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This ancient fossil holds the oldest intact brain ever discovered, and it looks strikingly like that of a spider, © Credit: Nicholas Strausfeld Share this post A fossil found in southern China has revealed something scientists rarely get to see: the incredibly well-preserved brain and nervous system of a 520-million-year-old creature. It belonged to a now-extinct marine animal with big front claws and a body that shares surprising similarities with today’s spiders and scorpions. The fossil, part of the Alalcomenaeus genus, offers a detailed snapshot of early arthropod evolution. Researchers discovered that its nervous system, especially the brain and nerve...

A new study shows that the widely used antidepressant fluoxetine does more than boost serotonin levels: it changes how brain cells manage their energy and rebuild their connections, potentially helping the brain "loosen up" and adapt during depression treatment. Using cell type–specific transcriptome profiling, researchers found that after two weeks of treatment, a special class of brain cells, called parvalbumin interneurons, which help keep brain activity balanced, became less rigid in the prefrontal cortex. Their mitochondria showed reduced expression of genes linked to energy production, while genes related to plasticity were upregulated. At the same time, the protective perineuronal nets...

Revenge is an act designed to inflict harm on someone because they’ve inflicted harm on us. We could yearn for anything after we’ve been mistreated, like a scoop of ice cream, a nap, or a relaxing massage. But what most of us really want is the other person’s pain—and for them to know that their pain is because of the pain they’ve caused us. The desire for revenge is the root motivation for almost all forms of human violence. From childhood bullying to intimate partner violence, urban violence, police brutality, mass shootings, violent extremism, genocide, and even war, perpetrators of...

On Sept. 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck at Utah Valley University during the first stop of his “American Comeback” tour. I was in my audition seminar class when I absentmindedly checked my phone and audibly gasped as my eyes glanced over the Washington Post notification. I followed the story into my next class, refreshing my laptop for updates and texting my friends. I was vaguely familiar with Kirk for his controversial right-wing extremist takes, and his murder came as a shock to me and many others, most likely because we tend to view public figures as...

St.Jude researchers revealed that midkine blocks amyloid beta from forming harmful clumps linked to Alzheimer’s. Without it, the damaging assemblies accelerate, but with it, growth halts. The finding could inspire new drugs that harness midkine’s protective power.

MSU researchers discovered that microbes begin shaping the brain while still in the womb, influencing neurons in a region critical for stress and social behavior. Their findings suggest modern birth practices that alter the microbiome may have hidden impacts on brain development.

Scientists at UCSF have uncovered a surprising culprit behind brain aging: a protein called FTL1. In mice, too much FTL1 caused memory loss, weaker brain connections, and sluggish cells. But when researchers blocked it, the animals regained youthful brain function and sharp memory. The discovery suggests that one protein could be the master switch for aging in the brain — and targeting it may one day allow us to actually reverse cognitive decline, not just slow it down.

Red meat has long been associated with cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death globally. But new research offers a new perspective. According to Samitinjaya Dhakal, including red meat in high-quality diets improves adequacy of nutrients related to mental health and was associated with favorable shifts in gut microbial diversity. "What was really compelling was the significant nutritional benefit we saw in healthy eaters who consumed red meat," Dhakal said. "This suggests the public health message shouldn't be about complete elimination, but rather about building a high-quality diet into which lean red meat can fit." Dhakal and his research team...

Texas A&M research institute releases final installment of study highlighting the pandemic’s neurological impact and raising concerns about Chinese military research on coronaviruses. The Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at Texas A&M University has released the second and final installment of a major report completed by Dr. Robert Kadlec in 2024. The report, A Critical Review of COVID-19 Origins: “Hidden in Plain Sight,” examines the evidence on how the COVID-19 pandemic emerged and the disease’s impact on the brain. The final installment of Kadlec’s report reaches three overarching conclusions: >Evidence suggests that the pandemic began due to a virus escaping...

As people age, rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases rise, leading to more use of blood thinners such as warfarin. Falls are the leading cause of injury and death in older adults. While anticoagulants protect against heart and vessel problems, they increase the risk of serious bleeding, particularly, brain hemorrhages after head trauma. Current guidelines call for extra monitoring and repeat brain scans for patients on warfarin after head injuries. Warfarin is considered especially challenging because maintaining safe blood-thinning levels—measured by the International Normalized Ratio (INR)—can be difficult. When INR is too high, bleeding risk rises significantly. Researchers conducted a...

In A Nutshell * A single high-fat meal impaired both blood vessel function and brain blood flow regulation in healthy men within just 4 hours. * Older adults showed more pronounced declines, suggesting age-related vulnerability. *Triglyceride levels more than doubled after the meal, and brain vessels became stiffer. * These short-term changes may elevate stroke and cardiovascular risk, even in physically fit individuals. ======================================================================== CARDIFF, Wales — You’ve probably heard that greasy meals aren’t great for your heart, but new research suggests they might be just as bad for your brain, and the effects show up fast. Just four hours...

