Study finds neurons derived from stem cells predict psychosis, cognitive deficits in individuals with schizophrenia

Tragic events like wars, famines, earthquakes, and accidents create fearful memories in our brain. These memories continue to haunt us even after the actual event has passed. Luckily, researchers from Tokyo University of Science (TUS) have recently been able to understand the hidden biochemical mechanisms involved in the selective suppression of fearful memories, which is called fear extinction. The researchers, who had previously demonstrated fear extinction in mice using the chemically synthesized compound "KNT-127," have now identified the underlying mechanism of this compound's action. Their findings have been published recently in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.

An article published in Scientific Reports describes a study demonstrating the effectiveness of a peptide developed by Brazilian scientists, called Rb4, in combating cancer progression in an animal model, especially malignant melanoma. The molecule holds promise for the treatment of drug-resistant tumors. Preclinical in vitro and in vivo trials indicated...

University of Calgary researchers have shown probiotic supplements can help form a healthy microbiome in the gut of the tiniest infants who are born without a fully formed gut microbiome. The study found that a specific mix (five species) of probiotic supplement accelerated the maturation of the microbiome into a term-like state and reduced intestinal inflammation in extremely preterm infants.

There is increasing recognition of the important role sleep plays in our brain health. Growing evidence suggests disturbed sleep may increase the risk of developing dementia. I and University of Sydney colleagues have published a new study showing treating sleep apnea in older adults with mild cognitive impairment can improve memory, but not other areas of cognition, in the short term.

Infantile spasm (IS) is a severe epileptic syndrome of infancy and accounts for 50% of all epilepsy cases that occur in babies during the first year of life. Current treatment options for this disorder are limited and most affected infants grow up to have developmental delays, intellectual disabilities and other types of severe epilepsy. A groundbreaking study, conducted in the laboratory of Dr. John Swann, director of the Gordon and Mary Cain Pediatric Neurology Research Foundation labs, investigator at the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital and professor at Baylor College of Medicine, has found that the levels of insulin growth factor -1 (IGF-1) and its downstream signaling are reduced in the brains of both IS patients and animal models. Furthermore, they found that the administration of an IGF-1 analog to an IS animal model successfully eliminated spasms and abnormal brain activity. This exciting study, published in the Annals of Neurology, has the potential to transform the treatment landscape for babies with infantile spasms.

The pharmaceutical company Pfizer has voluntary recalled a blood pressure medication for the second time in a month. Pfizer is recalling five lots of blood pressure medicine Accupril because of elevated levels of a nitrosamine, Nnitroso-quinapril, the company said in a news release posted Friday on the FDA website. Nitrosamines...

Unfortunately, the 27-year-old mother and the 31-year-old father say their baby daughter has months to live. The 1-year-old child is suffering from a rare condition which was caused by a gene defect both parents carry. The parents knew something was wrong with their child when the baby started to go off her food at six weeks. The baby also started to lose weight, the couple said. The condition was confirmed with genetic testing and the doctors said it affects her ability to absorb the nutrients she needs from food. The condition is so rare it is thought to only occur in one in 79,000,000 people, the doctors said.

Though helpful for cleaning and disinfecting, Lysol contains a number of harmful chemicals that can irritate your eyes, skin, and respiratory system.

Walking at a brisk pace for just 75 minutes every week could cut your risk of depression, a new study finds. The World Health Organization recommends everyone should exercise for at least two-and-a-half hours every seven days. But researchers at Cambridge University, England, found adults who got half as much...

MILLIONS of Brits have been urged to take up a rapid test to see if they have bowel cancer. The Health Secretary has called on men over 60 to make sure they have the life-saving checkups. It couldn't be easier - with a home testing kit on offer, or use...

In a follow-up on the 14th Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (HERE and HERE), the World Health Organization (WHO) tweeted today:. Health authorities in #DRC confirmed a 2nd case of #Ebola in Mbandaka on 25 April. The 25-year old woman, now deceased, began experiencing symptoms 12 days earlier. Investigations indicate that as the 1st case patient’s sister-in-law, she was a high-risk contact.

Christine Bronstein took at home colon cancer test after seeing blood in her stool. It was positive, but her doctor texted: "You don't have cancer :)"

Children who spend more time playing adventurously have lower symptoms of anxiety and depression, and were happier over the first COVID-19 lockdown, according to new research. A study led by the University of Exeter asked parents how often their children engaged in play that was "thrilling and exciting", where they might experience some fear and uncertainty.

According to ARRS' American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR), axillary lymphadenopathy detected by breast ultrasound after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination lasts longer than reported in initial vaccine clinical trials. "The prolonged resolution time supports a follow-up interval of at least 12 weeks for suspected vaccine-related lymphadenopathy and avoidance of delaying screening mammography...

An international team of researchers led by University College Dublin (UCD) have uncovered a potential treatment approach for advanced uveal melanoma (UM), a type of cancer that effects the eye. Uveal melanoma is the most common adult eye cancer. UM begins in the iris, ciliary body or choroid (collectively known...

People who reported in a survey that they felt worried, depressed or lonely had a greater chance of being hospitalized after a COVID-19 diagnosis, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study, which analyzed survey data from more than 54,000 female nurses and their offspring, was conducted by Andrea L. Roberts, Ph.D., of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues. It appears in Psychological Medicine.

An article published May 20 in npj Digital Medicine provides a step-by-step plan for an international effort to create a digital twin of the human immune system. "This paper outlines a road map that the scientific community should take in building, developing and applying a digital twin of the immune system," said Tomas Helikar, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln biochemist who is one of 10 co-authors from six universities from around the world.

One in five multi-drug resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) cases in children under the age of 15 could be averted every year by household contact management, according to a new modeling study published in The Lancet Global Health. The research from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), University...

In the mid-20th century, new evidence showed that the brain could be "plastic," and that experience could create changes in the brain. Plasticity has been linked to learning new skills, including spatial navigation, aerobic exercise and balance training. Yet it has remained an open question whether mindfulness interventions, like meditation,...

The Helsinki Health Study at the University of Helsinki investigated the development of insomnia symptoms in midlife and their effects on memory, learning ability and concentration after retirement. The follow-up period was 15–17 years. According to the study, long-term insomnia symptoms and later poorer cognitive functioning have a clear...