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How Blood Sugar Changes Affect Thinking in Folks With Type 1 Diabetes

In people with type 1 diabetes, fluctuations in blood sugar levels can affect thinking skills in various ways, new research shows.

Researchers looked specifically at what's known as cognitive processing speed (how fast people process incoming information) and attention.

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Women More Prone to Go Into Shock After Car Crashes Than Men

After a car crash, women are more likely to go into shock than men, even when their injuries are less severe, new research shows.

"Women are arriving to the trauma bay with signs of shock more often than men, regardless of injury severity," said study leader Susan Cronn, a researcher at the Medical College of W...

MRI May Predict Who'll Respond Best to Schizophrenia Treatment

Specialized brain scans may accurately predict whether a psychotic patient will go on to develop treatment-resistant schizophrenia, Dutch researchers report.

The scan — called a neuromelanin-sensitive MRI, or NM-MRI for short — zeroes in on a brain pigment called neuromelanin. This pigment...

Could War Zone Blasts Raise Veterans' Odds for Alzheimer's?

Combat veterans who suffered traumatic brain injuries due to explosive blasts may have markers in their spinal fluid similar to those of Alzheimer's disease, new research finds.

"Previous research has shown that moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries may increase a person's risk of Alzheimer's disease," said senior study author

  • Carole Tanzer Miller HealthDay Reporter
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  • March 14, 2024
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  • Kids Battling Mental Health Issues Have Tougher Time Recovering From Concussion

    Kids struggling with mental health problems have a tougher time recovering from a concussion, a new study finds.

    These troubled kids tend to have more emotional symptoms after concussion and take longer to fully recover, results show.

    In ...

    Embryo Technology Might Lead to Children With Genes From Two Men

    New technology might soon allow men in same-sex relationships to have a child genetically related to both dads, researchers say.

    The technology uses skin cells from one person to alter the genetics of a donated egg, researchers reported March 8 in the journal Science Advances.

    That egg can then be fertilized b...

    FDA Delays Decision on New Alzheimer's Drug

    Instead of approving the new Alzheimer's drug donanemab this month, as was expected, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will now require the experimental medication be scrutinized more closely by an expert panel, the drug's maker said Friday.

    “The FDA has informed Lilly it wants to further understand topics related to evaluating the safety and efficacy of donanemab, including the saf...

    Iron Gathers in Brain After Concussions

    Folks who've suffered a concussion and then develop headaches show iron accumulation in their brains, new research discovers.

    Excess brain iron stores are a hallmark of damage, noted a team led by Simona Nikolova, of the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. The team is slated to present the results in April at the an...

    More Evidence Sleep Apnea Harms Thinking, Memory

    Sleep apnea could have detrimental effects on the brain, causing memory or thinking problems, a new study suggests.

    People suffering from sleep apnea are about 50% more likely to also report having memory or thinking problems, compared to those without sleep apnea, researchers say.

    “These findings highlight the importance of early screening for sleep apnea,” said researcher

    Long COVID May Harm Cognition

    In a finding that unearths yet another way Long COVID can harm health, new research finds the condition may trigger thinking declines.

    Published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study involved cognitive testing on nearly 113,000 people in England. It found that thos...

    Impaired Sense of Direction Could Be Early Alzheimer's Sign

    Middle-aged folks who have difficulties navigating their way through space could be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease years later, a new study finds.

    “Very early symptoms of dementia can be subtle and difficult to detect, but problems with navigation are thought to be some of the first changes in Alzheimer's disease," noted

  • Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
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  • February 29, 2024
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  • Your Brain Feels Better When Music Is Live, Not Recorded: Study

    Live musical performances speak to the soul, stimulating the brain in ways more powerful than listening to a recorded tune does, new research finds.

    “Our study showed that pleasant and unpleasant emotions performed as live music elicited much higher and more consistent activity in the amygdala [the emotional center of the brain] than recorded music,” said lead researcher

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • February 28, 2024
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  • Yoga Brings Brain Benefits to Women at Risk for Alzheimer's

    In a new study, yoga appears to have bolstered the brain health of older women who had risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.

    The study can't prove that the ancient practice will slow or prevent the onset of Alzheimer's, but it did seem to reverse some forms of neurological decline, researchers said.

    “That is what yoga is good for -- to reduce stress, to improve brain health, subje...

    Pesticides Linked to Parkinson's Cases in Midwest, Western U.S.

    Pesticides and herbicides used in farming appear to increase people's risk of Parkinson's disease, a new, preliminary study finds.

