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Humans and animals detect different stimuli such as light, sound, and odor through nerve cells, which then transmit the information to the brain. Nerve cells must be able to adjust to the wide range of stimuli they receive, which can range from very weak to very strong. To do this, they may become more or less sensitive to stimuli (sensitization and habituation), or they may become more sensitive to weaker stimuli and less sensitive to stronger stimuli for better overall responsiveness (gain control). However, the exact way this happens is not yet understood.

People who suffer from insomnia were 69% more likely to have a heart attack compared to those who didn’t have the sleep disorder during an average nine years of follow-up, according to new research being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session Together With the World Congress of Cardiology.

A research group at Uppsala University has developed a simple and effective artificial blood-brain barrier model that can be used to determine how well antibody-based therapies can enter the brain. Today animal experimentation is the most common method for testing an antibody’s function and the new model could reduce the need for animal testing.

Algorithms that incorporate race as a modifying factor to guide clinical decision-making have recently been criticized for propagating racial bias in medicine. The calculation of lung or kidney function are examples of equations that have different diagnostic parameters depending on an individual’s race. While these clinical measures have multiple implications for care, patients’ awareness of and their perspectives on the application of such algorithms is unknown.

A small but significant metabolic difference between human and mouse lung tumor cells, has been discovered by Weill Cornell Medicine researchers, explaining a discrepancy in previous study results, and pointing toward new strategies for developing cancer treatments.

Palliative care—a specialized medical care focused on quality of life for people with a serious illness such as cancer or heart failure—isn’t likely to reduce psychological distress, according to a Rutgers study.

A health care team at Oregon Health & Science University is trying a different approach to caring for patients who have, or are at risk for, hepatitis C, helping overcome barriers that can otherwise make receiving testing and treatment seem impossible.

Demographic factors including low income and living in a rural area are linked to low telemedicine literacy—which may limit access to plastic surgeons and other healthcare providers at a time of expanding use of telehealth and video visits, according to a report in the March issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Thirteen percent of patients with definite anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis (ANMDARE) have suicidal thoughts and behaviors during the acute phase of the disease, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.

Of all the heartrending phrases that came to define the deprivations of the COVID-19 pandemic, one stands out as particularly poignant: “skin hunger”—our visceral need for skin-to-skin contact.