Low-cost Parkinson's disease diagnostic test a world first

Scientists at Melbourne 's Howard Florey Institute have developed a cost-effective diagnostic test for Parkinson's disease (PD), which will also assist researchers to understand the genetic basis of PD and to undertake large-scale studies to identify the genes that cause this debilitating condition. more  

Caffeine may prevent heart disease death in elderly

Habitual intake of caffeinated beverages provides protection against heart disease mortality in the elderly, say researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Brooklyn College. more

New measure of sexual arousal found for both men and women

According to a new study published in the latest issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine and conducted in the Department of Psychology of McGill University, thermography shows great promise as a diagnostic method of measuring sexual arousal. It is less intrusive than currently utilized methods, and is the only available test that requires no physical contact with participants. Thermography is currently the only method that can be used to diagnose sexual health problems in both women and men. In fact, women and men demonstrated similar patterns of temperature change during sexual arousal with no significant differences between genders in the time needed to reach peak temperature. more  

Doubts over studies raise serious implications for patients

Doubts over three influential head injury studies mean that patients are receiving treatment that may be unsound, warn doctors in this week’s BMJ. more

Stress and alcohol cues appear to target the brain differently to produce craving  

Both stress and "alcohol cues" (reminders of drinking) can produce craving and possibly relapse in alcoholics trying to avoid drinking. more

People with genetic predictors of colorectal cancer are not getting screened  

Even when diagnosed with a condition that is a strong genetic predictor of colorectal cancer, many patients do not seek out genetic counseling or cancer screening. According to a recent study in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, counseling and screening rates could be improved if physicians provided stronger encouragement and more complete information about the benefits of screening to their patients. more

Children should not be left unsupervised with dogs, say experts

Children should not be left unsupervised to play with a dog, say experts in this week’s BMJ. Their advice is part of a review aimed at doctors who deal with dog bites. more

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