Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

New trial offers hope for effective treatment of spinal cord injuries

Spinal cord injuries are currently incurable with devastating effects on people's lives, but now a trial at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland offers hope for an effective treatment.

30 Jun 2025

Do spicy foods help or hurt your gut health?

Capsaicin, the spicy compound in chili peppers, not only influences inflammation, metabolism, and cancer risk but also shapes the gut microbiome in complex, context-dependent ways. This comprehensive review highlights both the therapeutic promise and potential risks of capsaicin, calling for deeper research into its microbiome-mediated effects.

26 Jun 2025

Can saffron treat Alzheimer’s and depression?

Saffron shows promise as a natural treatment for depression and cognitive decline, performing as well as standard drugs in clinical trials. However, more rigorous studies are needed before saffron can be recommended in mainstream psychiatric and dementia care.

26 Jun 2025

Sleep deficiency worsens pain mechanisms in migraine sufferers

The mechanisms in the brain that should reduce pain don’t work as well in people with migraine when they haven’t gotten enough sleep.

26 Jun 2025

Living in disadvantaged neighborhoods linked to Alzheimer’s biomarkers

People living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods may be more likely to have biomarkers for inflammation and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published June 25, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Jun 2025

Tirzepatide rewires appetite and slashes calorie intake in new obesity trial

A 6-week randomized trial found that tirzepatide significantly reduced energy intake, appetite, and cravings in adults with overweight or obesity, outperforming liraglutide and placebo. Brain imaging revealed that tirzepatide also lowered neural responses to high-fat, high-sugar food cues, offering mechanistic insight into its potent weight-loss effects.

25 Jun 2025

Synthetic opioids and designer benzodiazepines linked to driving impairment

No-one could claim to be unaware of the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs (DUID): drugs can increase the time needed to react, impair coordination, alertness, and cognition, and lower inhibitions, thus encouraging reckless and aggressive driving.

25 Jun 2025

Uncommitted cells offer clues to neuroblastoma regression

Neuroblastoma is a cancer that affects the sympathetic nervous system of children. It is unusual among cancers because it shows a range of outcomes: from aggressive, potentially fatal progression to a unique phenomenon where the tumor spontaneously regresses even without treatment.

25 Jun 2025

New research explores how music improves memory in humans

Music improves mood and memory to such an extent that treatment strategies for diseases like Alzheimer's or dementia sometimes incorporate music.

24 Jun 2025

New PET radiotracer offers clearer view of brain inflammation

A newly developed PET radiotracer has shown the ability to produce high-quality images of real-time brain inflammation, according to research presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2025 Annual Meeting.

24 Jun 2025

Study links sleep heart rate variability to stroke and depression risk

New research, presented today at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2025, has uncovered a powerful link between nighttime heart rhythm and future health conditions, even in people with no obvious sleep problems.

20 Jun 2025

New brain study explains why some pain becomes chronic

A new study reveals that when we experience short-term (acute) pain, the brain has a built-in way to dial down pain signals - like pressing the brakes - to keep them from going into overdrive.

20 Jun 2025

Fibroblast Growth Factor 8 drives key processes in embryonic development

The role of Fibroblast Growth Factor 8 (FGF8) in embryonic development and organ formation is gaining increased recognition as scientists uncover its wide-ranging influence.

20 Jun 2025

New 3D immunohistochemistry method enhances deep tissue imaging

Three dimensional immunohistochemistry (3D-IHC) has transformed our ability to visualize the spatial arrangement of cells and molecules in intact tissues.

19 Jun 2025

Sleep deprivation alters brain response to pain in migraine sufferers

For the first time, researchers have studied what happens in the brains of people who have migraines when they haven't slept enough.

19 Jun 2025

New 3D model reveals how nose stem cells support sense of smell

Using a newly devised, three-dimensional model to study the regeneration of nerve tissue in the nose, researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) and colleagues have discovered that one type of stem cell thought to be dormant may play a more significant role in preserving the sense of smell than originally believed.

19 Jun 2025

Brain age gap may influence the relationship between cognitive impairment risk factors

The difference between the brain's predicted age and actual chronological age, called a brain age gap, may influence the relationship between cognitive impairment risk factors, like high blood pressure and diabetes, and a person's cognitive performance, also known as thinking and memory skills, according to a study published June 18, 2025, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Jun 2025

Food insecurity, neighborhood disadvantage, and lack of social support affect stroke outcomes

Having poor access to food, living in a disadvantaged neighborhood and not having strong friend and family support may lead to worse outcomes after stroke, according to a study published June 18, 2025, in Neurology® Clinical Practice, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Jun 2025

T cells play key role in early stages of Parkinson’s disease

Your T cells work hard to fight disease. Unfortunately, "friendly fire" from T cells can sometimes harm the body's healthy tissues.

19 Jun 2025

Can a Japanese diet help with depression? Large study says yes

A large cross-sectional study of 12,499 Japanese workers found that higher adherence to traditional or modified Japanese diets was associated with a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that culturally rooted dietary patterns may support mental well-being, especially among educated adults.

18 Jun 2025