The answer to childhood obesity: 15 minutes of soccer?

The answer to childhood obesity could be as simple as encouraging kids to kick a football around for 15 minutes a day ALSPAC The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (also known as Children of the 90s) is a unique ongoing research project based in the University of Bristol. It enrolled 14,000 mothers during pregnancy in 1991-2 and has followed most of the children and parents in minute detail ever since. more  

Researchers uncover genetic risk for schizophrenia

Psychiatric researchers at The Zucker Hillside Hospital campus of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have uncovered evidence of a new gene that appears to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia, a disorder characterized by distorted thinking, hallucinations and a reduced ability to feel normal emotions. more

Severe mental retardation gene mutation identified

Researchers have identified a novel gene mutation that causes X-linked mental retardation for which there was no previously known molecular diagnosis, according to an article to be published electronically on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 in The American Journal of Human Genetics. more  

CSHL scientists confirm genetic distinction between heritable and sporadic cases of autism

Autism is thought to be the most highly heritable of all neuro-psychiatric disorders. Yet, most cases of this childhood developmental disorder that severely affects social interaction and communication are “sporadic” and come with no family history. New research, led by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists Jonathan Sebat, Lakshmi Muthuswamy and Michael Wigler, has found a distinction between heritable and sporadic forms of the disease. These findings may influence future autism research and diagnostic testing. more

Brain scans reveal cause of smokers' cravings  

Within the mind of every smoker trying to quit rages a battle between the higher-order functions of the brain wanting to break the habit and the lower-order functions screaming for another cigarette, say researchers at Duke University Medical Center. More often than not, that cigarette gets lit. more

Antiviral protein previously shown to inhibit other viruses may also protect against Ebola and Marburg virus infection  

Researchers from Germany found that an antiviral protein previously shown to inhibit other viruses may also protect against Ebola and Marburg virus infection. They report their findings in the March 2007 issue of the Journal of Virology. more

Postnatal health and sexual problems persist at 12 months, but races experience different levels

Nearly one in three women still experience painful sexual intercourse a year after their baby is born and more than half have at least one sex-related health problem, according to research in the March issue of Journal of Clinical Nursing. more

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