The brain tries to repair damage after a stroke by utilizing its own repair cells, which function like skilled craftsmen. However, their efforts are often obstructed by inflammation, according to new research from the University of Southern Denmark and the University.

A new study conducted by researchers from the Department of Molecular Medicine at SDU highlights one of the most severe consequences of stroke: damage to the brain’s “cables”—the nerve fibers—which results in permanent impairments. Based on unique tissue samples from Denmark’s Brain Bank at SDU, the study could pave the way for new treatments to help the brain repair itself.

A new Tulane University study suggests the Mediterranean diet’s brain-boosting benefits may work by changing the balance of bacteria in the gut.

In a study published in Gut Microbes Reports, researchers at Tulane University School of Medicine found that subjects following a Mediterranean diet developed distinctly different gut bacteria patterns compared to those eating a typical Western diet. These bacterial changes correlated with better memory and cognitive performance.

“We’ve known that what we eat affects brain function, but this study explores how that could be happening,” said lead author Rebecca Solch-Ottaiano, Ph.D., neurology research instructor at Tulane’s Clinical Neuroscience Research Center. “Our findings suggest that dietary choices can influence cognitive performance by reshaping the gut microbiome.”