neurology

Shionogi Pharmaceutical has announced the acquisition of US-based IntraBio, gaining access to treatments for rare neurological diseases. The deal gives the Japanese drugmaker a foothold in the niche but high-value rare disease market, and the move is drawing attention in Japan's pharmaceutical industry as Shionogi expands beyond its infectious disease focus.

Wired has published an explainer on optogenetics, the Nobel-winning technique that lets scientists control neurons with light. The article breaks down how light-sensitive proteins are used to switch specific brain cells on or off, a method that transformed neuroscience research and earned the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. It is drawing attention from readers following advances in brain science and the technology's potential to illuminate how the brain works and to treat neurological disorders.

Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence method that automates the analysis of myelin sheath organization, the fatty insulation around nerve fibers that is critical to healthy nervous system function. Automating this work could speed up neurological research, replacing slow manual microscopy assessments with faster, more consistent measurements relevant to conditions like multiple sclerosis.

Medical commentators are discussing what precision medicine should mean for multiple sclerosis care, focusing on how treatments can be tailored to individual patients based on disease course, biomarkers, and response profiles. The conversation reflects ongoing debate in the neurology field about moving away from one-size-fits-all therapy and toward personalized treatment strategies for people living with MS.

A new wave of wearable devices is shifting focus from counting steps and heart rate to directly monitoring and influencing the human nervous system. The emerging category points to gadgets that track stress, mood and neurological signals in real time, potentially helping users manage anxiety, sleep and focus. It marks a step beyond mainstream fitness trackers toward health technology that intervenes in the body's own control systems, raising both interest and questions about privacy and medical oversight.

Researchers have proposed a scaling law that tracks how neural rhythms reorganize as the brain ages. The finding, reported by Bioengineer.org, suggests age-related changes in brain oscillations follow a quantifiable pattern, potentially offering a new framework for studying cognitive decline and distinguishing normal aging from neurological disease.

A new mouse study indicates that aging brains respond differently in males and females, suggesting that biological sex shapes how the brain changes with age. The finding could have implications for understanding age-related neurological decline and for developing sex-specific approaches to treating cognitive aging and related conditions in humans.

West Nile virus is drawing attention in France amid an increase in human cases. The mosquito-borne virus, usually circulating between birds and mosquitoes, can infect people and occasionally causes severe neurological illness. Health outlets are explaining why cases are climbing, with warmer conditions extending mosquito season cited as a key factor behind the growing case count.

Researchers are using deer DNA analysis to pinpoint where animals came from in areas affected by chronic wasting disease. The technique could help track animal movement and limit the spread of the fatal neurological illness among deer populations. Details on which regions or institutions are involved remain limited.

Stanford psychiatrist and neuroscientist Karl Deisseroth, a Nobel laureate known for pioneering optogenetics, has told Firstpost in an exclusive interview that the brain is central to the future of medicine. In the interview he discusses how understanding neural circuits could reshape treatment of mental illness and neurological disease, arguing that advances in brain science will drive the next era of medical breakthroughs.

New research indicates that both the liver and the brain contribute to the distinct symptoms of a rare genetic epilepsy, suggesting the disorder is not solely a neurological condition. The findings point to liver dysfunction playing a role in certain manifestations of the disease, which could influence how researchers and clinicians approach diagnosis and treatment for affected patients.

A lesson covering the human central and peripheral nervous systems is circulating among science enthusiasts, presented as part of a full course on the study of cognition. The material introduces how the brain, spinal cord and nerves interact, and is tagged for audiences interested in psychology, neurology and brain science.

Discussion is growing around the use of serum biomarkers in multiple sclerosis care, as clinicians look beyond MRI scans to diagnose and monitor the disease. Blood-based markers could offer a faster, less costly way to track disease activity and treatment response, complementing traditional imaging in neurology practice.

Oklahoma wildlife officials have confirmed a case of Chronic Wasting Disease in the state's Panhandle. The fatal neurological illness affects deer, elk and moose, and its detection raises concerns for hunters and wildlife managers about the disease spreading further into Oklahoma's deer populations.

WIRED examines optogenetics, the technique of controlling neurons with light that earned a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2013. The piece explains how light-sensitive proteins allow researchers to switch specific brain cells on or off, a method now central to neuroscience research into brain circuits, behaviour and potential treatments for neurological conditions.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded Monday to American psychiatrist and neurologist Karl Deisseroth and German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their pioneering work on optogenetics. The technique allows scientists to control neurons with light, transforming research into how the brain works and opening new avenues for studying neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Neurology news roundup: seven cerebral palsy drug candidates are flagged as ones to watch, a gluten-free diet is reported to improve cognition and quality of life in Parkinson's disease, and new real-world data covers treatment transitions to nipocalimab in generalized myasthenia gravis. The items span pediatrics, nutrition, and antibody-based therapy for autoimmune neuromuscular disease.

New research reported by Phys.org suggests that brain cells actively regulate cholesterol levels as a means of controlling how neurons signal to one another. The finding points to cholesterol management within the brain as an important mechanism in neural communication, with potential implications for understanding neurological conditions, though further details of the study were not provided in the coverage.

Kirk Bonner, M.D., has joined Marcus Neuroscience Institute as a physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation. The appointment expands the institute's rehabilitation capability, adding specialist expertise for patients recovering from neurological conditions and injuries. The announcement was carried by South Florida Hospital News, a regional healthcare trade publication covering hospital staffing and clinical developments in the area.

Nature has published a piece on neuropsychiatry genetics in Africa, highlighting the state of genetic research into mental and neurological disorders across the continent. The discussion centres on why African populations remain underrepresented in genomic studies of conditions like schizophrenia, depression and epilepsy, and what is needed to build local research capacity, data resources and infrastructure so genetic discoveries can benefit African patients.

DW News reports that the 2026 Nobel Prize honours optogenetics, a technique that lets scientists switch brain cells on and off using light. The method allows researchers to map brain circuits and study the biology behind behaviour, sleep, hunger and neurological disease. It is widely seen as one of the most influential tools in modern neuroscience.

The Irish Times reports that most neurodivergent children have at least one neurodivergent parent, whether or not that parent has ever been diagnosed. The piece highlights how developmental and neurological traits run in families, meaning many adults only recognise their own neurodivergence after their child is assessed. Commenters and parents are responding to the idea that a child's diagnosis often prompts reflection on the whole family's history.

Doctors have reported the case of an elderly woman whose facial abscess led to a subdural empyema, a serious brain infection, which initially mimicked a stroke. The report, published in Cureus, highlights how the presentation caused diagnostic confusion and underscores the importance of considering infection in elderly patients showing stroke-like neurological symptoms.