New method can diagnose pancreatic cancer with 97% certainty

Researchers at The Sahlgrenska Academy have now developed a method which identifies the Pancreatic cancer’s visible precursors with 97% certainty – Pancreatic cancer is often detected at a late stage, which results in poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Researchers at The Sahlgrenska Academy have now developed a method which identifies the cancer’s visible precursors with 97% certainty.

Excess body weight may affect brain part that controls memory, emotions, and appetite

Excess weight linked to brain changes that may relate to memory, emotions, and appetite – Being overweight appears related to reduced levels of a molecule that reflects brain cell health in the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in memory, learning, and emotions, and likely also involved in appetite control, revealed by researchers.

Vitamin D reduces multiple sclerosis progression

Vitamin D status associated with multiple sclerosis activity, progression – Vitamin D status appears to be associated with reduced disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and a slower rate of disease progression. MS is a common cause of neurological disability and vitamin D status may be related to the disease process.

Mind wandering may lead to insomnia

Brain imaging study reveals the wandering mind behind insomnia — Study is the first to find functional MRI differences in working memory in people with primary insomnia – A new brain imaging study may help explain why people with insomnia often complain that they struggle to concentrate during the day even when objective evidence of a cognitive problem is lacking.

Vitamin D therapy does not improve heart disease risk

Vitamin D Therapy Does Not Improve Certain Cardiac Measures for Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease – Patients with chronic kidney disease who received the vitamin D compound paricalcitol for up to 48 weeks did not show improvement on measures of cardiac structure, function, or left ventricular mass, compared to patients who received placebo.

Cognitive decline linked to brain volume decreases in parkinson’s disease patients

Cognitive Decline in Patients with Parkinson Disease Associated With Certain Patterns of Brain Volume Decreases – Patients with Parkinson disease-related dementia appear to have increased brain atrophy in the hippocampal, temporal and parietal lobes and decreased prefrontal cortex volume compared to patients with Parkinson disease without dementia.

Meditation may help brain to recover from diseases

Tuning out: How brains benefit from meditation — Meditation may help brain to recover from diseases – Brain imaging study reveals that experienced meditators seem to be able switch off areas of the brain associated with daydreaming as well as psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.

Adolescent binge drinking can damage spatial working memory

Adolescent binge drinking can damage spatial working memory – Binge or “heavy episodic” drinking is prevalent during adolescence, raising concerns about alcohol’s effects on crucial neuromaturational processes during this developmental period. Heavy alcohol use has been associated with decrements in cognitive functioning in both adult and adolescent populations, particularly on tasks of spatial working memory (SWM).

Brain development linked to symptoms of ADHD

Brain imaging study of preschoolers with ADHD detects brain differences linked to symptoms — Smaller brain volumes associated with severity of ADHD symptoms – Brain development appear to play an important role among children presenting with early onset symptoms of ADHD (Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). Researchers found reduced caudate volumes in affected children compared to the children who did not present with ADHD symptoms.

Social status affects the way our brains respond to others

Our own status affects the way our brains respond to others – Our own social status influences the way our brains respond to others of higher or lower rank, according to a new study reported online on April_28 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication.

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