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carer holding a patient's hand

Parkinson's disease: Risks, symptoms and treatment

By Cari Nierenberg, Joe Phelan last updated

Around 500,000 Americans are currently diagnosed as having Parkinson's disease.

Positive blonde middle-aged woman psychologist talking to girl patient.

What is sleep hypnosis and does it really work?

By Lou Mudge published

Sleep hypnosis could be a potential therapy for sleep disorders, but more research is needed.

magic mushrooms are chemicals called psilocybin and psilocin

Psilocybin: Facts about the main ingredient in psychedelic 'magic' mushrooms

By Cari Nierenberg last updated

Reference Psilocybin, like other psychedelics, is illegal in the United States, but controlled doses may have therapeutic effects.

Reference
illustration of p. aeruginosa bacterial cells, depicted in bright pink on a dark blue background

Eye drops recalled after CDC links them to vision loss, 1 death

By Nicoletta Lanese published

An eye drop product linked to a cluster of serious bacterial infections has been voluntarily recalled by its manufacturer.

full-length portrait of runner sprinting on a bridge

What is cadence in running and why is it important?

By Lily Canter published

From step rates to stride lengths, here’s everything you need to know about cadence in running.

histological image shows a cross section of a rat's brain, depicted in red, with a glowing green blob on the top right side; the blob is a clump of cells called an organoid that's been derived from human stem cells and transplanted into the rat's brain

Rat brain injuries 'plugged' with lab-grown human minibrains in world-first experiment

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Scientists transplanted human brain organoids into rats to repair injuries to their visual processing systems.

woman lying on her bed on her phone looking upset

Why does heartbreak hurt so much? Science has the answer

By Lou Mudge published

Research explains why the pain of heartbreak isn't just in the mind.

woman asleep holding a cup of coffee

How does caffeine affect sleep?

By Louise Bond published

It may boost alertness and concentration, but how does caffeine affect sleep?

DNA molecular structure with sequencing data of human genome analysis on black background

Dozens of genes linked to thyroid disease risk in largest study of its kind

By Carissa Wong published

112 genes were linked to thyroid conditions in a large genomic study.

Tired woman is trying to drink coffee, but misses pouring it into her cup and is sleeping with her head on the counter

Does coffee really give you an 'energy boost'?

By Emma Beckett published

Coffee may make you less drowsy, but it doesn't really "energize" the body.

illustration of a bacterial cell, resmembling the fuzzy top of a cattail with thin filaments extending from one end

Eye drop product may be tied to cluster of drug-resistant bacterial infections, CDC says

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A specific brand of eye drops may potentially be linked to a cluster of serious bacterial infections in the U.S.

man walking his dog in a snow blizzard at dusk

Why are heart attacks more common in winter? A cardiologist explains

By Lou Mudge published

Colder weather can trigger a number of physiological changes that may increase the risk of a cardiac event.

A Toxoplasma gondii tissue cyst.

10 surprising facts about the 'mind-control' parasite Toxoplasma gondii

By Harry Baker published

T. gondii is one of the most common infectious parasites on Earth, but it is also one of the most interesting to learn about.

woman laying on her bed with restless legs syndrome

Restless legs syndrome: Causes, symptoms and treatment

By Anna Gora last updated

Restless legs syndrome is a nervous system condition that causes an intense urge to move the legs.

MRIs showing various cross sections of a human brain

Similar brain 'thinning' seen in older adults with obesity and people with Alzheimer's

By Nicoletta Lanese published

A new study links obesity to patterns of brain tissue loss that overlap with those seen in Alzheimer's disease.

young child sits at a dining table surrounded by adults who laugh and clap for her as she blows out birthday candles on a cake.

What is the key to happiness? We look at the science behind it.

By Anna Gora published

From social connection to physical activity, is science any closer to finding the key to happiness?

A close-up of a human eye. Seeing is one of the human senses

The five (and more) human senses

By Alina Bradford, Ailsa Harvey last updated

Reference There are five basic human senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. Other senses also help us understand and perceive the world around us.

Reference
Close-up of a man sitting in a circle during group therapy with his hands clasped.

Social anxiety disorder: Causes, symptoms and treatment

By Kim Ann Zimmermann last updated

Social anxiety disorder causes significant discomfort about social interactions.

photo shows a saline drip in the foreground and a blurred out image of a child in a hospital bed in the background

COVID-19 is a leading cause of death among US children and teens, study shows

By Nicoletta Lanese published

An analysis of mortality data shows that COVID-19 ranks as a leading cause of death among children and teens.

illustration of a human arm with the palmaris longus muscle highlighted in red

10 body parts that are useless in humans (or maybe not)

By Nicoletta Lanese published

There's some debate around which human body parts are useless and which aren't.