https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Concentration problems, brain fog, slowed thinking: Cognitive complaints are among the most common and debilitating symptoms of post-COVID condition. Researchers at the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) have now found evidence that the energy metabolism in the brains of those affected is measurably altered. In a study using a special magnetic resonance imaging method, patients with post-COVID condition showed an altered ratio of important energy carriers in the brain, which was correlated with performance in cognitive tests. The research is published in the journal Biological Psychiatry. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-impaired-energy-metabolism-brains-people.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 18:10:01 EST news689867636 Lucid dreaming (LD) is one of the most fascinating parts of human consciousness, where you realize you are actually dreaming while you're still asleep and, in some situations, can decide what happens next. There is a growing interest in lucid dreaming among scientists, but research is often scattered across different fields and long-term evidence of how it affects our health is lacking. So, a group of researchers conducted a massive review of existing studies to pull all the evidence together and discovered that this state of mind could help treat mental health issues like chronic nightmares and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-lucid-mental-health-therapy.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:40:05 EST news689868150 Some of us remember having more energy in our 20s. We could work late, sleep badly, have a night out, recover quickly and still feel capable the next day. By our 40s, that ease has often gone. Fatigue feels harder to shake. It's tempting to assume this is simply the aging process—a one-way decline. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-truth-energy-40s-harder-20s.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 11:34:42 EST news689859242 Chronic alcohol consumption profoundly alters gene expression in key brain regions involved in reward, impulse control, and decision-making, according to a study led by researchers at the Institute for Neurosciences, a joint center of Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). Published in the journal Addiction, the work provides new insight into the biological basis of alcohol addiction and points toward potential therapeutic targets. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-decades-reshape-gene-key-human.html Mon, 09 Feb 2026 03:00:02 EST news689339341 Despite decades of research, the mechanisms behind fast flashes of insight that change how a person perceives their world, termed "one-shot learning," have remained unknown. A mysterious type of one-shot learning is perceptual learning, in which seeing something once dramatically alters our ability to recognize it again. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-brain-mechanism-intuition.html Sat, 07 Feb 2026 07:00:04 EST news689442651 Deep brain stimulation (DBS) improves motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease by modulating a specific brain network that is mainly active in the fast beta frequency range (20 to 35 Hz). This conclusion was reached by an interdisciplinary team of neuroscientists and clinicians from the University Hospitals of Cologne and Düsseldorf, Harvard Medical School and Charité Berlin. The study "The Deep Brain Stimulation Response Network in Parkinson's Disease Operates in the High Beta Band" in the journal Brain is the first to bridge the gap between two ways of analyzing DBS response that were previously widely separate: electrophysiology and brain imaging. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-brain-network-effective-treatment-parkinson.html Fri, 06 Feb 2026 13:41:06 EST news689607601 A new type of brain implant may have implications for both brain research and future treatments of neurological diseases such as epilepsy. Researchers from DTU, the University of Copenhagen, University College London, and other institutions have developed a long, needle-thin brain electrode with channels—a so-called microfluidic Axialtrode (mAxialtrode), named for its ability to distribute functional interfaces along the length of the implant, enabling both neural signal recording and precisely targeted medication delivery across different brain regions. The research results have been published in Advanced Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-gentle-implant-illuminate-medication-brain.html Thu, 05 Feb 2026 09:00:01 EST news689503588 Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurological disorder affecting more than 1 million people in the U.S. and more than 10 million globally, is characterized by debilitating symptoms such as tremors, movement difficulties, sleep disturbances and cognitive impairments. While current treatments, including long-term medication and invasive deep brain stimulation (DBS), can alleviate symptoms, they cannot halt progression or cure the disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-brain-network-responsible-parkinson-disease.html Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:00:03 EST news689415121 A patient with complete blindness caused by irreversible optic nerve damage partially recovered natural vision after participating in a clinical trial of electrical stimulation of the visual cortex conducted by researchers from the Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche (UMH) and the CIBER in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN). The unexpected improvement was spontaneous, sustained over time, and independent of the implanted device. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-unexpected-partial-recovery-natural-vision.html Tue, 03 Feb 2026 02:30:01 EST news689275382 If you name it, you can tame it. That's a new tool for fighting cigarette cravings, according to assistant research psychologist Golnaz Tabibnia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-technique-cigarette-cravings.html Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:32:21 EST news688984321 Research investigating the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on individuals with depression and comorbid anxiety reveals a dual impact of this noninvasive form of brain stimulation. Results showed enhanced task engagement and activation of brain regions associated with executive function, but also, unexpectedly, heightened sensitivity to threats. The findings from the study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging suggest that tDCS could be considered as an adjunct (supporting) treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) when used in combination with therapies that would benefit from higher attention/engagement. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-brain-tdcs-boosts-focus-heightens.html Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:07:55 EST news688910832 For people with migraine, summer can be a double-edged sword. You may be able to relax more, sleep in, enjoy the sunshine, and spend time with family and friends. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-migraine-worse-summer.html Thu, 29 Jan 2026 11:24:30 EST news688908242 Researchers at University of Tsukuba and their collaborators have demonstrated that learning from both rewarding and aversive outcomes requires a common brain molecule, sulfatase 1 (Sulf1). This extracellular enzyme removes 6-O-sulfate groups from heparan sulfate, a sugar chain involved in regulating various physiological functions. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-reward-aversion-require-brain-molecule.html Wed, 28 Jan 2026 04:35:37 EST news688797219 Researchers have developed a way to grow a highly specialized subset of brain nerve cells that are involved in motor neuron disease and damaged in spinal injuries. Their study, published today in eLife, presents fundamental findings on the directed differentiation of a rare population of special brain progenitors—also known as adult or parent stem cells—into corticospinal-like neurons. The editors note that the work provides compelling data demonstrating the success of this new approach. