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Patients at risk for psychosis report increased childhood trauma

Patients at clinical high risk for psychosis are more likely to have a history of traumatic childhood experiences than mentally healthy individuals, Finnish researchers report.

30 Aug 2012

Early treatment dropout common in bipolar disorder

Results from a South Korean study show that around one-third of patients with bipolar disorder discontinue psychiatric treatment within 12 months of initiation.

30 Aug 2012

Oral lesion progression markers validated, discovered

Loss of heterozygosity can reliably differentiate between individuals with premalignant oral lesions who are likely to progress to oral carcinoma, and those who are not, show study results.

30 Aug 2012

Sterotactic radiotherapy offers good results in recurrent head and neck cancer

For patients with recurring head and neck cancer, stereotactic body radiotherapy offers a feasible and tolerable salvage treatment, with median overall survival rates of more than 1 year, report researchers.

30 Aug 2012

Non-right-handedness increased in BD patients

Patients with bipolar disorder are around twice as likely to be non-right-handed as mentally healthy individuals, study results show.

30 Aug 2012

Closing in on neurologic biomarker diagnosis

A panel of five cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers may help doctors to accurately diagnose patients with various forms of dementia and parkinsonian disorders, research published in the Archives of Neurology suggests.

30 Aug 2012

Anastomotic leakage does not increase rectal cancer recurrence risk

Incidence of clinical anastomotic leak after anterior resection for patients with rectal adenocarcinoma does not increase the risk for local disease recurrence, despite previous studies indicating the opposite, report US researchers.

30 Aug 2012

Pressure’s not off for diabetic feet

Custom-made footwear for diabetes patients must offload pressure if it is to be effective at preventing ulceration, Dutch researchers emphasize.

30 Aug 2012

Duration of untreated bipolar disorder ‘too long’

The mean duration of untreated bipolar disorder is “unacceptably” long, say French researchers who report that an increased duration is associated with more mood episodes, more suicidal behavior, and greater mood instability.

30 Aug 2012

Chronic nerve pain: an interview with Professor Sally Lawson

Chronic nerve pain results from pathological changes within a nerve that appear to be self-sustaining and thus the pain continues for a long time.

30 Aug 2012

Single serve packages may help reduce energy intake at breakfast

Mega-sized portions clearly have contributed to our nation's obesity problem, but it is not just the super-sized menu items that are a concern. Serving sizes at home have also crept up over recent decades, with plates and bowls much larger than the dishes used by our great-grandparents. Packaged foods that are available in portion packs might be an easy aid for reigning in portion sizes, but do they actually help us to eat fewer calories overall?

30 Aug 2012

Drug-resistant tuberculosis levels described as alarming by international study

A large, international study published Online First in The Lancet reveals alarming levels of tuberculosis (TB) that are resistant to both first-line and second-line drugs. The findings show high prevalence of resistance to at least one second-line drug (43.7%) among multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB patients from eight countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Worse still, the study found higher than expected overall levels of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB.

30 Aug 2012

Strong neural communication between the hemispheres predicts math performance

A new study by researchers at UT Dallas' Center for Vital Longevity, Duke University, and the University of Michigan has found that the strength of communication between the left and right hemispheres of the brain predicts performance on basic arithmetic problems. The findings shed light on the neural basis of human math abilities and suggest a possible route to aiding those who suffer from dyscalculia-- an inability to understand and manipulate numbers.

30 Aug 2012

UCSF’s intensive care unit study receives $2.1 million Moore Foundation grant

A multi-center study of intensive care units (ICU) led by UCSF faculty has received a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation grant of $2.1 million. The study of ICUs, including two at UCSF, aims to better understand the nature of team-based care and patient involvement in ICU settings.

30 Aug 2012

Long-term cardiac impact of Japan quake revealed

The earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of eastern Japan in 2011 led to a significantly increased weekly occurrence of cardiovascular disease in the months after the event, study findings show.

29 Aug 2012

Tunes and T-shirts for cardiac rehabilitation

Two studies presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich, Germany, showed how researchers are developing innovative approaches to help patients get the most out of cardiac rehabilitation.

29 Aug 2012

PROTECT: Still no clear winner in the battle of the stent generations

Three-year rates of stent thrombosis with zotarolimus- and sirolimus-eluting stents are low and comparable, show results of the PROTECT trial.

29 Aug 2012

FAST-MI highlights young women at risk for heart disease

An analysis of four French registries has shown a dramatic drop in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction mortality from 1995 to 2010, accompanied by a significant change in patient characteristics.

29 Aug 2012

Childhood coagulation marker levels distinct from adulthood

Levels of key coagulation markers significantly vary with age in children, research reveals, potentially affecting the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric thrombotic and hemorrhagic disease.

29 Aug 2012

Country drinking water may pose child health risk

Findings from a UK study published in PLoS ONE suggest that small private drinking water supplies, typically found in countryside locations, are more likely to be contaminated and result in gastrointestinal illness in children than standard mains water supplies.

29 Aug 2012