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Hearing impairment
A hearing impairment is a decrease in one's ability to hear (i.e. perceive auditory information). While some cases of hearing loss are reversible with medical treatment, many lead to a permanent disability (often called deafness). If the hearing loss occurs at a young age, it may interfere with the acquisition of spoken language and social development. Hearing aids and cochlear implants may alleviate some of the problems caused by hearing impairment, but are often insufficient.
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Mind & Brain News
April 28, 2026
Apr. 28, 2026 Scientists at MIT discovered that chaotic laser light can spontaneously form a highly focused beam instead of scattering—if the conditions are just right. This “pencil beam” enabled them to image the blood-brain barrier in 3D at speeds 25 ...
Apr. 27, 2026 A new study reveals that internalizing stress—especially feelings of hopelessness—may significantly speed up memory decline in older Chinese Americans. Surprisingly, factors like community support didn’t show the same impact. Researchers say ...
Apr. 27, 2026 Deep within the brain, scientists have uncovered a hidden “switch” that may decide whether pain fades away—or lingers for months or even years. Researchers found that a small, little-known region called the caudal granular insular cortex ...
Apr. 26, 2026 Fish oil has long been praised as brain-boosting, but new research suggests the story may be more complicated. Scientists found that in people with repeated mild head injuries, a key omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil—EPA—may actually interfere with ...
Apr. 25, 2026 A gut bacterium may be quietly fueling depression through an unexpected chemical twist. Researchers found that when Morganella morganii interacts with a common pollutant, it produces a molecule that ...
Apr. 23, 2026 A rare group of adults over 80, known as SuperAgers, are rewriting what we thought was possible for the aging brain. With memory abilities comparable to people decades younger, their brains either resist or withstand the damage typically linked to ...
Apr. 23, 2026 Scientists have identified two specific types of brain cells that behave differently in people with depression, offering a clearer picture of what is happening inside the brain. By analyzing donated brain tissue with advanced genetic tools, the ...
Apr. 18, 2026 Extra virgin olive oil might help protect your brain by working through your gut. A two-year study found that people who consumed it had better cognitive performance and more diverse gut bacteria than those using refined olive oil. Researchers even ...
Apr. 18, 2026 Engineers at Northwestern University have taken a striking leap toward merging machines with the human brain by printing artificial neurons that can actually communicate with real ones. These flexible, low-cost devices generate lifelike electrical ...
Apr. 15, 2026 A lifetime of mental stimulation—like reading, writing, and learning new skills—may help protect the brain as we age. People with the highest levels of cognitive enrichment had a much lower risk of Alzheimer’s and experienced symptoms years ...
Apr. 14, 2026 Loneliness may quietly affect how well older adults remember things—but it might not be speeding up mental decline after all. A large European study tracking over 10,000 people for seven years found that those who felt lonelier started off with ...
Apr. 11, 2026 Losing your sense of smell might signal Alzheimer’s far earlier than expected. Scientists found that immune cells in the brain actively destroy smell-related nerve fibers after detecting abnormal signals on their surfaces. This damage begins in ...
Latest Headlines
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Apr. 28, 2026 Dreams are more structured than they seem, shaped by both personal traits and real-world experiences. Researchers found that the brain doesn’t just replay daily life—it reshapes it into ...
Apr. 15, 2026 Feeling mentally “on” isn’t just in your head—it can significantly boost what you accomplish. Researchers found that sharper thinking on a given day leads people to set bigger goals and ...
Apr. 10, 2026 Alzheimer’s isn’t just one problem—it’s a tangled mix of biology, aging, and overall health. That’s why drugs targeting a single factor have fallen short, even as new treatments show modest ...
Apr. 9, 2026 A hidden waste-removal pathway in the brain has finally been caught in action. Using cutting-edge MRI scans, researchers discovered that fluid flows along the middle meningeal artery in a slow, ...
Apr. 9, 2026 Your brain might be quietly deciding what tastes good before you even take a sip. Researchers found that simply changing what people thought they were drinking—sugar or artificial sweetener—could ...
Apr. 9, 2026 Scientists are uncovering a surprising connection between autism and ADHD that goes deeper than labels. Instead of diagnoses, it’s the severity of autism-like traits that seems to shape how the ...
Apr. 9, 2026 A new study reveals that gut bacteria may play a key role in triggering ALS and frontotemporal dementia. Harmful sugars produced by these microbes can spark immune responses that damage the brain. ...
Apr. 8, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a surprising new player in Alzheimer’s disease: a protein called CSE that helps produce tiny amounts of hydrogen sulfide ...
Apr. 8, 2026 A new survey reveals a striking disconnect in how Americans think about autism research. While nearly everyone agrees that studying the autistic brain is essential, most people are unaware that brain ...
Apr. 7, 2026 Researchers have developed a cutting-edge technique that uses RNA “barcodes” to map how neurons connect, capturing thousands of links with ...