Stra8 links neuronal activity to inhibitory circuit protection in the adult mouse brain.

Huang et al. show that Stra8, a gene previously thought to be germline specific, is expressed in the adult mouse hippocampus in an activity-dependent manner. Stra8 protects neuronal integrity and cognition by regulating neuromodulator genes and preserving inhibitory circuit function.

A Nature analysis of a major Norwegian study challenges existing estimates of Alzheimer’s prevalence, finding that 25% of people aged 85–89 have dementia with Alzheimer’s pathology — far higher than previous 7–13% estimates — while preclinical Alzheimer’s in younger seniors (70−74) occurs at only 8% versus earlier 22% estimates. Using blood biomarker pTau217 in 11,486 participants, researchers identified that 10% of over-70s had dementia, 10% had mild cognitive impairment, and 10% had preclinical Alzheimer’s, but warn that blood tests alone are insufficient for widespread screening due to potential harm from false positives. The discrepancies highlight how previous studies may have been skewed by selection bias, while demonstrating that blood-based biomarkers require careful interpretation and comprehensive clinical assessment.

A survey of Alzheimer’s disease prevalence in Norway confirms earlier estimates and might show how education level relates to risk.

A new stem cell–based therapy challenges traditional pain treatment by using pain-sensing neurons to reduce inflammation and protect joints. Newly released preclinical data describes an unconventional strategy for managing chronic pain while helping preserve joint tissue. The findings focus on SN

Using lab-grown brain tissue, researchers uncovered complex patterns of neural signaling that differ subtly between healthy brains and those linked to severe psychiatric disorders. For the first time, scientists have used pea-sized brain organoids grown in the laboratory to uncover how neurons ma