    People exposed to pesticides and herbicides are 25% to 36% more likely to develop Parkinson's, according to a study to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's upcoming annual meeting in April.

    The Parkinson's risk was specifically higher in t...

    Research With a Bang: Science Reveals How Loud Noise Damages Hearing

    Preventing noise-related hearing loss from a loud concert, a banging jackhammer or a rifle blast could be as simple as managing levels of zinc within the inner ear, a new study reports.

    Such hearing loss stems from cellular damage associated with an excess of free-floating zinc in the inner ear, researchers say.

    Lab mouse experiments showed drugs that soak up the excess zinc can hel...

    Viagra, Cialis May Help Reduce Alzheimer's Risk

    Could drugs that give a boost to men's sexual performance help them stave off Alzheimer's disease?

    That's the main finding from a study suggesting that erectile dysfunction meds like Cialis, Levitra and Viagra might lower the odds for the memory-robbing illness.

    The study wasn't designed to prove cause-and-effect, cautioned British researchers at University College London.

    “...

    Your Brain Finds Ways to Compensate Against Age-Related Decline

    No one's brain is as sharp at 60 as it was at 20.

    However, new research supports the notion that folk's brains can make subtle adjustments with age to compensate for that decline.

    A team of British researchers has found more evidence that as the mind ages, it sometimes recruits help from certain brain regions to make up for deficits elsewhere.

    This does not happen for everyone...

    Scientists Produce First 3D-Printed Brain Tissue for Use in Research

    Scientists say they've created the first 3D-printed brain tissue where neurons network and "talk" to each other.

    The breakthrough could be an advance for studying neurological processes in the lab, say a team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

    “This could be a hugely powerful model to help us understand how brain cells and parts of the brain communicate in humans,” said s...

    Healthy Living Builds 'Cognitive Reserve' in Brain That May Prevent Dementia

    New research suggests healthy lifestyles can help stave off dementia, perhaps by building a resilient 'cognitive reserve' in the aging brain.

    The study was based on the brain autopsies on 586 people who lived to an average of almost 91. Researchers compared each person's lifestyle and end-of-life mental skills to their neurological signs of dementia, such as brain protein plaques or chang...

    CDC Warns That 'Gas Station Heroin' May Contain Synthetic Pot

    It's known by the street name "gas station heroin," but a new government report finds the highly addictive supplement Neptune's Fix may also contain synthetic pot.

    The product has already been linked to seizures, brain swelling and hallucinations, researchers reported Thursday in Morbidity and Mortality Wee...

    Scientists Spot Brain Cells That Prepare You to Speak

    Advanced brain recording techniques have revealed how neurons in the human brain work together to produce speech.

    The recordings provide a detailed map of how people think about what words they want to say and then speak them aloud, researchers report in the Jan. 31 issue of the journal Nature.

    Specifically, t...

    Common Gynecologic Condition Tied to Cognitive Issues

    Women with a common ovarian disorder might be more likely to have memory and thinking problems in middle age, a new study suggests.

    Females diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) scored lower on cognitive tests than women without the condition, according to a report published Jan. 31 in the journal Neurology.

    The condition specifically appeared to affect memory, at...

    'Hidden Killer' Radon Could Raise Your Stroke Risk

    Radon, an invisible, naturally occurring radioactive gas, appears to raise a person's risk of stroke, a new study suggests.

    Already known as the second leading cause of lung cancer, these new findings suggest exposure to radon can increase risk of stroke by as much as 14%, according to a report published Jan. 31 in the journal Neurology.

    “Our research found an increased r...

    How Walking in Nature Sharpens the Mind

    A walk in the woods appears to sharpen the mind better than an urban asphalt amble, a new brain scan study finds.

    People strolling through an arboretum at the University of Utah performed better on brain function tests than those who walked around an asphalt-laden medical campus, according to findings published recently in the journal

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • February 1, 2024
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  • Elon Musk Says First Human Has Received Neuralink Brain Implant

    Elon Musk, co-founder of Neuralink, said this week that the company placed the first brain implant in a human over the weekend.

    In a statement posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter that is now owned by Musk, the billionaire said the patient was “recovering well.” He added that...

    Was Alzheimer's Transmitted Through Cadaver-Sourced Growth Hormone Given to Kids?

    Five of eight British children who received human growth hormone from the pituitary glands of deceased donors went on to develop early-onset Alzheimer's disease many decades later, researchers report.

    Researchers at University College London (UCL) suspect that the growth hormone received by these people in childhood may have contained amyloid-beta protein plaques, which build up in the br...

