Bacteria, Not Yeast, Drive “Auto-Brewery” Syndrome, Study Finds: A new Nature Microbiology study of the largest cohort yet suggests that autobrewery syndrome (ABS)—a rare condition in which patients become intoxicated without drinking alcohol—is primarily driven by ethanol-producing bacteria in the gut, not fungi as long assumed. Researchers examined 22 patients and their household controls, finding that ABS patients’ stool produced alcohol in culture and showed elevated liver damage markers. The gut microbiomes of affected individuals were enriched with Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli, with E. coli levels closely tracking symptom flare-ups. Yeasts and other fungi did not differ significantly between groups. Genomic analyses revealed shifts toward ethanol-producing pathways during flares and ethanol-metabolizing pathways during remission, pointing toward future treatments that target microbial metabolism rather than relying on antifungals, antibiotics, or fecal transplants. (Science)

NAD+ Booster Restores Cognitive Performance in Aging Mice (But Only After a Metabolic “Reset”): A preclinical study reports that restoring cellular energy balance—by elevating NAD+ levels—can reverse cognitive deficits in aged mice, at least on the behavioral tests used. The work frames age-related memory decline as partly a metabolic problem: when NAD+ drops, neurons and support cells struggle to meet energy demands, and brain networks become less resilient. Researchers say boosting NAD+ improved learning and memory readouts and also shifted molecular markers tied to neuronal function. The catch is translation: dosing, delivery, durability, and safety in humans remain open questions, and NAD+ biology differs across tissues. Still, the findings add momentum to the idea that “bioenergetics-first” interventions could be a plausible on-ramp to future nootropic-like therapies. (FierceBiotech)

Probiotics and the Brain: A New Review Maps What Neuroimaging Actually Shows: A fresh systematic review pulls together neuroimaging and electrophysiology evidence on whether probiotic interventions measurably alter the human brain. Across the included studies, researchers used tools like fMRI, EEG, and related methods to look for changes in brain activity, connectivity, and structure after probiotic supplementation. The paper emphasizes a recurring theme: signals do show up, but they’re not uniform—effects vary by strain, study design, population, and outcome measure. Rather than claiming “probiotics boost cognition,” the review highlights where results are most consistent (and where they’re not), and points to methodological gaps that still block firm nootropic-style conclusions. It’s a useful reality check for a booming category: brain claims need brain-grade endpoints, not just self-reports. (Nature)

Encapsulated Probiotics Linked to Changes in Brain Connectivity in Older Adults: A report on new clinical findings suggests that microencapsulation—designed to help probiotics survive digestion—may be key to seeing measurable brain effects in older adults. In the study described, participants received encapsulated probiotics, and investigators tracked outcomes that included brain connectivity signals (alongside other endpoints). The article’s thrust is delivery: many probiotic trials fail because live organisms don’t reliably reach the gut in sufficient numbers, so encapsulation could shift the odds toward detectable biological impact. The piece also underscores nuance: brain-related changes don’t automatically equal “better cognition,” and the field still needs clearer links between imaging markers, performance on cognitive tests, and real-world function. Still, it’s a notable step toward more rigorous “psychobiotic” evidence. (Neutraingredients)

NIH Funds 5-Year UCLA Trial Testing a Berry Blend’s Effects on Cognitive Biomarkers: A new NIH-backed project will follow adults over 50—specifically people with a family history of age-related cognitive decline—in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial designed to probe cognitive parameters and related biomarkers. The study is being run at UCLA and Ulster University, with partners including University College Cork, under the US–Ireland R&D Partnership framework. The intervention highlighted is a “Berry Blend,” with endpoints framed around brain and cognitive measures plus biological markers associated with cognitive health. Importantly, this is a funding-and-design story more than a results story: it signals that the trial’s premise cleared peer review and is now positioned to generate higher-quality evidence than typical supplement studies. If executed well, it could meaningfully tighten the evidence base for a popular nootropics-adjacent category. (Neutraceutical Review)

Lion’s Mane Mycelium vs Fruiting Body Extract: Lab Study Finds Divergent Immune/Stress Signatures New preclinical research (in cultured human immune cells) compares transcriptomic and protein-level effects of a Lion’s Mane mycelium product against a commercially available hot-water fruiting body extract marketed for high β-glucan content. The reported takeaway is not “better memory,” but “different biology”: the mycelium preparation was associated with a more regulated immune response under simulated challenge conditions and showed engagement of cellular stress-response pathways, while the fruiting-body extract produced a different cytokine signaling pattern in the same setup. The article stresses that these are in vitro results and explicitly calls for human clinical work to connect mechanism to outcomes people care about—mood, cognition, fatigue, or resilience. Still, it’s a reminder that “Lion’s Mane” is not a monolithic ingredient: tissue type and processing can meaningfully change effects. (Neutraceutical Review)

