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Neurology
Autism may be tied to early-onset Parkinson’s – Swedish study
People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease early in life, a nationwide population-based study in Sweden has...
First blood test approved for Alzheimer’s
The first blood test for Alzheimer’s has been given the green light in the United States, paving the way for earlier treatment with newly approved...
Link between Alzheimer’s and cold sores emerges in new data
Recent research suggesting an unexpected link between a common form of herpes and Alzheimer’s disease could mean that anti-viral treatments might offer a potential preventative measure, said...
Mini-strokes need to be taken more seriously – US study
Transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) can eventually lead to cognitive declines as steep as those after a full-on stroke, suggests recent research, which found that...
Alzheimer’s risk factors may be detected before 30 – US study
Alarming findings from a study led by researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the Columbia Butler Ageing Centre suggest that risk...
UK players lobby for soccer bodies to pay brain injury costs
British campaigners say that existing support for former football players diagnosed with brain conditions – like dementia – is “not fit for purpose”, with...
Woman brain-dead after cryotherapy session goes wrong
A French woman who was injured during a fatal cryotherapy session at a gym – that had earlier, in the same week, claimed the...
Time to change carotid endarterectomy guidelines?
Optimised medical therapy (OMT) is as effective as surgery for carotid revascularisation in reducing stroke risk in most patients with carotid artery stenosis, suggest...
Deadly effects of marijuana on the foetus – US meta-analysis
Using marijuana during pregnancy has been linked to poor foetal development, low infant birth weight, dangerously early deliveries and even death, according to a...
Vagal-nerve stimulator implant for baby epilepsy patient
The implantation of an epilepsy treatment device into a 5.5kg baby’s brain marks a first in such a young and low weight patient, paediatric...
Omega 3 supplements may improve migraines – Spanish review
A recently published meta-analysis reports that fatty acid supplementation, particularly omega-3, may significantly reduce severity, duration and frequency of migraine in patients – although...
Psilocybin experiments offer relief for cluster headache sufferers
Cluster headaches have been described as “the most painful condition on the planet”, with sufferers going to extreme – and sometimes secretive – measures...
Age, sex, hormones linked to dementia biomarkers – German study
Scientists say they have found important clues about the roles that age, sex, hormonal changes and genetics might play in how certain biomarkers for...
Study links maternal diabetes to ADHD risk in children
Experts have issued reassurances after a recent study where researchers reviewed data from 56.1m pregnancies to probe possible connections between diabetes and ADHD, autism...
Older cannabis users may have higher dementia risk – Canadian study
Experts have warned that cannabis may not be as harmless as once thought, after recent research suggested that middle-aged – and older – adults...
New tests could help ID dementia in older Africans – SA research
International researchers – with the assistance of Wits University and University of Cape Town scientists – have introduced two improved tests that could precisely...
Israeli study confirms benefits of breast milk
The debate over whether breast is best has been ongoing for decades, but recent research suggests that longer or exclusive breastfeeding might be linked...
Shingles and statins findings a 'significant' boost in dementia fight
Shingles vaccines and statins have been found, separately, to significantly reduce the risk of dementia, which researchers say is of "tremendous importance" in the...
Why autism is less diagnosed in girls – and how to change that
Historically, researchers have viewed autism as a distinctly “male” neurotype, with boys being 10 times more likely to be referred for autism assessments, according...
ADHD drug benefits outweigh health risks – global study
People taking ADHD drugs – children, adults and adolescents – showed minimal increases in blood pressure and pulse rates, with the “risk-benefit ratio” being “reassuring”,...
Vitamin D may reduce autoimmune disease symptoms – French study
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who took high doses of vitamin D had fewer relapses and lesions, said scientists after their recent study suggested that...
Scientists pinpoint seven genes that age the brain – Chinese study
A team of scientists has identified seven genes they believe are linked to particularly fast ageing of the brain, after analysis of data from...
Excessive napping may be tied to dementia – US study
Twenty-four-hour sleepiness, particularly excessive napping, has been associated with a doubled risk of developing dementia, the latest study on disturbed sleep patterns and the...
NSAIDs may lower dementia risk, large study finds
A study examining the relationship between the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication over certain time frames and the risk for dementia found that...
Two new guidelines for acute migraine treatment
The American College of Physicians (ACP) has issued two key recommendations for the treatment of migraine – the disabling condition ranking as the second...
Parkinson’s disease could affect 25m people by 2050, study warns
Scientists are calling for immediate action to tackle the growing neurological health crisis of Parkinson’s disease, with cases likely to affect 25m within the...
Mali trial finds five-strain meningitis jab shows promise in infants
An international team of researchers says the results of one of three phase 3 randomised clinical trials show promise and reinforces the use of...
Cannabis use poses cardiovascular risk – US study
Clinicians should warn patients about the potential of cannabis to harm cardiovascular health – depending on how much they use, and how much stock...
MS patients in England in line for take-at-home pill
Thousands of NHS patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in England are to become the first in Europe to benefit from a major roll-out of...
Postnatal depression linked to brain change during pregnancy – Spanish study
A study from scientists in Madrid has shed new light on what happens in the brains of pregnant women who experience postpartum depression, which...
Ditching cellphones for three days can reshape brain activity
For many of us, our cellphones are almost constantly in our hands – and now, a study has highlighted the effects on brain activity...
Prenatal treatment for spinal muscular atrophy shows promise
Doctors have reported that the first prenatal therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) has showed promising results – that more than two years after...
Common painkiller in pregnancy tied to ADHD risk – US study
Children may have a higher risk of developing ADHD if their mothers used paracetamol – also known as acetaminophen – during pregnancy, adding weight...
Steroid jabs for backache have limited efficacy, review finds
A systemic review has shown that epidural steroid injections demonstrated limited efficacy in reducing back pain and disability.
The review by the American Academy of...
Scientists study man who defied predicted genetic Alzheimer’s
People who inherit one very rare gene mutation are virtually guaranteed to develop Alzheimer’s before they turn 50, but an American man has confused...
Omega-3 plus exercise may slow ageing – Swiss study
Scientists in Switzerland have suggested that, in combination with regular exercise, omega-3 and vitamin D supplements might help slow biological ageing by several months over...
Human brain samples contain spoon’s worth of nanoplastics – US study
Cognitively normal human brain samples collected at autopsy in early 2024 contained more tiny shards of plastic than samples collected eight years previously, according to a...
Frequent cannabis use could affect crucial memory skill – US study
Scientists say more frequent use of marijuana could damage the brain’s working memory, which may lead to issues with safety, communications and work success,...
Major review shows common meds linked to reduced dementia risk
In the largest systematic review of its kind, covering more than 1m cases of dementia from the records of more than 130m people, researchers...
FDA flags anaphylaxis risk with MS drug
Patients taking multiple sclerosis (MS) medication have been alerted to rare cases of anaphylaxis, with the US Food & Drug Administration having now added...