Key Highlights
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A study of former elite rugby players found distinctive changes in their blood proteins, including lower levels of a protein called KLK6 and higher levels of a specific form of tau (p-tau181) in players who were forwards. This suggests that repetitive head impacts, common in contact sports, may trigger unique biological changes in the brain that could be linked to future dementia risk.
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Researchers discovered that a single episode of acute stress can impair a mouse’s ability to adapt its behavior when rules change, a cognitive skill known as reversal learning. This impairment is linked to specific chemical and genetic changes in the orbitofrontal cortex, a brain region crucial for flexible decision-making.
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A long-term study found that a smaller hippocampus (a brain area vital for memory) and more damage to the brain’s white matter, as seen on MRI scans, can predict which older adults are more likely to become frail in the future. This means brain health scans could one day help identify people at risk for physical decline, independent of their current cognitive abilities.
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