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white matter

·April 7, 2025·5 min read

Childhood Adversity Weakens Brain Connectivity, But Support Protects It

New research shows that difficult early-life experiences are linked to weaker white matter connections across the adolescent brain, which may lead to lower cognitive performance. These “communication highways” in the brain are essential for functions like language and mental arithmetic and are shaped by early environmental influences.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 20, 2024·4 min read

Early Ovary Removal Linked to Reduced Brain White Matter Integrity

Women who undergo ovary removal before menopause, especially before age 40, show reduced white matter integrity in their brains later in life. The research analyzed data from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, finding significant white matter reduction in women with premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy (PBO) before 40.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 22, 2024·3 min read

High BMI Shrinks White Matter in Brain

A new study finds that high cumulative BMI is linked to smaller brain volume, increased white matter lesions, and abnormal brain structure. These negative effects are especially pronounced in adults under 45 and over 60. Maintaining a BMI below 26.2 is recommended for optimal brain health.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 21, 2023·5 min read

White Matter Wonders: Re-imagining the Brain’s Silent Majority

Historically, scientific research has largely focused on the gray matter of the brain, leaving the equally important white matter understudied. However, a recent groundbreaking study has used fMRI to detect significant brain activity in white matter.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·August 21, 2023·7 min read

Is the Brain’s White Matter an Unexpected Key to Aging and Memory?

Researchers have discovered that age-related cognitive decline is most pronounced in the brain's white matter, crucial for signal transmission. This study in mice sheds light on aging's contribution to neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

This shows smoke stacks overlayed with a child's eyes

Featured Neuroscience

·September 23, 2022·3 min read

An Association Between Exposure to Air Pollution in the First 5 Years of Life and Alterations in Brain Structure

Assessing a child's exposure to air pollution on a monthly basis from conception to the age of 8.5, researchers found the greater the exposure to air pollution before the age of 5, the greater the alteration in brain structure by preadolescence.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 3, 2022·6 min read

Steroids Linked to Structural and Volume Changes in Brain White and Grey Matter

Steroids prescribed for a range of inflammatory conditions alter the structure and volume of grey and white matter in the brain. The findings shed light on why people who use medical steroids may experience psychological problems, including anxiety, mania, and depression.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·August 23, 2022·5 min read

World Trade Center Responders With Cognitive Impairments Show Signs of New Form of Dementia

First responders at the World Trade Center who experience cognitive impairment and PTSD have a different presentation of white matter in the brain compared to first responders with cognitive impairment without PTSD. Researchers say the findings point to a new and specific form of dementia for those responders with PTSD.