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Retirement associated with positive lifestyle changes, study reveals

A landmark study led by University of Sydney has found that people become more active, sleep better and reduce their sitting time when they retire.

13 Mar 2016

Indego exoskeleton receives FDA certification for U.S. use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given clearance to market and sell the powered lower-limb exoskeleton created by a team of Vanderbilt engineers and commercialized by the Parker Hannifin Corporation for both clinical and personal use in the United States.

11 Mar 2016

Different types of physical activity can improve brain structure, reduce Alzheimer's risk

A new study shows that a variety of physical activities from walking to gardening and dancing can improve brain volume and cut the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 50%.

11 Mar 2016

Lengthy periods of sedentary behaviour adversely affect health of bus drivers

Led by researchers at Loughborough University as part of the Leicester-Loughborough Diet, Lifestyle and Physical Activity Biomedical Research Unit, the pilot study into bus drivers' sedentary behaviour (prolonged sitting) during and outside working hours is the first of its kind to directly measure periods of inactivity in a sample of drivers using an activPAL3™ accelerometer.

11 Mar 2016

People who burn more calories have larger gray matter volume in key brain areas linked to memory, cognition

Whether they jog, swim, garden or dance, physically active older persons have larger gray matter volume in key brain areas responsible for memory and cognition, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UCLA.

11 Mar 2016

Research focuses on aging, health among Hispanic women population

Hispanic women who identify as Black or another race have worse functional health than their counterparts who identify as White, according to new research. Out today, this research is part of a new special issue of Research on Aging (ROA, a journal from SAGE Publishing) focused on aging and health among Hispanic populations in the United States and in Latin America.

10 Mar 2016

Walking on two legs can be a challenging task even for young, healthy adults

"The most commonly cited statistic is that one in three older adults falls each year due to age-related changes in balance, and in this four-month study, more than half of the college students fell during daily activities," said Shirley Rietdyk, a professor of health and kinesiology, who only looked at young adults in this study. "The fall rate may be lower for older adults because they are more cautious due to the higher risk of serious, even fatal, injuries from falls. These findings also highlight that walking on two legs is a challenging task that is mechanically unstable, even for young, healthy adults."

10 Mar 2016

Practicing movements at different speeds enhances certain nerve functions after stroke or spine injury

Changes in one circuit of nerves, but not another, in the spinal cord depend on how quickly muscles must move to complete a task, according to results from the Human Motor Control Laboratory of Professor Kozo Funase, PhD, at Hiroshima University. The results could influence physical therapy routines for patients struggling to control their bodies after a stroke or spine injury.

10 Mar 2016

Minimally invasive approach to ACL surgery reduces recovery time

Kaniya Brown of Accokeek, Maryland, has returned to running after a devastating knee injury. The track star tore her anterior cruciate ligament while playing soccer. ACL tears are common sports injuries that often require surgery, followed by months of rehabilitation. Instead, Kaniya underwent an innovative procedure that repairs the ACL, allowing for quicker recovery and less pain.

9 Mar 2016

Obese children at greater risk for pedestrian injuries

Child development experts already know obese children are at greater risk than their peers for developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, and joint problems.

9 Mar 2016

Researchers report first case of acute myelitis due to Zika virus infection

A first case of acute myelitis following infection with Zika virus has been reported for the first time by a research team from Inserm Unit 1127 Brain and Spinal Cord Institute (Inserm/CNRS/Sorbonne University) and neurologists at Pointe-à-Pitre University Hospital and the University of the Antilles.

9 Mar 2016

Long-term exercise may benefit Spinal Muscular Atrophy patients

Long-term exercise appears to be beneficial for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) like mice, suggesting a potential of active physiotherapy for patient care; according to a study published today in the Journal of Physiology.

6 Mar 2016

Are we ageing healthily? An interview with Professor Carol Jagger

This is the million dollar question but it is hard to give a definite answer. Most data on trends in life and healthy life expectancy use surveys that do not include people in care homes which can skew results at older ages.

29 Feb 2016

Walking associated with reduced mortality risk

"Get up and move." That's the take-home message from a new study from Ezra Fishman, a doctoral candidate in demography at the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute on Aging and others.

27 Feb 2016

New imaging study shows how exercise affects the brain

People who exercise have better mental fitness, and a new imaging study from UC Davis Health System shows why. Intense exercise increases levels of two common neurotransmitters -- glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA -- that are responsible for chemical messaging within the brain.

27 Feb 2016

Does simulated based training bring better value healthcare? An interview with Prof Sir Muir Gray, Former Chief Knowledge Officer of the NHS

We have to think of the world that we are leaving, the world we are moving into. The last fifty years in healthcare, have seen the advent of hip replacement, cardiac bypass, systematic reviews. But at the end of fifty years, every country is facing five problems.

24 Feb 2016

Children less active in autumn and winter

Children should be given more support to enable them to be more active during the winter, particularly at weekends, say researchers from the University of Cambridge. Their call comes in response to their findings that children are less active and spend more time sitting in autumn and winter compared to other times of the year.

24 Feb 2016

Adapted yoga feasible, beneficial for adults with stroke or traumatic brain injury

A research team, led by an IU School of Health and Rehabilitation faculty member at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, has determined that adapted yoga is both feasible and beneficial for adults with stroke or traumatic brain injury.

23 Feb 2016

MDI Biological Laboratory scientist identifies potential drug therapy to reverse peripheral nerve damage

The Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory has announced that assistant professor Sandra Rieger, Ph.D., has identified two drugs that could potentially be used to reverse peripheral nerve damage, or peripheral neuropathy, resulting from chemotherapy treatment for ovarian, breast, lung, pancreas and other cancers. The drugs also have potential applications for the treatment of peripheral nerve damage caused by diabetes, traumatic injuries and other conditions.

23 Feb 2016

Wearable robotic exoskeleton may enable multiple sclerosis patients to walk more efficiently

Walking with a wearable robotic exoskeleton may enable people with multiple sclerosis to walk more efficiently by reducing the energy and muscle activity needed to walk, according to research presented this week at the Association for Academic Physiatrists Annual Meeting in Sacramento, Calif.

19 Feb 2016