Lab-dish study using brain cells from elderly mice yields promising results for a potential anti-aging recipe, but more research is necessary. In A Nutshell * Aging brain cells in mice restored youthful energy balance (GTP levels) within 16 hours using vitamin B3 and green tea extract * The treatment cleared toxic protein buildup and improved survival by 22% in Alzheimer’s-model neurons * It also restored waste-clearing vesicle function by reducing the buildup of Rab7- and Arl8b-tagged vesicles * Findings are based on in vitro studies and will require confirmation in living animals and humans ================================================================================= IRVINE, Calif. — Can brain...

Actress Kelley Mack, known for her roles in “The Walking Dead” and “Chicago Med,” died Saturday in her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mack succumbed to a battle with glioma, a form of cancer that affects the central nervous system, according to a blog on health platform Caringbridge about her health journey. She was 33. Mack, whose full name is Kelley Lynne Klebenow, said she first started noticing “persistent lower back pain” in October 2024. Her health issues escalated the night before Thanksgiving when she went to the emergency room and underwent an MRI, which revealed “an abnormal mass” in her...

You just can't make this stuff up. When Lawrence and Abbey Butler's 56-year-old son, Timothy Garlington, passed away in Georgia, they had his remains returned to Pennsylvania for burial. The shipping funeral home was Southern Cremations & Funerals at Cheatham Hill, and the receiving funeral home was Nix and Nix. It's probably a standard procedure for folks who die away from home. [Fair Warning: from this point forward, this story has a gross factor of 10/10.] What's not so standard is that at some point in the process, someone removed Garlington's brain from his body and put it in an...

A new study reveals that fragmented sleep causes cellular damage to the brain's blood vessels, providing further evidence to suggest that sleep disruption predisposes the brain to dementia. The research is the first to offer cellular and molecular evidence that sleep disruption directly causes damage to brain blood vessels and blood flow. "We found that individuals who had more fragmented sleep, such as sleeping restlessly and waking up a lot at night, had a change in their balance of pericytes—a brain blood vessel cell that plays an important role in regulating brain blood flow and the entry and exit of...

A new clinical trial demonstrates that dietary changes significantly reduce persistent post-traumatic headaches (pPTH), a common and debilitating consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Researchers found that increasing omega-3 fatty acids (commonly found in fatty fish like salmon and tuna) while reducing omega-6 fatty acids (abundant in seed oils such as corn, sunflower, and cottonseed oils) led to fewer and less severe headaches. The randomized trial involved 122 military health care beneficiaries suffering from chronic headaches following TBI. In addition to their current headache treatments, patients were asked to adhere to one of two diets for 12 weeks: a control...

In A Nutshell * Two FDA-approved cancer drugs — letrozole and irinotecan — significantly improved memory and reduced brain damage in mice with Alzheimer’s. * The combination therapy targets multiple brain cell types by reversing gene disruptions in neurons and glia. *Real-world medical records of 1.4 million patients show lower Alzheimer’s rates in people treated with these drugs for cancer. * The findings offer a new multi-target strategy that may outperform existing single-drug treatments, but human trials are still needed. SAN FRANCISCO — Two cancer medications already on pharmacy shelves might hold the key to treating Alzheimer’s disease, and early...

Lab Study Raises Concerns That Sugar Substitute Erythritol May Raise Risk Of Stroke In a Nutshell Erythritol, found in many sugar-free drinks, was tested on human brain blood vessel cells in the lab. The sweetener increased cellular stress and disrupted key protective pathways. These changes are known risk factors for stroke — but the study was short-term and done in cells only. Researchers say more human research is needed to understand real-world health effects. ============================================================================== BOULDER, Colo. — That zero-calorie sweetener making your morning coffee taste just right might be quietly interfering with the tiny blood vessels in your brain...

So I just got back from a neurologist for a little more of a precise diagnosis of what for a couple of decades has been called "ADHD." It was actually a very in-depth series of IQ tests. Turns out I'm "genius" level in comprehension, verbal abilities, short-term memory, and so on. But seriously below average in long-term memory. Like 145, 143, 141, 139, 147, 151... 86??? Fortunately, it doesn't fit any profiles of dementia or Alzheimer's, especially since I'd be incredibly young for that. Could be brain damage, given my history. Could just be a weird roll of the dice,...

New research has found that being overworked can physically alter the brain. Researchers in South Korea set out to understand how working long hours impact the cognitive and emotional health of employees. The study, published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine, assessed the brain volume of 110 healthcare workers who were classified by the categories of overworked — working greater than or equal to 52 hours per week — and non-overworked. […] The increased brain volume as observed was found in regions associated with executive functions, (study co-author Wanhyung) Lee said, such as memory, decision-making and attention — as...