These cells have hidden powers that could heal brain injuries

Since their discovery in 2004, the grid cells in the brain, which are important for our orientation, have been regarded as a kind of "GPS in the head." However, scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Heidelberg University Hospital have now shown that grid cells work much more flexibly than previously assumed.

A new study from Finland shows that low labor market participation for non-retirement related reasons may be an early indicator of dementia already years before the first evident symptoms occur. The study also identified other social markers that may be indicative of dementia up to 10 years before a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia or vascular dementia.

A new study shows that people with higher levels of the protein albumin in their urine are at increased risk of developing dementia. The study, led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet, is published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

For many people, a routine dentist appointment can evoke feelings of distress, fear and nervousness.

A Western diet, rich in fat and poor in fiber, can weaken the gut protective mucosa and increase the risk of infection and inflammation. Now, Umeå researchers have identified a milk-derived molecule that can significantly strengthen the function of the intestinal mucosa and pave the way for new dietary strategies.

What causes us to sleep? The answer may lie not only in our brains, but in their complex interplay with the microorganisms spawned in our intestines.

It is well established that gut microbiome composition plays a pivotal role in human health—yet the precise connections are still not fully understood. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have moved a step closer to understanding these complex interactions: they have identified a cellular mechanism that alters the gut microbiome in a way that promotes cancer. An analysis of patient data shows that the findings also apply to humans.

In order to maintain a long-term career and consistently deliver high-quality performances, professional musicians are required to exercise control over their psychological state before and during the performance. However, managing emotions can be challenging, as they are often influenced by a range of uncontrollable factors, including fellow performers and audience, venue, and the nature of the program.

Microplastics have found their way deep inside our bones, brains, and even babies. A UK study found that 100% of all 155 hot and cold beverage samples tested contained synthetic plastic particles.

Income-based rebates for electric bicycles are helping British Columbians drive less, save money, and generate revenue for the province, a new study has found. The rebates also make e-bikes more accessible to lower-income households.

Illinois health officials are warning residents to be on alert after the state's first case of Powassan virus was confirmed in a resident who became seriously ill.

Scientists have uncovered how a key type of immune cell adapts its behavior depending on the type of infection, paving the way for better vaccines and advancing research into immune-related diseases.

After nine months in the womb, humans enter a world filled with texture and shape. We must then quickly learn to recognize and respond to textures and objects in the outside world, beginning with sensations like the soft feel of a T-shirt or the doughy squish of a sandwich. By learning what touch sensations are innocuous, the brain can better recognize painful insults that might cause damage—think skinning a knee or stubbing a toe. But 7% to 10% of the global population develops mechanical allodynia, a form of chronic pain where innocuous light touch is perceived as painful.

Hospitals with the widest difference between the cost of their services and what they charge patients and their insurance carriers are mostly for-profit, investor-owned and located in large metropolitan areas. They also have significantly worse patient outcomes compared with lower-cost hospitals, new UCLA research finds.

Researchers at the University of Exeter have created a detailed temporal map of chemical changes to DNA through development and aging of the human brain, offering new insights into how conditions such as autism and schizophrenia may arise.

By age 18, three in five U.S. children have enrolled in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and two in five have experienced a period of being uninsured, according to a microsimulation model developed by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Recent studies suggest that the steady rise in life expectancy observed over the past 200 years has now stagnated. Data indicate that a limit has been reached, and that medical and health care advances no longer affect longevity in developed countries as they did in previous decades.

Researchers from Mass General Brigham and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have identified genetic modifications that can improve the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell treatment—an immunotherapy that uses modified patient T cells to target cancer. The study used CRISPR screening to pinpoint genes that influenced T cell function and survival in culture and in a preclinical model of multiple myeloma.