Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is increasingly a major cause of disability across the globe. The current methods of diagnosis are inadequate at classifying patients and prognosis. TBI is a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. There is no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment for TBI yet. It took about 16 years of preclinical research to develop accurate and objective diagnostic measures for TBI. Two brain-specific protein biomarkers, namely, ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein, have been extensively characterized. Recently, the two biomarkers were approved by the FDA as the first blood-based biomarker, Brain Trauma Indicator™ (BTI™), via the Breakthrough Devices Program. This scoping review presents (i) TBI diagnosis challenges, (ii) the process behind the FDA approval of biomarkers, and (iii) known unknowns in TBI biomarker biology.

There’s an exciting new development in the field of Alzheimer’s disease research. Surprisingly, it centers around a common bodybuilding supplement known as HMB. The key to preserving memory and staving off this devastating disease may, in fact, reside in the diet of those pumping iron at the gym.

Researchers from RUSH Medical College have recently revealed that the muscle-enhancing supplement known as beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) could hold potential in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

The supplement, frequently used by bodybuilders to boost muscle growth and enhance performance, might also aid in memory protection, plaque reduction, and slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

In a way, the brain changes its channels as we go about our day to match our internal state of mind to outside requirements—though at any point, the channels can bleed over.

But there’s a mysterious outcast: a frequency called theta waves. They happen while we’re awake or asleep. For decades, these waves have taunted neuroscientists trying to decipher their functions. Theta waves seem to help mice navigate mazes, but also support memory in humans.

It’s not just academic curiosity. Our ability to navigate complex new environments and keep those memories declines with age. It’s especially tough for people with Alzheimer’s disease. By finding the driving source of theta waves, we could potentially enhance them—using neurostimulation or other methods—to slow cognitive decline.