Articles related to BRAIN HEALTH

A systematic review of 30 longitudinal MRI studies found that CPAP therapy in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be associated with structural, functional, vascular, and metabolic brain changes. However, the evidence remains heterogeneous, largely exploratory, and insufficient to support routine MRI monitoring of treatment response.

In a propensity-matched analysis of more than 66,000 adults with hypertension, blood-brain barrier (BBB)-crossing antihypertensives were associated with a 16% lower dementia risk than BBB-non-crossing agents. The observational design prevents causal conclusions but adds to growing interest in whether some antihypertensives may influence cognitive outcomes beyond blood pressure control.

Use of estrogen-only hormone therapy in women over age 70 was associated with lower rates of dementia diagnoses and reduced Alzheimer-related pathology across large observational cohorts. The findings identify an association but do not establish a preventive effect against dementia.

Among adults with both sleep disturbances and mild cognitive impairment, self-reported vitamin D supplementation of at least 5,000 IU daily was associated with higher cognitive assessment scores in a small observational study, while lower doses showed no similar association.

Childhood trauma was associated with altered hippocampal reward-pathway connectivity and greater adult anhedonia in a large neuroimaging cohort. The findings identify a potential neurobiological link but did not establish causality.

Prenatal fish oil supplementation was associated with small differences in cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism at age 10. Cognitive and psychopathology outcomes showed no significant association.