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Study shows potential of digital mental healthcare to help people during COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused worldwide fear, uncertainty and restriction of movement. The physical distancing, socio-economic consequences of quarantine measures, and the loss of social support are a grave threat to public mental health.

31 Aug 2020

Exposure to light-emitting media devices at night linked with poor sperm quality

Men might want to think twice before reaching for their smartphone at night. A new study found correlations between electronic media use at night and poor sperm quality.

27 Aug 2020

Online assessment tool helps patients make informed decisions

About one in five U.S. adults, an estimated 47 million people, lives with a mental illness. Fewer than half of them receive treatment, counseling or medication. In recent years, smartphone apps have emerged as potentially cost-effective means of expanding access to mental healthcare.

26 Aug 2020

Higher COVID-19 risk perception among older American adults

In a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv*, researchers from the Yale Institute for Global Health analyzed the shift in COVID-19 risk perception, behavior, knowledge, and attitude across the U.S. from February to May 2020 by surveying 672 adults.

25 Aug 2020

No evidence pregnancy increases the risk of COVID-19 morbidity or severity

Albeit pregnancy is generally considered a significant risk factor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and more severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outcomes, a recent study by a multinational team of researchers shows that symptoms are generally comparable between pregnant and non-pregnant cohorts of women – with the exception of gastrointestinal symptoms. This paper is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

23 Aug 2020

Contact tracing apps not likely to control the spread of COVID-19

Contract tracing apps used to reduce the spread of COVID-19 are unlikely to be effective without proper uptake and support from concurrent control measures, finds a new study by UCL researchers.

20 Aug 2020

Smartphones could be used to detect Type 2 diabetes

Researchers at UC San Francisco have developed a "digital biomarker" that would use a smartphone's built-in camera to detect Type 2 diabetes - one of the world's top causes of disease and death - potentially providing a low-cost, in-home alternative to blood draws and clinic-based screening tools.

17 Aug 2020

New research finds mHealth technologies as a viable option to monitor COVID-19 patients

An international task force, including two University of Massachusetts Amherst computer scientists, concludes in new research that mobile health (mHealth) technologies are a viable option to monitor COVID-19 patients at home and predict which ones will need medical intervention.

13 Aug 2020

Meditation-relaxation technique can help treat sleep paralysis

Sleep paralysis - a condition thought to explain a number of mysterious experiences including alleged cases of alien abduction and demonic night-time visits - could be treated using a technique of meditation-relaxation, suggests a pilot study published today.

12 Aug 2020

Study documents changes in hospital visitation and communication policies during COVID-19

Four months ago, Michigan glowed red on COVID-19 maps. Hundreds of patients packed hospital intensive care units in the southern part of the state, and hospitals statewide rapidly put strict new visitor policies in place to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

6 Aug 2020

Study: UnityPhilly app can help fight America's opioid crisis

Equipped with naloxone and a smartphone app, community members can save lives in the fight against America's opioid crisis, according to a paper from researchers at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health and colleagues published this week in The Lancet journal EClinicalMedicine.

6 Aug 2020

Estrogen modestly protective against COVID-19?

Almost from the beginning, scientists have been struck by the disproportionately higher numbers of men and older adults who have developed severe COVID-19 disease compared to younger individuals and women. Prior research has shown that in 37 of the 38 countries from which sex-stratified data was available, males were at a higher risk of death. Also, post-menopausal women are at increased risk of severe COVID-19. However, the biological underpinnings of this have been less visible.

4 Aug 2020

Smartphone alert can aid laypersons in opioid overdose reversal

Without timely reversal, opioid overdose causes respiratory depression that may deteriorate into apnea, leading to brain injury and even death.

3 Aug 2020

New multi-analyte blood test may open up new potentials in personalized medicine

Similar to blood sugar, various biomarkers could in future be identified using just a few drops of blood. Researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum are developing a multi-analyte test strip for this purpose that will open up new potentials in personalised medicine by facilitating the continuous measurement of various parameters.

28 Jul 2020

UArizona aims to develop a device for quick and accurate detection of pathogens, biological threats

To better protect individuals serving on the front lines of battlefields or dealing with an event like the current COVID-19 health crisis or potential future pandemics, scientists at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix are leading an effort to develop a device for easy, quick and accurate detection of pathogens and biological threats.

28 Jul 2020

College students more anxious, depressed during initial COVID-19 outbreak, study finds

College students were more anxious and depressed during the initial outbreak of COVID-19 than they were during similar time frames in previous academic years, according to a Dartmouth study.

27 Jul 2020

Study investigates the causes and effects of excessive exercise in people with eating disorders

For most people, exercise is healthy for both body and mind. Hours spent jogging, bike riding or lifting weights can elevate mood, boost heart health, build muscle and spur weight loss.

24 Jul 2020

Pandemic to accelerate the adoption of technology-enabled care for epilepsy

The COVID-19 pandemic is a catalyst to accelerate the adoption of technology-enabled patient care for epilepsy, according to a new study published in Epilepsia.