Highlights Mutation in GJB2 (CX26) is the most frequent cause of hereditary deafness worldwide Functional CX26-gap junction plaque (GJP)-forming cells were generated from iPSCs These cells exhibited spontaneous Ca2+ transients typical of the developing cochlea The drastic disruption of GJP was observed in in vitro disease model of GJB2 mutation Summary Mutation of the Gap...
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Simple bladder cancer test can accurately predict the return of the disease for 80% of patients
Researchers have developed a machine which can detect a protein called TERT People suffering with bladder cancer often have high levels of TERT in their urine Detecting presence of TERT early could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment Bladder cancer is the seventh most common cancer in the UK, statistics show A simple bladder cancer test developed...
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How to use music as a cure: Therapist reveals playlists to treat 7 health issues, from anxiety to memory loss
Dr Stella Compton-Dickinson is a UK-based music therapist Here, she explains how music affects our mood and is used in psychotherapy Whether it’s heartbreak or celebration, we instinctively use music to change or deepen the ways we’re feeling and that’s why music can be used in psychotherapy and for self-help. The art lies in finding...
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Listening to music while learning a physical task can boost your brain power by changing its structure
Scottish research looked at people who practised movement to music They showed more ‘structural connectivity’ on the right side of the brain There was more connectivity between regions that process sound and control Researchers hopes that future studies will determine whether music can help with special kinds of motor rehabilitation programmes, such as after a...
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New clues about the link between poor sleep and Alzheimer’s
Researchers may help explain why why poor sleep in middle age has been linked to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers may have pinpointed the reason why poor sleep has been linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The new study found that just one night of sleep disruption led to an increase in a...
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Drug reverses memory failure caused by traumatic brain injury
In an unprecedented finding, UC San Francisco scientists used an experimental drug to completely reverse severe learning and memory impairments caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) in mice. Surprisingly, the drug fully restored the ability to learn and remember in the brain-injured mice even when the animals were first treated as much as a month...
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People with Parkinson’s should be monitored for melanoma, study finds
People with the movement disorder Parkinson’s disease have a much higher risk of the skin cancer melanoma, and vice versa, a Mayo Clinic study finds. While further research is needed into the connection, physicians treating one disease should be vigilant for signs of the other and counsel those patients about risk, the authors say. The...
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Who needs vitamin B12 shots and why?
Vitamin B12 shots are injections that can be prescribed to treat a vitamin B12 deficiency. A deficiency in this essential nutrient can lead to an array of health problems, ranging from fatigue to permanent neurological changes. This article addresses the importance of maintaining adequate B12 levels and outlines the benefits and risks associated with B12 shots....
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Why you should be wary of going to work with a hangover
If you have ever drunk alcohol, there’s a good chance you’ve also had a hangover. As a widely experienced result of alcoholic consumption, hangovers have a broad variety of familiar negative effects: vomiting, fatigue, headache and increased blood pressure are common physical reactions. Psychological symptoms can also include irritability, anxiety and depression. But as familiar...
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The Power of Framing Questions
In the early 1980s cognitive psychologist Amos Tversky and his colleagues set out to study if the way a question was framed influenced the way people think. They presented patients, medical students, and doctors with statistics about the effectiveness of surgery versus radiation therapy in treating cancer. The participants were given information about effectiveness and...