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inflammation

·May 2, 2024·6 min read

The Brain’s Role in Immune Control

Researchers discovered that the brain can significantly influence the immune system, particularly its inflammatory responses. The study utilized mice to show that the brain can detect and adjust levels of inflammation via a specific brain circuit involving the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 26, 2024·4 min read

Maternal Cytokine Levels Linked to Child’s Mental Health

Researchers discovered a critical role for the cytokine XCL1 in fetal brain development and the emotional behavior of offspring, challenging previous assumptions about its low impact due to minimal circulating levels during pregnancy. The study shows that a temporary spike in maternal XCL1 is essential for proper placental development and regulating fear behavior in male offspring.

This shows a woman walking in the woods.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 22, 2024·3 min read

Outdoor Enjoyment Linked to Less Inflammation

A new study reveals a biological link between enjoying nature and reduced inflammation levels, which could help in preventing or managing chronic inflammation-related diseases like heart disease and diabetes. The study analyzed data from the Midlife in the U.S. (MIDUS) survey, focusing on 1,244 participants, and found that frequent positive interactions with nature correlated with lower levels of three key inflammation markers.

This shows a model of a heart on cracked flooring.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·April 9, 2024·4 min read

Link Between Heart Disease, Depression, and Inflammation Found

A new study uncovered a genetic connection between coronary artery disease, major depression, and an increased risk for cardiomyopathy, mediated through inflammatory pathways. The study highlights that medications used for treating coronary artery disease and depression could synergistically reduce inflammation, potentially preventing cardiomyopathy.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 8, 2024·7 min read

Inflammation Biomarkers in Blood of Long-COVID Patients

Researchers made significant progress in understanding long COVID by identifying distinct inflammation patterns in the blood of individuals who have experienced severe SARS-CoV-2 infections. This large UK study, which analyzed over 650 patients, found that long COVID sufferers exhibit immune system activation long after initial hospitalization, with specific patterns correlating to different symptom types.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·April 2, 2024·5 min read

Stress and Trauma Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s

Researchers linked midlife stress and childhood trauma to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and neuroinflammation. Analyzing 1,290 volunteers, researchers found that stressful life events, especially during midlife, correlate with higher levels of β-amyloid protein, crucial in Alzheimer's development, and that childhood stress is associated with later life neuroinflammation. Interestingly, the study also uncovered sex-specific effects, with stress leading to amyloid protein accumulation in men and brain atrophy in women.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·March 27, 2024·6 min read

DNA Damage and Inflammation Key to Memory Formation

Researchers unveiled a groundbreaking discovery that DNA damage and brain inflammation are vital processes for forming long-term memories, particularly within the brain's hippocampus. Contrary to previous beliefs associating inflammation with neurological diseases, this study highlights inflammation's critical role in memory formation through the activation of the Toll-Like Receptor 9 (TLR9) pathway following DNA damage in hippocampal neurons.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·March 12, 2024·5 min read

Global Stress and Inflammation: A Cycle of Societal Dysfunction

Researchers propose a groundbreaking hypothesis, linking chronic stress and inflammation to societal and cognitive dysfunction on a global scale. They suggest that the brain's 'central inflammation map' could be impaired by chronic inflammation, affecting individual and collective decision-making, and behaviors.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·January 31, 2024·6 min read

Fasting May Reduce Inflammation

Researchers uncovered a new mechanism by which fasting reduces inflammation, a key factor in chronic diseases. Their study reveals that fasting increases blood levels of arachidonic acid, which inhibits the NLRP3 inflammasome, thereby reducing inflammation.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 16, 2024·5 min read

Inflammation and Poverty Increase Health and Mortality Risks

Recent research highlights a synergistic relationship between chronic inflammation and poverty, exacerbating health risks and reducing life expectancy in the U.S. Analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers found that individuals suffering from both poverty and chronic inflammation face significantly worse health outcomes than those affected by either factor alone.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·January 10, 2024·4 min read

Targeting Inflammation Reduces ALS Symptoms

New research reveals that in people with ALS, structural changes in neurons activate immune cells, leading to inflammation and reduced motor function. A study explores the correlation between neuron changes and immune responses.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·December 12, 2023·7 min read

Novel Nanoparticle Delivery System Targets Alzheimer’s Inflammation

A new study demonstrates a breakthrough in Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment using lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver small interfering RNA (siRNA) to the brain's microglia. This approach effectively suppresses a protein linked to Alzheimer's-related inflammation.