Archives

Research on patients suffering from head injuries reveals that four out of 10 patients feign cognitive disorders such as depression, headaches or anxiety. A lie detector was used in this research and it proved to be a useful tool to help professionals from the field of neuropsychology to find out when a person is faking or exaggerating their symptoms.

Early tests show promising results for a new treatment for tuberous sclerosis, which can cause tumors in organs throughout the body. The is the first study to identify the genes linked to the disease.

Scientists have identified a protein with high expression in cells located at the tumor boundary that could play an essential role in the evolution of tumors and their invasive potential. It is well accepted that tumor growth is a very complex process with many intervening factors, and in spite of being the subject of many investigations on a global scale; there are still many aspects that remain unknown, one of the most interesting of which is the relation between the dynamics of solid tumor growth and their gene expression.

An international study of 20,000 people found seven new genes that influence blood cholesterol levels, a major factor in heart disease, and confirmed 11 other genes previously thought to influence cholesterol.

Common genetic variants linked to arthritis may also play a role in human height, a new study shows. The new study confirms observations by health professionals of a connection between decreased height and increased risk of osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. Researchers speculate that both extremes of height may be associated with osteoarthritis for different reasons. Shorter bones and/or less cartilage may render the joints more susceptible to damage, while longer bones may produce greater levels of damaging stress on the joints.

Using new techniques for rapidly scanning the human genome, researchers have associated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, two fats in the blood, to 18 genetic variants, six of which represent new DNA regions never before associated with the traits. The findings help explain some of the variability in cholesterol and triglyceride levels that arises from genes. With the potential to help predict a patient’s genetic risk of heart disease, the six new loci may point to novel aspects of cholesterol metabolism and could also spur new cholesterol-lowering drugs.

People given a biological and genetics-based explanation for the causes of anorexia nervosa were less likely to blame people with anorexia for their illness than those given a sociocultural explanation, a study found.

A simple test can accurately identify which newborn babies are at risk for developing dangerous levels of jaundice. While neonatal jaundice, a yellowing of the skin caused by a buildup of a blood product called bilirubin, is common in newborns and usually disappears on its own, it can progress to brain damage in a small fraction of cases.

A protein found in human hair shows promise for promoting the regeneration of nerve tissue and could lead to a new treatment option when nerves are cut or crushed from trauma.