Elder Care (Everybody)

Stanford researchers discovered that dialing down an overactive enzyme, LRRK2, can regrow lost cellular “antennae” in key brain cells, restoring vital dopamine communication and neuroprotective signals in a mouse model of genetic Parkinson’s. After three months on the LRRK2-blocking drug MLi-2, damaged circuits revived and early signs of neuronal recovery emerged, hinting that timely treatment could not only halt but reverse disease progression—and perhaps benefit other Parkinson’s forms.

A new brain scan tool shows how quickly your body and mind are aging. It can spot early signs of diseases like dementia, long before symptoms begin. The scan looks at hidden clues in your brain to predict future health.

Scientists have uncovered a surprising sugar-related mechanism inside brain cells that could transform how we fight Alzheimer’s and other dementias. It turns out neurons don’t just store sugar for fuel—they reroute it to power antioxidant defenses, but only if an enzyme called GlyP is active. When this sugar-clearing system is blocked, toxic tau protein builds up and accelerates brain degeneration.

Researchers are using an advanced brain imaging method called MEG to understand why Parkinson’s drug levodopa doesn’t work equally well for everyone. By mapping patients’ brain signals before and after taking the drug, they discovered that it sometimes activates the wrong brain regions, dampening its helpful effects. This breakthrough could pave the way for personalized treatment strategies, ensuring patients receive medications that target the right areas of their brain more effectively.

USC researchers have found a promising new brain scan marker that could better detect Alzheimer’s risk — but only for some. The tau-based benchmark works in Hispanic and White populations when paired with another Alzheimer’s protein, amyloid, but falls short for Black participants, revealing critical gaps in current diagnostics.

A groundbreaking study from the University of Auckland and Chalmers University of Technology is offering new hope for spinal cord injury patients. Researchers have developed an ultra-thin implant that delivers gentle electric currents directly to the injured spinal cord. This device mimics natural developmental signals to stimulate nerve healing, and in animal trials, it restored movement and touch sensation in rats—without causing inflammation or damage.

Misbehaving T cells light up long before Parkinson’s symptoms show, zeroing in on vulnerable brain proteins. Their early surge could double as an alarm bell and a target for stop-it-early treatments.

Our brains may work best when teetering on the edge of chaos. A new theory suggests that criticality a sweet spot between order and randomness is the secret to learning, memory, and adaptability. When brains drift from this state, diseases like Alzheimer s can take hold. Detecting and restoring criticality could transform diagnosis and treatment.

UC San Diego scientists have created a gene therapy that goes beyond masking Alzheimer’s symptoms—it may actually restore brain function. In mice, the treatment protected memory and altered diseased brain cells to behave more like healthy ones.

A groundbreaking wireless implant promises real-time, personalized pain relief using AI and ultrasound power no batteries, no wires, and no opioids. Designed by USC and UCLA engineers, it reads brain signals, adapts on the fly, and bends naturally with your spine.

A simple blood test could reveal which early Alzheimer’s patients are most at risk for rapid decline. Researchers found that people with high insulin resistance—measured by the TyG index—were four times more likely to experience faster cognitive deterioration. The study highlights a major opportunity: a common lab value already available in hospitals could help guide personalized treatment strategies. This discovery also uncovers a unique vulnerability in Alzheimer’s disease to metabolic stress, offering new possibilities for intervention while the disease is still in its early stages.

USC researchers have uncovered a hidden driver behind the early and severe onset of Alzheimer's in people with Down syndrome: iron overload in the brain. Their study revealed that individuals with both conditions had twice the iron levels and far more oxidative damage than others. The culprit appears to be ferroptosis, an iron-triggered cell death mechanism, which is especially damaging in sensitive brain regions.

A common diabetes drug may be the next big thing for migraine relief. In a clinical study, obese patients with chronic migraines who took liraglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, experienced over 50% fewer headache days and significantly improved daily functioning without meaningful weight loss. Researchers believe the drug s ability to lower brain fluid pressure is the key, potentially opening a completely new way to treat migraines. The effects were fast, sustained, and came with only mild side effects.

A new nanotechnology breakthrough may soon eliminate the need for painful biopsies. Scientists have developed a patch filled with nanoneedles thinner than a human hair that can painlessly extract molecular data from tissues without removing or damaging them. This enables real-time disease monitoring, particularly for conditions like brain cancer and Alzheimer s, and could radically change how doctors diagnose and track disease. The patch works quickly, integrates with common medical tools, and provides results using AI, opening doors to personalized medicine and better surgical decisions.

Scientists have uncovered how exercise directly influences brain health in Alzheimer's disease by pinpointing the exact brain cells affected. Using cutting-edge RNA sequencing and mouse models, researchers identified changes in specific cells like microglia and a novel type of astrocyte after exercise.