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-scientists-specialized-nerve-cells-degenerate.html Tue, 27 Jan 2026 20:00:01 EST news688751614 Menopause is linked to reductions in gray matter volume in key brain regions as well as increased levels of anxiety and depression and difficulties with sleep, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. The study, published in Psychological Medicine, found that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) does not appear to mitigate these effects, though it can slow the decline in reaction times. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-menopause-linked-loss-gray-brain.html Mon, 26 Jan 2026 19:00:05 EST news688642326 A new doctoral dissertation shows that gambling disorder is linked to brain networks involved in self-control and brain reward functions. By combining several brain imaging methods, the research provides new biological insight into the disorder and may point to promising directions for treatment development. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-links-gambling-addiction-brain-networks.html Sun, 25 Jan 2026 07:10:01 EST news688230348 As individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) move from the mild cognitive impairment stage to moderate and severe dementia, complex awareness deteriorates although lower-level sensory awareness is relatively maintained. Most conscious processes also become more impaired as AD progresses, including attention, working memory, episodic memory and executive function, while unconscious processes, such as procedural or muscle memory, operant conditioning (behavior controlled by consequences), and priming (where the experience of a stimulus affects the processing of a similar stimulus) are relatively spared. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-alzheimer-disease-brain.html Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:10:30 EST news688317001 Can the brain keep working when its architecture changes? Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have discovered that neurons located in the wrong place can still carry out their normal function—challenging long-held assumptions about how the brain is organized. Published in Nature Neuroscience, this study reveals an unexpected ability of the brain to adapt. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-misplaced-neurons-brain-essential-sensory.html Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:47:54 EST news688056362 The way the brain develops can shape us throughout our lives, so neuroscientists are intensely curious about how it happens. A new study by researchers in The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT that focused on visual cortex development in mice, reveals that an important class of neurons follows a set of rules that while surprising, might just create the right conditions for circuit optimization. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-unique-class-neurons-table-brain.html Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:50:02 EST news687617763 Researchers from Kyushu University discovered a previously unrecognized synaptic "hotspot" that forms during adolescence, challenging the long-held view that adolescent brain development was dominated by synaptic pruning. This hotspot fails to form in mice carrying a schizophrenia-associated gene, pointing to a potential link between adolescent synaptic formation and psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-synaptic-formation-adolescence-conventional-views.html Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:00:11 EST news687616321 A new study suggests that a little-known region deep in the brain could be crucial for preserving physical strength as we age. The findings could help detect and prevent frailty before it begins. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-aging-brain-region-frailty.html Tue, 13 Jan 2026 18:40:01 EST news687519318 A new study led by researchers at UTHealth Houston investigated both gene expression and regulation at single cell levels to reveal disruptions in gene function in three brain regions of patients with sporadic early onset Alzheimer's disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-gene-disruptions-sporadic-early-onset.html Tue, 13 Jan 2026 16:42:23 EST news687544862 The sound of a fire alarm tells us to get out quickly to not get hurt, while the sight of a gas station sign can signal a chance to refuel. In everyday life, we learn to link cues we sense with what they mean, helping us avoid danger or find what we need. But how does the brain sort and prioritize all these cues and their significance to quickly guide our reactions to what we see, hear, feel and sense? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-brain-neurons-salience-valence-important.html Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:41:48 EST news687537661 A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Communications, reveals how rhythmic brain waves known as alpha oscillations help us distinguish between our own body and the external world. The findings offer new insights into how the brain integrates sensory signals to create a coherent sense of bodily self. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-brain-1.html Mon, 12 Jan 2026 09:25:11 EST news687432176 You stub your toe on the bedpost. Before your brain even registers the pain, a word explodes from your mouth—sharp, loud and oddly satisfying. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-health-benefits.html Mon, 29 Dec 2025 10:36:05 EST news686226763 Humans possess a remarkable balance between stability and flexibility, enabling them to quickly establish new plans and adjust goals even in the face of sudden changes. However, "model-free reinforcement learning," which is widely used in robotics and exemplified by AlphaGo's famous match against Lee Sedol, struggles to achieve these two capabilities simultaneously. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-brain-ai-human-goals-uncertainty.html Mon, 29 Dec 2025 07:19:08 EST news686215117 Our thoughts are specified by our knowledge and plans, yet our cognition can also be fast and flexible in handling new information. How does the well-controlled and yet highly nimble nature of cognition emerge from the brain's anatomy of billions of neurons and circuits? https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-flexibly-thought-brain-space.html Tue, 23 Dec 2025 10:33:33 EST news685708381 Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by extreme mood changes. Individuals diagnosed with BD typically alternate between periods of high energy, euphoria, irritability and/or impulsivity (i.e., manic episodes) and others marked by feelings of sadness, low energy, and hopelessness (i.e., depression). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-gut-bacteria-play-role-bipolar.html Tue, 23 Dec 2025 09:50:01 EST news685363523 Attention disorders such as ADHD involve a breakdown in our ability to separate signal from noise. The brain is constantly bombarded with information, and focus depends on its ability to filter out distractions and detect what matters. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-homer1-gene-calms-mind-attention.html Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:07 EST news685283142 New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London has provided the first direct evidence that schizophrenia is associated with a greater release of serotonin in the frontal cortex, and demonstrates its link to a greater severity of some of the most disabling symptoms of the disorder. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-surge-serotonin-treatment-schizophrenia.html Sun, 21 Dec 2025 15:10:01 EST news685368209