Topic description and stories

Neuroscience has transformed our understanding of the brain and promises treatments for devastating disorders that affect millions.

Charts map rapid growth and slow decline of brains

06 April 2022

An international team of researchers has created a series of brain charts spanning our entire lifespan – from a 15 week old fetus to 100 year old adult – that show how our brains expand rapidly in early life and slowly shrink as we age. 

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SumaLateral Whole Brain Image

Scientists identify the cause of Alzheimer’s progression in the brain

29 Oct 2021

For the first time, researchers have used human data to quantify the speed of different processes that lead to Alzheimer’s disease and found that it...

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Mini brain organoids showing cortical-like structures

Lab-grown ‘mini brains’ hint at treatments for neurodegenerative diseases

21 Oct 2021

Cambridge researchers have developed ‘mini brains’ that allow them to study a fatal and untreatable neurological disorder causing paralysis and...

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Teenager leaning on a wall

Rate of mental disorders among children remained stable in 2021 after previous rise

30 Sep 2021

One in six children in England had a probable mental disorder in 2021 – a similar rate to 2020 but an increase from one in nine in 2017 - according...

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DNA jigsaw

New mechanism preventing toxic DNA lesions opens up therapeutic avenues for Huntington's disease

01 Sep 2021

A new mechanism that stops the progression of Huntington’s disease in cells has been identified by scientists at the University of Cambridge and UCL...

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AI could detect dementia years before symptoms appear

12 Aug 2021

Artificial intelligence could spot the early signs of dementia from a simple brain scan long before major symptoms appear – and in some cases before...

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Spatially oriented neurons (mouse brain)

Scientists reverse age-related memory loss in mice

22 Jul 2021

Scientists at Cambridge and Leeds have successfully reversed age-related memory loss in mice and say their discovery could lead to the development of...

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Man smoking

Autistic individuals may be more likely to use recreational drugs to self-medicate their mental health

01 Jul 2021

While autistic individuals are less likely to use substances, those who do so are more likely to self-medicate for their mental health symptoms...

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Inflatable, shape-changing spinal implants could help treat severe pain

25 Jun 2021

A team of engineers and clinicians has developed an ultra-thin, inflatable device that can be used to treat the most severe forms of pain without the...

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Marmoset

Marmoset study identifies brain region linking actions to their outcomes

24 Jun 2021

Researchers have discovered a specific brain region underlying ‘goal-directed behaviour’ – that is, when we consciously do something with a...

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Colourful illustration of human brain

Study shows brain differences in interpreting physical signals in mental health disorders

22 Jun 2021

Researchers have shown why people with mental health disorders, including anorexia and panic disorders, experience physical signals differently.

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A man sitting in front of a screen

Teenagers at greatest risk of self-harming could be identified almost a decade earlier

15 Jun 2021

Researchers have identified two subgroups of adolescents who self-harm and have shown that it is possible to predict those individuals at greatest...

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Mother and child

Mothers can influence offspring’s height, lifespan and disease risk in unexpected ways – through their mitochondria

17 May 2021

Mitochondria - the ‘batteries’ that power our cells – play an unexpected role in common diseases such as type 2 diabetes and multiple sclerosis...

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