Health
Researchers find sources of four brain disorders, which could lead to new treatments
Researchers may have found a new way to target the sources of certain brain disorders.
In a study led by scientists at Mass General Brigham, deep brain stimulation (DBS) was able to pinpoint dysfunctions in the brain that are responsible for four cognitive disorders: Parkinson’s disease, dystonia (a muscle disorder condition that causes repetitive or twisting movements), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette’s syndrome.
The discovery, published in Nature Neuroscience on Feb. 22, could potentially help doctors determine new treatments for these disorders.
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The study included 261 patients worldwide — 70 had dystonia, 127 were Parkinson’s disease patients, 50 had been diagnosed with OCD and 14 had Tourette’s syndrome.
The researchers implanted electrodes into the brains of each participant and used special software to determine which brain circuits were dysfunctional in each of the four disorders.
Deep brain stimulation has been used to pinpoint dysfunctions in the brain that are responsible for four cognitive disorders. (iStock)
“In simplified terms, when brain circuits become dysfunctional, they may act as brakes for the specific brain functions that the circuit usually carries out,” Andreas Horn, M.D., PhD, associate professor of neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said in a press release.
“Applying DBS may release the brake and may in part restore functionality.”
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Horn, one of the 39 researchers from 16 institutions who co-authored the study, went into more detail in a conversation with Fox News Digital.
“Based on the present findings, we can better understand why deep stimulation to a small subcortical structure in the brain has been helping patients with various disorders,” he said.
The researchers implanted electrodes into the brains of each participant (not pictured) and used special software to determine which brain circuits were dysfunctional in each of the four disorders. (iStock)
For each of the disorders, a different brain network was identified as “dysfunctional,” leading to the condition, the doctor said.
“Identifying these ‘malfunctioning networks’ may help us better understand the four disorders and better target neuromodulation to help patients by alleviating symptoms,” he noted.
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In three cases, the researchers found that applying DBS led to “preliminary improved results.”
At Massachusetts General Hospital, one female patient in her early 20s was diagnosed with severe, treatment-resistant OCD.
After receiving electrode implantation and targeted stimulation, the researchers measured a “significant improvement” in her symptoms one month after treatment, according to the release.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder was one of the cognitive conditions targeted in the new study. (iStock)
Dr. Shannon Dean, a pediatric neurologist with the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Maryland, was not involved in the study but shared her reaction to the findings.
“This study is an elegant demonstration of how treatment-focused and basic mechanism-based research can help guide each other,” she told Fox News Digital.
“The authors used deep brain stimulation electrodes, which is an invasive surgical treatment for a variety of neurological disorders when medications alone are not enough,” Dean went on.
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“I was interested to see the researchers then used their findings to refine exactly how they were treating several patients — and saw their patients’ symptoms improve as a result,” she said.
Given the small number of participants, Dean stressed the need for caution in interpreting the results.
“What the authors found for those disorders will need to be replicated for us to be sure the conclusions are right,” she said.
“However, what they have found is exciting and makes sense based on what we already know about these disorders. This points us to where future studies should be looking.”
For each of the disorders, a different brain network was identified as “dysfunctional,” leading to the condition, a researcher said. (iStock)
“This research provides hope for people living with these diseases who are resistant to standard medical therapy,” she added.
Dr. Arif Dalvi, a neurologist on staff at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Florida, also commented on the study as an outside expert.
“Even though deep brain stimulation has been part of the standard of care for neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and tremors for decades, the technology continues to evolve,” he told Fox News Digital.
“This research provides hope for people living with these diseases who are resistant to standard medical therapy.”
“This analysis identified ‘sweet spots’ within these circuits that could significantly alleviate symptoms, demonstrating the efficacy of DBS in modulating neural activity.”
The findings highlight the need for personalized therapies, Dalvi noted.
“This emphasizes a need for neurologists to carefully evaluate each patient as a unique individual and tailor a specific treatment plan, rather than working off generic best practices or therapeutic guidelines,” he said.
Study was limited, researchers say
This research is seen as the first step in what will be a long process, Horn said.
“The study is based on retrospective data — main results should be confirmed by prospective trials, which represent the gold standard to accumulate evidence in science and medicine,” he told Fox News Digital.
