A high dietary intake of lean and oily fish may slow the progression of disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), suggests a comparative population based study, published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. The anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties of the nutrients found in fish may be key, say the researchers, who add … Read more
Recently Maria, a reader from Dublin, got in contact with me to ask for advice. She is a mother to a young adult with a disability who is pre-registered with Ticketmaster as having an accessibility need. When more tickets for Oasis in Croke Park were released before Christmas, she was delighted to bag two accessible tickets … Read more
Any patient suffering from new or worsening medical symptoms hopes for a relatively quick and accurate diagnosis. However, for many people with episodic disabilities – periodic or intermittent conditions like migraines, lupus, Crohn’s disease and epilepsy, in which the presence and severity of symptoms fluctuate – a swift diagnosis is not guaranteed. New research from … Read more
Research finds higher screen time from childhood leads to more stress and depression in teens, while physical activity helps protect mental well-being. Study: Childhood Lifestyle Behaviors and Mental Health Symptoms in Adolescence. Image Credit: Iren_Geo/Shutterstock.com In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers investigated how lifestyle behaviors in children moving into adolescence can affect symptoms … Read more
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, one in six Australians are over 65 years old and the number is expected to increase. Meanwhile the Australian Bureau of Statistics lists 52.3 per cent of older Australians as having disability, with 86.6 per cent having one or more long term health conditions, according to … Read more
Compared with adults without disabilities, those with disabilities have higher rates of general drug misuse, but information on their misuse of prescription drugs specifically has been lacking. Now, a new analysis has reported that, overall, adults with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to misuse prescription drugs as those without disabilities. Reporting in the American … Read more
Dravet syndrome and other developmental epileptic encephalopathies are rare but devastating conditions that cause a host of symptoms in children, including seizures, intellectual disability, and even sudden death. Most cases are caused by a genetic mutation; Dravet syndrome in particular is most often caused by variants in the sodium channel gene SCN1A. Recent research from … Read more
We hope to be cured when we stay in hospital. But too often, we acquire new infections there. Such ‘healthcare-associated infections’ (HAI) are a growing problem worldwide, taking up an estimated 6% of global hospital budgets. In the EU alone, HAIs add up to more than 3.5 million cases per year, resulting in 2.5 million … Read more
The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has developed a new systematic review to summarize for neurologists and other clinicians the evidence for epidural steroid injections and whether they reduce pain and disability for people with certain kinds of chronic back pain. The systematic review is published on February 12, 2025, online in Neurology®. It updates … Read more
Despite global efforts, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in children is rising at an alarming rate, with younger children at the highest risk of mortality—urgent action is needed to reverse the trend. Study: Global burden of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in children and adolescents. Image Credit: Kateryna Kon / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal Pediatric Research, researchers leveraged … Read more