Working memory of older group temporarily improves to match younger group in study
A decline in memory as a result of ageing can be temporarily reversed using a harmless form of electrical brain stimulation, scientists have found.
The findings help explain why certain cognitive skills decline significantly with age and raise the prospect of new treatments.
Continue reading...Research reveals striking changes in babies’ immune development that could form the basis for lifesaving vaccines
A groundbreaking study has claimed that the key to saving the lives of newborns is found in just half a teaspoon of blood.
Research has revealed dramatic changes in the immune systems of newborns, which scientists say could transform our understanding of disease in babies.
Continue reading...Increasing activity in 40s and 50s lowers risk of early death just like staying fit from teens
Getting active in midlife could be as good for you as starting young when it comes to reducing the risk of an early death, researchers have suggested.
But experts say the study, which looked at people’s patterns of exercise as they aged and their subsequent death records, also shows it does not do to rest on your laurels: the benefits fade once exercise declines.
Continue reading...Toronto researchers believe the drug can also help those with depression, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s
An experimental drug that bolsters ailing brain cells has raised hopes of a treatment for memory loss, poor decision making and other mental impairments that often strike in old age.
The drug could be taken as a daily pill by over-55s if clinical trials, which are expected to start within two years, show that the medicine is safe and effective at preventing memory lapses.
Continue reading...Changes in levels of a protein might reveal onset of disease long before symptoms appear
Changes in levels of a protein in the blood could help shed light on damage in the brain more than a decade before symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease develop, researchers have revealed.
While there is no drug to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s, or cure it, the researchers said the study findings could be used by doctors to help anticipate when patients might start to show symptoms of the disease.
Continue reading...US study finds some people needlessly avoid foods while others do not have life-saving medication
The number of adults who think they have a food allergy is almost double the figure who actually have one, research has revealed.
While the study was conducted in the US, experts say a similar situation is also seen in other countries, including the UK. The researchers found that many people with an allergy do not have a prescription for potentially life-saving medication, while others might be avoiding foods unnecessarily.
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