THE LATEST RESEARCH
New findings about the brain, behavior and mental health—with the evidence and limits in view.
TL;DR: In diabetic rats, giving the antidepressant nortriptyline together with tramadol or ibuprofen eased pain behavior at much lower doses than each drug alone. The combinations worked better together than their separate effects would predict, but this was a…
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TL;DR: Mice given a stress hormone daily for 5 days before a frightening experience didn't show the usual rise in fear the next day, while mice given a single dose just beforehand did. The finding hints that long-term stress before trauma may change how fear m…
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TL;DR: Among 411 people hospitalized for strokes caused by blocked tiny brain arteries, nearly 4 in 10 needed early rehab. Adding MRI brain-damage scores and blood tests to routine bedside information didn't predict who needed it any better. Key Findings 411 p…
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TL;DR: In a reanalysis of a small trial, 15 healthy adults who practiced slow, paced breathing with a heart-rate app for 8 weeks showed shifts in how some brain areas influence each other, compared with 17 who played phone games. The findings are a preprint, a…
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TL;DR: In 205 children with moderate to severe sleep apnea, two features on a side X-ray of the face, the jaw angle and the position of a small neck bone, were linked to how bad their apnea was, but together they explained only about 12% of the difference betw…
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TL;DR: In brain scans of 146 older adults, people with Alzheimer's dementia had weaker white matter wiring across 268 brain connections compared with healthy peers, but people with milder memory loss showed no clear difference. Wiring strength didn't line up w…
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TL;DR: In brain scans of 149 adults, people whose migraine had turned into near-daily headaches from overusing painkillers had larger fluid-filled spaces around small brain vessels and a smaller hippocampus than people without migraine. The scans were taken on…
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TL;DR: In 84 older pet dogs followed over several years, more indoor accidents went along with worse self-control on treat puzzles, while signs of urine infection were rare and not linked to the accidents. It's a hint that house soiling in old dogs may often r…
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TL;DR: Among 121 people with painful pancreatic cancer, 44% had a heightened sensitivity to pain on standardized testing, much like people with long-term pancreatitis. But in the cancer group, that sensitivity was not consistently linked to worse pain, mood or…
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TL;DR: When 22 young adults tried to recall where they had seen everyday objects, their eyes drifted toward the right spot before they answered. The closer their gaze, the more precise their memory turned out to be. Key Findings Eyes found the spot: Gaze lande…
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