Medicine articles

Infants' peripheral vision is cluttered
Our eyes are windows to the world, but what is the visual experience of infants? We know that infant vision tends to be blurrier than adults'. Now researchers from UC Davis, UC Berkeley and Stanford University have discovered that they also have much poorer peripheral vision.

Male maturity shaped by early nutrition
It seems the old nature versus nurture debate can't be won. But a new Northwestern University study of men in the Philippines makes a strong case for nurture's role in male to female differences -- suggesting that rapid weight gain in the first six months of life predicts earlier puberty for boys.

Nerve cells in optic flow
Generally speaking, animals and humans maintain their sense of balance in their three-dimensional environment without difficulty. In addition to the vestibular system, their navigation is often aided by the eyes. Every movement causes the environment to move past the eyes in a characteristic way. On the basis of this "optic flow", the nerve cells then calculate the organism's self-motion. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology have now shown how nerve cells succeed in calculating self-motion while confronted with differing backgrounds. So far, none of the established models for optical processing were able to cope with this requirement.

Johns Hopkins neuroscientists goal: a prosthetic limb with feeling
Back in 1980 when The Empire Strikes Back hit the big screen, it seemed like the most fantastic of science fiction scenarios: Luke Skywalker getting a fully functional bionic arm to replace the one he had lost to arch enemy Darth Vader.

Perception of emotion is culture-specific
Want to know how a Japanese person is feeling? Pay attention to the tone of his voice, not his face. That's what other Japanese people would do, anyway. A new study examines how Dutch and Japanese people assess others' emotions and finds that Dutch people pay attention to the facial expression more than Japanese people do.

New CU-Boulder research sheds light on why our brains get tripped up when we're anxious
A new University of Colorado at Boulder study sheds light on the brain mechanisms that allow us to make choices and ultimately could be helpful in improving treatments for the millions of people who suffer from the effects of anxiety disorders.

Smoking during pregnancy may harm the child's motor control and coordination
Women who smoke during pregnancy run the risk of adversely affecting their children's coordination and physical control according to a new study from Örebro University, Sweden, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

New drug could help stop the spread of disease during cough
What if there was a drug that could completely eliminate airborne disease transmission that occurs when someone coughs? Researchers at the University of Alberta believe they have found a way to achieve this.

Long-term use of osteoporosis drugs associated with unusual fractures
Most hip fractures due to osteoporosis follow a pattern: the patient falls, and the bones around the hip joint shatter into pieces. But 2 to 3 years ago, orthopedic surgeons began seeing an increase in unusual breaks that snapped the thighbone in two, often with no warning.

Breakthrough in understanding brain function could lead to Alzheimer's treatment
Neuroscientists at the University of Bristol have discovered a new form of synaptic interaction in the brain involved in memory function which could open up the possibility of a new treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Psychologist shows why we choke under pressure - and how to avoid it
A star golfer misses a critical putt; a brilliant student fails to ace a test; a savvy salesperson blows a key presentation. Each of these people has suffered the same bump in mental processing: They have just choked under pressure.

Scientists discover new cause of blindness
University of Manchester scientists have discovered a new cause of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that affects more than 50 million people worldwide and results in blindness.

Unique Henry Ford case offers cautionary cotton swab tale
The old saying, "never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear," couldn't be truer for a patient who experienced vertigo and severe hearing loss after a cotton swab perforated her eardrum and damaged her inner ear.

Sparkling drinks spark pain circuits
Fizzy beverages light up same pain sensors as mustard and horseradish, a new study shows -- so why do we drink them?

Ultrafine air particles may increase firefighters' risk for heart disease
Firefighters are exposed to potentially dangerous levels of ultrafine particulates at the time they are least likely to wear protective breathing equipment. Because of this, researchers believe firefighters may face an increased risk for heart disease from exposures during the fire suppression process.

Rising indoor winter temperatures linked to obesity?
Increases in winter indoor temperatures in the United Kingdom, United States and other developed countries may be contributing to rises in obesity in those populations, according to UCL research published recently.

Eyewitnesses -- not as reliable as 1 might believe
Those who have witnessed a crime would do best not to tell anyone about it. Contrary to what one might believe, a person's memory of an event is not improved by retelling the story. Instead, the risk of an incorrect account increases the more the story is retold and discussed.

Contagious cancer thrives in dogs by adopting host's genes
Scientists at Imperial College London have uncovered an unusual process that helps the cancer survive by stealing tiny DNA-containing 'powerhouses' (known as mitochondria) from the cells of the infected animal, to incorporate as its own. They say this may be because genes in the tumour's own mitochondria have a tendency to mutate and degenerate. The results are surprising because mitochondria and their genes are usually only passed from a mother to her offspring.

Genetic sequencing alone doesn't offer a true picture of human disease
Despite what you might have heard, genetic sequencing alone is not enough to understand human disease.

High blood pressure controlled using deep brain stimulation
Clinical researchers have discovered what may be a surgical alternative to medication in controlling persistent high blood pressure where patients do not respond to drugs.