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Neurology

·April 15, 2025·4 min read

Why Nostalgic Songs Spark the Brain’s Memory and Reward System

Listening to nostalgic music activates key brain regions tied to memory and emotion, according to a new brain imaging study. Researchers found that songs linked to personal memories engage both the default mode network and the brain's reward circuitry.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 14, 2025·7 min read

Digital Tech May Reduce Dementia Risk

Contrary to fears of "digital dementia," new research finds that using digital technology is linked to a reduced risk of cognitive decline in older adults. A large-scale meta-analysis of over 400,000 participants revealed that digital engagement correlates with a 58% lower risk of cognitive impairment.

Brain Cancer Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·April 14, 2025·4 min read

Shared Protein Link Found Between Parkinson’s and Cancer

A new study reveals that the protein alpha-synuclein, known for its role in Parkinson’s disease, also contributes to the development of melanoma by promoting excessive DNA repair and cell proliferation. While in neurons, excess alpha-synuclein leads to cell death, in melanoma cells it enables uncontrolled growth by recruiting repair proteins to DNA breaks.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·April 13, 2025·10 min read

Lab-Grown Nerve Circuit Recreates Human Pain Pathway

Researchers have recreated the human ascending sensory pathway in a lab dish, using organoids that model the key brain and spinal cord regions responsible for transmitting pain. This breakthrough allows scientists to observe how pain signals travel from peripheral neurons to the brain for the first time outside the body.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·April 13, 2025·6 min read

Why You Sometimes Don’t Feel Pain Until It’s Too Late

New research highlights how the brain’s own chemistry can suppress pain, explaining why severely injured individuals, like WWII soldiers, sometimes feel little discomfort. The key lies in a brain region called the periaqueductal grey (PAG), which dampens pain signals before they reach conscious awareness.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·April 13, 2025·6 min read

Breathing Syncs with Pupil Size, Revealing a New Mind-Body Link

A groundbreaking study has revealed that our pupils change size in sync with our breathing—a response now dubbed the "pupillary respiratory phase response." Researchers confirmed that pupils are smallest around the start of inhalation and largest during exhalation, regardless of lighting, focus, or cognitive effort.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·April 12, 2025·5 min read

New Genes Linked to Parkinson’s Risk Revealed

Researchers have long wondered why some people with high-risk Parkinson’s gene variants develop the disease while others don’t. A new study has uncovered that additional genetic players, particularly the Commander gene complex, influence whether the disease manifests.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·April 11, 2025·6 min read

Hidden Neural Stem Cells May Hold Key to Brain Regeneration

Scientists have identified a previously unknown type of neural stem cell (pNSC) that exists outside the brain and spinal cord, overturning decades of neuroscience dogma. These peripheral neural stem cells, discovered in tissues like the lung and tail of mice, share key properties with brain-derived neural stem cells, including the ability to self-renew and differentiate into neurons.

Brain Cancer Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·April 10, 2025·8 min read

Brain Circuit Discovery Links Cancer Fatigue to Inflammation

New research shows that apathy and fatigue in advanced cancer are driven not by physical decline, but by inflammation-sensing neurons that suppress motivation. Scientists discovered that inflammation triggers a brainstem-to-reward-center pathway that reduces dopamine, the brain’s key motivation chemical.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·April 10, 2025·5 min read

Blocking Tim-3 Boosts Microglia in Alzheimer’s

New research reveals that the immune checkpoint molecule Tim-3 plays a critical role in how microglia, the brain’s immune cells, respond to Alzheimer’s disease. While Tim-3 normally helps maintain brain homeostasis, it can also inhibit microglia from clearing harmful plaques that accumulate in Alzheimer’s.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·April 10, 2025·3 min read

Mini-Brain Models Reveal a New Dementia-Linked Protein Pathway

Scientists have discovered a new protein pathway involved in neurodegeneration by studying “mini-brain” organoids made from patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). They found that the protein GRAMD1B plays a crucial role in managing cholesterol and lipid balance within neurons—processes closely linked to Alzheimer’s and FTLD.

Featured Neurology Pain

·April 10, 2025·5 min read

Oral Health Tied to Migraines and Fibromyalgia Pain in Women

Poor oral health is significantly linked to increased migraine, abdominal, and musculoskeletal pain in women, particularly those with fibromyalgia. Researchers identified specific oral microbes associated with higher pain scores, highlighting a potential gut-brain-oral microbiome connection.