Author: Healthcare Propulsion Staff

A new study illuminates the connection between the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and multiple sclerosis (MS), pointing to a causal role for reactivation of the virus in triggering MS attacks in people with certain genetic risk factors. In a study of blood samples from more than 100 participants with MS, Mass General Brigham researchers detected increased EBV lytic activity in immune cells up to three months before MS relapse and discovered that these cells also showed elevated expression of genes linked to MS risk. The finding helps explain how a common virus and genetic risk may work together to trigger MS…

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in healthGet our free Health Check emailGet our free Health Check emailA rare, serious brain condition has been identified in a small number of people taking GLP-1 weight loss and diabetes drugs, a new study revealed. Some 15 cases of Wernicke encephalopathy were identified between 2023-2024 in an Israeli study’s review of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s adverse event reports and related literature.Wernicke encephalopathy is a potentially life-threatening neurological disorder caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin B1 that can lead to permanent memory…

Some of the most vulnerable children and young people are failing to get access to mental health support despite much higher levels of need, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. Despite children and young people on child protection plans or in care being significantly more likely to have serious mental health issues, less than one in five of these individuals had contact with mental health services in a given year. In England, just under one in five (18%) children or young people are estimated to have a probable mental health disorder. A third of mental health problems…

The following is a guest article by Thomas Urie, President and COO at FormAssembly Over the last decade, healthcare has undergone what looks, from the outside, like a significant digital transformation. Patients can easily register themselves online, schedule and manage their own appointments, and access records through their portals. But while the industry has come a long way in a relatively short amount of time, much of that transformation was largely superficial. In many cases, only certain elements of these systems went digital without ever being connected to one another and without fully taking into account the overall patient experience.…

The charity said the 2023 Wellbeing Survey found that 35.2% of adults aged 16 and over who drink alcohol reported consuming more than 14 units a week. The UK Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines, external recommend men and women drink no more than 14 units per week, spread over three or more days, with at least two alcohol-free days each week.The commission added alcohol units can be difficult to estimate, so the scorecard provides “a tried and tested tool” to help people calculate their weekly units and compare their results to the guidelines. Nightingale said: “The scorecard is about…

Structured exercise may help people with cancer live longer and have more time free of disease, finds a synthesis of the available evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The survival and recurrence risk benefits were strongest in early stage disease, in those who did aerobic exercise or aerobic exercise plus strength training, and in those who managed to keep up their exercise routines, the findings indicate. Their analysis prompts the researchers to conclude that incorporating the therapeutic potential of exercise into cancer care merits consideration. Cancer comes back in between 20%–40% of patients, even after standard…

A summer intervention program for autistic children ages 4-6 with no intellectual disability significantly improved their social performance, according to a study by researchers at the Institute for Autism Research (IAR) at the University at Buffalo. It was published in Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders in July. “Completion of our 5-week summerMAXyc program was associated with significant social, behavioral and autism symptom benefits for the children,” says Christopher J. Lopata, PsyD, co-author on the study and co-founder/co-director of the IAR with Marcus L. Thomeer, PhD; both are professors of pediatrics in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB.…

A new discovery by neuroscientists at Brown University’s Carney Institute for Brain Science challenges long-held beliefs in neurobiology about how neurons extend axons to reach their targets. Published in PNAS, the findings provide what the authors call a “genetic atlas” of neuronal development as well as a potential step forward for understanding how to repair broken neural connections in conditions such as stroke and spinal cord injury. We discovered that during development, neurons turn on and off entire groups of genes that allow their axons to grow through different sections of their path. That’s surprising.”  Alexander Jaworski, study author, associate…

From hormonal gels to non-hormonal pills and injectable vasocclusion technologies, researchers are pursuing new ways to expand male contraception beyond condoms and vasectomy. Review: Male contraception: a historical analysis of the condom, vasectomy, and future innovations. Image Credit: Nikola93 / Shutterstock In a recent review in the International Journal of Impotence Research, researchers traced the history of male contraception and discussed recent innovations that could potentially expand the choices available to men. While early condom-like sheaths were often used to prevent disease, modern condoms provide a low-cost and convenient option, but pregnancy can still occur with their use. Vasectomy, a…

Researchers put a single cortical implant to the test, asking whether attempted speech and body gestures could be decoded together and translated into a personalized full-body avatar. Study: Simultaneous speech and gesture decoding for multimodal communication in paralysis. Image Credit: Kittyfly In a recent study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, a group of researchers investigated whether a single high-density electrocorticography (ECoG) implant could simultaneously decode attempted speech and gestures and support real-time, expressive communication through a personalized virtual avatar in people with severe paralysis. Background How can brain activity reveal attempts to speak or gesture when severe paralysis limits movement?…