By GAUTAM NAIK Thousands of people world-wide are trying to improve memory, mental fitness and even intelligence levels by performing computer-based brain-training exercises. A large new study casts doubt on whether such programs can deliver what they promise. The hallmark of a good brain-training program isn’t whether it simply improves a person’s ability to do the specific mental tasks in the training, but whether it also boosts other cognitive skills. The latest study, published in the journal Nature, found no evidence for such cognitive transfers. “Our brain-training groups...

The constant stress that many are exposed to in our modern society may be taking a heavy toll: Anxiety disorders and depression, as well as metabolic (substance exchange) disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and arteriosclerosis, have all been linked to stress. These problems are reaching epidemic proportions: Diabetes, alone, is expected to affect some 360 million people worldwide by the year 2030. While anyone who has ever gorged on chocolate before an important exam understands, instinctively, the tie between stress, changes in appetite and anxiety-related behavior, the connection has...

MDMA, better known as the rave drug ‘Ecstasy’, is illegal in most countries but may now have an important medical application in helping to ease the suffering of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), following studies by a California based research group. The use of MDMA to treat PTSD patients whose conditions are resistant to conventional treatments shows a great deal of promise according to clinical trial results presented at a conference in San Jose, California, by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychiatric Studies (MAPS) on Friday. “The results were very promising,...

Eating lots of meat, especially if it is overcooked, increases the risk of bladder cancer, say experts. Frying, grilling and barbecuing until meat is charred can form cancer-causing chemicals, research shows. In a study, people whose diets included well-done meats were over twice as likely to develop bladder cancer than those who preferred meats rare. The research findings, based on over 1,700, people were presented at a US cancer research conference. Read More…

While uncircumcised men don’t seem to be at higher risk of acquiring human papillomavirus (HPV), it takes them longer to clear the virus from their bodies, new research shows. Because HPV causes genital warts and certain cancers, the finding, say researchers, could help explain why uncircumcised men have a higher risk of such penile cancers. It could also play a role in how likely their partners are to develop infections. “Our study demonstrates that the apparent protective influence of circumcision against genital HPV infection may not involve a reduction in new infections but rather...

Children with ADHD may respond to instant rewards “in the same way as they do to medication”, says the BBC. The news is based on a study in which children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were assessed through a computer based task that offered them extra points for less impulsive behaviour. This important study, albeit small, furthers our understanding of how ADHD affects particular brain activity and the way that interventions such as medication and motivational conditions can alter that response. Read More…

By Stuart Fox From rabies to bird flu to HIV, diseases passing from animals to humans is a well-known phenomenon. But a virus jumping from plants to humans? Never. At least, that’s what doctors thought until Didier Raoult of the University of the Mediterranean in Marseilles, France, discovered that the mild mottle virus found in peppers may be causing fever, aches, and itching in humans. If validated, this would mark the first time a plant virus has been found to cause problems in people. Read More…

A supplement made from grape seeds can destroy leukaemia cells, say scientists. By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent In laboratory experiments, commercially-available grapeseed extract forced the cancer cells to “commit suicide”, found the researchers. Within 24 hours, 76 per cent of leukaemia cells exposed to the extract died through a process of natural self-destruction called apoptosis. Healthy cells remained unharmed. The researchers believe the discovery could open the door to promising new treatments for the disease which affects more than 24,000 adults and children a year....

Scientists believe that they have found a cure for skin cancer. A vaccine being tested in the UK has helped been shown to help some patients fully recover from melanoma, even in its advanced stages. It attacks tumour cells, leaving healthy cells undamaged and carries agents that boost the body’s response to skin cancer. Dr Howard Kaufman, of Chicago’s Rush University Medical Centre, said: “Our study shows we may have a cure for some advanced melanoma patients and a drug which has real benefits for others. “This will save thousands of lives a year.” Read More…...

Parkinson’s disease could be diagnosed earlier by measuring changes in the sound of the voice, according to researchers. By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent In most cases the devastating neurological disease is identified only at an advanced stage, once sufferers have started to show symptoms. Now researchers in Israel and America have found a way of measuring speech patterns, inaudible to the human ear, to test if apparently healthy people have the condition. Symptoms of the disease include stiff muscles, tremors and the loss of balance. However, by the time that patients begin to show...