New MRI Technique Might Help Spot MS Sooner

• Cara Murez
• January 7, 2022
• Full Page

Researchers in Austria say a new MRI technique may lead to faster diagnosis and treatment for people with multiple sclerosis.

The technique can detect biochemical changes in the brains of people with MS early in their disease, according to findings published Jan. 4 in th...

MRI Might Spot Concussion-Linked CTE in Living Patients

• Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
• December 8, 2021
• Full Page

Right now, the devastating concussion-linked brain condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) can only be diagnosed after death via autopsy. But new research could help change that, allowing doctors to someday spot the illness earlier.

According to the new...

More Years Playing Football, More Brain Lesions on MRI: Study

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• November 29, 2021
• Full Page

Repetitive head hits are common in football, and they're also linked to debilitating brain injuries.

But rendering a definitive diagnosis typically means waiting for autopsy results after the player has died.

Now, a new study suggests that brain scans can reliably ...

Brain's 'White Matter' Changes in People With Autism

• Robert Preidt
• November 23, 2021
• Full Page

Teens and young adults with autism show marked differences in their brains' white matter compared to those without the disorder, a new study finds.

"If you think of gray matter as the computer, white matter is like the cables," said study co-author Clara Weber, a postgra...

Black Men Less Likely to Get Follow-Up MRI When Test Suggests Prostate Cancer

• Robert Preidt
• November 10, 2021
• Full Page

Black, Hispanic and Asian men in the United States are less likely than white men to receive a follow-up MRI after a screening suggests prostate cancer, a new study finds.

"We can't say definitively if the reason Black, Hispanic, and Asian men did not receive this partic...

Magnetic Brain Stimulation Helped Rid Him of Decades-Long Depression

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• October 29, 2021
• Full Page

When Tommy Van Brocklin signed up for a trial of a special type of magnetic brain stimulation therapy that could potentially ease his depression, he had already been living with the mood disorder for 45 years.

Van Brocklin, 60, first underwent an MRI that located the par...

Are Breast Self-Exams Necessary? The Answer May Surprise You

• Cara Murez
• October 7, 2021
• Full Page

A shift in thinking means it's OK to skip your monthly breast self-exam -- but don't miss your regular professional checkup and diagnostic imaging, health experts say.

A periodic visual check in a mirror can be helpful, breast health experts from the Cedars-Sinai health ...

AI Helps Rule Out Cancer in Women With Dense Breasts

• Cara Murez
• October 6, 2021
• Full Page

While mammograms have reduced deaths by detecting breast cancers when they're small and easier to treat, it's less effective for women with dense breasts.

However, a new study finds that supplemental MRI screening can make a difference for these women, who are more ...

Signs of Early Alzheimer's May Be Spotted in Brain Stem

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• September 23, 2021
• Full Page

Certain changes in a part of the brain stem, visible in scans, might be a potential early indicator of Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests.

Using different brain imaging techniques, researchers found that lesser "integrity" in the brain stem region was linked to a ...

Is Hysterectomy Always Needed for a Common, Painful Gynecologic Condition?

• Steven Reinberg
• September 14, 2021
• Full Page

A hysterectomy isn't necessarily needed to treat a common women's health problem, researchers report.

Adenomyosis is abnormal tissue growth in the wall of the uterus, which causes cramps and heavy menstrual bleeding. The condition affects as many as one in three women.

Adding MRI to Screening Can Cut Prostate Cancer Overdiagnosis in Half

• Robert Preidt and Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporters
• July 9, 2021
• Full Page

One of the big issues in prostate cancer care is overdiagnosis -- men who are treated for low-risk, slow-growing tumors that might be better left monitored and untreated.

Now, research out of Sweden suggests that having patients undergo MRI screening, along with target...

COVID-19 Appears to Have No Lasting Impact on College Athletes' Hearts

• Robert Preidt
• May 10, 2021
• Full Page

Heart complications are rare among college athletes who have had COVID-19, according to a small study.

"Our findings may offer reassurance to high school athletes, coaches and parents where resources for testing can be limited," said senior author Dr. Ranjit Philip, assi...

Too Much Red Meat Might Harm Your Heart

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• April 20, 2021
• Full Page

If you've ever scoffed at warnings that too much red or processed meat is bad for the heart while oily fish is good for you, there's now some visual evidence to support that advice.

British researchers used heart imaging to see how these foods affected volunteers' heart ...

How Learning a New Language Changes Your Brain

• Robert Preidt
• March 30, 2021
• Full Page

Brain activity increases when you start to learn a new language, but slows down as you become more proficient, a new, small study finds.

"In the first few months, you can quantitatively measure language-skill improvement by tracking brain activations," study co-author Ku...

Why Do Black Children Get Fewer Scans When They're Seen in ERs?

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• February 2, 2021
• Full Page

Black and Hispanic children who land in the emergency room are less likely than white kids to receive X-rays, CT scans and other imaging tests, a new study finds.

Looking at more than 13 million ER visits to U.S. children's hospitals, researchers found that white childre...

