Once again, I’m dedicating this to folks in more or less advanced recovery from brain injury. Remember, brain damage isn’t just from an impact, there are many illnesses that can cause cognitive impairment. Many people are able to recover very well. Much of this is good for people who just want to maintain their brain as they age. Read more →

We all know stress can affect our health on a variety of different levels. Poor immune function is one result of chronic stress, most commonly leading to increased susceptibility or longer duration of the cold or other common, mild infections. Researchers have now shown that higher levels of chronic stress correlates with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a sexually transmitted disease that is the most common cause of cervical cancer. Read more →

A new study from the Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine has provided important clues to how chronic pain might throw our lives out of gear by affecting many areas of the cerebral cortex. Worse, if left unchecked, it could lead to irreversible damage to the interconnection between the neurons, leading to permanent changes in the way our brain functions. Read more →

Since you’re pretty much on your own once they tell you you’re recovered, I’m dedicating this topic to everyone who is supposedly recovered, but who do not have functional lives yet. If this isn’t you, please keep reading, because it’s bound to be someone you know sooner or later. Read more →

Biopsies are important in the detection of cancerous and precancerous lesions, but they are painful, require anesthesia, and can leave scars. A new tool may remove the needles and blades involved, replacing them with a noninvasive, handheld scanner. A researcher at Queensland University of Technology developed the “virtual biopsy” tool. It is a small device, about the size of a credit card, which is simply waved over a suspicious lesion. The tool uses bioimpedance spectroscopy to detect changes in the tissue. Read more →

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an important imaging technique used in the medical field to diagnose many diseases and detect abnormalities in the human body non-invasively. In the neurological sense, an MRI is often performed to obtain an inner image of the brain if unusual activity is suspected. For example in the case of multiple sclerosis (MS), abnormal spots called lesions can be detected with an MRI before clinical symptoms occur. Read more →