Brain Research

For Alzheimer’s Patients, Every Day is the Longest Day

By Brian Burns | June 21, 2017

June 21st is not only the longest day of the calendar year, but it is also a special day focused on Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an irreversible progressive form of dementia that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills.

Research Teams at Mass General Explore Ways to Limit Alcohol-Induced Damage to the Liver and Better Understand Alcoholism’s Effect on the Brain

By Brian Burns | June 1, 2017

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital are investigating the long-term effects of excessive drinking on liver and brain function to find ways to reduce its impact on our health.

Researchers Detect “Silent” Seizures in Alzheimer’s Patients

By Brian Burns | May 30, 2017

New research from Massachusetts General Hospital suggests a potential new connection between the devastating memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and “silent” seizures in the memory center of the brain.

Women’s Health Week 2017

By Brian Burns | May 15, 2017

In honor of National Women’s Health Week this week, we put together a few highlights of the many Massachusetts General Hospital researchers who are investigating important topics pertaining to women’s health: Eve Valera, PhD, a researcher at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, is working to learn more about the traumatic brain injuries suffered by
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Probe of Alzheimer’s Follows Paths of Infection

By Brian Burns | May 12, 2017

Mass General researchers Rudy Tanzi and Robert Moir are investigating amyloid beta’s role in the body. Their findings could possibly open new fronts for treating or preventing Alzheimer’s disease by attacking infection before plaques begin to form.

A New Strategy for Assessing Sleep Apnea Risk in Individuals with Down Syndrome

By Brian Burns | May 8, 2017

Investigators at the MassGeneral Hospital for Children have developed a promising new method for assessing the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children with Down syndrome.

Identifying Risky Behaviors for Mental Health Month

By Brian Burns | May 3, 2017

Suicide is the tenth highest cause of death in the United States, and the rate remained roughly steady across the population for the last century, before rising somewhat during the last few decades.

Re-Thinking Mental Health Treatment: World Health Day 2017

By Brian Burns | April 7, 2017

Did you know that more than 300 million people worldwide live with depression? That number has increased 18% between 2005 and 2015, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). With such staggering numbers, it’s no surprise that WHO has chosen depression as its theme for this year’s World Health Day, which is celebrated today, April 7th.

To Mars and Beyond: Exploring Innovative Solutions to the Challenges of Space Travel

By Brian Burns | April 3, 2017

If you could only bring two shoeboxes worth of medical supplies—from first aid kits to surgical tools— with you on a three-year space mission, what would you bring?

Research at Mass General Brigham