Face and neck massages improve the removal of brain cell waste products in mice

Cerebrospinal fluid flushes waste from your brain during sleep

Recent research suggests a nightly brain cleanup as an important purpose of sleep. Brain waves have been observed to work in lockstep with the brain’s blood flow and cerebrospinal fluid flow, allowing for a cleansing tide that washes away toxic waste.

Exercise releases chemicals that enhance cognitive function

Neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, along with increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels, enhance a wide range of brain functions. New research demonstrates a direct link between movement and numerous cognitive benefits, including memory, learning, and stress resilience.

Targeting cholesterol metabolism may help address macular degeneration

Research published in 2025, based on human plasma samples and mouse models, indicates that boosting the levels of a molecule called apolipoprotein M in the blood can improve cholesterol processing, helping prevent some cellular damage that contributes to age-related macular degeneration.

Resistance training is linked to better memory and cognitive function in older adults

Randomized control trials looking at structural neuroimaging and exercise suggest that resistance training in older adults induces structural brain changes that could reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Disease or mitigate its progression. The benefits have been documented when performed at least twice per week for at least six months.

Pig brain cellular activity was restarted hours after death in study published in 2019

Yale University scientists restored basic cellular activity and circulatory function in pig brains about four hours after death with a synthetic cocktail of preservatives and nutrients. This work— which didn't restart electricity activity in the brain or consciousness—could help advance future human stroke and brain injury treatments.

Remylination is a huge focus for treatment—especially among older adults

Our ability to build new myelin sheaths for nerves degrades with age. There have been research advances boosting cells that support these processes and clear away debris from degraded myelin, but not yet any medications to boost myelination itself, which would aid nerve signaling and preserve nerve function.

Researchers use the brain's ability to edit memories to explore memory deletion

Scientists have successfully implanted false memories in mice after studying how the editing process works in the brain. Beyond potentially deleting memories in those with PTSD, upcoming research may allow clinicians to forecast the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.

Some dementia cases may be linked to microorganisms in the brain

Researchers now know that, much like the gut, the brain is home to an ecosystem of microorganisms—the brain microbiome. While this area of study is still new, some scientists believe 50% of bacteria-caused dementia cases could be treated. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

Can brain scans help with processing trauma?

MRIs and brain monitoring therapies are becoming increasingly popular for those looking to process trauma and address mental health conditions, including PTSD and depression. This article details how these therapies quantify mental health, giving users another way to measure and manage their mental and emotional needs through brain mapping and other methods.

Deep brain stimulation helps manage movement in patients with neurological disorders

DBS is a surgical procedure that uses implanted electrodes to send electrical signals to targeted areas in the brain, interrupting abnormal neural activity. It may be implemented when medications lose effectiveness or cause disruptive side effects.

Flossing may lower the risk of strokes

Flossing is known to advance teeth and gum health, but it also betters one’s brain and heart health. According to data from the American Heart Association, taking care of your teeth has cardiovascular benefits. A recent study showed that regular flossers experienced lower risks of strokes, highlighting a link between oral bacteria and stroke risk.

Poor sleep increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's

Brain imaging studies reveal poor sleep leads to production of amyloid beta proteins—molecules linked to Alzheimer’s—which are cleaned from the brain during high-quality sleep. These findings suggest conditions like sleep apnea and insomnia increase the risk of developing the disease.

Can microdosing improve mental health?

Animal studies involving microdoses of psilocybin, the psychoactive component in magic mushrooms and ketamine, found it helped to alleviate anxiety and inflammation, an immune response that can cause damage when chronically active. Human studies are ongoing. In at least one double-blind study, where researchers and patients don't know who got a placebo versus the real thing, about half of the participants incorrectly guessed they had been given placebos.

Long-term memory issues among West Nile survivors may be from immune response, not virus

Rodent research suggests that long-term neurological complications such as fatigue, weakness, difficulty walking, and memory loss, may be due to the immune system systematically destroying parts of neurons in the brain in response to the infection, rather than due to viral infection itself.

Brain-computer interfaces create a direct link between the brain and external devices

The technology enables users to control prosthetics, computers, or even games using only their thoughts. In 2021, a monkey played table tennis using only its brain, thanks to a Neuralink device, marking a major milestone before human trials began in 2024.

Forcing a smile can actually make you feel slightly better

Activating your smile muscles—in this case, with electrical muscle stimulation that forces the corners of the mouth upward—makes people feel more positive, according to recent research. It won't cure depression, but it can have a small effect. Earlier faux smile research using different nonelectrical techniques had similar results, collectively suggesting that a smile may help brighten your day—even though the mechanisms for the happier result remain unclear.

Menopause affects the brain in complex ways

Lisa Mosconi, a neuroscientist studying the impact of menopause on the brain, explains in this video how menopause directly impacts a woman's brain health and explores why this is an important and often overlooked area in menopause and women's aging healthcare discussions.

