The brain needs to flush out waste products to stay healthy and fend off conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists are beginning to understand how the the brain’s waste removal system works. [Transcript] A MARTÍNEZ, HOST: Turns out the brain needs regular cleaning. Otherwise, it gets clogged up with waste products, including some associated with diseases […]
An idea that has propelled Alzheimer’s research for more than 30 years is approaching its day of reckoning. Scientists are launching a study designed to make or break the hypothesis that Alzheimer’s is caused by a sticky substance called beta-amyloid. The study will give an experimental anti-amyloid drug to people as young as 18 who […]
Stroke patients who are struggling to regain the use of a hand will soon have access to a new FDA-cleared device that uses signals from the undamaged part of the brain to retrain the injured limb. RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a device that can help stroke patients regain the […]
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Loss of smell has become a hallmark of COVID-19. Up to 80% of infected people experience it. While most people get their sense of smell back as they recover, some do not. And, as Will Stone reports, this phenomenon has triggered new interest and research studies in the field of smell. WILL […]
There’s growing evidence that a lack of deep sleep increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists say that’s because during deep sleep, the brain removes toxins associated with Alzheimer’s. Transcript ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: We continue to learn about the connection between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease. NPR’s Jon Hamilton brings us this report done with the NPR […]
Brain scientists are offering a new reason to control blood sugar levels: It might help lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. “There’s many reasons to get [blood sugar] under control,” says David Holtzman, chairman of neurology at Washington University in St. Louis. “But this is certainly one.” Holtzman moderated a panel Sunday at the Society […]
Too much physical exertion appears to make the brain tired. That’s the conclusion of a study of triathletes published Thursday in the journal Current Biology. Researchers found that after several weeks of overtraining, athletes became more likely to choose immediate gratification over long-term rewards. At the same time, brain scans showed the athletes had decreased activity in an […]
When children suffer from severe malnourishment, they don’t just lose weight. The condition wreaks havoc on biological systems throughout the body — including the microbiome, the healthy bacteria and other microbes that live in our digestive tracts. Those bacteria number in the trillions in every person and include hundreds of different species. They’re essential for […]