Coffee, cola or an energy drink: caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive substance. Researchers have now shown in a study that regular caffeine intake can change the gray matter of the brain. However, the effect appears to be temporary. Source
Researchers develop algorithm to find possible misdiagnosis
Researchers have developed an algorithm that can identify patients who may have been wrongly diagnosed. With the help of digital disease history, the algorithm is able to register disease trajectories that differ so much from normal trajectories that there may be a misdiagnosis. The algorithm has been developed on the basis of data from several hundreds of thousands of COPD patients. Source
Sleep keeps teens on track for good mental health
As families settle back into a new school year, sleep experts are reminding parents about the importance of teenagers getting enough sleep, cautioning them that insufficient sleep can negatively affect their mental health. Source
Sophisticated lung-on-chip created
Researchers have developed a second-generation lung-on-chip model with life-size dimension alveoli in a stretchable membrane, made of purely biological material. The new model reproduces key aspects of the lung tissue architecture not found in previous lungs-on-chip. This opens up new possibilities for basic pneumological research, understanding lung pathologies, drug screening and precision medicine. Source
Using Artificial Intelligence to prevent harm caused by immunotherapy
Until recently, researchers and oncologists had placed lung cancer patients into two broad categories: those who would benefit from immunotherapy, and those who likely would not. Now, researchers, using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze simple tissue scans, say they have discovered biomarkers that could tell doctors which lung cancer patients might actually get worse from immunotherapy. Source
Hyaluronan is effective in treating chronic lung disease
Researchers found that inhaling unfragmented hyaluronan improves lung function in patients suffering from severe exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Hyaluronan, a sugar secreted by living tissue that acts as a scaffold for cells, is also used in cosmetics as a skin moisturizer and as a nasal spray to moisturize lung airways. Utilized as a treatment, hyaluronan decreased the number of days in the hospital. Source
Light pollution linked to preterm birth increase
Scientists conducted the first study to examine the fetal health impact of light pollution based on a direct measure of skyglow, an important aspect of light pollution. Using an empirical regularity discovered in physics, called Walker’s Law, a team found evidence of reduced birth weight, shortened gestational length and preterm births. Source
Lack of sleep, stress can lead to symptoms resembling concussion
A new study suggests that a lot of people might be going through life with symptoms that resemble concussion – a finding supporting researchers’ argument that athletes recovering from a brain injury should be assessed and treated on a highly individualized basis. Source
MRI helps unravel the mysteries of sleep
Scientists are investigating brain activity during sleep with the help of MRI scans. It turns out our brains are much more active than we thought. Source
New combination of immunotherapies shows great promise for treating lung cancer
Researchers have established in lab settings that a novel combination of two forms of immunotherapy can be highly effective for treating lung cancer, which causes more deaths than any other form of cancer. Source