Disorders and Syndromes News

November 18, 2025

Top Headlines

A Surprising CBD Advance Calms Pain Without Side Effects

Nov. 18, 2025 Researchers developed a new nano-micelle formulation, CBD-IN, that finally gets CBD into the brain effectively. In mice, it relieved neuropathic pain quickly and didn’t cause the usual movement or memory side effects. Surprisingly, the pain relief ...

Daily Music Listening Linked to Big Drop in Dementia Risk

Nov. 17, 2025 Older adults who regularly listen to or play music appear to have significantly lower risks of dementia and cognitive decline. The data suggests that musical engagement could be a powerful, enjoyable tool for supporting cognitive resilience in ...

Scientists Melt Early Protein Clumps and Shut Down Alzheimer’s Damage

Nov. 15, 2025 Researchers found that tau proteins don’t jump straight into forming Alzheimer’s-associated fibrils—first they assemble into soft, reversible clusters. When the clusters were dissolved, fibril growth was almost entirely suppressed. This ...

Your Anxiety May Be Controlled by Hidden Immune Cells in the Brain

Nov. 13, 2025 Researchers have uncovered surprising evidence that anxiety may be controlled not by neurons but by two dueling groups of immune cells inside the brain. These microglia act like biological pedals—one pushing anxiety forward and the other holding ...

Clearing Brain Plaques Isn’t Enough to Heal Alzheimer’s

Nov. 11, 2025 Japanese researchers found that lecanemab, an amyloid-clearing drug for Alzheimer’s, does not improve the brain’s waste clearance system in the short term. This implies that nerve damage and impaired clearance occur early and are difficult to ...

Scientists Find Brain Chemical Tied to Trauma and Depression

Nov. 10, 2025 Researchers identified SGK1 as a key chemical connecting childhood trauma to depression and suicidal behavior. High SGK1 levels were found in the brains of suicide victims and in people with genetic variants linked to early adversity. Drugs that ...

A Simple DNA Test Could Reveal the Right Antidepressant for You

Nov. 9, 2025 Millions struggle with depression and anxiety, often enduring long waits for effective treatment. Scientists in Sweden, Denmark, and Germany are developing a genetic test to predict which medications will actually work. Using polygenic risk scores, ...

Scientists Find Brain Cells That Could Stop Alzheimer’s

Nov. 8, 2025 Researchers have identified special immune cells in the brain that help slow Alzheimer’s. These microglia work to reduce inflammation and block the spread of harmful proteins. They appear to protect memory and brain health, offering a promising ...

Mini Llama Proteins Show Promise for Alzheimer’s Treatment

Nov. 6, 2025 Miniature antibodies from camels and llamas can slip into the brain more easily than conventional drugs, offering a new way to treat disorders like Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. Researchers say these “nanobodies” could reshape the future of ...

Common Acne Drug May Protect Against Schizophrenia

Nov. 6, 2025 Scientists have discovered a surprising benefit of the acne drug doxycycline: it may lower the risk of schizophrenia. Teens prescribed the antibiotic were about one-third less likely to develop the condition as adults. The effect could stem from the ...

Scientists Find Hidden Brain Source That Fuels Dementia

Nov. 6, 2025 Weill Cornell researchers uncovered how free radicals from astrocyte mitochondria can fuel dementia. Using new compounds that target these radicals at their source, they slowed brain inflammation and neuronal damage in mice. The findings reveal a ...

Scientists May Have Found How to Reverse Memory Loss in Aging Brains

Nov. 5, 2025 Virginia Tech researchers have shown that memory loss in aging may be reversible. Using CRISPR tools, they corrected molecular disruptions in the hippocampus and amygdala, restoring memory in older rats. Another experiment revived a silenced memory ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:51am EST

Smoking Cannabis With Tobacco May Disrupt the Brain’s “bliss Molecule”

Nov. 15, 2025 Scientists found that people who use both cannabis and tobacco show a distinct brain pattern tied to mood and stress regulation. Their scans revealed ...

What Brain Scans Reveal About Soccer Fans’ Passion and Rage

Nov. 11, 2025 Researchers scanning soccer fans’ brains found that wins trigger bursts of reward activity while losses dampen control signals. The results show how loyalty and rivalry can override logic, turning ...

Common Antidepressant Found to Work in Just Two Weeks

Nov. 8, 2025 Sertraline (Zoloft) may relieve emotional symptoms of depression and anxiety within two weeks, while physical side effects stabilize later. The research highlights how antidepressants can act on ...

Scientists Uncover Meditation’s Hidden Side Effects

Nov. 5, 2025 Meditation is widely praised for its mental health benefits, but new research shows that it can also produce unexpected side effects for some people—from anxiety and dissociation to functional ...

A Breakthrough Map Reveals How the Brain Really Works

Nov. 5, 2025 Scientists have shown that brain connectivity patterns can predict mental functions across the entire brain. Each region has a unique “connectivity fingerprint” tied to its role in cognition, ...

Walking May Be the Brain’s Best Defense Against Alzheimer’s

Nov. 4, 2025 Walking a few thousand steps daily may help hold off Alzheimer’s for years, a Mass General Brigham study found. Even moderate physical activity slowed both cognitive decline and the buildup of ...

Scientists Reverse Anxiety by Rebalancing the Brain

Nov. 4, 2025 Researchers have discovered a specific set of neurons in the amygdala that can trigger anxiety and social deficits when overactive. By restoring the excitability balance in this brain region, they ...

A Groundbreaking Brain Map Could Revolutionize Parkinson’s Treatment

Nov. 3, 2025 Duke-NUS scientists unveiled BrainSTEM, a revolutionary single-cell map that captures the full cellular diversity of the developing human brain. The project’s focus on dopamine neurons provides ...

