News by Subject Social & Behavior

In a recent paper, a team of McLean Hospital researchers reported that many health apps designed to assist dementia patients and their caregivers have inadequate security policies or lack security policies altogether.

Scientists in China have been able to accurately estimate an individual's age from their brain structure. The researchers found that significant microstructural changes occur in the brain from early to mid-adulthood. Until now, scientists thought that brain structure was relatively stable during this period of life, and this is one of the first studies to show that our brains continue to change throughout our early and mid-adulthood.

A new paper published today in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association found that accident and emergency (A&E) attendance among people with dementia in their last year of life is common and is increasing.

Mayo Clinic researchers have reported a causal link between senescent cells -- the cells associated with aging and age-related disease -- and bone loss in mice. Targeting these cells led to an increase in bone mass and strength. The findings appear online in Nature Medicine.

A class of chemicals made by intestinal bacteria, known as indoles, help worms, flies and mice maintain mobility and resilience for more of their lifespans, Emory scientists have discovered.

Licorice roots have a flavorful history, having been used in ancient Egyptian teas and in traditional Chinese medicines, all the way to today as a flavoring agent and candy. And some women now take licorice extracts as supplements to treat menopausal symptoms. But scientists caution that licorice could pose a health risk by interacting with medications. The researchers are presenting their results today at the 254th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

Although hot flashes are the most commonly reported problem associated with menopause, between 20 percent and 45 percent of women also complain of sexual and urinary issues. There is good news. A recent study documents that vaginal estrogen is not only effective but also safe for the treatment of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause. The study results have been published in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

Cartilage in our joints contains collagen which behaves a bit like the liquid crystals on a smart phone screen, according to researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).

A new University of Liverpool study, published in Brain and Behaviour, identifies simple measures that could substantially improve the quality of life of stroke survivors with visual impairments.

In this issue of JCI Insight, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center adapted a noninvasive retinal imaging approach to characterize amyloid-β deposition, the pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, in the retinas of patients and healthy controls. This imaging enabled detection and quantification of amyloid-β, revealing increased deposits in Alzheimer's patients compared to controls. These results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach as a tool for earlier Alzheimer's diagnosis and intervention.