New Atlas

Medical Audio available

MRI technique predicts dementia up to three years before symptoms appear

Rich Haridy November 21, 2018

A new study suggests an MRI scan can predict whether a person will develop dementia up to three years before any cognitive symptoms are detectable. It's hoped the tool will be able to better identify at-risk patients so preventative measures can be deployed to slow the onset of neurodegeneration.

An MRI technique could predict the onset of dementia three years before symptoms appeared with an ...

Medical

Cannabis extract could form basis of new anti-psychotic treatments

Michael Irving August 30, 2018

Marijuana compounds like cannabidiol (CBD) have been found to impart benefits to the brain without the negative “stoned” side-effects. Now, researchers at King’s College London have shown that CBD could help reset the brain abnormalities found in people suffering from psychosis.

Researchers have found that a cannabis extract might help relieve symptoms of psychosis

Medical

Facebook and NYU turn to AI to make MRI scans up to 10 times faster

Rich Haridy August 20, 2018

The NYU School of Medicine's Department of Radiology is joining forces with Facebook's Artificial Intelligence Research group on a project aiming to utilize AI to dramatically speed up the time it takes to complete a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

A joint collaboration between NYU and Facebook hopes to demonstrate results within the year

Biology

Brain scans show why people get aggressive after a drink or two

Rebekah Andrews February 13, 2018

It's common knowledge that a drink or two can lower inhibitions and result in people becoming aggressive and violent. Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia are asking why, using MRI scans to trace which part of the brain controls aggression.

An Australian study has shed light on the neural basis of alcohol-related aggression

Medical

Chance discovery reveals eyes could shine light on stroke severity

Rebekah Andrews February 8, 2018

Gadolinium, a contrast agent used to improve MRI imaging, has been shining a light on brain diseases and damage for years. Now scientists from the NIH believe it could be about to reveal more, with the chance discovery of gadolinium leaking into the eyes of stroke patient MRIs.

Researchers have discovered gadolinium, a chemical regularly given to patients for MRI scans, is accumulating in ...

Medical

MRI advance can detect malignant tumors without need for biopsy

Rich Haridy January 2, 2018

Traditionally when a small tumor is discovered in the kidney an invasive biopsy is needed to determine if it is malignant or benign. Researchers have developed a breakthrough new method that uses current MRI technology to accurately identify the aggressiveness of a tumor without a biopsy

A new MRI method can confidently identify if a kidney tumor is malignant or benign without ...

3D Printing

3D-printed organs could let surgeons practice and plan dangerous operations

Anthony Wood December 7, 2017

Researchers have used 3D-printing technology to produce individually-tailored model organs. These dummy organs could one day improve your chances of surviving surgery, by allowing doctors to plan and practice a lifesaving procedure on a realistic replica before putting you to the scalpel.

An artificial prostate fitted with a soft sensor

Medical

Transmitter chip helps doctors track swallowable electronics through the body

Michael Irving September 13, 2017

In the future, tiny medical devices could swim through our bodies to diagnose diseases, but keeping track of them all can be tricky. A new invention out of Caltech might make that easier: a chip loaded with sensors that can ping its location in the body, thanks to MRI-inspired technology.

The ATOMS chip can ping its location in the body in response to an MRI scan, ...

Medical

Oxygen therapy reverses brain damage in toddler saved from drowning

Michael Irving July 17, 2017

If help comes quickly enough, the heart can be restarted after a person has officially died, but the resulting brain damage can be devastating. Now doctors have successfully reversed the brain damage of a two-year-old drowning victim, using oxygen therapy techniques.

Doctors have used hyperbaric oxygen therapy, where a patient is administered pure oxygen in a pressure-controlled ...

Biology Feature

Inside the brains of psychopaths

Rich Haridy July 6, 2017

The public seems to be endlessly fascinated with understanding how psychopaths think. As scientists take MRI machines into prisons to scan the brains of psychopathic criminals we ask, what is going on inside the brains of psychopaths?

A new Harvard study offers another clue into the neurological foundation of psychopathic behavior