting and brains.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 18, 2025·4 min read

Sitting for Hours May Shrink the Brain

Prolonged sedentary behavior in adults over 50 is linked to cognitive decline and brain shrinkage in regions vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease. Even among those who exercise regularly, spending more time sitting was associated with worse cognitive outcomes.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·November 26, 2024·3 min read

Alzheimer’s Drug Shrinks Brain Volume by Removing Amyloid Plaques

Brain volume loss linked to new Alzheimer’s immunotherapies, such as lecanemab, is caused by the removal of amyloid plaques rather than neuronal damage. Researchers analyzed data from multiple trials and coined the term "amyloid-removal-related pseudo-atrophy" (ARPA) to describe this phenomenon.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 4, 2024·6 min read

Alzheimer’s Brain Shrinkage Follows No Single Pattern

A new study finds that brain shrinkage in Alzheimer's patients does not follow a uniform pattern. Researchers examined thousands of brain scans and found that individuals showed varied shrinkage patterns over time. Those with faster shrinkage in specific brain regions were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. This personalized approach to brain mapping may lead to tailored treatments based on individual brain changes.

This shows a head covered in cigarette butts.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·December 13, 2023·5 min read

Smoking Linked to Brain Shrinkage, Irreversible Even After Quitting

Researchers found that smoking causes the brain to shrink and age prematurely, a condition not reversible even after quitting smoking. The study analyzed data from over 32,000 individuals in the UK Biobank, revealing a direct link between smoking, genetic predisposition, and reduced brain volume.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 6, 2022·5 min read

Chronological Age, Biological Age and Gender Affect the Shrinkage of Different Brain Areas

Functional brain networks and brain shrinkage are affected in different ways by age, gender, and blood immune factors.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·August 7, 2022·4 min read

No, the Human Brain Did Not Shrink 3,000 Years Ago

Researchers question the widely held belief that modern humans experienced an evolutionary decrease in brain size.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 8, 2022·4 min read

Long Term High-Fat Diet Expands Waistline and Shrinks Brain

Mice fed a high-fat diet for 30 weeks were considerably more likely to develop diabetes, face cognitive impairments, and develop depression and anxiety. The mice with diet-induced cognitive impairment were also more likely to gain weight excessively due to poor metabolism caused by the brain changes.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·March 4, 2022·6 min read

More Alcohol, Less Brain: Association Begins With an Average of Just One Drink a Day

Light-to-moderate regular alcohol consumption is linked to reductions in overall brain volume, a new study reports.

This shows a model of a head and a brain

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·November 4, 2021·4 min read

Exposure to Estrogen Linked to Less Brain Shrinkage in Midlife Women

Longer and higher exposure to estrogen were associated with larger gray matter volume in middle-aged women.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·August 16, 2021·6 min read

Having a Good Listener Improves Your Brain Health

Having at least one person you can rely on to listen to your concerns when you need to talk can help improve cognitive resilience and stave off cognitive decline associated with neurodegeneration and aging.