Disability News and Research

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Video modeling interventions enhance romantic relationship skills in young adults with IDD

For too long, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have been denied the same opportunities for love, romance and sexual expression as their peers.

27 Mar 2026

University of Chicago and IDefine launch research program to develop Kleefstra syndrome treatment

The University of Chicago Department of Chemistry, in partnership with the advocacy organization IDefine – The Kleefstra Syndrome Foundation, is launching a targeted research program to develop a new potential therapeutic strategy for Kleefstra syndrome (KLEFS).

26 Mar 2026

Mentally active sitting linked to reduced risk of dementia

New research distinguishing between passive and mentally active sitting in association with dementia has found that adults who engaged in extended durations of mentally passive sedentary behaviors had a higher risk of dementia.

26 Mar 2026

Inefficient referral pathways delay lifesaving care for millions of injured people

Many seriously injured patients in Global South countries are failing to reach medical care within the lifesaving 'golden hour' and ambulances are often associated with these delays.

23 Mar 2026

Scientists identify new target to slow Huntington’s disease progression

Huntington's disease is a devastating brain disorder that slowly robs people of movement, memory and personality.

23 Mar 2026

Chronotherapy offers new hope for timing pain relief to match body cycles

Time plays a key role in our perception of pain and administering pain relief and medication for chronic pain-related depression may be more effective at certain times of day, UCL and University of Toronto researchers say.

23 Mar 2026

AI-assisted decision support system improves stroke care and long-term outcomes

A clinical decision support tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze scans after a stroke alongside treatment recommendations is associated with better quality care and long term outcomes for patients compared with usual care, finds a study from China published by The BMJ today.

23 Mar 2026

Oral semaglutide fails to slow early Alzheimer’s decline in two phase 3 trials

Two large phase 3 trials found that oral semaglutide 14 mg did not slow cognitive or functional decline over 104 weeks in people with early symptomatic, amyloid-positive Alzheimer’s disease. Semaglutide was generally consistent with its known safety profile and showed some biomarker changes, but these did not translate into clinical benefit.

22 Mar 2026

Oz escalates Medicaid fraud claims against states after focus on Minnesota

The Trump administration has signaled a willingness to halt billions of dollars in federal health payments to multiple states, mirroring moves they made against Minnesota.

20 Mar 2026

New tool helps thousands achieve better blood pressure control

A blood pressure program adopted across the University of California's six academic medical centers has effectively lowered hypertension and prevented serious disease or death for thousands of patients, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco.

18 Mar 2026

Muscle-repairing macrophages trigger heterotopic ossification in mice

We have identified a macrophage population "Mrep" that plays an essential role in muscle repair. However, in Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), Mrep functions as a pathogenic cell that triggers heterotopic ossification.

18 Mar 2026

Study identifies brain pathway crucial for proper functioning of working memory

Working memory is a cognitive function that is essential for carrying out everyday activities and temporarily retaining information.

17 Mar 2026

Study links smokable drug use to heightened incidence of severe burns

A new analysis in Oregon reveals a heightened incidence of severe burns requiring hospital-level care as illicit drug use has shifted nationwide from injection to smoking.

16 Mar 2026

Scientists identify common symptom patterns in post-COVID-19 vaccination syndrome

A registry study across 14 Japanese clinics analyzed 179 cases of post-COVID-19 vaccination syndrome (PCVS) and identified 493 adverse events affecting multiple organ systems. Most symptoms appeared within 90 days, but some occurred much later, highlighting the need for continued vaccine safety monitoring and better clinical frameworks for persistent post-vaccination symptoms.

16 Mar 2026

Largest review finds no mental health benefits of medicinal cannabis

A landmark Lancet Psychiatry paper published today – the largest-ever review of the safety and efficacy of cannabinoids across a range of mental health conditions – found no evidence that medicinal cannabis is effective in treating anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

16 Mar 2026

Extended monitoring identifies many more severe pregnancy complication cases

Extending the monitoring period for severe pregnancy complications showed more than 40% of cases were missed using traditional delivery-focused monitoring, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) https://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.251425 that extended monitoring from conception to 6 weeks postpartum.

16 Mar 2026

Prebiotic fiber supplement lowers pain sensitivity in people with knee osteoarthritis

A new study has found that a prebiotic fiber supplement reduced pain, improved grip strength, and lowered pain sensitivity in people with knee osteoarthritis (OA) - with far fewer dropouts than a digital physiotherapy programme.

12 Mar 2026

Cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines linked to higher stroke risk

Cannabis and other illicit drugs are associated with higher stroke risk, underscoring the importance of addressing substance use disorders in health strategies.

11 Mar 2026

AI-powered wearable ECG system detects myocardial ischemia minutes earlier

Myocardial ischemia, the primary driver of heart attacks, remains the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Delays in diagnosis directly correlate with increased myocardial necrosis, higher complication rates, and elevated mortality.

10 Mar 2026

Air pollution may be lowering global IQ and widening inequality, researchers warn

Researchers argue that exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) may affect cognitive function and intelligence, potentially causing large population-level losses in global IQ. Using modelling based on published exposure–response data, the authors estimate that pollution could be associated with tens of billions of IQ points lost worldwide, with the largest impacts in lower-income regions.

10 Mar 2026