by Terry Goodrich, Baylor University A new treatment for stress which combines mindfulness with hypnotherapy has shown positive results in a Baylor University pilot study. The intervention is called “mindful hypnotherapy.” “Mindfulness is a type of meditation that involves focusing attention on present moment awareness. It can help people cope with stress, but can require...
Your brain shows if you are lonely or not
by Dartmouth College Social connection with others is critical to a person’s mental and physical well-being. How the brain maps relationships with other people in relation to one’s self has long been a mystery. A Dartmouth study finds that the closer you feel to people emotionally, the more similarly you represent them in your brain....
Exercise may offer ‘profound’ benefits for Friedreich’s ataxia, research suggests
by Josh Barney, University of Virginia UVA researcher Zhen Yan studies the benefits of exercise. “You will benefit from just about any type of exercise as you age, as long as you’re not at risk of injury,” he said. Credit: Dan Addison, University Communications Atop exercise researcher at the University of Virginia School of Medicine...
Researchers design bluetooth stethoscope with a 50-foot range to help healthcare practitioners stay safe
by Brigham Young University The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a serious issue for doctors and nurses assessing a patient’s heart and lungs with a traditional stethoscope. Many healthcare practitioners have found it difficult to position the stethoscope correctly around their face masks. These assessments also require practitioners to be very close to the patient, heightening...
The ‘love hormone’ oxytocin can also give rise to aggressive behavior
by Max Planck Society During the pandemic lockdown, as couples have been forced to spend days and weeks in one another’s company, some have found their love renewed while others are on their way to divorce court. Oxytocin, a peptide produced in the brain, is complicated in that way: A neuromodulator, it may bring hearts...
Researchers uncover drivers of healthy gut maintenance
by The Francis Crick Institute Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have found two genes that regulate the differentiation of stem cells in the small intestine, offering valuable insight into how the body develops and maintains a healthy gut. Cells in the lining of the small intestine are replaced around every five days, the quickest...
Molecules that reduce ‘bad’ gut bacteria reverse narrowing of arteries in animal study
by The Scripps Research Institute Scientists at Scripps Research have developed molecules that can remodel the bacterial population of intestines to a healthier state and they have shown—through experiments in mice—that this reduces cholesterol levels and strongly inhibits the thickened-artery condition known as atherosclerosis. The scientists, who report their findings in Nature Biotechnology, created a...
Romosozumab in osteoporosis: Considerable added benefit for women after menopause
Fewer vertebral fractures and fewer other typical fractures in postmenopausal women with severe osteoporosis at high risk of fracture INSTITUTE FOR QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY IN HEALTH CARE Romosozumab is a bone-forming monoclonal antibody used in women after menopause for the treatment of severe osteoporosis if there is a high risk of bone fractures. Having been...
Blocking brain signals detected in the kidney could help unlock future treatments for kidney failure
by University of Bristol Scientists have discovered an important cell signaling pathway in the kidney which if stopped, could hold the key to treating chronic kidney disease as well as other deadly conditions, including heart attack and stroke. The pathway was already known to exist in the brain, where it helps to maintain the body’s...
New indication of a link between Alzheimer’s and diabetes
by Forschungszentrum Juelich Pathological protein clumps are characteristic of a series of diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and type 2 diabetes. Scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, and Maastricht University have now used cryo-electron microscopy to obtain a sharp image for the first time of how individual molecules are arranged in...