All articles tagged with #brain protection
A study shows that DMT, a naturally occurring psychedelic molecule, can protect the brain from stroke damage in mice by restoring the blood-brain barrier and reducing inflammation, suggesting potential for new stroke treatments, though clinical trials are ongoing and legal restrictions vary.
Recent studies show that woodpeckers do not rely on their long tongues for brain protection; instead, their small, tilted brains, rapid pecking, and skull structure allow them to withstand high deceleration forces without injury, challenging earlier theories about tongue-based shock absorption.
Researchers at Lawson Research Institute found that Ambroxol, a cough medicine, may slow cognitive decline and protect the brain in Parkinson's disease dementia patients, showing promise as a potential treatment, though it is not yet approved in North America.
A 12-month clinical trial suggests that Ambroxol, a cough medicine, may help slow cognitive decline and protect brain function in people with Parkinson’s disease dementia, especially in those with GBA1 gene variants, by stabilizing psychiatric symptoms and reducing brain damage markers. Although safe and well-tolerated, further research is needed to confirm its efficacy in improving cognition.
The blood-brain barrier protects the brain from chemical and pathogenic threats, but it also makes it difficult for drug developers to deliver therapeutics to the brain. The barrier is not a discrete structure, but rather a combination of unique properties of the blood vessels in the brain and neighboring brain cells. While the barrier is not perfect, it is universally useful and every organism with a complex nervous system has something resembling a blood-brain barrier. A breakdown of the blood-brain barrier is a hallmark of diseases such as Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis, and researchers are studying how the barrier changes during disease or injury to improve treatment.
Scientists are studying individuals who have inherited the gene mutation that causes Alzheimer's disease but have not developed the condition, known as "escapees," to learn how the body may naturally resist the disease. These rare individuals offer an unprecedented opportunity to develop better treatments and preventive therapies for Alzheimer's. Researchers are on the lookout for more escapees and are studying their DNA to uncover what protects their brains. The findings suggest that there may be multiple pathways for escape and that blocking what's downstream of amyloid buildup may be key to treating Alzheimer's.