    Playing Music Hits a High Note for Brain Health

    Stuart Douglas, 78, has played the accordion all his long life.

    “I learned to play the accordion as a boy living in a mining village in Fife and carried on throughout my career in the police force and beyond,” said Douglas, of Cornwall, England. “These days I still play regularly, and playing in the band also keeps my calendar full, as we often perform in public.”

    Douglas' p...

    Your Brain Prefers Writing by Hand Than by Keyboard

    'Young folk don't write in cursive anymore' is a common complaint of older folks in this keyboard-obsessed age.

    Now, new research suggests that kids who ignore handwriting are, in fact, missing out: By the time they reach college, their brain "connectivity" may be weaker than folks who write regularly.

    In a study of 36 university students, "we show that when writing by hand, brain c...

    Odd Vision Troubles Could Be Early Alzheimer's Sign

    Strange visual disturbances occur early in about 10% of Alzheimer's cases, and when this happens it almost always signals the impending arrival of the disease, a new study finds.

    The condition is called posterior cortical atrophy (PCA). It involves a sudden difficulty in performing vision-related tasks -- for example writing, judging whether an object is moving or stationary, or easily pi...

    New Advances in Deep Brain Stimulation Treatment for Parkinson's

    Two new strategies using deep brain stimulation can improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease, Duke University researchers have found.

    Doctors can efficiently improve symptoms of Parkinson's by simultaneously targeting to key brain structures using a newly developed self-adjusting device, researchers recently reported in the journal

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • January 23, 2024
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  • Daily Multivitamin Might Help Aging Brains

    A daily multivitamin could help people keep their brains healthy as they age, a new trial finds.

    Results suggest taking multivitamins could help prevent memory loss and slow cognitive aging among older adults, researchers report in the Jan. 18 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutritio...

    Dopamine Hit Could Drive Mental Boost From Exercise

    TUESDAY, Jan. 16, 2024 (HeathDay News) -- Folks often feel more alert and savvy after a great workout, and dopamine might be the reason why.

    A small, new study by British and Japanese researchers found higher levels of the "feel good" brain neurotransmitter were released by men during exercise.

    In turn, that seemed tied to better performance on thinking tests, the researchers said.<...

    MRI-Guided Brain Zaps Ease Severe Depression for 6 Months

    Magnetic zaps to the brain can significantly help people with severe depression, if the procedure is guided using MRI brain scans, a new clinical trial has concluded.

    On average, patients showed substantial improvements in depression, anxiety, cognition and quality of life for at least six months after undergoing MRI-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), results show.

    One-...

    More Insight Into How a Virus Might Cause MS

    There's information emerging on how the common Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) might be crucial to triggering multiple sclerosis (MS).

    The virus, which also causes "mono" (mononucleosis) and other illnesses, has gained prominence in recent years as a potential cause of MS. Over 95% of people are thought to carry EBV, although for most people it remains dormant.

    Now, a team of Texan researc...

    Too Much Screen Time Might Harm Kids' 'Sensory Processing'

    Exposing babies and toddlers to TV and other digital media could be linked to a heightened risk for dysfunction in what's known as "sensory processing," a new study warns.

    Kids with "atypical sensory processing" are often hypersensitive to the touch, sound, taste or look of stimuli in their environment.

    For example, kids might try to avoid the feel of certain clothing, the taste of ...

    Nicotine Study Shows Mind's Power When It Comes to Drugs

    How much a person believes in the strength of a drug might influence how powerfully that drug influences brain activity, a new study has found.

    Smokers told to expect a low, medium or high dose of nicotine from an e-cigarette showed a brain response that tracked with the purported dose, even though nicotine levels were actually constant, researchers said.

    “We set out to investigat...

    Brain Zaps Can Make Folks More 'Hypnotizable'

    An electrical zap to the brain can temporarily render a person more susceptible to hypnosis, a new study shows.

    Participants became more easily hypnotized after paddles placed against their scalp delivered two 46-second rounds of electrical pulses to a precise location in their brain, researchers reported Jan. 4 in the journal Nature Mental Health.

    This increase in their su...

    Long COVID Fatigue May Originate Deep Within Muscle Cells

    THURSDAY, Jan. 4, 2023 (HeathDay News) -- Muscle cells' "power stations" function less effectively in people with long COVID, potentially explaining the persistent fatigue that's a hallmark of the condition.

    That's the finding of a Dutch study published Jan. 4 in the journal Nature Communications.

    "We're seeing clear changes in t...

