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Researchers create biocompatible gels using caffeine as catalyst

Caffeine is well-known for its ability to help people stay alert, but a team of researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital has now come up with a novel use for this chemical stimulant -- catalyzing the formation of polymer materials.

13 Apr 2018

Pregnant women’s fluoride exposure linked to lower IQ in babies, study shows

Pregnant women’s fluoride exposure is linked to lower IQ in their children at one- to three-years-old, according to a study published in Occupational & Environmental Medicine, and at levels commonly found in U.S. women, reports the Fluoride Action Network.

6 Apr 2018

Children with autism more likely to be prescribed antipsychotic medication, study finds

A new study by Swansea University has suggested that children with intellectual difficulty or autism are more likely to be given antipsychotic medication from a younger age than those without intellectual disability and have higher rates of hospitalization for depression and for injury and also are at risk of other medical side effects.

4 Apr 2018

Researchers measure whether transcranial direct current stimulation generates EFs in deep brain areas

A defining characteristic of stroke is the loss of motor control due to structural damage in specific brain areas. In fact, motor impairments (or deficits) are the number one complication after stroke.

27 Mar 2018

New analysis describes how childhood obesity 'pandemic' promotes cancer

A Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researcher has compiled evidence from more than 100 publications to show how obesity increases risk of 13 different cancers in young adults.

26 Mar 2018

Epidural stimulation can safely, effectively normalize blood pressure in patients with SCI

Patients with severe spinal cord injury (SCI) often experience chronically low blood pressure that negatively affects their health, their quality of life and their ability to engage in rehabilitative therapy.

19 Mar 2018

UTSA professor leads new behavioral research on pediatric feeding disorders

Bryant Silbaugh, assistant professor of special education in The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, leads innovative behavioral research on pediatric feeding disorders in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

2 Mar 2018

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