New Links Discovered Between Brain, Surrounding Environment
In a recent study of the brain’s waste drainage system, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL), collaborating with NINDS investigators, discovered a direct connection between the brain and its tough protective covering, the dura mater.
Law Enforcement Seizes More ‘Shrooms’
Law enforcement seizures of “magic mushrooms” or “shrooms” containing the psychoactive component psilocybin increased dramatically in the U.S. between 2017 and 2022.
Covid-19 Vaccination, Boosting During Pregnancy Protects Infants
Women who receive an mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccination or booster during pregnancy can provide their infants with strong protection against symptomatic Covid-19 infection for at least six months after birth, according to an NIAID study.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Alters Brain Activity in Children with Anxiety
NIH researchers have found that children with anxiety disorders have overactivity in several brain regions.
Switching to Vegan or ‘Keto’ Diets Rapidly Affects Immune System
NIH researchers observed rapid and distinct immune system changes in a small study of people who switched to a vegan or a ketogenic (keto) diet.
Abnormal Proteins Found in Spinal Fluid of People with ALS and Dementia
NIH researchers detected abnormal proteins in the spinal fluid of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which could help improve diagnosis of these diseases.
Atlas of Placenta May Yield New Clues
An atlas revealing the activity of individual placental cells during childbirth offers insight on what happens at the maternal-fetal interface during term labor, according to an NIH-supported study.
Common Marker of Neurological Diseases May Play Role in Healthy Brains
Researchers have discovered that a protein called phosphorylated α-synuclein, which is associated with several neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, is also involved in the normal processes of how neurons communicate with each other in a healthy brain.
NIH-Developed HIV Antibodies Protect Animals in Study
Three different HIV antibodies each independently protected monkeys from acquiring simian-HIV (SHIV) in a placebo-controlled proof-of-concept study intended to inform development of a preventive HIV vaccine for people.
Decades after Hypertensive Pregnancy Complications, Effects Linger in Hispanic Women
Hispanic/Latina women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP)—conditions marked by high blood pressure during pregnancy—are more likely to have abnormalities in their heart structure and function decades later, compared with women without a history of HDP.