The Conversation

Deep brain stimulation: A fix when the drugs don't work

Neurological disorders can have a devastating impact on the lives of sufferers and their families.

Neuroscience created May 17, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Half time warm-ups boost athletic performance

High-intensity, short duration warm up activities at half time intervals boost athletic performance, a study of soccer players has found.

Health created 3 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Want to boost your memory and mood? Take a nap, but keep it short

We're told to have power naps to keep us safe on the road and improve our alertness if we've had insufficient sleep. They even help our surgeons stay awake during long shifts. But siestas and nana naps can ...

Sleep apnea created May 17, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 1

Medical myth: Flatlining patients can be shocked back to life

Beep….beep……….beep……….beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. "We're losing him. Out of my way, nurse!" The quick-thinking young doctor charges the defibrillator paddles and places them on the chest of ...

Cardiology created May 14, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Frozen in time: Clarifying laws on IVF embryo use and destruction

Over the past two decades, the frozen preservation of embryos has become routine practice in IVF. What currently happens to embryos next is controlled by overlapping and complicated rules that confuse and ...

Obstetrics & gynaecology created May 13, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Explainer: What is diabetes?

To keep your body functioning, glucose must always be present in your blood. It's as important as oxygen in the air you breathe. The brain can only function for a few minutes without either before it stops ...

Diabetes created May 13, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Animals in research: Zebrafish

Zebrafish are probably not the first creatures that come to mind when it comes to animals that are valuable for medical research.

Medical research created May 10, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Migrant women less likely to have unassisted birth, study finds

Some groups of migrant women in Australia are at a higher risk of medical interventions in childbirth that may lead to health problems for the mother or child, a new study has found.

Obstetrics & gynaecology created May 06, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Explainer: What is intuition?

The word intuition is derived from the Latin intueor – to see; intuition is thus often invoked to explain how the mind can "see" answers to problems or decisions in the absence of explicit reasoning – ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 03, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 3

The science of magic: It's not all hocus pocus

Think of your favourite magic trick. Is it as grandiose as David Copperfield's Death Saw, or is it as simple as making a coin disappear in front of your very eyes?

Neuroscience created May 01, 2013 | popularity 3.3 / 5 (3) | comments 0

No evidence H7N9 spreads between humans—but fear does

It's ten years since SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) upset our complacency about infectious diseases and now we are faced by another "new" disease. H7N9 bird flu is currently spreading through Chi ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 29, 2013 | popularity 1 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Scientists unpack testosterone's role in schizophrenia

Testosterone may trigger a brain chemical process linked to schizophrenia but the same sex hormone can also improve cognitive thinking skills in men with the disorder, two new studies show.

Neuroscience created Apr 26, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Responsible gambling and the spectacle of the 'problem gambler'

Institutions that make big money out of gambling – such as governments, casinos, clubs and pubs – are fond of telling us how much they care about problem gambling.

Psychology & Psychiatry created Apr 26, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Measles: New efforts needed to stop an old disease

New diseases grab headlines. The latest influenza scare – H7N9 – has prompted much speculation about the direction the virus might take. And rightly so, as vaccines to fight new viruses can take some ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created Apr 25, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Can caesarean sections increase susceptibility to disease?

Despite efforts to reduce intervention rates during labour, vaginal births without medical intervention are becoming increasingly rare in Australia and overseas: nearly one in three women in Australian now ...

Health created Apr 24, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0