In a new study, researchers found that a person’s sleeping habits can predict the accumulation of Alzheimer’s pathology protein in the brain later in life. A team from the University of California, Berkeley linked decrease in slow oscillations and sleep spindle synchronization on electroencephalogram (EEG) to higher tau. Meanwhile, reduced slow-wave-activity amplitude was associated with...
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Lyme disease: Why does joint pain persist?
Researchers have found clues that might lead to a treatment for Lyme arthritis. The secret may lie in the walls of the bacterium that causes the condition. Lyme disease occurs when a person becomes infected with a tick-borne bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. Initial symptoms typically include general fatigue, fever, skin rashes, and headaches. Although doctors can often treat Lyme disease with antibiotics, if they do...
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Are dogs better at detecting cancer ‘than advanced technology?’
By Maria Cohut Fact checked by Paula Field Because dogs have an extremely sensitive sense of smell, researchers are increasingly interested in finding out whether they can detect disease. One new study working with beagles has found that they can successfully “sniff out” lung cancer with extremely high accuracy. Recent data indicate that non-small cell lung cancer “is the second...
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Synthetic joint lubricant holds promise for osteoarthritis
by Krishna Ramanujan, Cornell University A new type of treatment for osteoarthritis, currently in canine clinical trials, shows promise for eventual use in humans. The treatment, developed by Cornell University biomedical engineers, is a synthetic version of a naturally occurring joint lubricant that binds to the surface of cartilage in joints and acts as a cushion during high-impact activities, such as running. “When...
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Supplements for brain health show no benefit – a neurologist explains a new study
by Steven Dekosky, The Conversation Americans and others around the world have turned increasingly to dietary supplements in order to maintain or preserve their brain health. A recent study found that a quarter of adults over 50 take a supplement for brain-related health. But that same study, done by experts convened by the AARP, suggests that seniors should spend their money elsewhere. The supplements don’t work....
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One step closer to pain-free vaccinations
by Hilde Pracht, Leiden University Micro-needles are a promising tool for the painless administration of vaccines through the skin. But, are these minuscule needles really effective? Ph.D. student Pim Schipper of the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research investigated various factors of vaccination via the skin and discovered, among other things, that the injection depth...
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Robot Navigates Tiny Ultrasound Pill Through Colon
MEDGADGET EDITORS While endoscopes give physicians a view into the interior of the GI tract, they are limited in the areas that they can reach and the imaging they can provide. Miniaturized imaging devices in the form of swallowable electronic pills have been around for a few years now. They move through the entirety of the GI tract, but...
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Study ties unhealthy gums to liver cancer risk
By Catharine Paddock PhD Fact checked by Isabel Godfrey A large study of people living in the United Kingdom found that those who reported having poor oral health, such as sore or bleeding gums or loose teeth, had a 75% higher risk of developing liver cancer. Previous studies have already established that gums and teeth that are...
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Sugars that coat proteins are a possible drug target for pancreatitis
by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that accounts for 275,000 hospitalizations in the United States annually. Patients who suffer from hereditary pancreatitis have a 40 to 50 percent lifetime risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Dannielle Engle, a former Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Cancer Center postdoctoral fellow who was recently appointed Assistant Professor...
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The health benefits of sleeping on your side
by Len Canter, Healthday Reporter For a study done on animals, researchers used dynamic contrast magnetic resonance imaging to see the brain’s glymphatic pathway. That’s the system that clears waste and other harmful chemicals from the brain, much like the way the lymphatic system clears waste from organs. The researchers found that brain waste was...