THE LATEST RESEARCH
New findings about the brain, behavior and mental health—with the evidence and limits in view.
TL;DR: Among 378 stroke patients treated with clot removal, two simple blood-count measures linked to inflammation were slightly lower in those who recovered poorly. But they predicted recovery only a little better than a coin flip, and the link faded after ac…
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TL;DR: In a survey of 333 doctors, pediatricians and pharmacists in Azerbaijan, most said they routinely use general painkillers and the antidepressant amitriptyline for headaches. Only about 1 in 7 routinely prescribe triptans, and none reported using beta-bl…
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TL;DR: A review of 16 reviews found the strongest evidence for medicines in smoking and opioid addiction, and smaller effects for alcohol. Varenicline made people 2.3 times as likely to quit smoking as a dummy pill. Key Findings Smoking: Varenicline strongest…
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TL;DR: In 3,718 adults with diabetes, those in the highest quarter of blood uric acid had about 3 times the stroke risk of those in the lowest quarter. This shows a link, not that uric acid causes strokes. Key Findings Highest vs. lowest quarter: After adjusti…
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TL;DR: In 741 adults with frequent migraine, quality of life rose a bit more on rimegepant than placebo at 12 weeks (18.6 vs 15.0). The next year had no comparison group, so it can't show the drug helped. Key Findings Quality of life at 12 weeks: 0–100 scale o…
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TL;DR: In a small UK trial, 60 people with depression that hadn’t responded to standard treatment got either one 25-mg dose of psilocybin or a placebo, plus therapy support. Three weeks later, 13 of 30 people in the psilocybin group had responded, versus 1 of…
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TL;DR: Researchers in Munich tested 28 people who hear a near-constant low hum that the people around them usually can't. For most of them, the tests didn't support either of two hearing explanations: unusually sensitive hearing for deep sounds, or hearing sou…
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TL;DR: Pooling 29 trials of 1,913 people with Parkinson’s disease, the researchers found sleep drugs improved overall sleep quality by 2.66 points on a questionnaire compared with placebo. The evidence was low certainty, and other sleep problems showed unclear…
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TL;DR: At a busy, ethnically diverse Parkinson's clinic in East London, about half of 223 patients had thinking problems — either mild cognitive impairment or dementia — when a team of specialists reviewed each case. Thinking problems were more common in South…
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TL;DR: In a two-month trial of 62 children aged 2 to 5 with autism, adding a modified ketogenic diet to therapy brought bigger drops in two autism scores than a regular diet. The trial was small and not fully blinded. Key Findings Autism Behavior Checklist (AB…
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