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More kids are in ERs for tooth pain. Trump cuts and RFK Jr.’s anti-fluoride fight aren’t helping.

Eight-year-old Jonah woke up one May morning with a swollen face and a toothache. He refused the pain medication that his mom, Geneva Reynolds, tried to give him. He didn't sleep or eat and cried constantly.

10 Mar 2026

Understanding PIEZO2 mutations and sensory disorders

Every time we feel a gentle tap on the skin, specialized nerve cells convert that physical force into an electrical signal that the brain can interpret as touch. While scientists have long known that a protein called PIEZO2 acts as a key sensor for touch, it remained unclear why PIEZO2 is specialized for the localized mechanical forces experienced by sensory neurons, whereas its close relative PIEZO1 responds to broader mechanical stresses such as those generated when cells stretch, as occurs in blood vessels.

9 Mar 2026

Brain cells amplify important signals to guide focus and navigation

Nerve cells in the brain are constantly bombarded with information from different senses simultaneously. How can the brain prioritize what is most important?

6 Mar 2026

Scientists call for integration of physical activity into psychiatric care

People with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorder die on average ten to 20 years earlier than the general population.

5 Mar 2026

No evidence probiotic skincare can improve mood

Current findings reveal no support for emotional benefits from probiotic cosmetics, highlighting the need for further investigation into neurocosmetics.

5 Mar 2026

Long COVID taste loss tied to reduced expression of key taste genes

The study identifies molecular changes in taste receptor cells as a potential cause of persistent taste dysfunction in long COVID-19, impacting quality of life.

5 Mar 2026

Experimental therapy dramatically reduces seizures in children with Dravet syndrome

A new experimental treatment for children with a hard-to-treat form of epilepsy is safe and can reduce seizures dramatically, helping them lead much healthier and happier lives, the findings of a UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital-led international clinical trial show.

4 Mar 2026

Chile verified as leprosy free after decades of public health efforts

The World Health Organization (WHO), together with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), congratulates Chile for becoming the first country in the Americas – and the second globally – to be officially verified as having eliminated leprosy disease.

4 Mar 2026

Study uncovers a biological cause for persistent taste loss after COVID-19

Some individuals have experienced a loss of taste long after a COVID-19 infection has subsided. Researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala University and the University of Colorado have now shown that this may be due to a disruption in taste cells that would otherwise give rise to experiences of sweet, bitter or umami.

4 Mar 2026

Even patients are shocked by the prices their insurers will pay — and it costs all of us

Samantha Smith of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, went into the operating room for emergency removal of an ectopic pregnancy.

3 Mar 2026

UCF researcher explores insulin signaling as new target for diabetic neuropathy

Neuropathy – chronic pain, numbness and tingling in the hands and feet – is a challenging fact of life for many patients with Type 1 diabetes.

2 Mar 2026

The surprising neurological benefits of GLP-1s

For people with chronic migraine, taking glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 drugs, for other conditions such as diabetes and weight loss, was associated with fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations overall, and with less need for medications used to stop and prevent migraine attacks, according to a preliminary study released March 1, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

2 Mar 2026

NIH’s continued investment fuels TMJ pain research

Chronic pain is one of the most common health conditions worldwide. Back pain is the most frequently reported type, followed closely by head and face pain linked to the jaw joint, in the form of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

27 Feb 2026

Corneal nerve function declines with age in aniridia patients

Congenital aniridia is a rare disease caused, in most cases, by mutations in the PAX6 gene, which is essential for the development of ocular structures.

27 Feb 2026

Combining stem cell therapy with fetal surgery shows promise for treating myelomeningocele

A phase 1 clinical trial published in The Lancet has shown that combining stem cell therapy with standard fetal surgery before birth is a safe and promising approach to treat myelomeningocele, a severe form of spina bifida.

26 Feb 2026

Reducing miRNA levels helps rescue vascular defects in Rett syndrome

MIT researchers have discovered that two common genetic mutations that cause Rett syndrome each set off a molecular chain of events that compromises the structural integrity of developing brain blood vessels, making them leaky.

25 Feb 2026

Morning chronotype and exercise associated with reduced ALS risk

Being an early bird, also called a morning person, and being more physically active are associated with lower risks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a preliminary study released February 25, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online.

25 Feb 2026

No evidence connects tick bites to chronic health problems

When researchers studied Norwegians who thought tick bites caused their chronic health problems, they found no objective evidence linking the symptoms to ticks.

25 Feb 2026

Untreated sleep apnea may cost the UK and US billions annually

Untreated obstructive sleep apnea may be costing the UK and US economies billions of pounds/dollars in lost productivity every year, with a considerable proportion of working age adults experiencing symptoms indicative of the breathing disorder, suggests an analysis published online in the journal Thorax.

24 Feb 2026

SwRI advances safer manufacturing of nerve agent antidotes

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) continues to expand its unique drug synthesis capabilities and expertise to advance the scalable manufacturing of safer antidotes to combat exposure to organophosphorus nerve agents (OPNAs) and pesticides.

24 Feb 2026