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Category: neuroscience

How intermittent fasting may shield the brain from chronic stress

Chronic stress, the prolonged exposure to psychological and/or physical strain, is known to be a risk factor for depression, anxiety and some other psychiatric disorders. Past studies suggest that chronic stress disrupts the integrity of myelin, a fatty insulating layer that surrounds nerve fibers and helps electrical signals travel efficiently between brain cells.

Identifying lifestyle changes that can reverse or diminish the adverse effects of chronic stress on the brain could be advantageous, as they could potentially help prevent or delay the onset of various psychiatric conditions. Recently, some researchers have been exploring the potential brain benefits of intermittent fasting (IF), a dietary pattern that entails alternating between set periods of eating and fasting.

Past findings suggest that IF can improve people’s metabolism and help reduce inflammation, the body’s natural response to disease or injury. Yet its effects on people’s mental health and well-being have not yet been clearly determined.

‘Pink noise’ can help make anesthesia work better during surgery

In the brain, specific electrical waves are associated with different states of consciousness. For instance, delta waves—also known as slow waves—are especially prevalent during deep sleep, as well as during states of unconsciousness induced by coma and general anesthesia. They are considered a “signature” of these altered states of consciousness.

Over a decade ago, research showed that it is possible to amplify these delta waves through highly precise auditory stimulation, a technique initially studied in the context of sleep.

Now researchers at Université de Montréal are bringing this technique into the operating room to help optimize general anesthesia, which also induces a state characterized by abundant delta waves.

Haptoglobin phenotypes and structural variants associate with post-exertional malaise and cognitive dysfunction in myalgic encephalomyelitis

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is a chronic, multisystem illness characterized by post-exertional malaise (PEM) and cognitive dysfunction, yet the molecular mechanisms driving these hallmark symptoms remain unclear. This study investigated haptoglobin (Hp) as a potential biomarker of PEM severity and cognitive impairment in ME, with a focus on Hp phenotypes and structural proteoforms.

A longitudinal case–control study was conducted in 140 ME patients and 44 matched sedentary healthy controls. In the discovery phase, global plasma proteomic profiling was performed in 61 ME patients and 20 controls before and after a standardized, non-invasive stress protocol in order to induce PEM. Associations between Hp levels, phenotype, and cognitive performance were assessed. In the validation phase, plasma Hp concentrations and proteoform composition were analyzed in an independent cohort of 89 ME patients and 24 controls using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

ME patients demonstrated a significant reduction in Hp levels following post-exertional stress. Lower baseline Hp concentrations were associated with impaired cognitive performance. Hp phenotypes were differentially associated with symptom burden, with the Hp2-1 phenotype enriched in ME and linked to greater PEM severity and cognitive deficits compared to Hp1-1 and Hp2-2. HPLC analysis revealed altered Hp proteoform profiles in the Hp2-1 subgroup, including increased high-mass tetrameric and pentameric forms and shorter retention times indicative of structural changes. In contrast, the Hp1-1 phenotype was associated with milder symptoms and greater cognitive resilience.

Brain aneurysm map reveals cell types tied to rupture risk

A new study from UC San Francisco shows how certain cells in the brain may cause aneurysms to weaken and rupture. It helps explain why some aneurysms burst while others do not and could lead to new ways of predicting and possibly preventing strokes.

Brain aneurysms are bulges in blood vessels that can go unnoticed for years. If they rupture, they can cause a severe and often deadly type of stroke. About one in 50 Americans has a brain aneurysm, but doctors still struggle to predict which ones are most dangerous.

The new study helps to unpack the biology behind these events by mapping the cells in artery walls and the interactions that weaken them.

Brain–computer interface detects hidden awareness in unresponsive patients

A new approach for identifying signs of hidden awareness in people who cannot speak or move after severe brain injury has been demonstrated by researchers at the University of Bath in the U.K.

The system detects patterns of brain activity through a wearable headset using an advanced application of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.

Across multiple experimental sessions, the researchers uncovered signs of consciousness that were previously undetected in unresponsive patients.

Blood biomarkers could measure response to psychotherapy in patients with depression

Research by the Barcelona Institute for Biomedical Research (IIBB), part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and the Institut de Recerca Sant Pau (IR Sant Pau) provides some of the first evidence that psychological therapies act as biological stimuli that induce molecular responses measurable through blood biomarkers.

The preliminary study, involving 22 patients with major depressive disorder at Hospital de Sant Pau, reveals that psychotherapy sessions trigger changes in microRNAs—molecules that regulate gene expression in cells—associated with significant improvements in the participants’ cognitive status. The results, published in Scientific Reports, represent an advance toward monitoring patients’ responses to pharmacological treatments and nonpharmacological therapeutic interventions.

The study, led by Dr. Maria J. Portella (IR Sant Pau) and Dr. Analia Bortolozzi (IIBB-CSIC), with Lluís Miquel-Rio (IIBB-CSIC) and Dr. Muriel Vicent-Gil (Hospital de Sant Pau) as first authors, focused on major depressive disorder (MDD). This condition is characterized not only by its effects on mood but also by a broad spectrum of cognitive impairments, including difficulties with attention, memory, processing speed and executive function. These symptoms frequently persist despite treatment and severely affect patients’ quality of life.

New tool helps uncover rare genetic mutations in common diseases, including Parkinson’s

Studies of genetics conducted in yeast cells, human neurons, mice or other model systems often reveal networks of genes that could contribute to complex diseases, such as breast cancer, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. But those findings don’t always translate to human biology. Human genetics offers a path to determining which genes among those networks are most relevant to human disease.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School have developed a new statistical framework to link networks identified in models with human genetic data. This could make it faster and easier for researchers to identify which groups of genes are most likely to contribute to a particular human disease, uncover rare disease-causing mutations and zero in on promising therapeutic targets.

The work was published in Cell Genomics.

Lithium Dosing in Bipolar Disorder Shapes Brain Exposure Patterns

Now, a new study conducted by researchers at Newcastle University and Technische Universität Dresden has used a new lithium MRI technique to reveal that brain lithium levels closely track blood concentrations throughout the day.

Understanding lithium tracking gaps in bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder affects ~40 million people globally. The mental health condition is characterized by severe shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels. Patients navigate intense emotional states that alternate between mania and deep depression.

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