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Clinical depression during early childhood can change the brain's anatomy

The brains of children who suffer clinical depression as preschoolers develop abnormally, compared with the brains of preschoolers unaffected by the disorder, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

17 Dec 2015

Drug use remains stable among teens, MTF survey shows

The 2015 Monitoring the Future survey (MTF) shows decreasing use of a number of substances, including cigarettes, alcohol, prescription opioid pain relievers, and synthetic cannabinoids ("synthetic marijuana"). Other drug use remains stable, including marijuana, with continued high rates of daily use reported among 12th graders, and ongoing declines in perception of its harms.

17 Dec 2015

Researchers report development of rapid, low-cost test for detecting TB in resource-limited areas

Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease and a major global health problem, especially in countries with developing health care systems. Because there is no fast, easy way to detect TB, the deadly infection can spread quickly through communities. Now, a team reports in ACS Sensors the development of a rapid, sensitive and low-cost method for detecting the disease in resource-limited areas.

17 Dec 2015

Humans get better sleep in less time than our closest animal relatives

Insomniacs take heart: Humans get by on significantly less sleep than our closest animal relatives. The secret, according to a new study, is that our sleep is more efficient.

17 Dec 2015

Recreational drug and alcohol use can increase risk of poisoning-related hospital admissions

Poisonings from recreational drug and alcohol use account for 9 percent of all poisoning-related hospital admissions, says a new University of Sydney study revealing that males and people under 30 are at greatest risk.

17 Dec 2015

Novel material can provide protection against brain injuries

Funding has been awarded to world-leading, US-based helmet designer and manufacturer, Roy Burek of Charles Owen Inc., to develop a novel material created by researchers from Cardiff University's School of Engineering that can improve the safety of athletes, members of the military and others from brain injuries by better absorbing and dissipating impact.

17 Dec 2015

Surgery more effective than drug therapy in patients with tertiary hyperparathyroidism

A study led by researchers from the Nephrology group at Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and the University Hospital of Bellvitge (HUB), compared the results of surgery with drug therapy in patients with tertiary hyperparathyroidism, ie after a kidney transplant.

17 Dec 2015

Five research centres get £10 million to explore how maths, statistics can help tackle serious health challenges

Life Sciences Minister George Freeman today (16 December) announced £10 million investment in five new research centres around the UK that will explore how mathematics and statistics can help clinicians to tackle serious health challenges such as cancer, heart disease and antibiotic resistant bacteria.

17 Dec 2015

Converting white fat cells into beige fat cells could help fight obesity

The body's ability to harness heat production by converting white fat cells, which store calories, into beige fat cells, which burn energy, could help fight obesity, according to researchers at Georgia State University.

17 Dec 2015

Standing up or walking for just five minutes could help prevent Type 2 diabetes

Women who have an inactive daily routine and are at high risk of Type 2 diabetes can help prevent the condition by regularly standing up or walking for five minutes at a time, a new study has found.

17 Dec 2015

Stanford study finds that overprescription of opioids goes beyond ‘pill mill’ prescribers

Most prescriptions for opioid painkillers are made by the broad swath of U.S. general practitioners, not by a limited group of specialists, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

17 Dec 2015

Researcher presents quantitative model of electrical cascades activated in the brain during perceptual tasks

The word 'avalanche' is generally associated with violent and unexpected events -- such as rockslides, or the sudden collapse of unstable drifts of snow. But in brain research, avalanches -- intermittent cascades of electrical activity -- are everyday occurrences that are not only peaceful, but actually reflect stability.

17 Dec 2015

Acupuncture may be safe, effective treatment for chronic pain in pediatric patients

It is upsetting to see anyone in pain, but it's especially heartbreaking to watch a child endure chronic pain. In addition to the suffering itself, chronic pain can cause traumatic effects on a child's quality of life, and it can have significant physical, psychological and social consequences. Making matters worse, chronic pain greatly can affect the child's parents or caregivers by causing feelings of helplessness and inadequacy.

16 Dec 2015

Researchers identify how immune cells triggered by recurrent Strep A infections affect the brain

Researchers have discovered how immune cells triggered by recurrent Strep A infections enter the brain, causing inflammation that may lead to autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders in children.

16 Dec 2015

Mitochondrial variation and viable pregnancy: an interview with Dr Elpida Fragouli

Embryos require adequate amounts of energy so that they can successfully progress through each of their cell divisions.

16 Dec 2015

Researchers find new way to prevent or reduce pathologies caused by malformed proteins

Improperly formed proteins can cause a host of serious illnesses, from muscular dystrophy to cystic fibrosis. A question of enormous import in research, beyond the challenge of determining how malformed proteins contribute to specific disease processes, is figuring out ways to prevent or reduce the pathologies they cause.

16 Dec 2015

Study offers new view of how cancer cells transform normal cells through 'metastatic hijacking'

Metastasis - or the spread of cancer from one part of the body to other parts - accounts for more than 90 percent of cancer-related deaths. Although the cells that seed metastasis and the sites that they tend to travel to have been increasingly studied over the years, little has been known about how cancer migrates from a primary site, such as breast tissue, to a secondary site, such as the brain or bone marrow.

16 Dec 2015

Many gene variants affect person's response to medication

In recent decades much hope was based on the development of personalised drug treatments, in which genetic tests determine the choice and optimal dose of medication for each individual patient. However, the real breakthrough is still to be seen, and now researchers at Karolinska Institutet show in two separate scientific papers that many more gene variants affect how a person responds to medication than previously thought - and thus that today's analytical tools are too coarse.

16 Dec 2015

Study highlights strong need for weight management before menopause

At midlife, overweight and obesity, lack of exercise, less education, and low income put women at much higher risk of having metabolic syndrome, the cluster of conditions predisposes people to diabetes and heart disease, shows a large study published today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society.

16 Dec 2015

New study finds a reason for ethnic disparity in CF diagnoses

Cystic fibrosis (CF) occurs less frequently in nonwhites than in whites, and nonwhites tend to be diagnosed at a later age. This late diagnosis often comes only once they have become symptomatic, rather than through newborn screening programs or molecular diagnostic testing.

16 Dec 2015

Medical Research News

Clinical depression during early childhood can change the brain's anatomy

Drug use remains stable among teens, MTF survey shows

Researchers report development of rapid, low-cost test for detecting TB in resource-limited areas

Humans get better sleep in less time than our closest animal relatives

Recreational drug and alcohol use can increase risk of poisoning-related hospital admissions

Novel material can provide protection against brain injuries

Surgery more effective than drug therapy in patients with tertiary hyperparathyroidism

Five research centres get £10 million to explore how maths, statistics can help tackle serious health challenges

Converting white fat cells into beige fat cells could help fight obesity

Standing up or walking for just five minutes could help prevent Type 2 diabetes

Stanford study finds that overprescription of opioids goes beyond ‘pill mill’ prescribers

Researcher presents quantitative model of electrical cascades activated in the brain during perceptual tasks

Acupuncture may be safe, effective treatment for chronic pain in pediatric patients

Researchers identify how immune cells triggered by recurrent Strep A infections affect the brain

Mitochondrial variation and viable pregnancy: an interview with Dr Elpida Fragouli

Researchers find new way to prevent or reduce pathologies caused by malformed proteins

Study offers new view of how cancer cells transform normal cells through 'metastatic hijacking'

Many gene variants affect person's response to medication

Study highlights strong need for weight management before menopause

New study finds a reason for ethnic disparity in CF diagnoses

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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