Cancer patients rarely get Alzheimer's.

And a 15-year study in @Cell just explained why. They found a protein that clears brain plaques in mice - by activating the brain's own IMMUNE CELLS 🧵 For decades, doctors noticed something strange: cancer and Alzheimer's rarely appear in the same person.

But that doesn't mean one PREVENTS the other:
- Cancer patients may die before Alzheimer's develops
- Chemo can cause cognitive issues

There are two reasons you lie awake at night:
1. Your MIND won't settle
2. Your BODY won't switch off

As a neuroscientist, here's what ACTUALLY works for each - backed by sleep lab research: First, figure out which one you're dealing with:
- Mind: Racing thoughts, mental to-do lists, replaying conversations.
- Body: Restlessness, tension in your jaw/shoulders, can't get comfortable.

Now here's what to do about it.

There's endless advice on how to feel better. Most of it ISN'T backed by evidence.

Here's what 183 studies (22,811 people) found ACTUALLY works:
1. Exercise + Psychological techniques combined
"Awe walks" - walking while intentionally noticing wonder. Walking meditation. 2. Yoga
Traditional yoga combines physical postures, controlled breathing, and meditation. The combination of all three elements is what was tested - not just stretching.

Most people accept feeling drained after work as unavoidable. It's not.

As a doctor doing a PhD in neuroscience, here are 6 ways to stop wasting your evenings:
1. Find your true sleep need. 7-8 hours works for most people but 15% need 9+. Your "normal" might be sleep-deprived. 2. Stop thinking of energy as a battery that drains.

Some activities generate energy. A short workout, a hobby, even 30 minutes of learning - these can leave you feeling better than doing nothing.

Scrolling on the couch isn't rest. It's just low-effort tiredness.

Caffeine appears to do the opposite of what you might think when it comes to the heart.

Scientists have found that a cup of coffee a day MAY actually protect the heart from atrial fibrillation - a condition that can lead to stroke and heart failure. 🧵 Doctors frequently tell heart patients to reduce their coffee intake (13-19% in this study had been given that warning).

The logic: caffeine triggers irregular heartbeats. But that assumption had never been properly tested. The DECAF trial set out to change that.

New study: 1,000+ kids tracked for 7 years.
Screen time before age 2 changed how their brains were wired by age 6.

But one simple activity completely neutralised this effect. 🧵 90% of toddlers under 2 use screens regularly. Average 2-3 hours daily.

We knew this predicted worse emotional outcomes years later. We didn't know why.

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is a lie.

As a neuroscientist, here are 6 ways to improve neuroplasticity at ANY age:
1. Go for a walk

Exercise releases a protein called BDNF. It tells your neurons to grow stronger and form new connections. 2. Sleep 7-9 hours nightly.
Sleep is when your brain consolidates learning and clears out metabolic waste.

Chronic short sleepers actually lose brain volume in areas for memory, focus, and decision-making.

Research on 2,000+ adults: being most active in the evening - not morning - was linked to 45% HIGHER dementia risk.

As a neuroscientist: even if you're a night owl, here's 5 ways to reset your internal clock:
1. Lock in a consistent wake time (yes, weekends too) Waking at 7am on weekdays and noon on weekends? You're giving yourself 5-hour jet lag twice a week.

Your brain can only shift ~1 hour per day comfortably. So try to stay within that hour window.

New Cell paper from the team that discovered glymphatic clearance (how your brain removes waste during sleep).

Sleep hours DIDN'T predict brain cleaning. Neither did REM or deep sleep.

They found what actually matters - and why some sleeping pills might undermine it 🧵 We've known for years that sleep clears toxic waste from the brain (amyloid, tau - proteins linked to Alzheimer's).

But nobody knew what actually drives this cleaning process. Most studies used anaesthesia, which isn't real sleep.

Plastic has been found in 77% of human blood samples tested. It's in our lungs, brains, and placentas.

10 ways to lower your exposure:
1. Ditch plastic tea bags.
A single bag at 95°C releases 11.6 billion microplastics. Use loose-leaf with a steel infuser. 2. Stop microwaving food in plastic.
Just three minutes of heating releases millions of particles.

