Summary: New research reveals how the simple nervous system of C. elegans worms can dramatically reconfigure itself to survive infection. When exposed to harmful bacteria, the worms adapted by rewiring the roles of key neurons and neuromodulators to reduce feeding and resist quiescence.One neuropeptide, FLP-13, flipped its usual function depending...

Summary: Researchers have discovered that people’s political affiliation can be identified with nearly 80% accuracy based on brain activity while making routine decisions like buying milk and eggs. Although actual purchasing choices did not differ between Democrats and Republicans, the underlying neural patterns diverged significantly.The findings suggest that partisanship may...

Summary: A natural antioxidant found in foods like kale and berries, kaempferol, may help protect nerve cells and shows promise as a treatment for ALS and dementia. Researchers found that it improves energy production and eases stress within nerve cells, helping maintain muscle function and slow degeneration.However, the body absorbs...

Summary: A new study reveals that insufficient vitamin K may harm brain health and memory as we age. In rodent models, a vitamin K-deficient diet led to increased brain inflammation and fewer newly formed neurons in the hippocampus—key factors in learning and memory.Mice with low vitamin K struggled with memory...

Summary: A new study has identified a strong link between oral microbiota and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), revealing 11 bacterial species with potential as biomarkers. By analyzing oral samples from children aged 3–6, researchers developed a prediction model that identifies autism with 81% accuracy.This simple, non-invasive method could enable earlier...

Summary: Researchers have discovered that increased blood flow is linked to greater stiffness in the hippocampus, the brain region vital for memory and learning. This is significant because the hippocampus is among the first regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease.Using magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), a technique that measures tissue stiffness, scientists...

Summary: A new study has revealed a causal link between chronic loneliness and early mortality in middle-aged women. Researchers analyzed data from over 15 years of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health and found that persistent loneliness increased the risk of death threefold.Women who reported loneliness throughout the study...

Summary: A new AI tool, MindGlide, can rapidly analyze routine brain MRI scans to detect subtle changes caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), such as brain shrinkage and lesions. Traditionally requiring expert interpretation, this process now takes just seconds, allowing more efficient monitoring of disease progression and treatment effects.In tests with...

Summary: Researchers have developed a virtual reality and AI-based system that can detect autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in young children with over 85% accuracy—outperforming traditional assessment methods. The system observes children’s motor movements and gaze patterns while they engage in tasks within immersive virtual environments, enabling more naturalistic responses than...

Summary: A new study has found that getting vaccinated against shingles may reduce the risk of developing dementia by 20% over seven years. This conclusion comes from a natural experiment in Wales, where vaccine eligibility was determined by birthdate.Researchers used rigorous statistical methods, typically seen in economics, to isolate the...