Neuroscience

Higher levels of leptin suggest brain protection against late-life dementia

Neuroscience / /

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia. It affects an estimated 6.9 million Americans and remains the fifth-leading cause of death among Americans aged 65 and older. Unlike other major causes of death, such as HIV, heart disease, and stroke, AD rates continue to rise. Despite its prevalence, the mechanisms behind disease development […]

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Mind over matter: Psychedelics as a last resort for treatment-resistant mental health disorders

Neuroscience / /

Dismissed and criminalized for decades, psychedelics were thought to offer nothing beyond mind-bending hallucinations. However, as times change, scientists are beginning to re-explore the medicinal benefits of psychedelics for treatment-resistant mental health conditions. Research has shown that drugs such as psilocybin and MDMA can be effective for treating a range of psychiatric conditions, including depression,

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How the HPA axis manages your stress levels

Neuroscience / /

It’s finals week, and you’re staring at a mountain of assignments and study guides. Getting some sleep feels impossible as your mind races and your stomach churns. This feeling of anxiety is a part of your body’s natural stress response, driven by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This neuroendocrine system is an evolutionary response that is

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Plasticity during recovery: How young brains adapt to hemispheric surgeries

Health, Neuroscience / /

According to the CDC, about 456,000 people in the US under the age of 17 have epilepsy. This equates to approximately one in 160 children who suffer from seizures. Some individuals can be treated with medication, but others may be drug–resistant, in which case doctors can recommend a hemispheric surgery. This type of operation stops

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Nothing left untouched, not even the brain

Environment, Neuroscience / /

Everything on Earth has fallen victim to plastic pollution, from our oceans to our food. Consequently, our bodies have accumulated unprecedented amounts of nanoplastic concentrations in organ tissues, including the critical cardiovascular, lung, and nervous systems. Today, scientists continue to uncover more distressing effects of microplastic exposure in the human body. Increased accessibility and inexpensiveness

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