A review of AI eye imaging devices approved for patient care found significant gaps in evidence, including lack of transparency on training data and limited diversity in clinical evaluations. The study highlights the importance of rigorous, transparent evidence and data to ensure equitable and effective AI-based solutions.
A new report by UCL academics finds that opening new North Sea oil and gas fields is incompatible with achieving the Paris Climate Agreement goals. The researchers recommend stopping all future licenses to explore and refusing development consent for already-licensed fields.
Researchers developed a digital motor score, HDDMS, using smartphone apps to track disease progression in Huntington's disease. The HDDMS is around twice as sensitive as the current clinical measure, allowing for more efficient clinical trials and potentially accelerating drug development.
A new study by UCL researchers found that stroke survivors who attend talking therapy sessions are more likely to recover from their psychological symptoms. The study analyzed data from 1.9 million patients, including 7,597 stroke survivors, and showed that 71% experienced reliable improvement in depression and anxiety.
A new study published in Neuron has identified a brain region, the fusiform gyrus, as key to distinguishing between real and imagined experiences. The region's strength of activity can predict whether someone judges an experience as real or imagined.
New analysis led by UCL researchers found that whole-class mental health sessions can significantly reduce depression and anxiety symptoms. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)-informed sessions were more effective at reducing anxiety symptoms than mindfulness-based classes.
Researchers argue that necrosis, a form of uncontrolled cell death, presents an opportunity for intervention in age-related conditions. Interrupting necrosis could lead to new treatments for kidney disease, cardiac disease, neurodegeneration, and aging.
Researchers at UCL and MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology successfully replicated RNA in a simple way, overcoming the challenge of double helix formation. This breakthrough provides new insights into the origin of life, suggesting that RNA played a key role in early life forms.
A new study found that people taking antidepressants for over two years are more likely to experience withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety and fatigue. Long-term users also tend to have worse withdrawal symptoms and are less able to stop taking the medication.
A study by University College London researchers found that depressive symptoms worsen long before pain begins in middle-aged and older adults. Early mental health interventions may help prevent or reduce later aches and pains.
Researchers found that MRI scans can detect heart inflammation, scarring, and impaired function in carriers of a mutated LMNA gene. This information can help clinicians predict which patients are at higher risk and inform decisions about treatments such as defibrillators or transplants.
Researchers at UCL and the Francis Crick Institute have identified the origin of cardiac cells using 3D images of a heart forming in real-time. They found that cardiac cells emerge rapidly during gastrulation and follow distinct paths to form the heart's pumping chambers and atria.
A groundbreaking study finds North Korea engages in unsustainable and illegal wildlife trade, breaching its own laws and posing a threat to biodiversity recovery. The country's economic hardship drives black market trade, with hunters simultaneously engaging in state-sanctioned and black market trade.
A new report by UCL researchers found that parental genes can influence child development through environmental factors, such as reading habits or access to resources. Non-inherited genes also show a tentative link to mental health traits, with strongest effects around age three.
Researchers have developed a new 'pressurised spinning' innovation to create cellulose materials from cow manure, a waste product in the dairy farming industry. This process is an energy-efficient example of circular economy and has significant environmental and commercial benefits.
The study suggests that T. rex and its cousins may have been better suited to cooler climates due to having feathers or a more warm-blooded physiology. The team found that megaraptors, a closely related group, were more widely distributed across the globe than previously thought, originating in Asia about 120 million years ago.
A recent study has identified the 'cell of origin' of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), a second most common type of lung cancer among smokers. The research found that basal cells expressing the gene Krt5 become dominant in the trachea and eventually invade large areas of the lung, forming tumors.
A new study by University College London researchers suggests that intensifying existing farmland can degrade local biodiversity more than expanding agricultural land, depending on factors like region and crop type. The study highlights the need for sustainable intensification techniques to mitigate the impact of farming on the environ...
A new study reveals that individuals with anxiety and depression tend to focus on jobs where they feel less confident, rather than those where they perform well, leading to persistent low self-belief. Positive feedback boosts overall self-belief, while negative feedback reduces it in all participants.
A new study suggests that adding particles to the atmosphere at a lower altitude near the polar regions can effectively cool the planet. Commercial jets like Boeing 777F could reach this altitude.
A recent study published in The Gerontologist found no difference in spatial working memory between older people with autistic traits and those who are neurotypical. Most participants maintained their cognitive ability over time, suggesting that autism is not associated with increased risk of age-related cognitive decline.
A new study led by University College London researchers found that people with Alzheimer's disease scored slightly higher on a measure of empathy than peers with mild cognitive impairment. Despite this, emotional reactivity to negative emotions was heightened among those with Alzheimer's disease, contributing to difficulties regulatin...
Researchers at UCL developed a new scoring system, CAR, to identify patients with narrowed carotid arteries who can be effectively treated with optimised medical therapy. The study found low rates of recurrent strokes and heart attacks among patients treated with medication alone.
A team of researchers at UCL has identified key brain regions essential for logical thinking and problem-solving. They used lesion-deficit mapping to study patients with brain lesions caused by stroke or tumors and found that damage to the right frontal lobe impaired reasoning skills.
A recent study published in Addiction journal found that vaping rates in England, Wales, and Scotland have stalled since the UK Government announced plans to restrict vaping. Despite a significant increase in vaping prevalence from 2022 to 2024, rates have remained constant since January 2024.
