October 7, 2022
Communicating with babies in infant-directed-speech is considered an essential prerequisite for successful language development of the little ones. Researchers have now investigated how the mood of mothers in the postpartum period affects their child's development. They found that even children whose mothers suffer from mild depressive mood that do not yet require medical treatment show early signs of delayed language development. The reason for this could be the way the women talk to the newborns. The findings could help prevent potential deficits early on.
How the mother's mood influences her baby's ability to speak
October 7, 2022
Researchers have developed a method to detect build-up of amyloid beta in the brain, a characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, from biomarkers in blood samples.
October 7, 2022
Researchers across Indiana have completed their contributions to a report about mental health in the state. Among their findings, untreated mental illness costs Indiana approximately $4.2 billion each year.
Untreated mental illness is costing Indiana more than $4 billion per year
October 6, 2022
The key to a new cardiomyocyte-making technique is a gene activity-controlling protein called Ascl1, which is known to be a crucial protein involved in turning fibroblasts into neurons. Researchers had thought Ascl1 was neuron-specific.
Scientists discover protein partners that could heal heart muscle
October 6, 2022
Findings from a small study of eight patients published in Clinical Infectious Diseases suggest that COVID-19 rebound is likely not caused by impaired immune responses. The study, led by scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, aimed to define the clinical course and the immunologic and virologic characteristics of COVID-19 rebound in patients who have taken nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid), an antiviral therapeutic developed by Pfizer, Inc. COVID-19 rebound is characterized by a recurrence of COVID-19 symptoms and/or a new positive viral test after having tested negative, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the study authors, the results do not support the hypothesis that the five-day course of Paxlovid is too short for the body to develop a strong immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Findings suggest COVID-19 rebound not caused by impaired immune response
October 6, 2022
Two proteins ensure that cells can take up iron when needed. If both control proteins are switched off in mice, the animals develop severe anemia, as expected. Surprisingly, at the same time a cell type of the innate immune defense, the neutrophils, also dramatically decreases. Iron deficiency, a known defense mechanism against infectious pathogens, is a double edged sword, as it simultaneously curbs the defensive power of an important arm of the innate immune system.
Iron deficiency suppresses important arm of the innate immune system
October 6, 2022
Rescue Biomedical is developing a minimally invasive subcutaneous device that automatically delivers naloxone when a person overdoses on an opioid. The company has received a four-year, $2.82 million Fast-Track Small Business Innovation Research, or SBIR, grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop its technology.
October 4, 2022
In a clinical trial, cocoa extract did not improve cognitive function in older adults, but a daily multivitamin did. The results suggest a way to protect cognitive function as people age, but further research is still needed.
October 4, 2022
Mice fed a high-sugar diet lost immune cells in their guts that normally help regulate the absorption of dietary fat. Loss of these immune cells, which led to weight gain and early signs of diabetes, was driven by changes in gut microbes caused by high sugar intake.
October 3, 2022
Women are thought to fare better in verbal abilities, especially in verbal-fluency and verbal-memory tasks. However, the last meta-analysis on sex/gender differences in verbal fluency dates from 1988. Although verbal memory has only recently been investigated meta-analytically, a comprehensive meta-analysis is lacking that focuses on verbal memory as it is typically assessed, for example, in neuropsychological settings. Women are better, the present study demonstrated. The female advantage is consistent across time and lifetime, but it is also relatively small. The results are relevant in at least two ways. First, they help to clarify whether the female advantage is real. Second, knowing about this sex/gender difference is important for interpreting the results of diagnostic assessments, in which those abilities are frequently tested.
Are women really better at finding and remembering words than men? Large study settles score
