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Mass General

·December 18, 2025·7 min read

Depression Quietly Damages the Heart Through Stress Circuits

Depression and anxiety may heighten cardiovascular disease risk through chronic stress pathways in the brain and body. In a large analysis of more than 85,000 adults, those with depression or anxiety — especially both — were significantly more likely to experience heart attack, stroke or heart failure.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·October 17, 2025·5 min read

New Alzheimer’s Mutation Weakens Brain’s Immune Defense

A new study has identified a mutation in the TREM2 gene that disrupts the brain’s ability to clear toxic amyloid plaques, increasing Alzheimer’s disease risk. The mutation, called T96K, keeps the TREM2 gene in an overactive state that paradoxically weakens microglial “cleanup” activity, especially in females.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 20, 2025·6 min read

Cocoa Flavanols Show Anti-Inflammatory Effects

A large clinical trial found that cocoa flavanol supplements can lower age-related inflammation, potentially explaining their heart-protective effects. Researchers analyzed blood samples and discovered a consistent reduction in hsCRP, a biomarker tied to cardiovascular risk, among participants taking cocoa extract.

This shows a brain with an overlay of cancer cells.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 25, 2025·7 min read

Head Injuries Linked to Higher Risk of Brain Cancers

A large study of more than 75,000 people has found that moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is linked to an increased risk of malignant brain tumors. Within 3–5 years of injury, 0.6% of patients with significant TBIs developed tumors—higher than those without TBI.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 23, 2025·5 min read

Omega-3s May Protect Against Daytime Sleepiness

A new study has identified seven blood metabolites linked to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), a condition affecting one in three Americans. The findings show that both diet and hormones play a role, with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids associated with lower risk, and compounds like tyramine linked to higher risk.

This shows a person on a treadmill and neurons.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·June 13, 2025·5 min read

Exercise Rewires Alzheimer’s-Affected Brain Cells

Using cutting-edge RNA sequencing, researchers mapped how exercise affects specific brain cell types in a model of Alzheimer’s disease. They found that physical activity alters gene activity in microglia and a newly identified type of astrocyte linked to blood vessels, which may protect memory.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·June 12, 2025·5 min read

Healthy Habits May Offset Brain Aging Linked to Shorter Telomeres

New research shows that healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of stroke, dementia, and depression—even in people with biologically shortened telomeres. Telomeres are protective DNA caps that naturally shrink with age and environmental stress, increasing vulnerability to age-related brain diseases.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·May 21, 2025·5 min read

Vitamin D May Slow Biological Aging

New results from the VITAL randomized trial show that daily vitamin D3 supplementation helps preserve telomere length in older adults, potentially slowing a key biological aging process. Telomeres are protective caps on chromosomes that shorten with age and are associated with chronic diseases.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 15, 2025·4 min read

Gabapentin Linked to Longer Survival in Glioblastoma Brain Cancer

A new study suggests that gabapentin, a widely used anti-seizure medication, may improve survival in patients with glioblastoma (GBM), the deadliest form of brain cancer. Researchers found that GBM patients taking gabapentin lived several months longer than those who did not, across two independent hospital datasets.

This shows a woman's face with a digital overlay.

Brain Cancer Featured Neuroscience

·May 10, 2025·7 min read

AI Tool Reads Faces to Predict Health, Aging, and Cancer Outcomes

Researchers have developed an AI tool called FaceAge that uses facial photos to estimate biological age and predict survival outcomes in cancer patients. In a study involving over 6,000 patients, those with cancer had FaceAges about five years older than their chronological age, and higher FaceAges were linked to poorer survival.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·May 8, 2025·5 min read

Heart’s Rhythm May Help Forecast Cognitive Longevity

Healthy hearts show complex, adaptive rhythms that reflect resilience to internal and external changes. Researchers applied a novel method to analyze heart rate complexity using wearable pulse oximeters and found that greater complexity predicted slower cognitive decline in older adults.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 25, 2025·6 min read

AI Predicts Brain Cancer Recurrence in Kids

Researchers have developed an AI model that analyzes sequences of brain scans to accurately predict tumor recurrence in children with gliomas. By applying a method called temporal learning, the model interprets subtle changes in MR images taken post-treatment over time. The study found that using multiple images significantly outperforms traditional single-scan analysis, reaching prediction accuracy rates as high as 89%.