    Early-Onset Dementia: Health, Lifestyle Factors May Boost Your Risk

    From alcohol use to social isolation, poor hearing and heart disease, researchers have identified more than a dozen non-genetic factors that up the risk of dementia for people under 65.

    Though about 370,000 new cases a year of young-onset dementia are diagnosed worldwide, it hasn't been well-researched.

    Now, a large study from scientists in the U.K. and the Netherlands suggests that...

    Experimental Therapy Eases Alzheimer's Signs, Symptoms in Mice

    A new cellular therapy improved learning and memory in mice with Alzheimer's disease, researchers report.

    The therapy -- developed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) -- relies on both the immune system to fight key aspects of Alzheimer's, plus modified cells that zero in on the brain protein plaques that are a hallmark of the disease.

    In patients with Alzheimer's, a...

    Pets Bring Health Boost to Single Seniors' Brains: Study

    For the growing number of American seniors who live alone, having a beloved dog or cat by their side could help them maintain a healthy brain.

    New research on more than 7,900 people averaging 66 years of age found that those who lived alone were able to stave off losses in memory and thinking if they had a pet.

    Pet ownership didn't seem to affect the cognition of older folks who liv...

    In Rare Cases, Measles Mutates in Brain and Kills

    Measles is incredibly contagious, and outbreaks are more common now as people decide against vaccinating their kids.

    Now, a case involving a rare but fatal brain disease caused by the measles virus may make some rethink that decision.

    The patient caught measles as a child. It took years for the virus to migrate to their brain, where it mutated and caused the fatal illness, according...

    Brain Plaques, Not Just Age, Point to Who'll Get Alzheimer's Disease

    Are you necessarily at higher risk of Alzheimer's disease just because you're 80, and not 75? New research shows it's more complex than that.

    The findings suggest that it's the pace of buildup in the brain of Alzheimer's-linked amyloid protein plaques that matters most, not age.

    “Our findings are consistent with studies showing that the amyloid accumulation in the brain takes deca...

    Smoking Can Shrink Your Brain

    Smoking shrinks the human brain, and once that brain mass is lost then it's gone for good, a new study warns.

    Brain scans from more than 32,000 people strongly link a history of smoking with a gradual loss of brain volume. In fact, the more packs a person smoked per day, the smaller their brain volume, researchers found.

    The study also establishes the potential series of events that...

    More Research Shows the Brain Benefits of Exercise

    Regular exercise appears to enhance and even grow crucial areas of the human brain, new research using MRI scans shows.

    It's long been known that physical activity is a brain-booster, but this international study illustrates ways this could be happening.

    “With comprehensive imaging scans, our study underscores the interconnected synergy between the body and the brain," said study ...

    A Sibling's Dementia May Mean Shorter Life Span for Brothers, Sisters

    A study involving twins suggests that if you have a sibling who develops dementia, that might not bode well for your life span.

    That's true even if you don't go on to develop dementia yourself, according to a study from U.S. and Swedish researchers.

    One investigator was surprised by the finding.

    “We expected a different result. We expected that, in twins where one developed ...

    Brain Serotonin Levels May Play Role in Alzheimer's Onset

    Loss of the “happiness” brain hormone serotonin might play a role in the decline of brain function as a person ages, a new study reports.

    People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) had up to 25% lower levels of serotonin than healthy people in key regions of the brain associated with memory, problem-solving and emotion, researchers reported recently in the

  • Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
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  • December 11, 2023
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  • Swift Use of Antiretrovirals in Infected Newborns Can Banish HIV

    When an HIV-infected child known as the 'Mississippi baby' was given powerful antiretroviral drugs within hours of birth in 2013 and then appeared to be rid of HIV, people wondered if it might be replicated in other newborns.

    An international study involving 54 babies suggests it can.

    Researchers now believe that if HIV-infected newborns receive antiretroviral therapy (ART) within t...

    Mind, Body Symptoms Can Precede MS Diagnosis for Years

    Patients in the earliest stages of multiple sclerosis might develop certain symptoms that offer an early clue to the degenerative nerve disease, researchers report.

    Depression, constipation, urinary tract infections and sexual problems are all more likely in MS patients five years before their official diagnosis, compared with people who never develop MS, researchers found.

    Those co...

    Newborns' Brains Aren't 'Undeveloped' Compared to Those of Infant Monkeys, Chimps

    New research challenges a long-held notion that human newborns enter the world with brains that are significantly less developed than those of other primates.

    Babies are born extremely helpless and with poor muscle control, and human brains grow much larger and more complex than other species following birth, investigators said.

    Because of those observations, it's long been believed...

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