Many of us believe that we are great drinkers and that alcohol does not affect us as much. People who are able to drink without showing any sign of inebriation are known as social drinkers. In short, they are not addicted to alcohol but will not turn down the opportunity to have a good time! While it may seem like it doesn’t affect you, new studies suggest that it is just an illusion, even if you have high tolerance, alcohol affects your cognitive and motor functions more than you think.

The study reveals the below implications and techniques:

• Researchers used a new MRI technique to precisely measure brain electrical activity.
• By comparing brain scans before and after drinking, scientists identified specific areas affected by alcohol and how much brain activity slowed down.
• Participants were chosen to be regular social drinkers without alcohol addiction, ensuring the study focused on the effects of alcohol alone.
• MRI technology provided reliable data on brain activity changes caused by alcohol consumption.

How does the brain react to alcohol?

Think of it as the foundation for your brain's performance. When brain conductivity is high, information flows smoothly, and that helps your brain in rapid processing and response. On the other hand, low conductivity can hinder cognitive function, leading to slower thinking, impaired memory, and difficulties with coordination.

A study conducted at the Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and UNSW Science unveiled a startling connection between alcohol consumption and brain conductivity.

What is the connection between alcohol consumption and brain activity?

While many people brush off the effects of alcohol as temporary changes in behaviour, the reality is much more complex. Beyond the obvious impacts on coordination and judgment, alcohol significantly alters brain function. Alcohol dramatically slowed down brain activity, especially in areas responsible for decision-making, planning, and physical coordination. This decline was so significant that it resembled the brain changes seen in normal ageing. This means even one drink could temporarily accelerate the ageing process of your brain.

Alcohol and Brain activity: What does the study Imply?

The implications of this research are far-reaching. It provides compelling evidence that alcohol consumption has a direct and measurable impact on brain function. The discovery that alcohol can significantly reduce brain conductivity opens new avenues for understanding the neurocognitive effects of alcohol abuse and dependence. While you may not feel like alcohol is affecting you and you have a high tolerance, it most definitely changes and affects your decision-making abilities and impulse control.

Furthermore, the MRI technique employed in the study could be a valuable tool for assessing the impact of other substances on the brain and for developing interventions to mitigate alcohol-related brain damage.

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to expand, with the virus spreading to three new health zones in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, according to government officials.

The country, which is battling its 17th Ebola virus disease outbreak, has now recorded 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths, Health Minister Dr. Samuel-Roger Kamba said in a post on social media platform X.

Ebola Spreads To 3 New Health Zones

Kamba informed that the virus has spread to three new health zones in the country. They are:

Masereka (North Kivu)

Vuhovi (North Kivu)

Kambala (Ituri)

“#EbolaBundibugyo: As of June 10, 676 cumulative confirmed cases — 629 in Ituri, 44 in North Kivu, 3 in South Kivu. Forty-one new cases reported today,” Kamba wrote.

“Three new health zones affected: Masereka and Vuhovi in North Kivu, Kambala in Ituri. Our teams are adapting, surveillance is intensifying. The response follows every signal, in every zone,” he added.

Ebola Recoveries Offer Hope

Also read: Expert Explains Science Behind Patient Recoveries

The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, was officially declared on May 15.

There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain.

The minister also reported total 10 recoveries from the deadly disease.

“#EbolaBundibugyo: Two newly recovered today in the Bunia Health Zone. They are returning home. Every recovery is a victory, a message of hope for our communities. Come get treated quickly — early care saves lives,” Kamba said.

DRC World Cup Team Reaches US

Also read: Ebola Survivors May Face COVID-Like Memory Loss and Brain Issues For Over 7 Years: NIH Study

Meanwhile, the Ebola outbreak has also disrupted the preparations of the Democratic Republic of Congo national football team ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

The squad arrived in the United States after spending three weeks in isolation in Europe due to the outbreak in their home country. US authorities required the team to complete the quarantine period in Belgium before being allowed to enter the country, AFP news agency reported.

DRC cancelled a planned pre-tournament training camp at home and instead based preparations in Belgium.

In addition, a scheduled warm-up match against Chile in Spain was also cancelled over concerns about the spread of the virus.

“We adapted to the situation,” said head coach Sebastien Desabre. “We had to focus, as we have had to adapt often.

“That is what we did. We worked well, we played two tough friendlies, and here we are. Now, it is another step for us.”

The team will be based in Houston during the tournament and is scheduled to play its opening Group K match against Portugal on June 17.

What Is Ebola?

Ebola is a severe and deadly disease caused by a virus mostly found in Africa. The spread of the disease happens through contact with infected body fluids.

Symptoms includes fever, headache, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, sore throat, and unexplained bleeding. This eventually leads to severe complications like bleeding, organ failure, and death.

Ebola is a highly lethal viral hemorrhagic fever first identified in 1976. Over the past five decades, it has caused over 30 outbreaks, primarily in Central and West Africa. The virus takes its name from the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Three strains of the virus — Ebola virus, Sudan virus, and Bundibugyo virus — have caused the largest outbreaks in Africa. Among them, the Ebola virus is considered the deadliest, with fatality rates reaching up to 90% without treatment.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have released the world’s most detailed 3D atlas of the human brainstem.

Called ANCHOR (Atlas of Neurochemical Characterization of the Human Brainstem with 3D Reconstruction), the atlas was developed using a high-throughput brain imaging and computing platform that transforms whole human brains into 3D cell-resolution atlases.

It provides comprehensive multi-modal 3D maps of the human brainstem across the lifespan, covering the prenatal period, childhood, and adulthood.

