What we know about autism's causes

What gives rise to human consciousness? Are some parts of the brain more important than others? Scientists began tackling these questions in more depth about 35 years ago. Researchers have made progress, but the mystery of consciousness remains very much alive.

A new federal vaccine panel appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recommended tighter restrictions on COVID-19 shots.

A new Northwestern Medicine study is challenging long-held assumptions about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to results published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Our bodies do not age at a uniform rate. The speed at which one organ ages can differ greatly from another due to a range of lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors. Conventional tests provide a single number for overall biological age, but they do not indicate which parts of the body are aging the fastest.

US President Donald Trump was expected Monday to deliver what the White House called "an announcement" about autism, having long voiced concern about the condition's prevalence and potential causes.

Pregnant people should stay away from cannabis, and doctors should ask all patients about its use before, during and after pregnancy, according to new guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

Over 1500 people in Norway have had a liver transplantation. But how can doctors know which patients need extra follow-up or additional treatment so that as many as possible can live a long life afterward?

New research led by Mass General Brigham researchers reveals an association between insufficient sleep and the witnessing of neighborhood violence by adolescents. Based on nationwide survey data from more than 40,000 teenagers, the study also showed that individuals who slept less than the recommended 8–10 hours per night were more likely to engage in violent behaviors, such as carrying weapons or fighting. Results are published in SLEEP.

Hot flashes, which are sudden, temporary intense sensations of body warmth, often accompanied by flushing and sweating during the day and night (night sweats), are referred to as vasomotor symptoms (VMS). These VMS are associated with sleep disturbances, cognitive dysfunction, severe fatigue, increased pain severity and decreased quality of life. Hot flashes affect up to 80% of women going through the menopause transition, 80% of men with prostate cancer undergoing or after completion of androgen deprivation therapy and 50–80% of breast cancer patients receiving hormone deprivation therapy.

Endocannabinoids are similar to the cannabinoids present in cannabis, but they are found naturally in the body. Endocannabinoids—and cannabinoids—work through a signaling system that supports neurodevelopment, but whether manipulating this system prenatally has long-lasting effects remains unclear.

In a collaboration at the University of Turku, researchers led by Birgitta Paranko and Lauri Nummenmaa have explored the immediate effects of bullying on the brain.

Medical imaging is one of the biggest contributors of a hospital's energy use. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are particularly carbon intensive, partly due to their need to be constantly cooled. Hospital staff typically leave these machines running 24/7 because they're often needed for emergency scans.

For many older women, the question of whether to continue breast cancer screening has been uncertain. While most guidelines recommend mammograms up to age 74, advice for women 75 and older has been less clear. Now, a new study from researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center suggests that regular mammograms may still offer significant benefits for women in their 80s.

A new eyedrop has shown early success in delivering protective compounds to where they're needed most in the eye, raising hopes for less invasive treatment of serious vision conditions.

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have developed a diagnostic tool that could transform the way acute leukemia is identified and treated. The tool, called MARLIN (Methylation- and AI-guided Rapid Leukemia Subtype Inference), uses DNA methylation patterns and machine learning to classify acute leukemia with speed and accuracy. This tool has the potential to significantly improve patient care by allowing faster and more precise treatment decisions.

A new study jointly led by the School of Clinical Medicine at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), has found that surgical removal of the diseased parathyroid gland—known as parathyroidectomy—significantly reduces the risk of developing diabetes by 30% in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT).

A research collaboration involving scientists and students at The University of Texas at Dallas has found a clear connection between chronic sickle cell disease pain and the bacteria present in the gastrointestinal tract.

Art isn't just for stages and studios. It can be a powerful public health resource. That's the takeaway from a new international study, commissioned by the Jameel Arts and Health Lab, that examined nearly 100 research projects from 27 countries to consider how arts programs, such as music, dance, theater, storytelling and other creative and cultural activities, can help prevent some of the world's biggest killers: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and other non-communicable diseases, which account for 74% of preventable deaths worldwide.