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Innate differences in immunity can be detected at birth

Innate differences in immunity can be detected at birth, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. And babies with a better innate response to viruses have fewer respiratory illnesses in the first year of life.

18 May 2012

Mass. Eye and Ear announces recipients of 2012 Curing Kids Fund grants

The Mass. Eye and Ear Curing Kids fund has awarded grants for research projects that aim to help the brain locate sound, identify genes that cause congenital blindness, cure deafness through hair cell regeneration, and improve treatment for childhood eye cancer.

16 May 2012

First study to examine pediatric injuries linked with pacifiers, bottles and sippy cups

A new study by researchers in the Center for Biobehavioral Health and the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital examined pediatric injuries associated with baby bottles, pacifiers and sippy cups.

15 May 2012

Regenerating sensory hair cells could help treat hearing loss

Regenerating sensory hair cells, which produce electrical signals in response to vibrations within the inner ear, could form the basis for treating age- or trauma-related hearing loss. One way to do this could be with gene therapy that drives new sensory hair cells to grow.

14 May 2012

Researchers identify cellular mechanism associated with tinnitus

Researchers in the University of Leicester's Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology have identified a cellular mechanism that could underlie the development of tinnitus following exposure to loud noises. The discovery could lead to novel tinnitus treatments, and investigations into potential drugs to prevent tinnitus are currently underway.

10 May 2012

Health budget focuses on dental and aged care

The states need to increase the number of public dental patients they treat or lose the reward payments offered by the federal government under its new $500 million dental package. A total of over $800 million of new money has come into the focal points of the health budget - dental and aged care.

9 May 2012

Brief empathy training program improves resident physicians interactions with patients

Resident physicians' participation in a brief training program designed to increase empathy with their patients produced significant improvement in how patients perceived their interactions with the residents.

8 May 2012

Cone beam CT superior to mutidetector CT for detecting superior semicircular canal dehiscence

Cone beam CT is superior to mutidetector CT for detecting superior semicircular canal dehiscence or the so called third window (a small hole in the bony wall of the inner ear bone that can cause dizziness and hearing loss) and it uses half the radiation dose, a new study shows.

3 May 2012

Teleflex launches Hudson RCI Softech Plus to help clinicians

Teleflex Incorporated has announced the introduction of Hudson RCI Softech Plus, a line of oxygen cannulas designed to help clinicians improve patient comfort and reduce DEHP exposure.

2 May 2012

New research challenges recommendation to restrict soothers in breastfeeding infants

Binkies, corks, soothers. Whatever you call pacifiers, conventional wisdom holds that giving them to newborns can interfere with breastfeeding.

30 Apr 2012

U of U develops small implantable middle-ear microphone

Cochlear implants have restored basic hearing to some 220,000 deaf people, yet a microphone and related electronics must be worn outside the head, raising reliability issues, preventing patients from swimming and creating social stigma.

30 Apr 2012

First idiothetic memory study in humans

It's night time. The light suddenly goes out in the room where you are. At the same time you hear somebody crying: "Fire!". You bolt. Will you be able to find your way out in total darkness? Most likely, yes - if the room is somewhat familiar to you and not too big. Escape will be possible because of idiothetic memory, one of two types of human spatial memory. This type of memory relies not on visual information, but on information coming from the body. In the Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw it was investigated whether this type of memory can be affected by age.

30 Apr 2012

CU School of Medicine researcher devises new exercise for BPPV

A CU School of Medicine researcher who suffers from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and had to "fix it" before she could go to work one day was using a maneuver to treat herself that only made her sicker. "So I sat down and thought about it and figured out an alternate way to do it. Then I fixed myself and went in to work" and discovered a new treatment for this type of vertigo.

24 Apr 2012

Study confirms link between smoking and reduced risk of acoustic neuroma

New research confirms an association between smoking and a reduced risk for a rare benign tumor near the brain, but the addition of smokeless tobacco to the analysis suggests nicotine is not the protective substance.

24 Apr 2012

Method to manufacture cartilage from human embryonic stem cells

BioTime, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary OrthoCyte Corporation reported today a means of manufacturing cartilage from human embryonic stem cells that is suited for industrial scale-up of a product for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

23 Apr 2012

Intrinsically disordered protein responsible for inactivating BK channel

Tiny pores, or channels, embedded in cell membranes are critical to the healthy functioning of cells. Charged atoms, or ions, move through these channels to generate the electrical signals that allow cells to communicate with one another.

23 Apr 2012

Mood disorders not linked to nasal obstruction

While mood disorders like depression or anxiety tend to negatively affect treatment for allergies and chronic rhinosinusitis, the same cannot be said for patients with nasal obstructions such as deviated septum, according to researchers at Henry Ford Hospital.

20 Apr 2012

Link between insomnia and severity of perceived tinnitus symptoms

For the more than 36 million people plagued by tinnitus, insomnia can have a negative effect on the condition, worsening the functional and emotional toll of chronic ringing, buzzing, hissing or clicking in the head and ears, according to a new study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

19 Apr 2012

1 in 5 Australians expect antibiotics for coughs and colds: New NPS campaign

The survey also revealed a plethora of misconceptions when it comes to antibiotics with only half of respondents knowing that bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics. Only 40% knew antibiotics should not be taken for viruses and many (40%) did not know that taking antibiotics when they’re not needed contributes to antibiotic resistance. More than half did not know resistance increases when you don’t complete the course as directed and in general, the youth audience had less knowledge.

18 Apr 2012

Scientists map physical architecture of intelligence in the brain

Scientists report that they have mapped the physical architecture of intelligence in the brain. Theirs is one of the largest and most comprehensive analyses so far of the brain structures vital to general intelligence and to specific aspects of intellectual functioning, such as verbal comprehension and working memory.

11 Apr 2012