A new study was released that showed the consumption of large amounts of ultraprocessed foods may be linked to early indicators of Parkinson’s disease. 

Researchers tracked over 42,000 adults for up to 26 years, finding that those eating 11 or more daily servings of ultraprocessed foods were 2.5 times more likely to show multiple prodromal Parkinson’s symptoms.

These early signs included sleep issues, reduced sense of smell, depression, and pain. While the study does not prove causation, it strengthens growing evidence that diet plays a major role in brain health and potentially neurodegenerative disease risk. Check it out: https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000213684

Researchers from the Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel have published a new study indicating that learning about amyloid beta build up — a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease — does not increase emotional distress, but motivation to maintain healthy habits declines over time. Meanwhile, those with amyloid buildup experienced decreased anxiety but no rise in depression, though their motivation also waned. 

These findings highlight the need for strategies to sustain cognitive health behaviors, especially as preventive Alzheimer’s treatments become more likely in the future. The study was published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, which you can access here: https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.70115

A new study from the University of Texas at Dallas and Baylor University Medical Center has indicated that patients with treatment-resistant PTSD became symptom-free up to six months after completing traditional therapy paired with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).

The study combined prolonged exposure therapy with brief bursts of VNS via an implanted device, enhancing neuroplasticity and sustaining remission.

Prior research shows many PTSD patients fail to respond to standard treatments, making this approach especially promising. Future trials will explore the therapy further, aiming to offer new hope for those resistant to conventional methods.  Here’s more: https://www.brainstimjrnl.com/article/S1935-861X(25)00060-9/fulltext

Did you know that there’s now evidence to suggest that there may have been secret, drug-fueled rituals held by the elite during pre-Inca times?

According to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, archaeologists in Peru have discovered a 2,500-year-old secret drug room filled with hollowed-out bird bones containing traces of psychedelic snuff and tobacco. Researchers believe the presence of the "snuff tubes" in a hidden room suggests the “elite class” held secret, drug-fueled rituals.

An analysis of the chemical residue on the artifacts revealed that six contained the organic compounds nicotine, likely from tobacco, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT).  Additional microbotanical analysis showed that four of the artifacts once contained roots of wild Nicotiana species and the DMT-containing seeds and leaves of vilca (Anadenanthera colubrina), which were likely dried, toasted and ground up to produce a potent snuff. Check it out: https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2425125122