neurodegeneration

Standard genetic tests for Alzheimer's often fail in non-European populations. A new study shows that blending global genetic data creates a highly accurate tool that predicts both Alzheimer's risk and underlying brain damage across diverse ancestral groups.

Salk Institute scientists found that immune cells in the central nervous system identify and kill specific nerve cells in the spinal cords of mice with late-stage ALS, worsening the disease. The findings could help inform new approaches to cancer and autoimmune therapies. In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the nerve cells that control movement gradually die, [...]

Scientific Reports, Published online: 05 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-69225-8 TNF-α and IFN-γ induce neurotoxicity in human iPSC-derived astrocytes that is enhanced by aging

Two groundbreaking studies have fundamentally challenged established paradigms of Alzheimer’s disease progression by revealing previously unrecognized mechanisms of neurodegeneration. First, researchers from Columbia University overturned long-held assumptions about the tau protein, discovering that it is produced locally in neuronal dendrites rather than migrating from axons as previously believ…

Conventional wisdom holds that younger brains are better equipped to recover from injury. Their greater flexibility allows them to adapt, rebuild connections and compensate for damage in ways older brains often cannot.

This review examines how diet-driven changes in the gut microbiota and microbial metabolites may influence cognitive aging through immune, metabolic, neural, endocrine, and barrier-related pathways. It highlights SCFAs, tryptophan-derived metabolites, and bile acids as key signaling mediators while emphasizing that much of the mechanistic evidence remains preclinical and human evidence is largely…

ObjectiveThis study was conducted to assess the relationship between the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the total burden score of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD), global cerebral blood flow (CBF), and cognitive function. Moreover, the internal pathway through which OSA induces cognitive impairment by affecting cerebral perfusion, and overall cerebral small vessel lesions was d…

IntroductionSpeech is organized into discrete utterances and pauses in accordance with underlying linguistic structure, temporal coordination, prosodic organization, and respiratory demands. Temporal speech characteristics, including rhythmic and pausing patterns, are governed by multiple neurophysiological mechanisms and provide valuable insights for the assessment and management of motor speech…

Patients with treatment-resistant depression show a widespread loss of complexity in their resting brain activity. A recent brain imaging study suggests this reduced neural entropy could serve as a biological marker for the severe, chronic illness.

Brain cells that produce the protective coating around nerve fibers can become dysfunctional with age and may actively contribute to cognitive decline, according to new research. A study found that people with more severe cognitive decline had changes to nerve fibers and myelin—the protective coating around nerve fibers that helps messages travel efficiently through the […]

Variation in the microtubule-binding protein tau is causally implicated in numerous neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. However, the mechanisms by which such variation results in disease are not well understood. The JNPL3(P301L) mouse model mimics the effects of the P301L mutation on human tau associated with frontotemporal dementia. As previously reported, phospho-tau aggr…

The ability of AD treatments targeting classic pathological proteins to achieve meaningful clinical outcomes has been severely limited, shifting attention to the earlier upstream pathways that drive disease progression. Increasing evidence indicates that synaptic mitochondrial dysfunction is an early pathological event that directly contributes to synaptic loss and cognitive decline. This review …

BackgroundAlzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia, is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by abnormal accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ), which leads to memory impairment, synaptic dysfunction, and neuronal loss. This study investigated whether Alismatis Rhizoma (AR) could prevent Aβ oligomer (AβO)-induced synaptic dysfunction, neuronal cell death, and consequent memory de…

When months-old Cristofer was diagnosed with a rare, severe neurodegenerative disease, world-class research and clinical trials at U of U Health gave him and his family new hope for the future.

Machine-learning models developed by University of Miami researchers used clinical, biomarker and imaging data to identify Parkinson's patients at higher risk for rapid cognitive or motor decline.

When months-old Cristofer was diagnosed with a rare, severe neurodegenerative disease, world-class research and clinical trials at U of U Health gave him and his family new hope for the future.

When Alzheimer’s disease appears before age 65, families often face uncertainty about much more than the diagnosis itself. They may need to know how long a person can continue working, driving, managing money or living independently. New research suggests that the pattern of brain tissue loss visible on an MRI scan may help estimate how […] The post Brain Shrinkage Could Help Families Plan for Ea…

Zanvastro, an antisense oligonucleotide therapy, represents the first independent neurology launch for Ionis Pharmaceuticals, which intends to leverage the foothold for more approvals in rare neurodegenerative diseases, including Angelman syndrome.

What’s the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today? Exercise! says neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. Get inspired to go to the gym as Suzuki discusses the science of how working out boosts your mood and memory — and protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Nature Neuroscience, Published online: 03 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41593-026-02427-5 The authors identify peripheral dendritic cell priming of T cells as a key driver of brain inflammation and neurodegeneration in a mouse model of tauopathy, providing new insights into immune mechanisms contributing to tau-dependent neurodegeneration.