Medical Xpress: University of Birmingham in the news

Discovering gender of an unborn baby and choosing a name may help fathers bond with their offspring, study finds

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:30:01 EST

(Medical Xpress)—Dads who find out the sex of their unborn child and give him or her a name may find it easier to connect emotionally with their baby, a study conducted at the University of Birmingham has found.

Over-egging the chocolate this Easter: Why you should always keep an eye on what you are eating

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 07:10:01 EST

(Medical Xpress)—Psychologists at the University of Birmingham suggest that 'attentive eating' affects how much people choose to eat.

New guidance urges improved reporting of important outcomes for patients in trials publications

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:38:35 EST

Clinical trials provide us with the best evidence to guide patient treatment and inform health policy. Yet, crucial information, on outcomes reported directly by patients such as their quality of life, is often left out of clinical trial publications, according to international researchers.

Mystery bleeding disorders could be unraveled by new research efforts

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 07:44:35 EST

(Medical Xpress)—Platelet disorders are heavily underdiagnosed, little understood and cannot be cured. University of Birmingham researchers and the Birmingham Platelet Group are running a UK-wide clinical trial 'Genotyping and platelet phenotyping' (GAPP) funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF). The trial includes lab research by BHF-funded scientist Dr Yotis Senis in an effort to better identify patients and potentially to develop new treatments.

Uncovering the secrets of 3D vision: How glossy objects can fool the human brain

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 06:23:28 EST

(Medical Xpress)—It's a familiar sight at the fairground: rows of people gaping at curvy mirrors as they watch their faces and bodies distort. But while mirrored surfaces may be fun to look at, new findings by researchers from the Universities of Birmingham, Cambridge and Giessen, suggest they pose a particular challenge for the human brain in processing images for 3D vision.

Scientists devise unique stroke assessment tool

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 06:32:51 EST

Scientists at the University of Birmingham have devised a unique screening instrument that provides a 'one-stop' brain function profile of patients who have suffered stroke or other neurological damage.

Perceived benefits of joint commissioning lag behind reality, new study shows

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 06:23:42 EST

A major new report on joint commissioning in health and social care has found the perceived benefits of collaborative working, such as efficiency savings and improvements to services, often lagged behind the reality.

Counting Christmas calories? No need to panic!

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 07:29:45 EST

At this time of year newspaper articles will warn of over-indulgence on Christmas day. Experts from the University of Birmingham School of Sport and Exercise Sciences say there is too much focus on the calories consumed during just this one day of the year.

Robots being used as classroom buddies for children with autism

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 06:12:49 EST

(Medical Xpress)—Robots are being used as classroom buddies for children with autism in a groundbreaking initiative that aims to improve social interaction and communication.

Hospital mortality rates unreliable, research finds

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:12:30 EST

(Medical Xpress)—A brand new study by the University of Birmingham suggests that the system used by the Government to inform key decisions about the performance of NHS hospitals is inadequate.

New research shows that GPs need to recognise occupational asthma

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 08:14:26 EST

A new report published today in the scientific journal, Occupational Medicine, finds that many people who develop work related asthma are not correctly diagnosed by GPs. Work related factors cause one in ten cases of asthma in adults but an audit of patient records suggests that GPs do not recognise this in three quarters of patients.

Adrift in foreign land: Study highlights failings when older people transferred between health and social care services

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 06:33:08 EST

A major study of the experiences of older people moving between health and care services published today highlights significant problems in the quality of the service they received. The researchers from the University of Birmingham's Health Services Management Centre found that too often older people were excluded from decisions and carers in particular felt undervalued by statutory providers. This is despite patient and carer involvement being a central aim of current NHS reforms, championed by the phrase "Nothing about me, without me".

Physiotherapy beneficial for people with Parkinson's disease in the short term

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 06:31:39 EST

(Medical Xpress)—Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis led by the University of Birmingham in the UK suggest that physiotherapy benefits people with Parkinson's disease in the short term (< 3 months).

Your dinner date could make you put on weight

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:28:35 EST

(Medical Xpress)—If your dinner date chooses unhealthily from a restaurant menu, you are less likely to stick to healthy options, according to University of Birmingham research published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Patients underestimate risk of deep vein thrombosis, say researchers

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 07:42:06 EST

(Medical Xpress)—Many people going into hospital have concerns about contracting the hospital acquired infection MRSA, yet the risk of acquiring - and dying from – hospital acquired venous thromboembolism (VTE) is much greater, warn scientists at the University of Birmingham.