A new study found that eyeblink conditioning can identify children with probable fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and those without distinctive FAS features. Researchers used eyeblink conditioning in five-year-old children born to mixed-ancestry women, finding a deficit in this area related to prenatal alcohol exposure.
In a breakthrough study, targeting astrocytes in mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) doubles the lifespan of affected animals. This finding suggests that astrocytes, support cells essential for neuronal function, may be viable targets to slow disease progression and extend life expectancy.
A new rodent study found that chronic drinking can lead to severe pneumonia following surgery, impairing the immune system's ability to fight off infections. The study suggests that patients considering surgery should control their drinking habits and be honest about their consumption levels with doctors.
New research reveals that parental drinking habits directly impact adolescent drinking behaviors, as well as indirectly through perceptions of parenting. Monitoring and discipline are found to be strong intermediary roles in associations between parental and adolescent drinking behaviors.
A new study reveals that acculturation can have varying effects on men and women's drinking habits along the Texas-Mexico border. Researchers found that immigrant groups who acculturate to mainstream America tend to experience more alcohol-related problems, but this impact differs by gender.
Researchers identified a new inherited dystonia syndrome, DYT16, characterized by axial muscle involvement and sardonic smile. The condition is caused by a mutation in the PRKRA gene and follows a recessive mode of inheritance.