Biotech Claims “Cognitive Stability” Signal in Frontotemporal Dementia Program: Coya Therapeutics announced new data it says show “cognitive stability” in a cohort of patients with behavioral-variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). The company frames the signal around an immunomodulatory approach combining low-dose IL-2 with CTLA4-Ig, aiming to rebalance immune pathways implicated in neurodegeneration. The release positions the results as encouraging for a disease area with limited options, and emphasizes the potential of immune-targeted strategies to influence symptoms and progression. Because this is a corporate announcement rather than a peer-reviewed paper, the key questions are the usual ones: cohort size, controls, cognitive endpoints used, durability of effect, and how the signal holds up under larger, well-controlled trials. Even so, it reflects an active frontier in “nootropics-adjacent” medicine: cognition as an immune-linked endpoint. (Business Wire)

A Brain-Scanning Gaming Headset Claims to Reduce Tilt and Improve Aim—Via EEG Biofeedback: At CES 2026, TechRadar reports on a prototype HyperX headset developed with Neurable that embeds EEG sensors to track brainwaves during play. The pitch is cognitive-performance training: users run a “priming” exercise that provides biofeedback on focus and cognitive load, with the aim of entering a more stable performance state before competitive sessions and monitoring drift during play. In a hands-on demo, the writer describes measurable practice-test improvements after a short priming routine, and the company cites internal stats suggesting small but meaningful gains in accuracy and reaction time for players. The piece also notes practical constraints—prototype heft, the challenge of reliable EEG without gels, and how easily distractions shift signals. It’s not a pill nootropic, but it’s the same promise in hardware form: better cognition on demand. (TechRadar)

Large Genetic Study Links “New” Risk Variants to ADHD (And Points Toward Brain Tissue Pathways): A new report highlights genetic findings that add to the growing map of ADHD biology. Researchers identified additional risk variants associated with ADHD, strengthening evidence that the condition’s roots involve many small genetic effects rather than a single “ADHD gene.” The coverage emphasizes how these variants can be used to connect ADHD risk to biological pathways and brain tissues implicated in attention and executive function, and how genetic overlap with other traits can help explain why ADHD commonly co-occurs with other conditions. While genetics doesn’t yield an immediate cognitive enhancer, it does clarify targets—systems that might be modulated more precisely than today’s blunt-force stimulants. The story also reinforces a key limitation: genetic risk is probabilistic, not destiny, and environment still matters substantially for real-world outcomes and symptom expression. (Science Daily)

Rewriting Memories in the Lab: Optogenetic Control in Mice Raises Ethical and Medical Questions: A MedicalXpress report surveys how far memory manipulation tools have progressed in animal research. Scientists can now erase or suppress learned associations in mouse brains, trigger memory recall artificially, and even re-couple memories with emotional responses—work largely enabled by tools that let researchers label and control specific neural ensembles. The article emphasizes that this is not a near-term clinical roadmap; researchers aren’t expecting “laser-wielding doctors” to rewrite human memories. Still, the underlying progress matters for the nootropics conversation because it reframes cognition as something engineers can probe and modulate with increasing specificity. Beyond therapy (PTSD, phobias, addiction cues), the piece points to deep ethical terrain: consent, identity, misuse, and the line between healing and enhancement when memory is treated as editable biological data. (Medical Express)

Insomnia Drug Trial Finds Daytime Function May Be the Metric That Matters Most: A new clinical trial in older adults with chronic insomnia compared suvorexant to placebo over 16 nights and tracked symptoms in an unusually granular way: participants logged daytime insomnia-related experiences in real time via a smartphone app, multiple times per day. The article argues that improving sleep metrics alone may miss what patients actually need—better daytime functioning—so pairing nighttime outcomes with high-frequency daytime measures can reveal treatment value (or lack of it) more clearly. The report also highlights the practical reality of insomnia interventions: benefits can be subtle, and placebo effects and expectations are powerful. While this isn’t a classic “nootropic,” it’s tightly adjacent—because the most common cognitive enhancer people reach for is simply alertness. If daytime function becomes a primary endpoint, it could reshape how sleep therapeutics are judged and prescribed. (Medical Express)

Schmidt Sciences Unveils Lazuli, a Privately Funded Space Telescope Bigger Than Hubble: Schmidt Sciences announced a landmark private investment in astronomy: a coordinated system of four observatories, including Lazuli, a 3.1-meter space telescope with roughly 70% more light-gathering power than the Hubble Space Telescope, plus three novel ground-based arrays. Funded by philanthropists Eric and Wendy Schmidt, the project aims to be fully operational by the end of the decade, with open access to scientists worldwide and publicly linked data archives. The ground facilities include a massive radio array to track fast radio bursts, an optical array optimized for time-domain astronomy, and a spectroscopic telescope designed to rival the light-collecting power of Europe’s Extremely Large Telescope. Together, the system promises rapid, coordinated follow-up of cosmic events—from exoplanets to supernovae—at a time of growing uncertainty for government-funded astronomy. (Science)

IMAGE CREDIT: MART PRODUCTION