A McGill University-led clinical trial is the first in humans to show online brain training exercises can improve brain networks affecting learning and memory.

The study found 10 weeks’ use of the game-like app BrainHQ by older adults enhanced cholinergic function, a chemical system in the brain that typically declines with age and influences attention, memory and decision-making.

A new international study led by University of Galway has found that entering menopause at an earlier age is associated with an increased risk of dementia.

The research also showed that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after menopause appears to be associated with a reduced risk of dementia.

The findings have been published today in the Journal for Alzheimer’s Disease.

The research team from University of Galway and Boston University carried out the study with 1,329 cognitively healthy women from The Framingham Heart Study - the world’s longest running longitudinal cohort study - to analyse the association between reproductive factors and markers of brain aging.

A trailblazing Genomic Press interview with Dr. Bruce M. Cohen explores how cutting-edge brain cell technology is providing revolutionary new information on the biological origins of psychiatric disorders. Among these findings, the Harvard professor discusses discoveries on mitochondrial dysfunction that are opening novel therapeutic pathways for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Alzheimer disease. In addition, his advocacy for evidence-based diagnostic models challenges century-old psychiatric frameworks, proposing specific dimensional approaches that better capture the complexities of causes, presentations, and outcomes of mental illnesses.

Tetrandrine, a compound isolated from the root of a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Stephania tetrandra, has shown promise in combating Ebola virus infection in previous studies. Its precise mechanism of action, however, had remained unclear. Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have discovered that tetrandrine works by blocking the transport of sphingosine – a lipid molecule essential for cellular signalling – and inhibiting the calcium channels. Their research has revealed the critical mechanism of tetrandrine for the first time, opening new avenues for drug discovery and disease treatment.

There may be a way to protect brain energy to preserve cognition — and the secret could lie on your plate. Think fish and seafood, meat, non-starchy vegetables, berries, nuts, seeds, eggs and even high-fat dairy products.

University of Missouri researchers are now testing just how powerful these foods can be. They’ve found that a high fat, low carb diet — known as the ketogenic diet — may not only preserve brain health but also stop or slow the signs of cognitive decline for those at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.