Stroke survivors who have attended some level of higher education may face even steeper mental declines, according to a study led by Michigan Medicine. The findings suggest that attending higher education may enable people to retain greater cognitive ability until a critical threshold of brain injury is reached after a stroke.

People with autism are typically diagnosed by clinical observation and assessment. To deconstruct the clinical decision process, which is often subjective and difficult to describe, researchers used a large language model (LLM) to synthesize the behaviors and observations that are most indicative of an autism diagnosis. Their results, publishing in the Cell Press journal Cell, show that repetitive behaviors, special interests, and perception-based behaviors are most associated with an autism diagnosis. These findings have potential to improve diagnostic guidelines for autism by decreasing the focus on social factors—which the established guidelines in the DSM-5 focus on but the model did not classify among the most relevant in diagnosing autism. 

Falls among older adults represent a growing public health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like China. While many studies have linked chronic conditions to fall risks, less is known about how patterns of multimorbidity—having multiple chronic diseases—affect the progression or reversal of fall states over time. This study, led by researchers from Peking University and the Chinese PLA General Hospital, examined data from over 14,000 middle-aged and older Chinese adults to explore how different combinations of chronic illnesses influence fall trajectories. Using a longitudinal dataset from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), the research identified four major multimorbidity patterns and analyzed their impact on transitions between fall states and death.

 

The findings reveal that individuals with the “osteo-cardiovascular” multimorbidity pattern—those with both cardiovascular and musculoskeletal diseases—face the greatest risk of worsening fall states and mortality, and the least likelihood of recovery. Compared to healthy participants, these individuals were over twice as likely to die and significantly less likely to recover from severe falls. This research highlights the need for clinicians and policymakers to focus fall prevention efforts on patients with high-risk multimorbidity profiles. The study’s insights offer a scientific basis for more targeted health interventions and better allocation of healthcare resources for aging populations.

Los Angeles has some of the strictest tree planting rules in the nation. These policies limit tree growth, worsen shade disparities and don’t improve safety, researchers found. When USC Dornsife researchers modeled looser planting restrictions in a lower-income neighborhood, potential tree space increased by nearly 26%. But narrow sidewalks and dense infrastructure still limited where larger, shade trees could thrive. Many of L.A.’s strict tree-spacing rules are internal guidelines — not laws — meaning they could be updated more easily to allow for more trees. Closing L.A.’s shade gap, however, will require more than policy tweaks; infrastructure investments are also needed.