A study in Cell identifies neurons in the spinal cord that make up a key circuit for processing mechanical pain. The findings offer hope that mechanical pain may be selectively treated without interfering with the senses of heat, cold, or touch.
Read this story at Pain Research Forum.
Researchers at the University of Michigan are developing an app that warns a person with bipolar disorder of an impending mood swing. Using speech data collected from the user by their cell phone, the team is looking for subtle signs in the sounds of a person’s voice that predict an episode of depression or mania. Early detection, before a person has lost awareness of their condition, could prompt them to get medical help and avert the devastating aftermath of a mood episode.
Read this story at Nautilus.
Often people with schizophrenia are not helped until they reach a crisis point of full-blown psychosis. Now some researchers propose that intervening sooner, before the break from reality announces itself, could delay or even prevent the disorder.
Read this story in Nature Outlook.
