Biomedical technology

High-tech vest monitors lung function

Patients with severe respiratory or lung diseases require intensive treatment and their lung function needs to be monitored on a continuous basis. As part of the Pneumo.Vest project, Fraunhofer researchers have developed ...

Biomedical technology

Listening can be exhausting for older cochlear implant users

Degraded acoustic signals can make hearing difficult for anyone, but differences in cognitive abilities, age-related changes, and the use of cochlear implants may exacerbate the problem. If it is more challenging to hear, ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Laughter acts as a stress buffer—and even smiling helps

People who laugh frequently in their everyday lives may be better equipped to deal with stressful events—although this does not seem to apply to the intensity of laughter. These are the findings reported by a research team ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Study finds nothing so sweet as a voice like your own

Have you ever noticed that your best friends speak the same way? A new University of British Columbia study finds we prefer voices that are similar to our own because they convey a soothing sense of community and social belongingness.