A “Third Thumb” — a robotic, prosthetic extra thumb — is easy to use and can help folks grab and tote more objects, a new study says. Hundreds of diverse test subjects at a science exhibition were able to figure out the extra thumb quickly and use it to pick up things like pegs and… read on > read on >
Newer epilepsy drugs taken while pregnant won’t affect the creative thinking of children, an effect that had been observed in older medications, a new study reports. Researchers found no difference in creativity scores at age 4 between kids of mothers with epilepsy and those of moms without the disorder, researchers reported May 29 in the… read on > read on >
Folks typically think of heart disease as a byproduct of modern fast-food living, but a new study shows the condition has plagued humanity for centuries. More than a third (37%) of 237 adult mummies from seven different cultures spanning more than 4,000 years had evidence of clogged arteries, CT scans revealed. Researchers say the results… read on > read on >
A bilingual brain implant has allowed a stroke survivor to communicate in both Spanish and English, scientists report. Turning to an AI method known as a neural network, researchers trained the patient’s implant to decode words based on the brain activity produced when he tried to articulate those words, and then display those words and… read on > read on >
Near-infrared light pulsing into a person’s skull appears to boost healing in patients with a severe concussion, a new study finds. Patients who wore a helmet emitting near-infrared light displayed a greater change in connectivity between seven different pairs of brain regions, researchers report. “The skull is quite transparent to near-infrared light,” explained co-lead researcher… read on > read on >
Children exposed to traffic and other noise in their neighborhoods may be at higher risk for anxiety, researchers conclude, while air pollution could raise risks for other mental health woes. “Childhood and adolescent noise pollution exposure could increase anxiety by increasing stress and disrupting sleep,” wrote a team led by Joanne Newbury, of Bristol Medical… read on > read on >
A 4,000-year-old skull provides evidence that ancient Egyptians might have tried to treat cancer, a new study claims. Microscopic observation of the skull revealed 30 or so lesions scattered across its surface that are consistent with cancer, researchers report. They were stunned to also find cut marks around these lesions, probably made with a sharp… read on > read on >
Prior studies have suggested that binge eating disorder may not last long, but a more rigorous look at the illness finds that just isn’t so. “The big takeaway is that binge-eating disorder does improve with time, but for many people it lasts years,” said study first author Kristin Javaras, assistant psychologist in the Division of… read on > read on >
TUESDAY, May 28 — Bird flu virus has been detected in beef tissue from a sick dairy cow, but U.S. health officials stressed the country’s meat supply remains safe. In an update issued Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the cow had been culled because it was sick and the meat did not… read on > read on >
An experimental mRNA vaccine against the H5N1 avian flu is highly effective in preventing severe illness and death in lab animals, researchers report. The vaccine could help fight the H5N1 bird flu outbreaks now spreading in wild birds, poultry and cows in the United States, researchers said. Stopping those outbreaks is key to preventing the… read on > read on >
