Learn about brain health and nootropics to boost brain function
A Wild New Study Sheds Light On Why Exercise Is So Good For Our Brains
Researchers unearth exercise secrets from a biomolecular soup of synthetic innervated muscle tissue. SrdjanPav/E+/Getty Images It’s no secret that regular exercise is great for the body and the brain . Scientific studies have shown, time and time again, that physical activity has both short…
High BMI Linked to Weak Smell-Eating Circuit in Brain
Summary: A new study reveals a novel brain circuit linking the sense of smell and eating behavior. The weaker the connection between these regions, the higher a person’s Body Mass Index (BMI). This discovery suggests a potential neural mechanism underlying overeating, where disrupted circuits…
Weak brain circuit connection found to influence overeating and obesity
Why can some people easily stop eating when they are full and others can’t, which can lead to obesity? A Northwestern Medicine study has found one reason may be a newly discovered structural connection between two regions in the brain that appears to be…
Exercise Can Slow Brain Aging Cognitive Decline
Summary: A new study shows that exercise can reverse aging effects in the brain. Researchers found that physical activity alters gene expression in microglia, making them resemble those of younger brains. Exercise also helps reduce harmful T cell presence in the hippocampus, enhancing memory…
Study finds astrocytic pH regulator can repair blood-brain barrier, reverse brain damage caused by ischemic stroke
Slc4a4 is required for morphological complexity and proper Ca2+ propagation in the adult brain. Credit: Cell Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114193 Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, affecting about 15 million worldwide each year. Among the various factors contributing to the…
An astrocytic pH regulator that can repair the blood-brain barrier and reverse brain damage caused by ischemic stroke
Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, affecting about 15 million worldwide each year. Among the various factors contributing to the pathogenesis of this condition is the loss of the blood-brain barrier, a highly selective protective cellular barrier that prevents harmful…
Exercise stimulates brain function thanks to its effect on muscles, study suggests
Exercise gives the brain a boost, and may help protect against cognitive decline, but why? Image credit: NICK VEASEY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images. Exercise can stimulate brain-boosting molecules when muscles are active, a new study found. By innervating muscle-tissue models, researchers found that the same…
6 Things to Add to Your Routine to Maintain Brain Fitness as You Age
Westend6/Getty Images We all want to age gracefully. We’ll do just about anything to do it. From eating for heart health to deciding which exercises to focus on or improving vision , most people know that maintaining many aspects of physical health is crucial…
Can Anxiety Relief Come at the Cost of Cognitive Health?
Key points Long-term use of benzos can lead to addiction & cognitive impairments. Older people are particularly vulnerable to the impairing effects of long-term benzodiazepine use. A recent study revealed the mechanism by which benzos interfere with plasticity and cognitive abilities. Other treatments such…
Study suggests eating these superfoods can help you live longer
Over the years, numerous observational studies have reported a strong link between higher intakes of flavonoid-rich foods and a lower risk of chronic disease and mortality. Flavonoids, sometimes called vitamin P , are polyphenolic compounds commonly found in colorful fruits and vegetables, as well…
Researchers demonstrate a new mechanism of neural plasticity underlying learning and memory processes
Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114112 Neurons are important, but they are not everything. Indeed, it is “cartilage,” in the form of clusters of extracellular matrix molecules called chondroitin sulfates, located in the outside nerve cells, that plays a crucial role in…
‘Mathematical microscope’ reveals novel, energy-efficient mechanism of working memory that works even during sleep
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain UCLA Health researchers have discovered a mechanism that creates memories while reducing metabolic cost, even during sleep. This efficient memory occurs in a part of the brain that is crucial for learning and memory, and where Alzheimer’s disease begins. The…
Nerves prompt muscle to release factors that boost brain health, study finds
Illinois researchers used a novel tissue model to examine the effect of nerve stimulation on muscle secretion of brain-boosting factors. The nerves, colored green, trigger the muscle to release hormones and mRNA packages that foster growth of and connection between neurons in the brain….
Scientists Have Discovered Cognitive Benefits of Creatine
Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich have found that a high single dose of creatine can temporarily enhance cognitive functions impaired by sleep deprivation, specifically improving processing capacity and short-term memory. The study cautions against excessive creatine intake due to potential health risks, although it suggests…
Sleep resets brain connections for a few hours, but then what happens?
In a study involving zebrafish, a team of scientists led by the University College London (UCL) has explored how the brain manages synaptic connections during sleep . The experts found that the brain weakens new neural connections that were forged during waking hours, but…
Researchers unveil mechanism enhancing cellular fitness against aging and neurodegeneration
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center discover a mechanism to enhance the fitness of cells against aging and neurodegenerative diseases. This finding will pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches in neuroprotection against aging-related disorders and neurodegeneration. Durham, North Carolina; USA; April 30, 2024….
Scientists discover new immunosuppressive mechanism in brain cancer
Graphical abstract. Credit: Immunity (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.04.006 The Wistar Institute assistant professor Filippo Veglia, Ph.D., and team, have discovered a key mechanism of how glioblastoma—a serious and often fatal brain cancer—suppresses the immune system so that the tumor can grow unimpeded by the body’s…
Scientists Identify New Brain Circuit That Inhibits Appetite
Researchers have discovered a brain circuit in mice that inhibits eating when nauseous, pinpointing unique amygdala nerve cells that operate differently from those activated during satiety, highlighting the complex regulation of appetite. A neural pathway suppresses appetite when experiencing nausea. Feeling full, nauseous, or…
8 Brain-Boosters for the Aging Mind
brain boosters Have you lost a step? Feel like the years are finally catching up? Just looking to spruce things up and turn back the biological clock? Wish there was an easy way to recharge your brain? Turns out, it’s not all just in…
How the brain structure that produces norepinephrine also helps control visual attention
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The locus coeruleus (LC) is a small region of the brainstem that produces norepinephrine, a chemical with powerful effects on arousal and wakefulness which plays an important role in the body’s response to stress or panic. Now, research from the…