The Morning Briefing: Health studies
"The Morning Briefing" is SmartPlanet's daily roundup of must-reads from the web. This morning we're reading about medical research and studies.
1.) 'Tweaking memories' could help addicts avoid relapsing. Manipulating memories of drug use may help reformed addicts avoid a return to a life of drug abuse, according to scientists in China.
2.) Scientists: Little evidence bug bite treatments actually work. What's the best cream, lotion or spray to stop that painful itching from bug bites? According to a new review by British scientists, it probably doesn't exist. The review in the UK journal Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin found there's "little evidence" the any bug bite remedies work.
3.) Gene therapy helps woman to write. A British woman stricken with Parkinson's disease can write for the first time in 15 years after receiving gene therapy. Sheila Roy is one of only 15 people worldwide to undergo the radical treatment, which involves inserting corrective genes into the brain.
4.) More than 20% of Irish children 'hear voices'. More than one in five Irish children between 11 and 13 have reported hearing voices, a sign some experts believe is a risk factor in mental illness. The claim is made in a British Journal of Psychiatry study.
5.) Does Vitamin D enhance academic performance? Probably not. A study, in the online version of Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, shows that high levels of vitamin D do not appear to boost the academic performance of teenagers.
Image credit: Adrian Clark
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This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com