The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced new action to encourage companies to develop naloxone products for over-the-counter (OTC) use — or apply to switch certain products from prescription to nonprescription status. Naloxone is an opioid overdose reversal agent that can save lives when administered within minutes…
The hunt for disrupted brain signals behind autism: Studies in mice suggest circuitry role for missing gene
Part of understanding the underlying causes of autism spectrum disorder relies on figuring out which cells’ signaling patterns in the brain are disrupted, and when during nervous system development the disruption occurs. New research findings in mouse models of one genetic risk for autism support the idea that loss of…
Novel device to measure nerve activity for treatment of sepsis, PTSD
A multi-campus research team has developed a novel device for non-invasively measuring cervical nerve activity in humans. The device, described in an article in Scientific Reports, has potential applications for supporting more personalized treatments for sepsis and mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “With this newly developed…
Could There Be a Better Treatment for MS Relapses?
What should you do if a patient with multiple sclerosis suffers an acute relapse, but the standard methylprednisolone treatment does not result in any improvement? As it stands, the guidelines recommend a second cycle of the steroid at a double dose. A German study has now shown that visual, motor,…
Research team develops cushion cover that warns of incipient pressure ulcers
Researchers at Aalto University are developing a smart seat cushion cover for wheelchair users that would raise alarm about a budding pressure ulcer well before the wound has time to get serious. The device would combine various sensors that send information about the wound to an application that alerts the…
Discovery in Parkinson’s research: Lipids influence the formation of protein clumps
After Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the world. More than six million people worldwide suffer from it. In this disease, alpha-synuclein proteins form thread-like structures called fibrils. When these fibrils clump together, they probably damage nerve cells. A research team has now shown for the first…
Less and Late: UK Gives $1 Billion to Global Disease Fight
LONDON (Reuters) – The British government said on Monday it would contribute 1 billion pounds ($1.18 billion) to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, more than six weeks after other countries made their commitments. The total, which covers 2023-25, is 30% less than Britain pledged during the…
Paxlovid Fears; Lack of Amoxicillin; and an App for Cancer Fear
Support for Paxlovid Treatment in Older Patients Older people with COVID-19 in the US avoid Paxlovid treatment more than younger patients do despite evidence of the medication’s effectiveness for their age group. A patient aged 45-50 years is more likely to get Paxlovid than are patients aged 80 years or…
Study shows link between morning physical activity and lowest risk of heart disease, stroke
Morning physical activity is associated with the lowest risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a study in more than 85,000 individuals published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the ESC. The findings were consistent regardless of the total amount of daily activity. "It…
Mechanically active adhesive prevents and supports the recovery from muscle atrophy
Muscles waste as a result of not being exercised enough, as happens quickly with a broken limb that has been immobilized in a cast, and more slowly in people reaching an advanced age. Muscle atrophy, how clinicians refer to the phenomenon, is also a debilitating symptom in patients suffering from…