Alzheimer’s Might Be Powered by a Broken Sleep-Wake Cycle

Nov. 3, 2025 Disrupted sleep patterns in Alzheimer’s disease may be more than a symptom—they could be a driving force. Researchers at Washington University found that the brain’s circadian rhythms are ...

Resetting the Body’s Rhythm Could Protect the Brain from Alzheimer’s

Nov. 1, 2025 Researchers discovered that altering the body’s natural rhythm can help protect the brain from Alzheimer’s damage. By turning off a circadian protein in mice, they raised NAD+ levels and reduced ...

Gum Disease May Quietly Damage the Brain, Scientists Warn

Oct. 29, 2025 People with gum disease may have higher levels of brain white matter damage, a new study finds. Researchers observed that participants with gum disease had significantly more white matter ...

Running Fixes What Junk Food Breaks in the Brain

Oct. 21, 2025 New research reveals that exercise counteracts the mood-damaging effects of a Western-style diet through specific gut and hormonal mechanisms. Running restored metabolites tied to mental well-being ...

Brain Fog During Menopause? Here’s What’s Really Going on

Oct. 21, 2025 Menopause brings profound shifts not just in hormones but in the very structure of the brain. Scientists have found that gray matter in regions tied to memory and thinking can shrink, while white ...

Scientists Detect Hidden Brain Damage Years Before MS Symptoms

Oct. 21, 2025 Scientists at UCSF have uncovered evidence that multiple sclerosis silently damages the brain years before diagnosis. By studying proteins in blood samples, they identified early immune signals and ...

Your ZIP Code Could Reveal Your Risk of Dementia

Oct. 31, 2025 People living in socially and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods may face higher dementia risks, according to new research from Wake Forest University. Scientists found biological signs of ...

From Poison to Power: How Lead Exposure Helped Shape Human Intelligence

Oct. 16, 2025 Long before humans built cities or wrote words, our ancestors may have faced a hidden threat that shaped who we became. Scientists studying ancient teeth found that early humans, great apes, and even ...

Online Brain Training Reverses 10 Years of Aging in Memory and Learning

Oct. 29, 2025 A new McGill-led study reveals that digital brain exercises can rejuvenate aging brain systems responsible for learning and memory. Older adults using BrainHQ for 10 weeks showed restored cholinergic ...

Tiny Brain Nanotubes Found by Johns Hopkins May Spread Alzheimer’s

Oct. 16, 2025 Johns Hopkins scientists uncovered microscopic “nanotube” channels that neurons use to transfer toxic molecules. While this process clears waste, it can also spread harmful proteins like ...

Your Brain’s Power Supply May Hold the Key to Mental Illness

Oct. 14, 2025 Groundbreaking Harvard research is exposing hidden energy failures inside brain cells that may drive major psychiatric conditions. By studying reprogrammed neurons, scientists are revealing how ...

Your DNA May Shape How You Use Cannabis

Oct. 20, 2025 A major collaboration between UC San Diego and 23andMe identified genes that shape cannabis use behaviors. The study linked the CADM2 and GRM3 genes to cannabis use and connected these patterns to ...

Your Skin Could Warn of Hidden Mental Health Trouble

Oct. 13, 2025 People experiencing their first psychotic episode who also have skin conditions such as rashes or itching are at greater risk of depression and suicidal thoughts, according to new research presented ...

Your Type of Depression Could Shape Your Body’s Future Health

Oct. 12, 2025 Different types of depression affect the body in different ways. Atypical, energy-related depression raises the risk of diabetes, while melancholic depression increases the likelihood of heart ...

Oct. 24, 2025 A massive genetic study found that naturally lower cholesterol is linked to a dramatically reduced risk of dementia. The research simulated the effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs and showed up to ...

Stanford Scientists Grow Thousands of Mini Human Brains Using Common Food Additive

Oct. 18, 2025 Stanford scientists have solved a long-standing challenge in growing brain organoids by using a simple food additive to keep them from sticking together. The breakthrough enables the production of ...

New Research Reveals How ADHD Sparks Extraordinary Creativity

Oct. 13, 2025 Researchers have discovered that ADHD’s hallmark mind wandering might actually boost creativity. People who deliberately let their thoughts drift scored higher on creative tests in two large ...

Weight-Loss Drugs Like Ozempic May Also Curb Drug and Alcohol Addiction

Oct. 26, 2025 GLP-1 drugs, originally developed for diabetes and obesity, may also curb addictive behaviors by acting on reward circuits in the brain. Early trials show reductions in alcohol intake, opioid ...

Scientists Launch $14.2 Million Project to Map the Body’s “hidden Sixth Sense”

Oct. 25, 2025 Inside your body, an intricate communication network constantly monitors breathing, heart rate, digestion, and immune function — a hidden “sixth sense” called interoception. Now, Nobel laureate ...

Scientists Discover How a High-Fat Keto Diet Could Keep Your Brain Young

Oct. 21, 2025 Mizzou scientists are exploring how a ketogenic diet may protect the brain and prevent Alzheimer’s in people genetically predisposed to it. Their study found that female mice with the APOE4 gene ...

Breakthrough Compounds May Reverse Nerve Damage Caused by Multiple Sclerosis

Oct. 11, 2025 Researchers have identified two compounds, K102 and K110, that could repair the nerve damage from multiple sclerosis. These drugs help regenerate the protective myelin sheath and balance immune ...

Scientists Discover Brain Circuit That Can Switch Off Chronic Pain

Oct. 10, 2025 Scientists have pinpointed Y1 receptor neurons in the brain that can override chronic pain signals when survival instincts like hunger or fear take precedence. Acting like a neural switchboard, these ...