The atlas includes more than 200 brainstem nuclei and fiber tracts reconstructed from hundreds of serial sections. To identify distinct neurochemical cell types, researchers overlaid eight complementary immunostains across more than 500 sections, enabling detailed mapping.

Developed by the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre (SGBC) at IIT Madras, ANCHOR has been made publicly available to researchers, clinicians, and patients worldwide.

“This is a significant accomplishment in the field of neurobiology. This is a multimodal framework integrating MRI, histology, and detailed chemo-architecture. It will be the most detailed and comprehensive maps of the human brainstem, and made available publicly in digital form. These maps will help in identifying specific cell populations affected in brain stem lesions, which could be critical for clinical applications,” said Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, during the 3rd BRICS Neuroscience Symposium 2026.

Prof. Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam, Head of SGBC, IIT Madras, said the atlas uses a multimodal image visualization framework that integrates volumetric MRI data with cellular-level images.

“By establishing precise spatial correspondence across these modalities, the atlas enables a seamless transition from gross brain structures in the MRI to cellular-level features. We envision that these maps and atlases will have significant implications for neuroscience and neuromedicine,” he said.

Also read: India AI Summit: Union Health Minister Nadda Launches SAHI And BODH Initiatives To Boost AI In Healthcare

What Is ANCHOR?

The human brainstem contains more than 200 nuclei and fiber tracts and plays a vital role in regulating essential body functions.

ANCHOR is an online platform featuring more than 800 serial histological sections stained for Nissl and seven immunochemical (IHC) markers from three human brainstems representing different stages of life:

• 25 fetal gestational weeks
• 9 years old
• 54 years old

The atlas also describes catecholaminergic groups across all three age groups, identifies the protoplasmic commissural dendrites of the hypoglossal nucleus, and describes the pretectal nuclei in the fetal brainstem.

Read More:79th World Health Assembly: India Created Over 880 Million Digital Health IDs, Says J P Nadda

Integrated Online Viewer

ANCHOR includes an online viewer that integrates:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Block-face imaging
• Nissl-stained serial sections
• IHC-stained serial sections
• 3D reconstruction of the entire brainstem.

The National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune has confirmed Nipah virus infection in a 43-year-old man from Ramanattukara in Kerala's Kozhikode district.

The patient, who was earlier shifted from a private hospital to a dedicated Nipah isolation facility at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, remains in critical condition and is currently on ventilator support under the close supervision of a team of specialists, as per officials.

The patient was initially transferred to the Medical College Hospital after testing positive in a preliminary examination conducted at the Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL). Following preliminary test results that suggested Nipah infection, the Kerala Health Department swung into action and intensified surveillance and containment measures in Kozhikode district.

77 Contacts Identified Through Tracing Efforts

After confirmation from NIV Pune, health authorities launched extensive contact-tracing efforts. District officials have identified 77 people who may have been exposed to the patient through contact tracing:

Notably, the patient's immediate family members—including his wife, two children, father, and mother—have been placed under quarantine.

In addition, two staff members of a private hospital in Kozhikode who interacted with the patient during earlier treatment have also been advised to remain in quarantine. Samples from five primary contacts have been sent to the VRDL laboratory for testing, as per media reports.

Also read: Ebola Survivors May Face COVID-Like Memory Loss and Brain Issues For Over 7 Years: NIH Study

No Need for Containment Zone Yet, Says Minister

As per District Collector M.S. Madhavikutty, none of the identified contacts are currently showing symptoms and there is no immediate need to declare a containment zone.

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan also stated that the current situation does not warrant the declaration of a containment zone in Ramanattukara.

"The 15 priority contacts have been advised to remain in quarantine. A rapid response team meeting was held to ensure the availability of PPE kits and gloves. There is no shortage of medicines, and additional supplies will arrive from Chennai," the minister said.

Officials Probing Possible Source of Infection

The patient's initial symptoms included a high fever about a week ago and was later hospitalized with symptoms suggestive of encephalitis. But as his condition worsened, doctors tested for Nipah infection, which turned positive.

He is likely to have been exposed to the virus while cleaning an old godown in Puthukad, Malappuram district, reportedly connected to his soap manufacturing business.

Another likely source of infection is a chikoo tree located on the patient's property, where officials have reportedly observed the presence of bats and bird droppings.

"Anyone developing fever should voluntarily isolate themselves, wear a mask, and avoid close contact with others. However, making masks mandatory for the public is not being considered at present, as the situation does not require such a measure," Madhavikutty told reporters.

This is the 11th Nipah outbreak reported in Kerala since the virus was first detected in the state in 2018.

What Is Nipah Virus?

According to the World Health Organization, Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can spread from animals to humans. It can also be transmitted through contaminated food and, in some cases, directly from person to person.

In humans, infection can range from asymptomatic illness to severe respiratory disease and fatal encephalitis (brain inflammation). The virus can also infect animals such as pigs, causing significant economic losses for farmers.

Although outbreaks have been limited mainly to parts of Asia, the virus is known for its high fatality rate and potential to cause severe disease.

Symptoms of Nipah Virus Infection

Common symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Breathing difficulties
• Cough and sore throat
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Muscle pain
• Severe weakness
• Dizziness
• Altered consciousness in severe cases
• Encephalitis (brain inflammation)

Why Is Nipah a Concern?

Nipah virus is considered a major public health threat because of:

• Its high mortality rate
• The ability to spread through close contact
• The absence of a specific antiviral treatment
• The lack of an approved vaccine for widespread use