Developing more sophisticated mapping techniques and understanding the long-term effects of deep brain stimulation will be crucial, a neurologist said. (iStock)
The study’s sample size was also relatively small, he said, especially for Tourette’s.
“Even globally, not many patients have undergone deep brain stimulation surgery for this disorder,” Horn said.
This study is the first step in defining what the researchers call the “human dysfunctome,” the set of connections that may become dysfunctional in specific neurological or psychiatric disorders of the human brain.
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“We first paint a picture of the dysfunctome, but need additional data to complete the picture and map other symptoms onto the circuits of the human brain,” Horn said.
While the study findings might not lead to drastic changes just yet, Horn said they may help experienced clinicians fine-tune their approaches to neurology treatments.
The findings from this study point in the direction of more personalized cognitive therapies, experts said. (iStock)
“It could give additional clarity or small refinements here and there to make interventions more successful,” Horn said. “However, the information should not be followed blindly, but instead should be validated in prospective studies.”
The researchers are already starting to plan for clinical trials to validate the results.
As Dalvi pointed out, developing more sophisticated mapping techniques and understanding the long-term effects of deep brain stimulation will be crucial.
“Additionally, expanding this approach to other brain regions and disorders could uncover new therapeutic avenues, marking a new era in the treatment of neurological conditions,” he added.
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The key to feeling better in a fast, overstimulated world might be surprisingly simple: Live a little more like your grandparents.
A growing social media trend, dubbed “nonnamaxxing,” draws inspiration from the slower, more intentional rhythms associated with an Italian grandmother.
The lifestyle is often linked to activities like preparing home-cooked meals, spending time outdoors and making meaningful connections.
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“Nonnamaxxing is a 2026 trend that embraces the slower, more intentional lifestyle of an Italian grandmother (a Nonna). Think cooking from scratch, long family meals, daily walks, gardening and less screen time,” Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian, told Fox News Digital.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
Stepping away from screens and toward real-world interaction can have measurable benefits, according to California-based psychotherapist Laurie Singer.
“We know that interacting with others in person, rather than spending time on screens, significantly improves mental health,” she told Fox News Digital, adding that social media often fuels comparison and lowers self-esteem.
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Living more like previous generations isn’t purely driven by nostalgia. Cooking meals from scratch, for example, has been linked to better nutrition and more mindful eating patterns.
Adopting traditional mealtime habits can improve diet quality and support both physical and mental health, especially when meals are shared regularly with others, Palinski-Wade noted.
One longevity expert stresses that staying healthy isn’t just about food — it’s also about joy and community. (iStock)
There’s also a psychological benefit to slowing down and focusing on one task at a time. Anxiety often stems from unfinished or avoided tasks, Singer noted, and engaging in hands-on activities can counteract that.
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“Nonnamaxxing encourages us to be present around a task, like gardening, baking or knitting, or just taking a mindful walk, that delivers something ‘real,’” she said.
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Palinski-Wade cautions against turning the trend into another source of pressure, noting that a traditional “nonna” lifestyle often assumes a different pace of life.
The key, she said, is adapting the mindset, not replicating it perfectly.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
The goal is to reintroduce small, intentional moments that make you feel better.
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That might mean prioritizing a few shared meals each week, taking a walk without your phone or setting aside time for a simple hobby, the expert recommended.
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Singer added, “Having a positive place to escape to, through whatever activities speak to us and make us happy, isn’t generational – it’s human.”
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Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults’ memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.
Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.
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“The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome,” lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.
Loneliness may be linked to memory performance in older adults, a new study suggests. (iStock)
“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline,” Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.
The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.
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The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.
Social isolation and loneliness could play a surprising role in cognitive health among seniors. (iStock)
Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.
About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.
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Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.
The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.
Researchers look at a brain scan at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.
“The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don’t decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it’s easy to misread,” said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
“It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus,” Weiss told Fox News Digital.
By older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold, an aging expert says. (iStock)
He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.
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“By the time you’re measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in,” he said.
Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.
“While they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia,” a psychotherapist says. (iStock)
Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.
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“The evidence shows there’s a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there’s no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship,” she said. “So while they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia.”
Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.
Researchers suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging. (iStock)
She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.
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“It’s important to be proactive about social activities,” Morin said. “Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age.”
The researchers also suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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