Brain News and Research

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The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Racing Ahead: How Humans Developed Large Brains and Flat Faces

Humans evolved large brains and flat faces at a surprisingly rapid pace compared to other apes, likely reflecting the evolutionary advantages of these traits, finds a new analysis of ape skulls by UCL researchers.

22 Oct 2025

Serotonin-Producing Gut Microbes May Hold the Key to Treating IBS

Research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, clarifies the complex interaction between gut bacteria and IBS.

21 Oct 2025

Leptin-Sensitive Brain Circuit Helps Overcome Anxiety to Perform Essential Behaviors

How do mammals manage to eat in situations that cause anxiety, step into exposed spaces, or slow down when anxiety drives them to keep moving? A new study pinpoints a leptin-sensitive circuit in the lateral hypothalamus that helps to overcome anxiety to perform essential behaviors such as exploring, feeding, and limiting maladaptive hyperactivity.

21 Oct 2025

The Biological Tagging of Astrocytes Enhances Memory Recall

Why are we able to recall only some of our past experiences? A new study led by Jun Nagai at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan has an answer.

16 Oct 2025

Biological Effects of Childhood Abuse Uncovered Through Epigenome-Wide Analysis

Child maltreatment, which includes abuse and neglect, is one of the most serious public health concerns worldwide.

16 Oct 2025

Cellular Switches Direct Supplies During Memory Formation

When we form a memory, brain cells need to deliver supplies to strengthen specific neural connections.

15 Oct 2025

New Insights into rRNA Motifs and Nervous System Genes

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is a type of molecule and a key building block of the ribosome, the cell's protein-making machinery. rRNA accounts for much of the RNA in a cell, and it's crucial for life.

15 Oct 2025

Discovery Reveals How Microbes Evolve Rapidly Inside the Human Gut

Everywhere you go, you carry a population of microbes in your gastrointestinal tract that outnumber the human cells making up your body.

14 Oct 2025

Rat Study Reveals Orbitofrontal Cortex Cells That Power Learning Under Uncertainty

Newly identified brain cells evolved along the theme, "Life is uncertain; Eat dessert first." The neurons, located in the front part of the brain, are most active when the outcome of a decision is uncertain, suggesting that they help with decision making, along with learning and mental flexibility in general.

10 Oct 2025

Masks Attenuate Exposure of Traffic Pollutants’ Adherence to Red Blood Cells

Inhaled traffic pollutants attach to red blood cells, facilitating systemic transport. Wearing FFP" masks lessens this exposure, emphasizing the protective role of masks against air pollution.

10 Oct 2025

Study Reveals Tissue-Specific DNA Patterns Used by HIV to Evade Detection

Researchers at Western University and the University of Calgary have discovered how HIV hides in different parts of the body by embedding itself into the DNA of cells in a tissue-specific manner, offering new insights into why the virus is so difficult to eliminate and cure – even decades after infection and treatment.

7 Oct 2025

Golden Broccoli Aptamer Enables Real-Time Measurement of Glycine

The amino acid glycine is an important neurotransmitter that regulates memory, reflex and brain development, and it may also be a biomarker for bacterial virulence.

6 Oct 2025

New Technology can Map RNA-Protein Interactions Inside Human Cells

Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a powerful new technology that can map the entire network of RNA-protein interactions inside human cells - an achievement that could offer new strategies for treating diseases ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's.

3 Oct 2025

Breakthrough in Understanding How Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Infects Human Brain Cells

The protein on human cells that tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) uses for infection has now been identified-a major step toward understanding how TBEV causes neurological disease and for developing antiviral drugs.

3 Oct 2025

How GBA Mutations Drive Cognitive Decline in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease causes both movement and cognitive deficits, and for a long time both were thought to be caused by the accumulation of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain.

3 Oct 2025

Hormones Activate Aggression Neurons in Mouse Mothers

A new study has found a system in the brain that explains why female mice, who are not normally aggressive, suddenly exhibit this behavior after becoming pregnant and giving birth.

3 Oct 2025

Protein Networks Expose New Therapeutic Targets for Alzheimer's

A recent study conducted by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai provides one of the most thorough insights to date regarding the interactions of brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease, illustrating protein networks that expose communication breakdowns and highlight potential new therapeutic avenues for treatment.

26 Sep 2025

Discovery Reveals Spinal Neurons as Active Players in Sexual Behavior

For decades, it was thought that while the brain orchestrated male sexual behavior – arousal, courtship, and copulation – the spinal cord merely executed the final act: ejaculation. But a study from the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) challenges that tidy division.

25 Sep 2025

Astrocytes Found to Integrate Signals from Multiple Neurons

A collaborative French-Swiss study reveals a previously unknown role for astrocytes in the brain's information processing.

25 Sep 2025

Cryo-EM Study Uncovers Hidden Steps in NMDA Receptor Activation

When it comes to brain proteins, small changes can make a dramatic difference. Researchers studying NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors, which are essential for learning, memory and moment-by-moment consciousness, know that even slight changes in their activity level can mean the difference between normal function and serious neurological disorders.

25 Sep 2025