As people age, a normal brain protein known as amyloid beta often starts to collect into harmful amyloid plaques in the brain. Such plaques can be the first step on the path to Alzheimer’s dementia. When they form around blood vessels in the brain, a condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy, the plaques also raise the risk of strokes.

Hot flashes. Night sweats. Irregular menstrual periods.

Black women approaching menopause may experience these symptoms—and others—for a decade before their menstrual cycles cease all together. White women, on average, experience menopausal symptoms for approximately 6½ years.

Functional neurosurgery—surgical interaction with the brain to improve function—was pioneered to treat people in need of pain relief, often those suffering with terminal cancer. Simple early procedures included surgically creating tiny lesions, also called ablations, in specific areas of the nervous system linked to pain.

The field has come a long way since those early days, says Jon Willie, MD, PhD, Washington University neurosurgeon at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

The marketing messages hit you from all directions. There are apps for weight loss and websites and books and online programs. It’s big business, and the quantity of often conflicting information can be overwhelming. Could it be true that there simply is no magic bullet?