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New medical LLM detects depression in women via WhatsApp audio analysis

A new medical large language model (LLM) achieved over 91 percent accuracy in identifying female participants diagnosed with major depressive disorder after analyzing a short WhatsApp audio recording where participants described their week, according to a study published January 21, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS Mental Health by Victor H. O. Otani, from Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences and Infinity Doctors Inc., Brazil, and colleagues.

22 Jan 2026

Wearable AI device turns silent throat signals into fluent speech for stroke patients

AI technology in a wearable choker helps stroke survivors overcome communication barriers by transforming throat vibrations into clear, context-aware speech.

21 Jan 2026

Wearable device enables natural speech in stroke patients with dysarthria

Researchers have developed a wearable, comfortable and washable device called Revoice that could help people regain the ability to communicate naturally and fluently following a stroke, without the need for invasive brain implants.

19 Jan 2026

New blood biomarker tracks brain injury progression after ischemic stroke

A new blood marker reflects the extent of brain injury after an ischemic stroke and can predict patient outcomes months to years later.

15 Jan 2026

New open access guide helps parents and coaches spot youth concussions

An international group of researchers has put together an easy-to-follow guide for parents and coaches to recognize concussions in young athletes and respond appropriately.

13 Jan 2026

Artificial empathy in healthcare platforms and future directions

Healthcare and therapy systems face a worsening workforce shortage, creating an urgent need for technologies that can support or augment human roles.

5 Jan 2026

Study shows AI can predict language success after cochlear implants

AI model using deep transfer learning – the most advanced form of machine learning – predicted with 92 % accuracy spoken language outcomes at one-to-three years after cochlear implants (implanted electronic hearing device), according to a large international study published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

30 Dec 2025

Stroke impacts speech sound integration, not speed, study reveals

Following stroke, some people experience a language disorder that hinders their ability to process speech sounds.

30 Dec 2025

An Arm and a Leg: A few more good things from 2025

An Arm and a Leg host Dan Weissmann breaks down how two states passed laws aimed at protecting people from things like medical debt, insurance delays and denials, and corporate profiteering.

23 Dec 2025

People with central vision loss can accurately judge approaching vehicles

People with central vision loss can judge the motion of vehicles almost as accurately as people with normal vision, a new international study shows.

19 Dec 2025

States advance medical debt protections as federal support turns to opposition

Lawmakers in several states are working to expand medical debt protections for patients, even after the Trump administration reversed course and told states they don't have authority to take action on credit reporting.

19 Dec 2025

Study links low physical activity to higher lymphedema risk after cancer treatment

Lymphedema after head and neck cancer is considerably more common than previously assumed and can persist long after cancer treatment has finished.

17 Dec 2025

Interdisciplinary project aims reduce noise exposure for premature children in neonatal care

Premature babies are particularly susceptible to strong sensory impressions and high sound levels from the incubator. Now researchers will look at what can be done to protect children's hearing and development.

12 Dec 2025

Maxillary nerve block may reduce perioperative opioid consumption in pediatric primary clefts

For infants undergoing cleft palate surgery, local anesthetic injection targeting the maxillary nerve of the face may reduce or eliminate the need for opioid medications to control postoperative pain, reports a study in The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.

12 Dec 2025

Wheelchair? Hearing aids? Yes. ‘Disabled?' No way.

In her house in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Barbara Meade said, "there are walkers and wheelchairs and oxygen and cannulas all over the place."

11 Dec 2025

People with epilepsy and learning disabilities face preventable early deaths

A combination of missed prevention opportunities and health inequalities can result in the early deaths of people living with epilepsy and intellectual disabilities, a study has shown.

10 Dec 2025

State-funded multidisciplinary model improves care for adults with neurodevelopmental disorders

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) often lose access to specialized care once they age out of pediatric services.

9 Dec 2025

Blinking suppression reveals how the brain filters speech in noisy environments

Blinking is a human reflex most often performed without thinking, like breathing. Although research on blinking is usually related to vision, a new Concordia study examines how blinking is connected to cognitive function such as filtering out background noise to focus on what someone is trying to say to us in a crowded room.

9 Dec 2025

Doctors warn about cardiovascular dangers from excessive energy drink use

Downing several strong energy drinks every day may pose a serious stroke risk, doctors have warned in the journal BMJ Case Reports, after treating an otherwise fit and healthy man in his 50s with a daily 8-can habit and exceedingly high blood pressure.

9 Dec 2025