Research

Nearly 2% of the US population received a prescription for semaglutide in 2023. There has been a recent concern that this drug and other similar medications may be associated with ophthalmic complications. To report ophthalmic complications associated with the use of semaglutide or tirzepatide. This was a retrospective case series. All patients were initially seen […]

An investigational drug aimed at preventing strokes significantly reduced the risk of bleeding compared with a commonly used blood thinner for stroke prevention, showing potential to be a safer alternative for patients. Among patients with atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm that increases the risk of stroke, abelacimab, developed by Anthos Therapeutics, cut the overall […]

A massive new study sheds light on how cannabis affects the brain, particularly during cognitive tasks. Researchers analyzed over 1,000 young adults and found that both heavy lifetime use and recent cannabis consumption significantly reduced brain activity during working memory tasks. This impairment was linked to worse performance on tasks requiring focus, problem-solving, and instruction-following. Brain imaging […]

Delayed rapid eye movement (REM) sleep may be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that participants with delayed REM sleep had higher levels of toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer’s and reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports memory. Delayed REM sleep disrupts memory consolidation and increases stress hormone levels, which can […]

A study of nearly 1,000 people with post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) revealed that two-thirds still experienced significant symptoms, including reduced exercise capacity and cognitive performance, two years after infection. Persistent symptom clusters included fatigue, neurocognitive disturbances, and post-exertional malaise, with worse outcomes in individuals with obesity, lower education, or severe initial infections. Patients with PCS showed […]

A study of over 133,000 individuals found that consuming processed red meat daily increases dementia risk by up to 13%, while replacing it with alternatives like nuts, legumes, or fish may lower the risk by 20%. Higher processed meat intake was associated with accelerated cognitive aging and increased subjective cognitive decline (SCD). Researchers suggest that […]

Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve the analysis of medical image data. For example, algorithms based on deep learning can determine the location and size of tumors. This is the result of AutoPET, an international competition in medical image analysis. The seven best autoPET teams report on how algorithms can detect tumor lesions in […]

Donepezil was associated with improved verbal memory and enhanced recall and processing speed compared to placebo in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), with a favorable safety profile despite mild to moderate gastrointestinal side effects. The study was led by David B. Arciniegas, MD, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado. It was published […]

New research suggests that concussions and repetitive head trauma may reactivate dormant viruses like HSV-1 in the brain, potentially triggering neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Using a brain tissue model, scientists observed that head trauma caused latent HSV-1 to awaken, leading to hallmark Alzheimer’s markers such as amyloid plaques, inflammation, and neuronal damage. Repeated blows […]