As a neuroscientist, here are 7 ways to trick your brain into doing difficult things:

1. Shrink the task to just two minutes.
Your brain resists big commitments. So don't make one.
- "Work out" → do one exercise.
- "Clean the house" → pick up three items. 2. Prepare before you start.
Don't begin the task - just begin the setup.
Put on gym clothes. Open the laptop. Clear the desk.

Physical movement bypasses mental resistance. Momentum kicks in before you've "started."

Google mapped ONE millimeter of brain tissue - revealing 57,000 cells and 150 million synapses.

Every one of those connections can strengthen, weaken, or rebuild based on your daily choices.

Here are 6 evidence-based ways to reshape your brain through neuroplasticity: 1. Exercise 30 Minutes, 3x Weekly
Meta-analysis shows 3-4 moderate workouts weekly deliver the strongest BDNF (protein enhancing neuroplasticity) boost for memory and learning.

Moderate means you can talk but not sing - but consistency beats intensity every time. So make it fun.

Tired of being tired?

As a neuroscientist, here’s 10 proven fixes to help you rest better at night:
1. Keep a consistent schedule.
Same 30-minute window = 36% less insomnia. 2. Get morning light.

Just 10 minutes of bright sunlight within an hour of waking can shift your body clock by 30 minutes and boost your natural melatonin by 35%.

Researchers @TheLancet identified 12 lifestyle choices that impact your dementia risk.

Here what to do to reduce your risk: 👇
1. Protect your ears
Mild hearing loss doubles risk of dementia 2. Control your blood pressure (<130 mmHg) - intensive mid-life treatment lowered dementia risk by ~15%.

New research reveals sleep loss triggers the same metabolic dysfunction seen in Alzheimer's.

Here's the mechanism – and the fixes that work: Your brain cells have jobs: neurons form memories, astrocytes clean waste, microglia fight inflammation.

But sleep loss creates an energy crisis - ATP (your bodies energy currency) production crashes while demand soars. Cells abandon their jobs and switch to pure survival mode.

A massive genetic study in @Nature just identified why chronic pain hits some people harder than others.

They discovered the first neuronal “pain transporter” - and it could unlock entirely new ways to treat pain. 🧵 Chronic pain affects 1 in 5 adults worldwide and is the leading cause of disability globally.

Current treatments often fail because we don’t fully understand the molecular mechanisms that control pain sensitivity in different people.

Researchers just developed a machine learning-optimised diet that reduces dementia risk by 36% - stronger than any existing dietary pattern.

The MODERN diet analysed 185,012 people over 10 years - here's what they found 🧵 The study used UK Biobank data with 1,987 participants developing dementia over 10 years (mean age at onset: 74.6 years).

Machine learning identified 8 key food groups from 25 that showed associations with dementia risk.

Five neuroscience breakthroughs this week:
1. New drug eases depression in days
2. Exercise shaves ~1 year off brain age
3. Magnetic pulses may help in Alzheimer's
4. Ketamine’s effect unchanged by naltrexone
5. Alzheimer's blood test (NfL) needs separate male/female standards 1. Exercise study: Your brain can get younger
After a year of supervised exercise (2.5 hours/week), people's brains looked nearly 1 year younger than expected.

Chronic ruminators have faster memory decline AND higher Alzheimer's proteins (amyloid/tau).

That 3am cringe compilation in your head?
It's not just stealing sleep.

But before you spiral about spiralling - here's how it damages your brain (and what actually helps) 🧵 In this paper, scientists studied 360 older adults and found ruminators had:
1. Faster memory decline &
2. Higher brain amyloid and tau levels

They even replicated these findings in another independent cohort.

Multiple sclerosis patients see psychiatrists at triple the normal rate 12 years before symptoms
🧵👇 MS normally strikes out of nowhere - vision loss, mobility problems, sudden relapses.

But scientists wondered: is that dramatic first symptom really the beginning?

Frequent pornography use linked to altered brain connectivity and impaired cognitive performance.

Scientists compared college students who watch hours of porn weekly with light viewers.

Here’s what they found 🧵 Heavy viewers show a tighter sync between reward hubs & impulse-control cortex

Snap choices win, self-restraint loses