Category: Health News

Palliative Care Training for Neurologists Boosts QOL in PD

TOPLINE: An intervention that provides palliative care training to community neurologists and specialized palliative care services to people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) via telehealth modestly improved patients’ quality of life (QOL) and increased completion rates for advance directives, new research suggests. METHODOLOGY: The study included 359 patients (mean age 74 years) with probable PD or

Sickle cell disease: UK approves first ever gene therapy

As of 2021, almost 8 million people around the world live with sickle cell disease. Most treatment of sickle cell anemia is through invasive surgical procedures. The United Kingdom is the first country to approve the use of the world’s first gene therapy for treating sickle cell disease and a type of sickle cell disease

Researchers reveal that low-quality studies of autism early interventions dominate the field

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that autism is becoming more common in young children. In an effort to improve the challenges young autistic children face as part of their early development, researchers have focused on developing and evaluating nonpharmaceutical interventions that can be provided in early childhood. Micheal Sandbank, Ph.D., an assistant

Managing holiday travel stress

Know your triggers Prepare for travel Try to take morning flights and think about a backup flight in the event of cancellations. Travel with airlines that will automatically book you for the next flight. If your schedule permits, book your travel to arrive a day early so you avoid the risk of arriving at the

UK Facing Projected Major Surge in Dementia Cases

TOPLINE: The number of people living with dementia in England and Wales is predicted to increase to 1.7 million by 2040 — approximately twice the number in 2023 and 70% higher than previously forecast — according to updated projections. METHODOLOGY: Researchers examined nine waves of data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) for

Low serotonin levels observed in long COVID and other viral infections

In a recent study published in Cell, researchers identify a pathophysiological mechanism linking serotonin reduction to the multifaceted etiology of post-acute sequelae of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (PASC). Study: Serotonin reduction in post-acute sequelae of viral infection. Image Credit: Vitalii Vodolazskyi / Shutterstock.com Background  Post-viral syndromes, including "long COVID" or PASC, persist long after the initial disease

Antireflux mucosal ablation safe, effective for refractory reflux disease

Antireflux mucosal ablation (ARMA) cuts short-term gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms in two-thirds of patients undergoing the endoscopic treatment, according to a study published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Yuto Shimamura, M.D., from Showa University in Tokyo, and colleagues evaluated the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of ARMA. The analysis included 68 patients with

Lung cancer outcomes found to significantly improve with immunotherapy-based treatment given before and after surgery

A regimen of pre-surgical immunotherapy and chemotherapy followed by post-surgical immunotherapy significantly improved event-free survival (EFS) and pathologic complete response (pCR) rates compared to chemotherapy alone for patients with operable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to results of a Phase III trial reported by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Ketamine's long-lasting antidepressant effects unveiled in new study

In a recent study published in the journal Nature, researchers investigate whether persistent blocking of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and burst-type firing by lateral habenula (LHb) neurons may offer a basis for the long-lasting antidepressant effects of an NMDAR agonist, ketamine. Study: Sustained antidepressant effect of ketamine through NMDAR trapping in the LHb. Image Credit: Pavlova Yuliia /