A new global study found common genetic factors contributing to drug resistance in focal epilepsy, affecting 20 million individuals. Researchers identified specific genetic variants in CNIH3 and WDR26 genes associated with a higher risk of drug-resistant epilepsy.
A study by University College London anthropologists found that macaque mothers experience a short period of physical restlessness after the death of an infant, but do not exhibit typical human signs of grief. In contrast to human bereavement, macaque mothers spent less time resting in the first two weeks after their infants' deaths.
A new study found that death rates from alcohol in England increased by a fifth in 2020, rising further between 2020 and 2022. The largest increases were among men, people from deprived areas, and those aged 50-69, mainly due to liver damage caused by alcohol.
A new study led by UCL researchers found that the quality of the dinosaur fossil record worsened during the final 6 million years prior to the asteroid impact. The team analyzed over 8,000 fossils and estimated that dinosaurs may have been doing better than previously suggested in the lead-up to the asteroid impact.
A new AI tool called MindGlide can extract key information from brain images to measure damaged areas and highlight subtle changes in MS patients. The tool performed better than other AI tools and expert clinical analysis, enabling researchers to unlock valuable insights into multiple sclerosis.
A new study published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A found that long-term exposure to high levels of air pollution is associated with lower scores in key cognitive abilities, especially language skills. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter was linked to poorer language performance.
A new study by UCL researchers found that people with visual Alzheimer's disease have a unique distribution of proteins and markers in their brain, leading to symptoms such as reading difficulties. In contrast, those with memory-led Alzheimer's disease have different protein patterns, resulting in symptoms like memory loss.
A new UCL study found that women experience a significant 4.3% reduction in earnings on average four years after a menopause diagnosis, rising to 10% by the fourth year. Women without a university degree are disproportionately affected, with graduate women facing no earnings penalty.
Research led by a UCL academic found that people who share more meals with others are more likely to report higher levels of life satisfaction and wellbeing. The study analyzed data from over 150,000 respondents in 142 countries and found that meal sharing is as strong an indicator of life satisfaction as income.
Researchers at UCL identified key brain regions involved in remembering words, finding shrinkage in the front and side of the brain linked to difficulty recalling words. Detailed MRI scans showed a dispersion network for creating and storing word memories, crucial for understanding epilepsy conditions.
A new study by UCL researchers found that the oxytocin system is affected in breastfeeding mothers with postnatal depression. Oxytocin levels in breast milk were reduced in mothers experiencing depression after using a nasal spray containing the hormone.
A new study led by University College London researchers found that social disadvantages can accelerate ageing and increase disease risk. People with favourable socioeconomic conditions show fewer signs of biological ageing than peers of the same age.
Researchers at University College London found that the brain uses specific patterns of activity, or 'building blocks,' to understand social interactions. These fundamental patterns are thought to represent common interaction patterns across various situations, allowing brains to simplify complex information and make decisions quickly.
A recent study published in Nature has assigned a facial fragment, nicknamed 'Pink', to the species Homo aff. erectus, challenging the long-held view of early European human habitation. The discovery at Sima del Elefante sheds new light on the history of Western Europe's first inhabitants.
A recent study published in Science Advances reveals that high levels of ammonia kill liver cells by damaging mitochondria, leading to a vicious cycle of system breakdown. However, an existing drug called YAQ-005 can halt this damage and prevent liver cell death.
A new study led by researchers at UCL has found that online brain speed tests can provide valuable insights into cognitive function and potentially shed light on dementia development. The tests, which measure reaction times, were designed to be easy and convenient for women in their 40s and older to participate from home.
A new report by UCL researchers finds that ethnic minority immigrants in England are exposed to significantly higher levels of air pollution than native British households, with an average disadvantage of 6.9μg/m3. Immigrants from Bangladesh and the Caribbean face even greater pollution penalties.
A genomics blood test has improved diagnosis and treatment plans for children with rare diseases, including epilepsy. The test provides genetic diagnoses for 43% of children in under three weeks, leading to significant impacts on treatment.
A polypill programme combining a statin and three blood pressure lowering drugs could prevent thousands of heart attacks and strokes annually. The approach would be a flagship strategy for disease prevention rather than treatment.
Researchers discovered a collection of 27 fossilized bones with shaped into hand tools 1.5 million years ago by early human ancestors. This find suggests that hominins had an advanced understanding of toolmaking, adapting techniques to different materials, indicating greater cognitive skills.
A new study published in The Lancet Digital Health found that accelerated ageing in specific organs can predict diseases across the entire body. Organ ageing rates were linked to increased risks of various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, respiratory infections, and dementia.
A new home-based intervention has been shown to reduce unplanned hospital admissions among older adults with mild frailty by 35%. The service, which includes personalized visits and tailored support, also leads to small improvements in wellbeing and reduces hospital costs.
A new genetic medicine has been developed to treat a rare genetic deficiency affecting the AIPL1 gene, causing severe retinal dystrophy. The treatment involves injecting healthy copies of the gene into the retina through keyhole surgery, resulting in dramatic improvements in sight for four young children.
Researchers at UCL and the University of Greenwich developed a new technique using X-ray imaging to observe imperfections in 3D printed metal alloy components. Applying a magnetic field during the manufacturing process reduced pore formation by 80%, resulting in stronger and more durable components.
A new psychological therapy, MBT-ASPD, has been found to reduce rates of violence and aggression among male offenders with antisocial personality disorder. The treatment showed a significant decrease in symptoms and reoffending rates, offering a promising new approach for treating this challenging condition.