News

The incidence of heart disease, stroke and certain risk factors decreased as educational levels increased in high-income countries, but not in low-and middle-income countries. Among women, the most educated in low-and middle-income countries had a slight increase in the incidence of heart attack and stroke. Among all other groups, heart disease declined as education increased, with highly educated men in high-income countries showing the lowest level of disease.

A unique new therapy that applies electrical stimulation to a major nerve emanating from the brain is showing promise for major depression. In a recently completed clinical trial, trigeminal nerve stimulation achieved an average of a 70 percent reduction in symptom severity over an 8-week study.

Researchers have found that people with Parkinson's disease can perform automated tasks better than people without the disease, but have significant difficulty switching from easy to hard tasks.

The fact that our female ancestors dispersed more than our male ancestors can lead to conflicts within the brain that influence our social behavior, new research reveals.

Patients with early-stage schizophrenia who receive a combination of medication and a psychosocial intervention appear less likely to discontinue treatment or relapse -- and may have improved insight, quality of life and social functioning -- than those taking medication alone, according to a new article.

Inflammation is associated with lower intelligence and premature death, according to scientists. “Those with low-grade inflammation performed more poorly on standardized intelligence tests, even after excluding those with signs of current illness. Inflammation also predicted an increased risk of premature death,” said the lead researcher.

As anyone who has ever struggled to keep his or her eyes open after a big meal knows, eating can induce sleepiness. New research in fruit flies suggests that, conversely, being hungry may provide a way to stay awake without feeling groggy or mentally challenged.

A major international study is to examine whether shame is a key part of the experience of being poor. It will look at whether being poor necessarily results in low self esteem or feelings of shame and whether welfare policies are counterproductive when claimants are stigmatized.

Scientists have devised a method for coaxing mouse embryonic stem cells into forming a highly specific motor neuron subtype. The research provides new insight into motor neuron differentiation and may prove useful for devising and testing future therapies for motor neuron diseases.

A new study of romantically separated people shows they offer clues to their emotional status in just a few seconds of conversation.

Glenn McGee forsees a slippery slope of employer discrimination for health behaviors that raise insurance premiums.

The academic performance of adolescents will suffer in at least one of four key subjects -- English, math, science, history -- if their DNA contains one or more of three specific dopamine gene variations, according to a biosocial criminologist.

Thousands of people who are partially sighted following stroke or brain injury could gain greater independence from a simple, cheap and accessible training course which could eventually be delivered from their mobile phones or hand-held games consoles, according to a new study.

Unexpectedly, scientists have now discovered a true counterpart of the cerebral cortex in an invertebrate, a marine worm. Their findings give an idea of what the most ancient higher brain centers looked like, and what our distant ancestors used them for.

Individuals are more likely to acquire new health practices while living in networks with dense clusters of connections -- that is, when in close contact with people they already know well.

Too Young, Too Many, Too Much--Are Psychiatric Drugs Costing Children Their Childhood?

Social networks may be good...or bad...for your health. It all depends on the behaviors your network is spreading. HT @k8ethics #bioethics

Psychological migraine treatment gives sufferers a confidence boost in their ability to self-manage their symptoms. For severe migraine sufferers, psychological treatments build on the benefits of drug therapy, according to a new study. A comparison of the effects of various treatment combinations for severe migraine - drug therapy with or without behavioral management - shows that those patients receiving the behavioral management program alongside drug therapy are significantly more confident in their ability to use behavioral skills to effectively self-manage migraines.

Researchers from across the US, as part of the Infantile Spasms Working Group, established guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of infantile spasms. The goal of the ISWG is to improve patient outcomes by creating protocols that educate pediatricians on early diagnosis and treatment options.

A new study examined the effects of stress on the meal patterns and food intake of animals exposed to the equivalent of everyday stress on humans. The results suggest that, not only does stress have an impact on us in the short term, it can cause metabolic changes in the longer term that contribute to obesity.