The Brain Health Bulletin - August Edition
Welcome to the August edition of Holly’s monthly newsletter!
As summer winds down and we begin to shift toward the rhythm of fall, August invites us to pause, reflect, and reset. It's a perfect time to take stock of your brain health goals and recommit to habits that support focus, clarity, and well-being.
Whether you’ve spent your summer traveling, relaxing outdoors, or staying active in your community, your brain thrives when you give it consistent care. In this month’s bulletin, we’re sharing tools to help you stay mentally sharp and emotionally grounded as we move into a new season.
Let’s finish summer strong, energized, connected, and ready for what’s next.
Did You Know?
A new study published in Nature uncovers a surprising connection between your gut, immune system, and brain, showing that T cells, long thought to be absent from healthy brains, actually live in specific brain regions and may influence your behavior.
Here’s what researchers found:
T cells were discovered in the subfornical organ, a part of the brain that helps regulate thirst and hunger, marking the first time immune cells have been observed in this region.
These brain-resident T cells originate in the gut and fat tissue, revealing a new immune communication pathway between the gut microbiome and the brain.
When scientists removed these cells in mice, the animals showed changes in food-seeking behavior, suggesting that immune cells might help the brain translate body signals into decisions.
This study reshapes our understanding of the gut–brain connection, highlighting that immune activity plays a bigger role in brain function than we thought.
Quick Tip: Want to support your gut-brain health? Focus on fiber-rich, whole-food meals that help maintain a healthy microbiome, and your brain just might thank you.
Taking care of your brain starts with small, consistent choices.
Read the full article to learn more about this gut–immune–brain connection
Upcoming Brain Health Events – Fall 2025
We’re back, and ready to move our bodies and improve our brains!
Fall Kickoff | Brain Health Coffee Chat
Friday, August 15 · 10:30 a.m. CST
Reconnect with the community, share your summer stories, and help shape what’s next.
Boost Your Brainpower: The Science of Exercise and Brain Health
Saturday, September 6 · 10:30 a.m. CST
Discover how movement fuels your mind in this energizing session on brain-body connection.
The Rhythm of Aging: Listening to Your Heart
Thursday, September 18 · 10:30 a.m. CST
Explore heart rate variability and how your heartbeat reflects your stress, fitness, and brain health.
Stay tuned for more events this fall!
The Brain Benefits of Acute Exercise: Mood, Cognition & Neuroplasticity
A comprehensive review published via PMC dives into how a single bout of physical activity, called “acute exercise,” can influence brain health, even before long-term training begins.
Key Highlights:
Immediate mental boosts: One session of moderate aerobic or resistance exercise can lead to modest improvements in cognitive performance, especially in tasks involving attention, working memory, and executive function, which rely on the prefrontal cortex.
Mood and stress relief: Acute exercise consistently lowers negative mood, enhances positive emotions, and blunts the body’s physiological stress responses, effects that can last up to 24 hours after stopping.
Neurochemical and physiological shifts: Even a single session triggers changes in BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), neurotransmitters, endogenous hormones, and signaling pathways linked to neuroplasticity, learning, and stress regulation.
Foundational building block: These acute effects lay the groundwork for long-term exercise adaptations, helping explain how regular physical activity enhances brain resilience over time
This review highlights that you don’t need weeks or months of training to benefit; just one bout of movement can uplift your mood and sharpen your mind, while activating key biological mechanisms that support lasting brain health.
Read the full article to explore the neuroscience behind acute exercise and its implications for brain wellness.
Recent Research & Recognition
In this section, we usually share something exciting happening in our lab. However, for this edition, we’ve decided to focus entirely on research, specifically, a major international research conference that Holly recently attended.
This summer, Holly traveled to Rimini, Italy, to attend the European Congress of Sport Science (ECSS), one of the world’s leading gatherings of scientists exploring and sharing research findings in various disciplines related to topics such as exercise, movement, and sport and their positive effects on optimal aging and brain and body health.
At the conference, Holly had the opportunity to present research from our own lab while also learning from other researchers around the globe. It was a chance to exchange ideas, deepen our knowledge, and bring fresh insights back to our community.
Among the many fascinating topics discussed was an emerging area of research on mental health. Last year, Holly shared how aerobic exercise can help reduce symptoms of depression. This year, researchers are testing whether resistance exercise (strength training) might offer similar benefits, a topic Holly will weave into our upcoming online event in September.
Holly also attended presentations, including a Polish researcher’s work on how different breathing techniques affect the body’s stress response, especially for athletes facing nerve-wracking competitions. A physiotherapist from Portugal, specializing in older adults, whom we lovingly call “developing adults”, shared strategies to support healthy aging, which we know includes brain health, in order to not just live longer but to live a better quality of life as well.
Additionally, European researchers discussed how building muscle releases compounds into the bloodstream that cross the blood-brain barrier and provide direct benefits to cognitive function.
“It was inspiring to connect with experts worldwide who are passionate about the brain-body link,” Holly said. “I’m excited to bring these ideas into our programs and research.”
Stay tuned for more, especially for our September online event, where many of these insights will come to life.
From Holly and all of us at Community & Company, we hope you’ve enjoyed this month's edition of The Brain Science Bulletin!
If you know someone who would find this newsletter helpful, feel free to share it with them. They can also join our mailing list by signing up at the bottom of our website’s Contact Page.
Thank you for being part of our community. We appreciate you! See you in the next edition.
Warm regards,
Holly Bardutz and the Community & Company Team
“You make your brain, then your brain makes you!”
Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns or treatment.
