Researchers have developed a virtual reality-based system that shows promise in improving the differentiation between common mental health conditions, potentially paving the way for earlier and more personalized treatment. The work is published in the March edition of the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology, with a subsequent comment also being published in the same journal.
No evidence quit smoking treatments increase risk of major birth defects
Pregnant women can be reassured that quit-smoking medicines such as nicotine patches and varenicline do not increase the risk of major birth defects in babies, according to new research from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center (NDARC), UNSW Sydney.
Governments must ensure caregivers have support to keep doing their vital work
April 1 marks National Caregivers Day in Canada. The day is meant to recognize the caregivers who provide vital care and support to those in need.
Testing devices to improve and treat smell loss
Loss of smell. It was a common symptom for millions of people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prothrombin concentrate superior to frozen plasma in controlling bleeding during heart surgery
In patients experiencing excessive bleeding during cardiac surgery, a concentrated blood product containing proteins that help the blood clot was significantly more effective and caused fewer adverse effects than frozen plasma, the standard therapy, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25). The concentrated product, known as four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate (4F-PCC), reduced patients’ risk of experiencing a major bleeding event by close to half compared with standard treatment.
Intravenous iron offers some benefits for some patients with heart failure
Among iron-deficient patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), receiving intravenous iron supplementation was found to be safe but resulted in mixed findings, according to a study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).
Wearable brain stimulation device could make on-the-go therapeutics a reality
Researchers at the Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a compact, battery-powered brain stimulation device capable of delivering therapeutic magnetic pulses while a person is walking or performing everyday activities.
COVID-19 boosters help avoid breakthrough infections in immunocompromised people, study finds
New research findings provide solid evidence that annual COVID-19 vaccine booster doses continue to be advisable for certain immunocompromised people, researchers at McGill University say.
Semaglutide boosts walking ability in diabetes patients with peripheral artery disease, clinical trial finds
Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist, significantly improved maximal walking distance in people with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) and type 2 diabetes in the first-of-its kind trial to evaluate the use of a GLP-1 agonist to manage PAD. In addition to improvements in walking ability and function, people taking semaglutide also saw significant improvements in both symptoms and quality of life compared with those taking a placebo.
Study finds active perception aids object comparison accuracy
When comparing two objects, people either rely on internal memories of these objects or run their hands and eyes over them to directly perceive their similarity. The latter approach, a shortcut that offloads cognition to the active perceptual operations like eye or hand movements, requires a lower memory burden.