Swallowing News and Research

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Caltech scientists map neural circuit that regulates thirst

There are few feelings more satisfying than gulping down water when you are thirsty. But how does your brain know when you are dehydrated or satiated, and how does it use this information to initiate or terminate drinking? Caltech scientists have now mapped the circuit of neurons within the mouse brain that regulates thirst by stimulating and suppressing the drive to drink water.

1 Mar 2018

Researchers explore how people with Alzheimer's disease use end-of-life medical services

Because people are now living longer and often healthier lives, the rate of some illnesses that are more likely to develop with age has risen. These illnesses include dementia. In fact, the number of us living with dementia was already 47 million worldwide in 2015. It could reach 131 million by 2050.

22 Feb 2018

New wearable electronics could be game-changer for stroke rehabilitation

A groundbreaking new wearable designed to be worn on the throat could be a game-changer in the field of stroke rehabilitation.

19 Feb 2018

Hackensack Meridian Health offers cutting-edge treatment option for patients with carotid artery disease

Hackensack Meridian Health's academic medical centers, Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, NJ and Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, NJ, are just two of only a few hospitals in the country and two of only three hospitals in New Jersey to offer an innovative new treatment that dramatically reduces the risk of stroke in patients with blocked carotid arteries, the major blood vessels that deliver blood to the brain.

1 Feb 2018

New palliative radiation techniques could provide better quality of life for lung cancer patients

While palliative radiation therapy is used to ease pain in patients with advanced lung cancer, it often has adverse effects on the esophagus which leads to symptoms like heartburn and difficulty swallowing.

29 Jan 2018

Physicians use pyridostigmine to reverse pediatric complications from botulinum toxin therapy

Physicians at the Medical University of South Carolina report the first pediatric use of a treatment to reverse complications from botulinum toxin therapy.

27 Jan 2018

Report highlights risk of severe injuries caused by swallowed button batteries from 'fidget spinners'

A report of two young children with burns of the esophagus caused by swallowed button batteries from "fidget spinners" highlights a risk of severe injuries involving these popular toys, according to a series of reports in the January/February Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

27 Jan 2018

Home care agencies often wrongly deny Medicare help to the chronically ill

Colin Campbell needs help dressing, bathing and moving between his bed and his wheelchair. He has a feeding tube because his partially paralyzed tongue makes swallowing "almost impossible," he said.

18 Jan 2018

Saliva-based diagnostics offer possibility to detect HPV-induced throat cancer

This follows the extension of a QUT collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, and Janssen Cilag Pty Ltd.

8 Jan 2018

Performing surgery on virtual patient could provide valuable insight into consequences

Is surgery the best option or not, in the case of cancer in the head and neck? As the consequences for speaking and swallowing may be severe, some way of predicting these consequences would help in the decision-making.

13 Dec 2017

Capsule research could transform treatment for C. difficile infections

An Alberta-led clinical trial has shown Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) is as effective in treating clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections whether delivered by colonoscopy or by swallowing capsules.

28 Nov 2017

Genetic, ethnic background may be underlying factors for acquired laryngotracheal stenosis

Endotracheal intubation, in which a tube is inserted through the voice box (larynx) into the windpipe, and tracheotomy, in which surgery is undertaken to create a hole through the neck and into the windpipe (trachea) to facilitate breathing, are widely used in the hospital setting for elective surgery and in cases of serious illness or critical injury.

22 Nov 2017

Prescribed medications linked to dry mouth symptoms in older adults

For older adults, dry mouth can be a common side effect of prescribed medications. Having dry mouth means you don't have enough saliva, or spit, to keep your mouth wet. The condition can lead to problems chewing, eating, swallowing, and even talking. What's more, dry mouth puts you at higher risk for tooth decay and oral infections.

27 Oct 2017

Mumps outbreak in U.S. necessitates third booster dose of vaccine for at-risk individuals

According to a federal experts panel yesterday (25th October 2017), a third dose of mumps vaccine is recommended when there is an outbreak of the viral disease. There have been several mumps outbreaks since 2006 in the United States, especially among students who have already been vaccinated before. Last year 6366 cases of the highly infectious viral infection were reported in the United States.

27 Oct 2017

Proton beam therapy has lower rates of toxicity in pediatric patients with head and neck cancer

Pediatric patients with head and neck cancer can be treated with proton beam therapy (PBT) instead of traditional photon radiation, and it will result in similar outcomes with less impact on quality of life.

23 Oct 2017

Point-of-care ultrasound helps surgeons perform thyroid surgery without general anesthesia

A FUJIFILM SonoSite SII point-of-care ultrasound system recently played a key role in an innovative procedure allowing thyroid surgery without the use of general anesthetic.

19 Oct 2017

CUMC researchers discover ‘cell of origin’ for esophageal cancer

Columbia University Medical Center researchers have identified cells in the upper digestive tract that can give rise to Barrett's esophagus, a precursor to esophageal cancer. The discovery of this "cell of origin" promises to accelerate the development of more precise screening tools and therapies for Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma, the fastest growing form of cancer in the U.S.

11 Oct 2017

Flexible sensors can measure rhythmic contractions of the digestive tract

Researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital have built a flexible sensor that can be rolled up and swallowed. Upon ingestion, the sensor adheres to the stomach wall or intestinal lining, where it can measure the rhythmic contractions of the digestive tract.

10 Oct 2017

NIH-funded study to evaluate treatment options for newborns with opioid withdrawal syndrome

The National Institutes of Health is funding a new study to evaluate treatment options for newborns with opioid withdrawal syndrome, a condition caused by exposure to opioids during pregnancy.

3 Oct 2017

Study suggests magnesium cream could be used to combat deficiencies

A new study by the University of Hertfordshire has revealed that a magnesium cream could be used as an alternative to tablets to combat major health problems including high blood pressure which are linked with deficiency.

From BetterYou Ltd 15 Sep 2017