Early vocabulary size is genetically linked to ADHD, literacy, and cognition
Early language development is an important predictor of children’s later language, reading and learning skills. Moreover, language learning difficulties are related to neurodevelopmental conditions such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Children typically start to utter their first words between 10 and 15 months of age. At around two years of age, […]
Think You Have COVID? Here’s The Best Way To Test Yourself Now.
agrobacter via Getty Images Data shows we should be testing ourselves for COVID later than we might think. It’s that time of year again. Upper respiratory infections like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and COVID are rising — and we’re only just getting started. The signs and symptoms of these infections can be quite similar […]
Food allergy in infancy linked to childhood asthma and reduced lung function
Having a food allergy as a baby is linked to asthma and reduced lung function later in childhood, according to a world first study. The research, led by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and published in the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, found that early life food allergy was associated with an increased risk of both […]
As The Deaths Pile Up, Experts Ask: Why Are Police Involved In Mental Health Crises?
Gershun Freeman died inside a Memphis, Tennessee, jail in October. A few months later, in March, Irvo Otieno perished inside a state hospital shortly after police and hospital staff knelt on him for several minutes. Aside from being two more Black men in America who died in police custody, their stories share another commonality: Both […]
States Try to Obscure Execution Details as Drugmakers Hinder Lethal Injection
In 2011, Jeffrey Motts was executed in South Carolina. More than a decade later, the state hasn’t carried out another execution because officials have struggled to obtain the drugs needed for lethal injection. Now, to resume executions, lawmakers are debating a bill that would further shroud the state’s lethal injection protocols from public scrutiny by […]
Early life experiences can have long-lasting impact on genes
Early life experiences can impact the activity of our genes much later on and even affect longevity, finds a new study in fruit flies led by UCL researchers. In the study published in Nature Aging, the scientists report that gene expression ‘memory’ can persist across the lifespan, and may present a novel target for improving […]
Reproductive History Linked to Later Stroke Risk
A history of infertility, recurrent miscarriage, or stillbirth may be a risk factor for stroke later in life, according to an analysis of eight prospective cohort studies. Among over 600,000 women, infertility was associated with an increased risk of non-fatal stroke (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.08-1.20), while a history of at least three miscarriages was […]
No Long-Term Cognitive Benefit in Fortified Baby Formulas
Infants raised on fortified formula milk showed no advantage in academic performance later on as adolescents, researchers found using data from England. No significant differences in U.K. math exam scores were found in students at age 16 who, as infants, had participated in clinical trials comparing formulas enriched with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), […]
Can CV Fat Predict Cognitive Function in Women in Midlife?
The quality of cardiovascular (CV) fat in midlife women may predict their cognitive function later on in life, a researcher found. High radiodensity of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) around the descending aorta among women in their middle years (average age around 51) was significantly associated with worse working memory in the future (P=0.01), reported Meiyuzhen […]
Preventing the long-term effects of traumatic brain injury: New study points to a potential new treatment that could prevent chronic complications
You’ve been in a car accident and sustained a head injury. You recovered, but years later you begin having difficulty sleeping. You also become very sensitive to noise and bright lights, and find it hard to carry out your daily activities, or perform well at your job. This is a common situation after a traumatic […]