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NIH

·June 8, 2026·8 min read

Brain Stimulation Offsets Sleep Deprivation Memory Loss

Inducing local, sleep-like neural activity in awake mice can completely offset the cognitive damage of sleep deprivation.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 22, 2026·8 min read

Study Aims to Break GLP-1 Weight-Loss Plateaus

The weight-loss effects of semaglutide depend on boosting a signaling molecule called cAMP within appetite-regulating neurons in the area postrema.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Pain

·April 1, 2026·9 min read

High-Potency Opioid Relieves Pain Without the Risks

Researchers have engineered a novel nitazene-based opioid, DFNZ, that provides potent pain relief without causing respiratory depression or addiction. The "superagonist" drug could revolutionize treatment for chronic pain and opioid use disorder.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·September 17, 2025·5 min read

Early Brain Damage From Sports Hits Seen Long Before CTE

New research shows that repetitive head impacts from contact sports trigger early and lasting brain changes in athletes years before chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is detectable. The study found neuron loss, microglial activation, and blood vessel changes in athletes under 51, even in those without tau buildup, the usual CTE marker.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 21, 2025·5 min read

Brain Retains Lost Limb’s Control Map, Defying Plasticity Theories

A groundbreaking study challenges decades of neuroscience by showing that the brain retains its map of a lost limb long after amputation. Using functional MRI scans taken before and after surgery, researchers found little change in cortical activity, even when participants attempted to move phantom fingers.

This shows two people surrounded by smoke at a crossroads, implying quitting smoking could help resolve other addiction issues.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 13, 2025·6 min read

Quitting Smoking May Boost Recovery From Other Addictions

A large-scale U.S. analysis found that adults recovering from alcohol or other drug addictions were significantly more likely to maintain long-term remission if they also quit smoking. Using data from over 2,600 participants in the ongoing PATH Study, researchers discovered that those who went from being current to former smokers had a 42% greater chance of sustaining recovery from their non-tobacco addictions.

Featured Neuroscience Visual Neuroscience

·May 23, 2025·4 min read

Eye Surgery Technique Could Restore Vision in Macular Degeneration

Scientists have developed a novel surgical method allowing two retinal tissue grafts to be implanted in a single eye, advancing treatment strategies for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This new approach enables side-by-side testing of grafts—one with retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and one without—within the same lesion, using a specially designed clamp to maintain eye pressure and reduce damage.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·May 21, 2025·5 min read

AI-Guided Gene Vectors Precisely Target Brain and Spinal Cells

Scientists have engineered dozens of adeno-associated virus (AAV) systems that ferry genes to specific neuron and glial subtypes in the brain and spinal cord with unprecedented accuracy. Powered by AI-selected DNA “light switches,” the vectors can switch on therapeutic or research genes only in targeted cells—eliminating the need for transgenic animals and enabling fine-grained circuit mapping, activation, or silencing.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·February 27, 2025·7 min read

Brain Map Reveals Early Signs of MS Before Symptoms Appear

Researchers have created a four-dimensional brain map that reveals how MS-like lesions form, providing new insights into the earliest stages of the disease. Using a marmoset model instead of mice, they tracked lesion development in real time with MRI imaging, identifying vulnerable brain regions weeks before visible damage occurred.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 5, 2025·6 min read

Mapping How Aging Affects Different Brain Cells

New research shows that not all brain cells age equally, with certain cells, such as those in the hypothalamus, experiencing more age-related genetic changes. These changes include reduced activity in neuronal circuitry genes and increased activity in immunity-related genes.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 30, 2024·8 min read

Early Substance Use Linked to Brain Structure Differences in Teens

A study of nearly 10,000 adolescents found that those who initiated substance use before age 15 exhibited distinct differences in brain structures compared to their peers. Many of these differences were present before substance use, suggesting a role in predisposing factors like genetics and environment.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·October 18, 2024·6 min read

Alzheimer’s Progresses in Two Distinct Phases

New research has shown that Alzheimer’s disease impacts the brain in two primary phases: an early, gradual phase that damages select cell types and a late phase marked by rapid, widespread damage as symptoms emerge. In the early stage, subtle changes occur slowly, including the loss of specific inhibitory neurons, which may contribute to neural circuit dysfunction. The second phase aligns with symptom onset and the buildup of Alzheimer’s hallmarks like plaques and tangles.