Recent Comments

    Category Biology/Biotechnology

    A Little Spark for Sharper Sight

    July 3, 2016, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Highlights •Twenty minutes of direct-current stimulation improved visual acuity by ∼15% •Stimulation changed the amplitude of visually evoked potentials •Subjects with the lowest acuity benefited the most from stimulation

    Highlights •Twenty minutes of direct-current stimulation improved visual acuity by ∼15% •Stimulation changed the amplitude of visually evoked potentials •Subjects with the lowest acuity benefited the most from stimulation

    Stimulating the visual cortex of the brain for 20 minutes with a mild electrical current can improve vision for about 2 hours, and those with worse vision see the most improvement, according to a Vanderbilt University study published this week in Current Biology. A/prof Geoff Woodman said...

    Read More

    Artificial Pancreas likely to be available by 2018

    July 2, 2016, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    A prototype closed-loop system. (a) A prototype closed-loop system comprises a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) sensor and receiver, an insulin pump, and a mobile phone running a control algorithm (potentially the algorithm may be located on the insulin pump obviating the need for a hand-held controller/mobile phone device). (b) A photo of a participant (obtained with consent) using the closed-loop system during a home study [8]

    A prototype closed-loop system. (a) A prototype closed-loop system comprises a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) sensor and receiver, an insulin pump, and a mobile phone running a control algorithm (potentially the algorithm may be located on the insulin pump obviating the need for a hand-held controller/mobile phone device). (b) A photo of a participant (obtained with consent) using the closed-loop system during a home study [8]

    The artificial pancreas – a device which monitors blood glucose in patients with type 1 diabetes and then automatically adjusts levels of insulin entering the body – is likely to be available by 2018...

    Read More

    Current Stimulation to the Brain Partially Restores Vision in patients with Glaucoma and Optic Nerve Damage

    June 29, 2016, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Glaucoma slowly and silently clouds vision, without any pain. Credit: Photo courtesy of NEI

    Glaucoma slowly and silently clouds vision, without any pain. Credit: Photo courtesy of NEI

    Vision loss due to glaucoma or optic nerve damage is generally considered irreversible. Now a new prospective, randomized, multi-center clinical trial demonstrates significant vision improvement in partially blind patients after 10 days of noninvasive,transorbital alternating current stimulation (ACS). In addition to activation of their residual vision, patients also experienced improvement in vision-related quality of life eg acuity, reading, mobility or orientation.

    “ACS treatment is a safe and effective means to partially restore vision after optic nerve damage probably by modulating brain plasticity, re-synchronizing brain networks, which were desynchronized by vision loss...

    Read More

    Your Blood can Reveal your Risk for Heart Disease

    June 29, 2016, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Researcher at K. G. Jebsen -- Center for Exercise in Medicine (CERG), and first author of the study, Anja Bye. Credit: Andrea Hegdahl Tiltnes/NTNU

    Researcher at K. G. Jebsen — Center for Exercise in Medicine (CERG), and first author of the study, Anja Bye. Credit: Andrea Hegdahl Tiltnes/NTNU

    New Biomarkers can help ID a person’s risk of getting cardiac disease with greater precision than traditional risk factors alone. When you visit your GP you can get your blood analyzed for cholesterol and triglycerides, to get an idea of your risk for cardiovascular disease. With additional information about BMI, smoking habits and blood pressure, this can be used to calculate your 10-yr risk for cardiovascular disease. However, the use of risk prediction calculators has declined in the primary care setting because the currently available calculators only explain a modest proportion of the incidence...

    Read More