A woman’s strange case of “foreign accent syndrome” left doctors unsure of its cause. A woman in Italy who went to the emergency room experienced a puzzling symptom: She suddenly began speaking in a Canadian accent even though her native language was Italian, according to a new report. The womanContinue Reading
A small study links weighted-blanket use at bedtime to increased melatonin production. Using a weighted blanket at bedtime may boost the body’s production of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, a small study suggests. However, at this point, it’s unclear why the hefty blankets might increase melatonin levels and whether this significantlyContinue Reading
A woman’s unusual vomiting episodes may be linked to an autoimmune disorder. A young woman experienced spontaneous vomiting attacks during which she would sometimes retch more than 30 times a day and heave up to 1.6 gallons (6 liters) over the full course of an episode. It turns out, theContinue Reading
The “most complicated therapy ever” tailors bespoke, genome-edited immune cells to attack tumors A small clinical trial has shown that researchers can use CRISPR gene editing to alter immune cells so that they will recognize mutated proteins specific to a person’s tumours. Those cells can then be safely set looseContinue Reading
Your questions answered about what RSV is, how it spreads, what vaccines are on the way and who is most at risk As flu season picks up and experts weigh concerns about another possible COVID surge, children’s hospitals are already filling with patients with another viral threat: respiratory syncytial virus,Continue Reading
Geneticist Svante Pääbo figured out how to extract DNA from Neandertals’ and Denisovans’ bones Establishing a new field of science to answer the question of what makes humans unique from our extinct relatives has earned Svante Pääbo the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. “Humanity has always been intrigued byContinue Reading
It gets a “bath,” among other things. Our brains are complex and elaborate. They contain billions of neurons, don’t fully form until we reach age 25(opens in new tab), and can generate around 25 watts of power(opens in new tab) — enough to illuminate a light bulb. Scientists are constantlyContinue Reading
It has always been a mystery why men tend to die, on average, several years younger than women. A recent study by researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine suggests that losing male sex chromosomes as men age causes scarring in heart muscles that can lead to life-threateningContinue Reading
Protein powders are effective at helping to build muscle shortly after a workout. But can protein shakes help you gain weight? Protein shakes can help you lose weight, get lean and build strength and endurance. But can protein shakes help you gain weight too? Protein shakes are an effective wayContinue Reading
The device uses evaporative cooling to block pain signals, experiments in rats suggest A flexible electronic implant could one day make pain management a lot more chill. Created from materials that dissolve in the body, the device encircles nerves with an evaporative cooler. Implanted in rats, the cooler blocked painContinue Reading