Ormond Neuroscience

09/06/2026

Dad keeps telling the same stories.

At first, it's easy to laugh it off. Then you start wondering whether something has changed, if there is actually a problem. Memory loss is often one of the first things families notice. Not dramatic memory loss. Not getting lost. Not being unsure where the toilet is. Just small changes.

The same story told twice in an afternoon. Questions repeated. Conversations forgotten. Getting muddled.

It's easy to assume this means the beginnings of dementia. But the reality is invariably more complicated.

Memory problems arise from many different causes, some of which are treatable. Depression, poor sleep, metabolic problems, vascular disease, stress, medication side-effects, and neurological illness can all affect cognitive functioning.

The challenge is working out what is actually happening. And that's where professional help can make a meaningful difference.

If you're concerned about changes in a parent or spouse, this article explains what mild cognitive impairment is, why memory problems occur, and what can be done about them.

If something has changed, it's better to know why, because when it's someone you love, guessing isn't good enough.

https://www.ormond.co.za/cognition/mild-cognitive-impairment-memory-problems/

Alzheimer's South Africa

06/06/2026

Most people think of depression as a problem involving neurotransmitters or life stress.

But what if inflammation also plays a role?

Research has found intriguing links between herpes virus infection, immune activation, inflammation, and mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder.

The story becomes even more interesting when we consider the role of the cerebellum, a brain structure increasingly recognised for its contribution to emotion, cognition, and brain regulation.

This article explores the science behind these connections and asks an important question:

Could some mood disorders partly reflect disturbances in how the brain regulates itself in response to infection, inflammation, and stress?

Read more:

https://www.ormond.co.za/mood-disorders/herpes-virus-and-mood-disorders/


The South African Depression and Anxiety Group African Society For Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Headway Gauteng

24/05/2026

Stroke affects far more than the brain.

Emerging evidence suggests that stroke may trigger inflammatory and autonomic changes that extend to the heart itself, potentially contributing to microscopic scar tissue formation within the heart muscle (cardiac fibrosis).

This may help explain why some stroke survivors continue to struggle with:

• severe fatigue
• poor exercise tolerance
• autonomic symptoms
• long-term cardiovascular vulnerability

The brain and heart are deeply interconnected through the autonomic nervous system, immune signalling, and neuroendocrine pathways. Increasingly, stroke appears less like an isolated neurological event and more like a whole-body condition affecting multiple physiological systems.

This is a fascinating and potentially important area of neuroscience and rehabilitation research.

Read more here:
https://www.ormond.co.za/stroke/cardiac-scar-tissue/

Stroke Survivor Stroke Survivors Foundation Headway Gauteng South African Society For Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine

19/05/2026

Depression is increasingly understood as a disorder of brain regulation.

It involves interconnected systems responsible for stress, emotion, sleep, autonomic function, neuroplasticity, and adaptation. From this perspective, low mood is understood as a symptom of a dysregulated brain.

That changes how we think about treatment.

Treatment is not only about reducing symptoms — it is also about helping the brain regain its ability to regulate, adapt, stabilise, and recover. If dysregulation remains unaddressed, we risk not getting to the core of the problem.

This is where approaches such as vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) become interesting, because they aim to influence regulatory systems in the brain more directly.

More here:
https://www.ormond.co.za/mood-disorders/depression-brain-shrinkage/

17/05/2026

14/05/2026

Depression is not just about mood.

It is associated with changes in brain systems involved in memory, stress regulation, and neuroplasticity — including a structure called the hippocampus, which is often reduced in size in people with chronic depression.

So what does your ear have to do with this?

More than you might think.

Intriguingly, a branch of the vagus nerve found in the ear connects into brainstem systems involved in regulation, arousal, and emotional functioning. This forms the basis of a treatment called vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).

I’ve unpacked how this works — and why it’s being explored in depression:
https://www.ormond.co.za/mood-disorders/depression-brain-shrinkage/

12/05/2026

For decades, brain imaging studies have shown that people with depression often have reduced hippocampal volume.

This is not just about mood — it reflects changes in brain systems involved in memory, stress regulation, and neuroplasticity.

What is particularly striking is that a small MRI study reported increases in hippocampal volume in patients treated with vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), alongside improvements in depressive symptoms.

This is early data and requires replication, but the implications for how we think about depression — and its treatment — are important.

Here’s a clear explanation of what this means (and what it doesn’t):
https://www.ormond.co.za/mood-disorders/depression-brain-shrinkage/

07/05/2026

If you’ve tried multiple antidepressants — and other treatments — but still feel stuck…

You’re not alone.

This is what we call treatment-resistant depression. It doesn’t simply mean that “nothing works.” Often, it reflects deeper issues with how the brain regulates stress, emotion, and recovery.

There are other ways of approaching this.

One of them is vagus nerve stimulation.

https://www.ormond.co.za/mood-disorders/depression-brain-shrinkage/
If this sounds familiar, it may be worth understanding why.

05/05/2026

Depression doesn’t just affect how you feel.

In long-standing cases, parts of the brain involved in memory and resilience can actually begin to shrink.

Most people are never told this.

There’s now emerging evidence that treatments like vagus nerve stimulation may support recovery in these brain systems.

If you’ve been struggling with depression that hasn’t responded well to treatment, this is worth understanding.

https://www.ormond.co.za/mood-disorders/depression-brain-shrinkage/

(This is a simplified illustration to explain a real and well-established finding.)

16/04/2026

Cognitive decline is not always a one-way process.

In some cases, supporting the brain’s regulatory systems can help stabilise — and occasionally improve — cognitive functioning.

This may involve:
• sleep and metabolic support
• stress and autonomic regulation
• neuromodulatory approaches such as vagus nerve stimulation

The key is understanding what is actually driving the problem.

Read more: https://www.ormond.co.za/cognition/mild-cognitive-impairment-memory-problems/


Alzheimer's South Africa Dementia SA