Medicine & Health
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 26-Dec-2025 13:11 ET (26-Dec-2025 18:11 GMT/UTC)
Inconsistent sleep patterns in adolescents found to have widespread negative effects on the developing brain
Boston Children's HospitalPeer-Reviewed Publication
Adolescents often sleep less than recommended and have substantially different sleep patterns between weekdays and weekends. Their mismatch in sleep timing between school and free days, known as social jet lag, has been linked to adverse physical, cognitive, and mental health outcomes, though the mechanisms have been poorly understood. In a first of its kind study, published in the journal SLEEP, researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital have found that social jetlag has widespread negative effects on fundamental aspects of the developing brain's function and structure, impacting areas of the brain that support processes such as emotional regulation and social function.
- Journal
- SLEEP
- Funder
- U.S. National Science Foundation
Expectant management vs medication for patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants
JAMA NetworkPeer-Reviewed Publication
- Journal
- JAMA
Knowing your family’s surgical history might be key to preventing emergency gallbladder surgery
Rutgers UniversityPeer-Reviewed Publication
People might attribute midnight bouts of chest pain or waves of nausea to food poisoning, stress or a stubborn case of indigestion, but Rutgers Health researchers suggest that knowing your family’s surgical past could pinpoint another cause: gallstone disease.
Their study, published in the Journal of Surgical Research, found that patients who were aware of family members’ past gallbladder surgery were more likely to seek help early – and were less likely to end up in the operating room for high-risk, emergency gallbladder removal.
- Journal
- Journal of Surgical Research
- Funder
- NIH Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) K23 Career Development Award, New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science
A broader impact: UT Health San Antonio Center for Brain Health expands care and discovery across dozens of neurological conditions
The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science CenterBusiness Announcement
Want to curb cannabis-related crashes? Don’t forget older adults, study finds
Michigan Medicine - University of MichiganPeer-Reviewed Publication
Twenty percent of people over 50 who use cannabis products reported that at least once in the past year, they had driven within two hours of using the drug. That means they likely got on the road while the THC in cannabis still impaired their reaction times, attention and other abilities that are important to driving safely. Men, those who use cannabis daily and those who use it for mental health reasons were mostly likely to report driving soon after using.
- Journal
- Drug and Alcohol Dependence
- Funder
- University of Michigan
New report outlines science priorities for human Mars exploration
Penn StateReports and Proceedings
- Funder
- NASA Headquarters