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Scientists create illusion of having 3 arms

A team of scientists at Karolinska Institutet has successfully created an illusion of having three arms by using a realistic prosthetic arm. Healthy volunteers were tested and found to experience a third arm as part of their body image, even when it was threatened with harm.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateFeb 23, 2011

Iranian scholars share Avicenna's medieval medical wisdom

The Canon of Medicine, written by the Persian scholar Avicenna, contains detailed information on respiratory diseases remarkably similar to those used today. The article highlights Avicenna's work on respiratory diseases and conditions, including herbal and non-herbal treatments, which are still valid with modern science.

SourceSAGE Publications UK·JournalTherapeutic Advances in Respiratory Disease·DateOct 30, 2009

Perceiving touch and your self outside of your body

A study published in PLOS ONE found that sensations of touch can be felt and mislocalized towards where a virtual body is seen, altering the mapping of touch sensations in space. This research demonstrates the crucial role of brain mechanisms in multisensory processing for conscious experience.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateAug 4, 2009

How to text message and avoid pain

A study by Ewa Gustafsson found that young adults with neck, arm, or hand symptoms tend to use their mobile phones differently than healthy controls. They often text message while hunched over and use the single thumb technique, which can lead to increased stress on hands and reduced breaks.

SourceUniversity of Gothenburg·JournalJournal of Electromyography and Kinesiology·DateJun 23, 2009

Many doctors don't use patients' names on first visit

A study by Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine found that 78% of survey respondents wanted to be greeted by a doctor's name, while only half addressed the patient by name in first-time visits. The researchers recommend using patients' first and last names for a respectful and comfortable introduction.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalArchives of Internal Medicine·DateJun 11, 2007

For easy tasks, brain preps and decides together

Researchers discovered that brain regions involved in spatial attention, planning movements, and decision-making activate simultaneously when preparing for a task. This preparation enables the brain to get a 'running start', leading to quicker responses. The study's findings have implications for understanding real-world tasks like dri...

SourceGeorgia Institute of Technology·JournalBrain Research·DateMar 6, 2007

In most comprehensive study yet, two-week regimen helps stroke survivors regain arm control

A two-week rehabilitation program using constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) significantly improved function of the affected arm in stroke survivors. CIMT involves training the weakened hand and arm through repetitive exercises while restraining the unaffected hand and arm, forcing patients to use their affected limbs.

Health-care workers' SARS protective clothing systems

A Queen's University study compares two recommended protective clothing systems for health-care workers and found that one leaves workers prone to contamination at their forearms, wrists, hands, and necks. The more elaborate ensemble offers superior protection but is time-consuming to don and remove without errors.

SourceQueen's University·JournalCanadian Medical Association Journal·DateJul 31, 2006

Stimuli and desire linked to help stroke patients

Researchers developed a treatment using a neuroprosthesis that stimulates muscles with electrical pulses, enabling stroke patients to reconnect damaged neuronal connections and restore hand function. After 16 weeks of training, 85% of the treatment group showed progress in reaching and grasping functions.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalNeuromodulation Technology at the Neural Interface·DateFeb 14, 2005

Babies' hands move to the rhythm of language

Researchers found that babies exposed to signed language produce distinct hand movements with low-frequency rhythmic activity, indicating an innate sensitivity to linguistic patterns. This discovery suggests that parents' sing-song way of speaking and playful rhyming games can aid the language learning process.

SourceDartmouth College·JournalNature·DateSep 5, 2001