A study using female rats found that long-term estrogen replacement therapy impaired memory performance, especially when combined with chronic brain inflammation. This effect is analogous to the observed decline in cognitive function in postmenopausal women with Alzheimer's disease who receive continuous estrogen therapy.
A brain study reveals that people with lower back pain experience severe pain even from a gentle finger squeeze, while fibromyalgia patients feel the same level of pain. The study uses fMRI to measure brain activity and finds enhanced response to pain in some areas and diminished response in others.
The GSA 2002 conference discusses the impacts of human activities on natural systems, including droughts, wildfires, and ground-water depletion. Researchers also explore the role of climate change in shaping Earth's history, as seen in sediment cores from the Great Blue Hole.