Health

The human brain goes through five major eras of structural changes over a lifetime -- marked by turning points at ages nine, 32, 66 and 83 -- as it rewires to support varied ways of thinking as one grows, matures and ultimately declines, a study has suggested. Age nine is when communications between brain networks developed since birth transition to the adolescent phase, which then lasts up to age 32, researchers led by those from the UK`s University of Cambridge explain. Early thirties is when the brain`s neural wiring shifts into "adult mode" -- the longest era lasting over three decades and marked by a stabilising of the brain`s architecture. Age 32 is also the "strongest topological turning point" of the entire lifetime, they said. Age 66 was found to signal the start of an "early a...

Researchers in Australia have found that Parkinson`s disease causes significant and progressive changes in the brain`s blood vessels, changing the understanding of the disease.  While Parkinson`s disease is characterised by alpha-synuclein protein deposits, the research demonstrated that region-specific changes to blood vessels in the brain underlie disease progression, Xinhua news agency reported. "Traditionally, Parkinson`s researchers have focused on protein accumulation and neuronal loss, but we have shown the impacts on our cerebrovasculature -- the blood vessels in our brain," said Derya Dik, postdoctoral student at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA). "Our research identified region-specific changes in the brain`s blood vessels, including an increased presence of string vesse...

A natural compound found in long pepper can be an effective and cost-efficient agent against colon cancer cells, said researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela on Tuesday.  Colon cancer is a disease in which the cells grow uncontrollably in the large intestine of the body, forming a tumour. It is one of the most common types of cancer globally. According to the World Health Organization, in 2022, nearly 1.9 million new cases and almost 900,000 deaths occurred due to colon cancer. While various international cancer research studies have examined natural molecules’ activity towards a variety of cancers, the team at NIT Rourkela conducted a set of laboratory experiments to demonstrate the activity of Piperlongumine -- a natural compound -- as an alternative to chemo...

Free-living amoebae in Vashi Creek, a tidal estuary in Mumbai, were found to harbour bacteria which had far higher levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), according to a global study, including researchers from the Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.  The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, noted that the amoebae are acting as a ‘Trojan horse’ harbouring and protecting multidrug-resistant bacteria. Nearly half of the bacteria in the amoeba were resistant to four or more antibiotics, rising to six or more in 22 per cent of the samples. In marked contrast, the same level of resistance was found in only 0.6 per cent of samples derived from the sediment. While they are normally predators of bacteria, amoebae could serve as “sentinel indicators” ...

Doctors at a hospital in Mumbai have successfully treated a talented young GI surgeon from Delhi following a ground-breaking sacral bone cancer chordoma surgery. The intricate procedure, which utilised advanced navigation techniques and nerve-sparing technique with intra-operative neuromonitoring (IONM), was led by Dr Manit Gundavda, orthopaedic oncologist and lead surgeon at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. Dr. Gundavda, along with a multidisciplinary team of experts including neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, radiology, anaesthesiology, and nursing, performed the 15-hour long surgery to remove a bone cancer - sacral chordoma, a rare type of cancer (there are fewer than 1 case per million in the world) that occurs in the bones of the spine. 3D printing technology was used to create a mode...

An exposure to high temperatures during pregnancy could be disrupting amino acids and vitamins key to managing stress and energy, thereby increasing the risk of a premature delivery, suggests an analysis of blood samples. Studies have observed a link between warmer ambient temperatures and preterm births, where a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. The analysis, published in the journal Science Advances, looked at small molecules or "molecular fingerprints" in blood samples of 215 pregnant women who were residents of the US metropolitan city of Atlanta, and matched residential addresses with the maximum ambient temperatures experienced throughout their pregnancies. The first-of-its-kind study by researchers at Emory University found a disruption in levels of naturally occurring s...

Regular physical activity during mid-life years and later could lower one`s risk of developing dementia by up to 45 per cent, compared to those who are less active during the period, found an analysis of over 4,300 adults in a US town. The findings, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), could help develop strategies that are timed to the most relevant stages of adult life, researchers said. Dementia is an ageing-related condition in which one`s memory, thought processes and speech are steadily impacted over time, and can eventually interfere with daily activities. Alzheimer`s disease is the most common form of dementia. Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine looked at data from the `Framingham Heart Study`, which began in 1948 and recruited ...

Dr (Col) Joy Dev Mukherji, one of India`s leading neurologists, has issued a stark warning against the growing social acceptance of recreational and "party" drugs, stressing that even cannabis can trigger strokes, seizures and cardiac complications and that the practise is driving a worrying rise in young patients arriving with severe neurological emergencies. Speaking in an ANI podcast, Dr Mukherji, who has over 28 years of clinical experience and served in the Armed Forces Medical Services before joining Max Healthcare in 2006, said there is "absolutely no justification" for drug use. He described its growing social acceptance as "deeply alarming." "No way can we justify using drugs. Unfortunately, it has become so rampant that it is getting social acceptance, which is incorrect and ab...

Early action against the rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is needed to ensure infections remain treatable, and surgeries stay safe, said the World Health Organization (WHO), during the World AMR Awareness Week, on Friday.  The WHO urged countries, specifically in the South-East Asia, to “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future.” “AMR threatens the very foundations of modern medicine, jeopardising decades of medical progress, as around the world -- and particularly in South-East Asia -- common infections are becoming harder to treat,” said Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia. “It is already claiming lives, undermining essential treatments, and placing enormous strain on health systems. Antimicrobial resistance is already resulting in over a million de...

A group of adolescent girls from underserved communities in Mumbai has drafted what is being called the city’s first Charter of Menstrual Rights. The document was drawn up during a youth roundtable held to mark Child Rights Week and centred the lived experiences of girls who face stigma, discomfort, and lack of access during menstruation. Hosted by menstrual health initiative Ujaas, the event took place at the Aditya Birla World Academy, on November 19 and brought together girls aged 14 to 19 from five grassroots organisations — Vacha, CHIP, PUKAR, OSCAR Foundation and CORO — who shared personal accounts of their first periods. Fear, shame, misinformation and social restrictions were recurring themes. Despite progress in policy and awareness in recent years, participants said their realit...