A recent study found that overdose-reversing drug naloxone use did not increase relative to the number of overdoses in the US since 2023. Instead, nonfatal drug overdoses fell by 20.9% and opioid-related overdoses dropped by 32.7%.
Researchers at Brown University discovered a molecular link between hunger and the formation of reward memories that play a role in alcohol addiction. Hunger drives cravings for alcohol by activating neurons containing octopamine, a fight-or-flight neurotransmitter equivalent to human norepinephrine.
A study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that nearly 1 in 3 new nurse practitioners in four states were educated at for-profit programs, sparking concerns about the quality of care. The study examined 117,156 nurse practitioners licensed between 2010 and 2024 and found significant growth in for-profit-trained practitioners.
Researchers found that observational neural activity is strongest for human-like effectors and decreases with less human-likeness. The study's findings suggest that an ensemble of neural networks respond to different stimuli, rather than specialized 'mirror neuron' cells.
A new study found that hospitals and insurers use public threats to negotiate better deals, leaving patients and families caught in the middle. The study analyzed 14,918 relationships and found that 8% of episodes of brinkmanship resulted in a hospital leaving the network, but 72% were resolved without an actual network exit.
A team of researchers at Brown University's Carney Institute for Brain Science has discovered a genetic atlas of neuronal development, which could provide a potential step forward for understanding how to repair broken neural connections. The study found that neurons use a genetic switch in the cell body to control axon growth, allowin...
A study by Brown University researchers found that younger military veterans have higher per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in their blood serum than non-veterans of similar ages. The study's findings can help guide healthcare decisions for veterans and recommend early testing for elevated PFAS levels.
The Starr Healthspan Innovation Alliance will bridge the gap between scientific discovery and life-changing treatments for age-related diseases. The partnership will expand clinical trials and support groundbreaking laboratory research to extend healthy lifespan.
Researchers at the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment have recorded a single particle interaction that is difficult to explain with known background signals from normal matter. This finding, although not yet conclusive, is the most compelling hint of dark matter reported by the experiment to date.
A team of researchers at Brown University identified new genetic mutations in malaria parasites that make them less susceptible to current treatments. The findings, published in Nature Medicine, highlight the rapid spread of these variants and the need for improved surveillance and new therapies.
A new study led by Brown University researchers found that pupil dilation signals a spike in arousal, enabling the brain to adapt to new situations and learn from unexpected information. This 'refresh' mechanism helps to reduce bias and improve learning by replacing mental context with new information.
Researchers at Brown and U.T. Southwestern have identified a key mechanism underlying GPT2 deficiency, a rare genetic disease affecting brain development. Supplementing a metabolite called alpha-ketoglutarate may improve DNA structure and gene expression in the brain, potentially leading to new treatments.
Researchers at Brown University have developed an aerodynamic model that simulates the forces at play when birds fly in a V formation. The model shows that birds experience an 11% reduction in mechanical power needed for flight due to reduced wing flapping, leading to significant energy savings.
A new automated workflow called Pathogen2Read streamlines bacterial sample preparation for genetic sequencing, reducing hands-on preparation time from a full day to under 45 minutes. This innovation enables small labs to participate in outbreak-monitoring networks and improve response times.
A new study finds that most Americans view illicit drugs as a serious national problem, but perceive little progress in addressing it. Perceived progress on drug policy is strongly linked to political affiliation, with Republicans and Democrats having starkly different views.
Scientists create a map of regolith thickness across the Moon using data from over 300 impact craters and lunar missions, estimating six meters in highlands and four meters in maria. This research provides valuable insights for future lunar exploration, including considerations for mission planning and resource utilization.
Researchers have discovered that relativistic effects play a crucial role in the bonding of heavy elements like bismuth. The traditional picture of triple-bonded molecules does not hold true for these elements. Instead, the bonds are more complex and involve hybrid sigma-pi bonds.
Researchers developed a physics-informed neural network approach to predict material properties and optimize controlled-release systems. The new method requires significantly less data than traditional AI models, slashing development time for patches, bandages, and implants.
Researchers found that 77% of rocks analyzed cooled at roughly the same time between 5-7 million years ago, providing direct evidence for a massive uplift event. This timing coincides with a previously known event during which the Pacific plate rotated, causing widespread deformation and uplift along the Ring of Fire.
A new study finds that climate change can impact flu season timing and severity across North, Central, and South America. Weather conditions like temperature and humidity help predict outbreaks, with tropical regions potentially experiencing stronger outbreaks while places with distinct seasons see smaller ones.
A study led by Brown University researchers found that older adults who received the shingles vaccine had a 24% lower risk of being diagnosed with dementia within four years. The study analyzed health records and Medicare data from over 500,000 adults age 66 and older who were admitted to skilled nursing facilities.
Researchers at Brown University have shown the first experimental evidence for a 80-atom boron buckyball molecule. The new structure is stable and symmetrical, with peaks in its electron binding energy distribution indicating highly tightly bound electrons.
A new study found that safe firearm storage can minimize children's exposure to lead, an environmental toxin. In homes where firearms are not stored or locked, dust lead levels are higher and blood lead levels in children increase by up to 20%.
A study by Brown University researchers found that exposure to violence is strongly associated with increased tobacco and e-cigarette use among adolescents. The study analyzed data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System and found that each form of violence exposure was linked to increased risk of using both substances.
Brown University researchers have stabilized a fleeting structural phase of matter that exhibits extraordinary optical properties. Using custom-shaped nanoparticles, they created a nanoparticle superlattice that freezes an elusive intermediate state between two common crystal metallic arrangements.
