Stories by Diana Kwon

Mitochondria appear to ratchet up their activity when life is going well and tamp it down during hard times

Brain size in one Massachusetts community has steadily increased since the 1930s, possibly explaining why dementia is trending lower nationwide

Researchers debate whether grandiosity always masks vulnerability

New insight comes from zapping a region, known as the anterior precuneus, that causes people to feel dissociated from their body

There is no cure for FTD, the disease that actor Bruce Willis was recently diagnosed with, but new research suggests some future therapies

Scientists are deciphering how the brain choreographs immune responses, hoping to find treatments for a range of diseases

A study of more than 3,000 dogs finds that larger breeds, males and purebred animals tend to be diagnosed with cancer at a younger age

Enacted dreams could be an early sign of Parkinson’s disease

A detailed examination of gene activity in various organisms, including humans, reveals a new hallmark of the aging process

Cells with XX or XY chromosomes provide researchers with a new tool to study how differences in sex chromosomes can influence health and development

Scientists demonstrate that crows are capable of recursion—a key feature in grammar. Not everyone is convinced

This Scottish woman’s hypersensitive nose picked up a chemical signature of Parkinson’s disease that has been used to develop a skin-swab diagnostic

A host of different retinal exams are being evaluated as potential Alzheimer’s screening methods

Concentrating for long periods builds up chemicals that disrupt brain functioning.

The nervous and immune systems are tightly intertwined. Deciphering their chatter might help address many brain disorders and diseases

The pathological buildup of a protein known as TDP-43 can lead to an Alzheimer’s-like disorder

A structure known as the cerebellum acts as a brake on consumption

A focus on the traumatic origins of an often stigmatized psychiatric diagnosis is inspiring new treatments

New studies show a possible connection. But debate over such an association will continue

Self-targeting antibodies attack part of the immune system that plays a key role in fighting infection

The disqualification of a leading U.S. Olympics candidate has brought the World Anti-Doping Agency’s marijuana prohibition under fire

The universal marker of aging is not always a one-way process

Some researchers suspect these bacterial ancestors living within our cells may contribute to a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders

Hopes are high for a class of drug that could treat neurodegenerative conditions—but a recent clinical trial has brought the field up short