The same university that birthed the polio vaccine has engineered another medical breakthrough. And as the University of Pittsburgh pioneers new developments in the world of concussion detection and treatment, it could have lasting effects on the Pitt Panthers' teams. According to a report from Abby Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Dr. David Okonkwo, a professor of neurological surgery at Pitt, has created an FDA approved a lad-quality device of his team's creation that is capable of detecting concussions quickly. It could be used in hospitals, in the field and, potentially, on the sidelines of football games and other sporting events.

A genetic study involving more than 1.2 million people has pinpointed 95 genetic loci that are associated with risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including 80 loci that had not been previously known. 

In March, Harrison Chow, MD, and colleagues at Stanford Medicine published a report in The American Journal of Psychiatry about two patients, whose trauma symptoms improved after anesthetic-induced dreaming during surgery. One was the mother of a child who died by suicide. The other patient was a 72-year-old woman who had lost her son to a college fraternity hazing incident in 2000.

Almost three decades have passed since the first posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) neuroimaging study was published. Since then, the field of clinical neuroscience has made advancements in understanding the neural correlates of PTSD to create more efficacious treatment strategies. While gold-standard psychotherapy options are available, many patients do not respond to them, prematurely drop out, or never initiate treatment. Therefore, elucidating the neurobiological mechanisms that define the disorder can help guide clinician decision-making and develop individualized mechanisms-based treatment options.

The ability of odors to bring to mind past experiences has intriguing scientific and therapeutic implications.

When COVID-19 first reared its head back in 2019, it brought with it a slew of strange symptoms beyond just respiratory problems. One of the most puzzling symptoms in those early days was something called "brain fog" — cognitive issues like confusion, forgetfulness, and trouble focusing.

 A generative artificial intelligence (AI) model that can analyze the narrative accounts of women who have undergone recent childbirth has shown the ability to accurately screen for post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD), a study by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system has found. By exploring the capabilities and shortcomings of several models from OpenAI, including ChatGPT, the researchers identified a version that offers rich insights into maternal mental health following traumatic childbirth.

Melbourne researchers say they have discovered a blood protein that could help detect children with ongoing concussion symptoms weeks after an injury. Researchers at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) said levels of a protein called Alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (alpha-1-ACT) appeared significantly lower in children who had a delayed recovery from injury.  According to MCRI, one in five children will have had a concussion by the time they are 16. 

he physical scars of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine are often laid out in painstaking detail — the blood, the gore, the shattered towns and the leveled buildings are plain to see. Less clear at first sight, however, is the mental burden the ongoing war has caused for many Ukrainians, both within the borders of the battle-scarred country and elsewhere across the globe.

Scientists in Devon hope to reduce the impact of brain fog in people with long Covid using computer games. The University of Exeter's Beacon Project used the brain's problem-solving abilities to help memory and cognition, staff said. They added such games had been used in studies into the mental decline of older people and it was hoped similar work could help post-viral conditions.