Brown University computer scientists introduce PackUV, a compression method that enables everyday video formats to stream volumetric video. The technique improves capture of 3D action and makes final products compatible with existing video codecs.
A study by Brown University researchers found that serotonin helps reduce belief stickiness, making it easier to update beliefs and adapt to changes. This discovery holds implications for understanding and treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Primary care practices acquired by private equity firms tend to see more patients, provide more services, and complete annual wellness visits. They also hire more physicians and advanced practice providers, suggesting a spread of extra work across larger teams rather than individual doctors.
A new statistical approach used in Alzheimer's disease trials may exaggerate the link between amyloid reduction and cognitive benefits of new drugs. Researchers found that combining large groups of patients can hide variability and make it appear as if reducing amyloid is more predictive of cognitive benefit than it actually is.
Researchers at Brown University found that payments to Medicare Advantage brokers more than doubled between 2014 and 2022, rising from $3.9 billion to roughly $10 billion a year. The study also revealed that broker involvement is common and growing, with 70% of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries generating renewal commissions.
Research team assembled record of fire activity in Rwenzori Mountains dating back thousands of years. The 2012 wildfire was the first large-scale blaze in the highest elevations in at least 12,000 years.
A new worm model developed by Brown University researchers could play a key role in treating alternating hemiplegia of childhood, a disorder that causes paralysis in children. The genetically engineered C. elegans nematode model provides a fast and inexpensive way to evaluate potential drug treatments for AHC.
A Brown University study found that expanded Medicaid coverage significantly improves one-year mortality rates for young adults with kidney failure. The researchers discovered improvements in pre-dialysis care, increased use of dialysis, and longer dialysis sessions, all leading to better long-term health outcomes.
Researchers analyzed 13 years of federal data on Medicare Advantage enforcement actions, finding that CMS rarely used severe tools like contract terminations or suspensions. Instead, they relied on small fines, which may do little to change behavior and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.
A study by Brown University and Columbia University found that road infrastructure isolates communities, leading to increased schizophrenia-related hospital visits. The Community Severance Index measures physical and social disconnection using roads, traffic, and lack of pedestrian infrastructure.
Researchers created a microfluidic device to measure cell size and stiffness, enabling the analysis of large numbers of cells quickly. The new method uses time-of-flight measurements to determine cell stiffness, with potential applications in disease diagnosis and prognosis.
Researchers found that modern AI language models can distinguish between categories like commonplace, improbable and impossible events with high accuracy. The models' internal patterns, or vectors, show a correlation with human uncertainty about statement plausibility.
Researchers show math underlying quantum gravity bears resemblance to quantum Hall effect, resolving cosmological constant problem. The Chern-Simons-Kodama state, a proposed ground state of quantum gravity, has a similar topology that keeps the cosmological constant's value stable.
A new study highlights how geography and regulations limit methadone access in US jails, with over half of facilities located more than a 30-minute drive from the nearest opioid treatment program. This distance creates logistical challenges for providing this lifesaving medication to incarcerated individuals.
Researchers identified the key to preventing hospitalizations during nursing home flu outbreaks: administering antiviral chemoprophylaxis within two days of an outbreak to at least 70% of residents. This approach reduces hospitalization rates by 21%, according to a study led by Brown University.
A study led by Brown University researchers analyzed lung screening data to identify abnormalities outside the lungs that warrant follow-up care. Cancer-related findings appeared in about 3% of screening rounds and were linked to a higher risk of extrapulmonary cancers, particularly urinary system cancers.
Researchers developed a new wound dressing material that releases antibiotics on-demand when harmful bacteria are present, promoting better infection clearance and wound healing. The smart hydrogel holds tightly to its antibiotic cargo until degradation is triggered by the presence of beta-lactamase-producing bacteria.
Researchers at Brown University identified a pair of neurons that integrate sweet and bitter signals to decide whether something is safe to eat, a process not previously clear to scientists. The newly discovered mechanism illustrates the impressive level of computation that a single neuron can do.
Researchers found that patients with both conditions exhibited different neuropsychiatric symptoms, which could inform diagnosis and treatment plans. The study's findings may help clinicians better understand the complex disease course of patients with multiple disorders, including Alzheimer's and frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
Researchers at Brown University develop a way for robots to use inputs from both human language and gesture to reason about object location. The approach, which incorporates insights from dog behavior, achieved an 89% success rate in finding the correct object in complex environments, outperforming other methods.
Researchers at Brown University have made significant progress in restoring two-way communication across a damaged spinal cord site. Electrical stimulation below the injury site partially restored muscle control in lower extremities, while stimulation above the injury enabled participants to understand their leg position in space. This...
A study found a significant decrease in acetaminophen use during pregnancy and a surge in leucovorin prescriptions after the September 2025 White House briefing. Leucovorin prescriptions increased approximately 71% above expected levels, mainly for children with autism diagnoses.
A new study by Brown University and Harvard Medical School found that telemedicine does not substantially increase access to mental health care for those in rural or underserved areas. Despite its convenience benefits for existing patients, telemedicine did not lead to a significant expansion of care access for these populations.
Researchers found that low-viscosity liquids like milk take around 30 seconds to drain 90% of a thin film, while more viscous fluids like olive oil require over nine minutes. The study provides insight into everyday physics and its applications in the kitchen.
Researchers found differences in how brain regions work together during certain cognitive tasks in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The findings may lead to new treatment targets for OCD, especially when involving transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).