Explore more about: Alzheimer's

As our brains age, small lesions begin to pop up in the bundles of white matter that carry messages between our neurons. The lesions can damage this white matter and lead to cognitive deficits. Now, researchers not only provide an explanation for the location of these lesions but also how they develop in the first place.

With the help of photolithography and programmable DNA, researchers have created a new technique that can rapidly 'print' two-dimensional arrays of cells and proteins that mimic a wide variety of cellular environments in the body. This technique could help scientists develop a better understanding of the complex cell-to-cell messaging that dictates a cell's final fate.

Neurologists have observed reduced neural activity during non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM). Now MRI imaging during NREM reveals an exchange between brain blood and cerebrospinal fluid that may function to remove neurotoxic waste products.

Researchers have found that very slow spontaneous blood vessel pulsations drive the clearance of substances from the brain, indicating that targeting and improving this process may help to prevent or treat amyloid-beta accumulation.

Brain function can be tracked in real-time using a new MRI method that has the potential to shed light on altered neuronal activity in brain diseases.

Researchers funded by NIBIB have designed neuron-like probes that can be implanted and remain viable for long-term use to study and treat the brain.

Dr. Sanjay Jain explores "tricorder" from Star Trek, a hand-held scanner waved over a patient to detect injury and heal all manner of maladies.