OCT News and Research

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Sertraline contributes to a modest improvement in core depression and anxiety symptoms

One of the most common antidepressants, sertraline, contributes to a modest improvement in core depression and anxiety symptoms, including low mood, within two weeks, finds a new analysis of a major clinical trial led by UCL researchers.

30 Oct 2025

Babies' gut bacteria could play a role in programming brain circuits tied to emotional health

A child's early gut microbiome may influence their risk of developing depression, anxiety or other internalizing symptoms in middle childhood, according to a new UCLA Health study.

30 Oct 2025

Scientists uncover why many cancer patients develop chemotherapy-induced neuropathy

Scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in collaboration with researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, have made a breakthrough in understanding why many cancer patients develop nerve damage after chemotherapy.

30 Oct 2025

Breakthrough could offer a new therapeutic option for stopping diabetes-induced complications

Researchers from the University at Albany and NYU Grossman School of Medicine have found a way to block a key cellular pathway known to drive chronic inflammation and impaired wound healing in people with diabetes.

30 Oct 2025

Refugees will be among the first to lose food stamps under federal changes

After fleeing the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, Antoinette landed in the Atlanta area last November and began to find her footing with federal help.

30 Oct 2025

California faces limits as it directs health facilities to push back on immigration raids

In recent months, federal agents have camped out in the lobby of a Southern California hospital, guarded detained patients — sometimes shackled — in hospital rooms, and chased an immigrant landscaper into a surgical center.

30 Oct 2025

Home exercise alone highly effective for meniscal tear and osteoarthritis pain, says study

People with a meniscal tear and osteoarthritis prescribed home exercises with or without physical therapy reported substantial improvements in knee pain, according to a new study led by Mass General Brigham researchers.

30 Oct 2025

Study links short-term blood pressure variability to Alzheimer's-related brain loss

Even when blood pressure is well controlled, older adults whose blood pressure fluctuates widely from one heartbeat to the next may be at greater risk for brain shrinkage and nerve cell injury, according to a new study led by the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.

30 Oct 2025

Antibiotic use within 24 hours of birth reduces wound severity in childbirth injuries

Giving antibiotics to women within 24 hours of an obstetric tear during childbirth is associated with a reduced risk of larger/clinically relevant wound complications, find the results of a clinical trial from Denmark published by The BMJ today.

30 Oct 2025

Stem cells show promise in preventing post-heart attack heart failure

Patients with weak heart function who receive stem cell therapy shortly after a heart attack are at lower risk of developing heart failure and related hospital stays compared with standard care, finds a clinical trial published by The BMJ today.

30 Oct 2025

WHO reviews highlight limited long-term data on GLP-1 drug safety

Three new Cochrane reviews find evidence that GLP-1 drugs result in clinically meaningful weight loss, but industry-funded studies raise questions. The reviews were commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) to inform upcoming guidelines on the use of these drugs to treat obesity.

30 Oct 2025

Rapamycin shows promise in treating cold tumors with specific gene mutation

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) emerged in the US about 15 years ago as an exciting class of cancer treatments that have achieved complete and durable remissions for thousands of people with end-stage metastatic cancers.

29 Oct 2025

Targeting myeloid cells to enhance cancer immunotherapy

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a specific immune cell that can be targeted to give a boost to standard immunotherapies for cancer.

29 Oct 2025

Rethinking kindergarten reading screenings for better outcomes

In most states, schools are required to screen students as they enter kindergarten - a process that is meant to identify students who may need extra help learning to read. However, a new study by MIT researchers suggests that these screenings may not be working as intended in all schools.

29 Oct 2025

Computational model predicts the hemodynamic response of patients following atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a cardiac disorder in which the chambers of the heart beat rapidly and irregularly. It's the most common type of arrhythmia and the leading cardiac cause of stroke.

29 Oct 2025

Systematic analysis reveals psilocybin's impact on obsessive-compulsive behaviors

A systematic review published today in Psychedelics by Mr. James Gattuso and colleagues at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health synthesizes clinical and preclinical evidence on psilocybin's effects on obsessive-compulsive behaviors, revealing consistent therapeutic potential across human patients and validated animal models.

29 Oct 2025

Retaining gonad function could be a potent strategy to fight late-life frailty

Frailty threatens older individuals because it increases their vulnerability to detrimental health outcomes, such as falling, longer hospitalization, or even shortened life expectancy.

29 Oct 2025

New infection prevention guidance for nursing homes released

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), in collaboration with the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Society (PALTmed), and the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), today released Multisociety Guidance for Infection Prevention and Control in Nursing Homes.

29 Oct 2025

Unlocking memory: The role of epigenetics in memory expression

Our experiences leave traces in the brain, stored in small groups of cells called "engrams". Engrams are thought to hold the information of a memory and are reactivated when we remember, which makes them very interesting to research on memory and age- or trauma-related memory loss.

29 Oct 2025

MIT study reveals what happens inside the brain during sleep deprivation

Nearly everyone has experienced it: After a night of poor sleep, you don't feel as alert as you should. Your brain might seem foggy, and your mind drifts off when you should be paying attention.

29 Oct 2025

OCT News and Research

Sertraline contributes to a modest improvement in core depression and anxiety symptoms

Babies' gut bacteria could play a role in programming brain circuits tied to emotional health

Scientists uncover why many cancer patients develop chemotherapy-induced neuropathy

Breakthrough could offer a new therapeutic option for stopping diabetes-induced complications

Refugees will be among the first to lose food stamps under federal changes

California faces limits as it directs health facilities to push back on immigration raids

Home exercise alone highly effective for meniscal tear and osteoarthritis pain, says study

Study links short-term blood pressure variability to Alzheimer's-related brain loss

Antibiotic use within 24 hours of birth reduces wound severity in childbirth injuries

Stem cells show promise in preventing post-heart attack heart failure

WHO reviews highlight limited long-term data on GLP-1 drug safety

Rapamycin shows promise in treating cold tumors with specific gene mutation

Targeting myeloid cells to enhance cancer immunotherapy

Rethinking kindergarten reading screenings for better outcomes

Computational model predicts the hemodynamic response of patients following atrial fibrillation

Systematic analysis reveals psilocybin's impact on obsessive-compulsive behaviors

Retaining gonad function could be a potent strategy to fight late-life frailty

New infection prevention guidance for nursing homes released

Unlocking memory: The role of epigenetics in memory expression

MIT study reveals what happens inside the brain during sleep deprivation

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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