Goose bumps may play a role in hair growth

Research in mice suggests that the same muscles that contract to create goose bumps act as the bridge for the sympathetic nervous system’s connection to hair follicle stem cells. This raises questions about how this knowledge could be used to reactivate the sympathetic nerves in hair follicles to boost hair growth in people.

Parents and romantic partners naturally touch at speeds optimizing nerve activation

A small observational research study shows that when parents are asked to caress their infants and volunteers are asked to caress their partners, both groups spontaneously stroke their loved ones at velocities that, on average, fell within the optimal range to stimulate the C-tactile afferent nerve receptors. This wasn't the case when volunteers were asked to do the same with an artificial arm, which they stroked much faster.

How ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) might work, and what scientists are learning about it

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the nerve cells (neurons) controlling muscle movement. As the motor neurons degenerate, they stop sending signals to the muscles, causing progressive muscle weakness and, eventually, death. This three-minute animation focuses on the mechanisms within the motor neurons that cause them to degenerate. By understanding these mechanisms, researchers hope to one day find a cure for ALS.

Neural replays in mice help explain food aversions

Princeton University scientists published research in 2025 analyzing how mice learn to associate certain foods or flavors with feeling ill—even when there’s a time gap between eating something and feeling sick. The work, performed with grape Kool-Aid and injections of a substance that made mice sick, traced the literal “gut reaction” of how gut distress signals are linked to neural replays of what the mouse ate.

Studies suggest when you sleep is as important as how much you get, and syncing with your circadian rhythms may lead to less fatigue and improved long-term health outcomes

What is the blood brain barrier?

Every blood vessel is lined with endothelial cells that act as filters between blood and the rest of the body. In the brain, these cells are tightly packed together to keep a close watch on what substances can access the vital organ. This protective measure poses an obstacle to drugmakers looking to deliver drugs to the well-defended brain for conditions like Alzheimer's. Watch a quick overview here.

Stem cell therapies

Stem cells' special attributes interest researchers developing new therapeutic tools for a variety of health problems. Much of this research is done with support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This page offers a snapshot of research programs funded by the NIH and the health problems those programs focus on.

Yawning helps regulate heat in and around the skull

All vertebrates, including solitary animals, exhibit yawning behavior, and, despite long-standing beliefs, studies show no correlation between yawning and oxygen levels. Contagious yawning may enhance group coordination and vigilance in animals and involves advanced social cognitive mechanisms.

Cells modify their internal spacing to improve biochemical reaction efficiencies

Studies involving microscopy and genetic engineering tools in yeast and human cells show ribosomes act as crowding agents—much like packing peanuts—and their concentrations are actively tuned to alter the rate of cellular functions. However, these concentrations and cell crowding levels vary across different tissues and cell types.

Recent research found that the brain doesn't seem to massively rewire following amputation—upending earlier beliefs about the cause of phantom limb pain.

Learn how monoclonal antibodies, which mimic the body's antibodies, can fight diseases like Ebola.

Against his wishes, Albert Einstein's brain was removed before his cremation, and the pathologist responsible stored it for decades in mason jars within a beer cooler.

Larger animals like giraffes, elephants, and blue whales have developed a unique defense against cancer, a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox

The use of fungi to detoxify land and water—a process known as mycoremediation—has been used to clean up natural resources affected by the 2025 California wildfires.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

Read a deep dive on the 'all-purpose healing' peptide BPC-157.

Bone marrow (soft tissue found inside certain bones) generates roughly 500 billion new blood cells each day

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

Crows are believed to have intelligence on par with a seven-year-old child and demonstrate complex behaviors, from problem-solving with tools to recognizing human faces.

In recent years a child anxiety expert has created and tested a novel phobia and anxiety treatment approach for children, focused on changing how parents respond to the fears.

When you complete a CAPTCHA on a website to prove you are human, you may be unknowingly training algorithms for self-driving cars, whose systems require training data to help identify crosswalks, bicycles, and other outdoor objects.

Listen to an in-depth conversation on the links between Parkinson's disease and herbicide exposure and the challenging pace of scientific investigation.

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama spent the 2025 summer training with monks in central China to enhance his body and mind.

Before humans, the Soviet Union and the United States sent animals—including apes, dogs, and cats—to space during the Space Race.

Poison ivy is in the same family as mangoes, cashews, and pistachios—and they all produce oily urushiol in their raw, unprocessed state—but they are typically prepared in ways to avoid causing human discomfort.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

Fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef have increased after installing waterproof speakers on the ocean floor that played recordings of sounds from healthy coral reefs.

Explore an interactive map built from more than 100,000 survey responses on where people find joy in their lives

Memecoins are a type of cryptocurrency—a form of digital currency with a wide variety of uses—created around popular 'memes,' or viral internet jokes.

Gerrymandering works through two techniques: cracking opposing voters across districts to dilute their power, and packing them into a few to waste their votes in lopsided majorities.

Power lines are dotted with large, brightly colored balls to improve the visibility of these thin wires to helicopters and small planes and help prevent potential crashes.