With his eyes closed and electrodes connecting his brain to a tablet computer, a man with tetraplegia describes the warm, silky fur of a cat beneath his fingertips. Another participant reports feeling the smooth, cool surface of an apple and the rough texture of a terry cloth towel – all through a hand that hasn’t … Read more
When you’re looking at your phone, your visual neurons talk directly to your frontal cortex, creating a bridge between perception and higher cognition. This key finding from a landmark seven-year experiment challenges our understanding of consciousness, suggesting neither of two dominant theories fully explains how our sense of awareness arises. A team of over 200 … Read more
A simple blood test may soon catch brain cancers months before symptoms appear, thanks to artificial intelligence that detects previously invisible tumor signals. Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a liquid biopsy technique that identifies brain cancers with unprecedented accuracy, potentially transforming how these deadly tumors are diagnosed. Brain cancer detection has long frustrated physicians. Most … Read more
A new investigation has uncovered surprising risks associated with spiritual and meditative practices, revealing that certain techniques and personal experiences can trigger unexpected mental phenomena with potentially profound consequences. Researchers from a multinational team have mapped out the complex landscape of what they call “emergent phenomenology” (EP) — sudden, unusual mental or physical experiences that … Read more
The hidden financial tsunami of dementia will crash across America with unprecedented force this year, reaching $781 billion in total economic burden, according to new research from the University of Southern California. This staggering figure, revealed yesterday in the first of planned annual estimates from a multidisciplinary USC-led team, goes far beyond traditional accounting of … Read more
Japanese clinical trial data published this week reveals an advance in pediatric anesthesiology that should catch the attention of medical device investors and hospital efficiency strategists alike. By monitoring children’s brain waves during surgery, doctors can dramatically reduce anesthetic dosing while improving recovery metrics and slashing costs. The randomized controlled trial of 177 children aged … Read more
New CDC data reveals a dramatic shift in autism diagnosis patterns across America, with Black children now showing the highest prevalence rates in multiple regions. The findings, released last week in the CDC’s biennial surveillance report, show overall autism rates have climbed to 1 in 31 children aged 8 years – a significant increase from … Read more