Medical Xpress news

Medical Xpress / Unlearning fear faster: Activating certain neurons can accelerate the process

Unlearning fear responses is a fundamental learning process in the brain. It allows us to flexibly react to formerly threatening situations once the danger is no longer present. This mechanism, known in research as "fear ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Psychology & Psychiatry
Medical Xpress / Long-term brain effects of COVID-19 vs. flu: Study reveals key differences

Even a mild case of COVID-19 or the flu can impact the body long after the fever and cough fade, according to new Tulane University research that may help explain why some people struggle to feel fully recovered weeks or ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Neuroscience
Medical Xpress / New blood test signals who is most likely to live longer, study finds

As people age, it becomes harder to know who is on track for healthy years ahead and who may be at higher risk for serious decline. A new study suggests that part of the answer may already be circulating in the bloodstream.

Feb 25, 2026 in Gerontology & Geriatrics
Medical Xpress / In football players with repeated head impacts, inflammation related to brain changes and worse memory

In former college and professional football players, a new study has found higher levels of inflammation were associated with worse brain structure, which in turn was related to worse memory. The study, published in Neurology, ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Neuroscience
Medical Xpress / Medicare Advantage and Medicare–Medicaid eligible patients less likely to use highly rated stroke rehabilitation

Stroke patients with Medicare Advantage health insurance plans are less likely to be discharged to highly rated post-acute care than those covered by traditional Medicare, according to a new study co-led by researchers at ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Cardiology
Medical Xpress / Smoking and Parkinson's: What a 410,000-person study suggests about quitting

A new study of smokers finds that currently smoking is associated with a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease, but quitting smoking was associated with a lower risk of death. The study, published in Neurology, does ...

Medical Xpress / The shame-filled world of hair-pulling and skin-picking disorders

Over the course of their lives, up to 220,000 Norwegians will pick at their skin or pull out their hair to an extent that can be considered a mental health disorder. They pull out their hair until bald spots appear, or pick ...

Feb 25, 2026 in Psychology & Psychiatry
Medical Xpress / Study finds no evidence of persistent tick-borne infection in people who link chronic illness to ticks

When researchers studied Norwegians who thought tick bites caused their chronic health problems, they found no objective evidence linking the symptoms to ticks. The same study finds that health problems reported by participants ...

Medical Xpress / A 3D-printed swallowable robot could perform gastrointestinal procedures

Recent technological advances have opened new possibilities for the development of advanced medical devices, including tiny robots that can safely move inside the human body. Some of these systems could help to simplify complex ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Gastroenterology
Medical Xpress / Solving cancer immunotherapy's fuel shortage with a protected sugar source

Researchers at UCLA have found a way to supercharge immune cells with a fuel source that tumors can't steal, dramatically improving their ability to survive and attack solid tumors in preclinical studies. The approach, published ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Oncology & Cancer
Medical Xpress / Natural compound from pomegranate leaves disrupts disease-causing amyloid

A research team at Kumamoto University has discovered that a natural compound found in pomegranate leaves and branches can directly break down harmful protein aggregates linked to transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis, a progressive ...

Feb 24, 2026 in Neuroscience
Medical Xpress / Lab-grown reservoir cells aim at HIV's last strongholds

A new study has overcome a long-standing challenge: how to isolate and study elusive HIV-infected cells called authentic reservoir clones (ARCs) that evade the immune system, making the disease difficult to cure. Researchers ...

Feb 24, 2026 in HIV & AIDS