Research
Regular cycling may reshape brain activity in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a pilot study that tracked neural changes using implanted brain stimulation devices. Researchers monitored participants with Parkinson’s before and after 12 dynamic cycling sessions over four weeks, using deep brain stimulation (DBS) implants to record signals from the subthalamic nucleus – a [...]
Light therapy is being trialled in Parkinson’s patients, with early signs suggesting it may slow the deterioration of damaged brain cells in some cases. The technique involves directing light beams at nerve cells deep in the brain to stimulate mitochondria – structures that generate energy within cells – and potentially restore function. Scientists [...]
A new treatment tested in mice could help limit brain damage caused when blood flow is restored after a stroke. Researchers are investigating how acidified disodium malonate (aDSM) may reduce injury caused by the sudden return of oxygen-rich blood to brain tissue after clot removal. Fewer than one in 10 stroke patients currently leave hospital [...]
Researchers are studying how genetics and the Epstein-Barr virus might interact to predict multiple sclerosis (MS) risk before symptoms appear. The study will investigate why some people exposed to Epstein-Barr – a virus that affects up to 90 per cent of the population – develop MS, while others do not, using genetic profiles to identify [...]
Scientists have identified how the spinal cord regulates bladder emptying in humans, a discovery that could lead to new treatments for urinary incontinence. Using functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI), researchers visualised spinal cord activity in real time during bladder filling and emptying – the first time this has been directly observed in humans. Urinary incontinence, which [...]
Experts are urging tailored strategies to improve diagnosis, treatment and monitoring for older people with multiple sclerosis as care gaps continue. As more people with MS live longer, age-related biological changes increasingly complicate how the condition is diagnosed and managed – yet no universal framework currently addresses these challenges. More than half of people with [...]
Chemicals in earwax may hold clues to early signs of Parkinson’s disease, with a new study reporting over 94 per cent diagnostic accuracy using these biological markers. Researchers examined how volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – substances released by the body through natural processes – are altered by inflammation and nerve damage associated with Parkinson’s. The [...]
People are diagnosed with dementia an average of 3.5 years after symptoms first appear, with early-onset cases facing longer waits of around 4.1 years, new research has foubd. The first global review of dementia diagnosis delays analysed data from 30,257 people in Europe, the US, Australia and China. Delays were longest in younger people and [...]
A plant-derived psychedelic has significantly reduced PTSD, anxiety and depression in military veterans with brain injuries, according to a new Stanford Medicine study. Ibogaine, combined with magnesium to reduce cardiac risk, was given to 30 special operations veterans with blast-related traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Researchers observed marked improvements in mental health and functioning within a [...]
People who never caught COVID-19 still showed signs of faster brain ageing during the pandemic, with scans revealing an average increase of 5.5 months in a recent study The researchers used brain imaging to assess structural brain changes in adults who lived through the pandemic compared to those who had scans before it began. They [...]
