Diagnostic tools

Researchers believe they have developed the first blood test to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome, or myalgic encephalomyelitis, and it has the potential to be a game-changer for millions around the globe suffering with the debilitation condition.

Scientists have developed a powerful new dual-imaging tool that maps the retina’s structure and oxygen use in unprecedented detail. This breakthrough could one day help doctors spot sight-stealing diseases long before symptoms appear.

Among the many problems with the flu is the fact that you can spread the virus before you even know you've got it. An experimental new "sensor" could one day keep you from doing so, by causing you to taste thyme in your mouth.

Scientists have rejected claims that acetaminophen is a key driver of autism spectrum disorder, cautioning that research is inconclusive and excludes genetics and a suite of other influences. What's more, it focuses on a "cure," not understanding.

A new study significantly strengthens the case that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder brains are structurally unique, thanks to a new scanning technique known as traveling-subject method. It isn't down to new technology – but better use of it.

A new generation of nanoparticles can detect, shrink and clear plaques in the arteries, lowering inflammation and drawing out harmful cholesterol to be cycled via the liver. They offer a new way of diagnosing and fighting heart disease without drugs.

Animals that produce their own light source, through an internal chemical reaction, are a true wonder of nature – and something biotechnology scientists have been working hard to replicate and adapt for human use. They've now made a huge breakthrough.

The first blood test for Alzheimer's disease detection has been green-lit by the US Food and Drug Administration, providing a simpler, quicker and less invasive method of diagnosis and speedier intervention. It's a milestone moment for medical science.

This week a study set off alarm bells, estimating that the overuse of computed tomography – or CT – examinations could result in five per cent of new cancers disagnoses annually. Since 2007, the use of the imaging technology has risen 30% in the US.

Scientists have made a major breakthrough in the accuracy and speed at which serious and often deadly pathogen infections can be diagnosed and treated. Often, this is time that is critically important in saving a patient's life.

A new AI model can predict the likelihood of premature death from inflammatory bowel disease, with 95% accuracy. This is good news – by looking beyond the gut for early treatment of other chronic illnesses can greatly reduce the early mortality rate.

In what's expected to soon be commonplace, artificial intelligence is being harnessed to pick up signs of cancer more accurately than the trained human eye. This latest AI model has a near 100% success rate and serves as a sign of things to come.