As Testing Costs Rise, Neurology Patients May Skip Screening

• December 24, 2020
• Full Page

Rising out-of-pocket costs for neurological tests could lead many Americans to forgo them, researchers warn.

Their study, published online Dec. 23 in the journal Neurology, analyzed neurology care costs for more than 3.7 million people in a large private insuran...

Any Mask Containing Metal Could Cause Burns During an MRI, FDA Warns

• Robert Preidt
• December 7, 2020
• Full Page

Patients who wear face masks with metal parts or coatings during MRIs could suffer facial burns, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Monday.

That's because metal parts such as bendable nose clips or wires, staples on the headband, nanoparticles (ultrafine partic...

MRIs Might Be Safe for Patients With Implanted Heart Devices

• Amy Norton
• October 26, 2020
• Full Page

For years, people with implanted heart devices have been told they can't undergo MRI scans. But a new study adds to evidence that, with certain measures in place, the procedure is safe.

The study focused on patients with older pacemakers and implantable defibrillator...

Even Without Concussion, Athletes' Brains Can Change After Head Jolts: Study

• Robert Preidt
• June 17, 2020
• Full Page

Athletes who play contact sports may develop subtle brain changes -- even if they don't suffer a concussion, researchers say.

Their study involved 101 female college athletes -- 70 who played rugby and 31 who either rowed or swam. All were concussion-free six months ...

Cuddling Brings Two Minds Together, MRI Study Reveals

• Dennis Thompson
• May 4, 2020
• Full Page

Love to cuddle up? It might bring a 'mind meld,' too, new research shows.

People in close physical contact appear to have synchronized brain patterns, a revolutionary new MRI technique has revealed.

A functional MRI scan of two people cuddling under a blank...

Dual Method May Boost Accuracy of Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

• Robert Preidt
• March 4, 2020
• Full Page

Adding MRI to a standard tissue biopsy appears to enhance the accuracy of a prostate cancer diagnosis, new research finds.

The study, led by researchers at the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), found that combining the two methods cut the rate of "underdiagnosis"...

Study Might Point Alzheimer's Research in Whole New Direction

• Dennis Thompson
• January 2, 2020
• Full Page

A new brain scanning technique is shaking up what researchers thought they knew about Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers now say they can predict with reasonable accuracy which brain regions will wither and atrophy in Alzheimer's by identifying the places where tau pro...

Does MRI Screening Benefit Women With Extremely Dense Breasts?

• Serena Gordon
• November 27, 2019
• Full Page

Health experts already know that women with extremely dense breasts don't get the same benefit from mammography as women without very dense breast tissue. But what hasn't been clear is if MRI screening might spot cancers that mammography didn't.

Now a new study from...

They Had Half Their Brains Removed. Here's What Happened After

• Alan Mozes
• November 19, 2019
• Full Page

Many people think of their brain as an overstuffed attic. Every square-inch is either crammed with information or working overtime to help the body function properly. So is it even conceivable that a person be normal with just half a brain?

Yes, apparently it ...

Is Head Injury Causing Dementia? MRI Might Show

• Robert Preidt
• October 28, 2019
• Full Page

When a loved one shows signs of dementia, sometimes a head injury is the cause and MRI scans can help prevent a misdiagnosis of Alzheimer's, researchers report.

As many as 21% of older adults with dementia may be misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a previous ...

Brain Damage From Concussion Evident a Year Later

• Steven Reinberg
• October 16, 2019
• Full Page

Concussion damage may linger a full year after an athlete returns to play, Canadian researchers report.

"Brain recovery after concussion may be a more complex and longer-lasting process than we originally thought," said lead investigator Nathan Churchill, a research ...

More CT, MRI Scans Being Used, Despite Calls to Cut Back

• Robert Preidt
• September 3, 2019
• Full Page

Despite efforts from medical groups to cut down on the overuse of CT scans and MRIs for safety reasons, their use has instead increased, a new study shows.

"Medical imaging is an important part of health care and contributes to accurate disease diagnosis and treatmen...

For Seniors, 'Silent Strokes' Are Common Post-Surgery Threat: Study

• Robert Preidt
• August 26, 2019
• Full Page

Silent strokes are common in seniors who have had surgery, and may double their risk of mental decline within a year, a Canadian study reports.

While an obvious (or "overt") stroke often causes symptoms such as weakness in an arm or speech problems, a silent (or "cov...

Study Points to Harms From MRI 'Dye' in Early Pregnancy

• Robert Preidt
• August 20, 2019
• Full Page

A concerning number of U.S. women are exposed to the MRI contrast agent gadolinium early in pregnancy, a new study reveals.

In many cases, this exposure occurs before women know they're pregnant.

The researchers said their findings underscore the need for e...

Scans Reveal 'Smoldering' Spots in Brains Touched by MS

• Robert Preidt
• August 13, 2019
• Full Page

"Smoldering" spots in the brains of multiple sclerosis patients may signal more aggressive and disabling forms of the disease, researchers report.

Their finding may help test the effectiveness of new treatments for these types of MS.

The investigators used ...

More Clues to Mysterious Illness Among Staff at U.S. Embassy in Cuba

• Amy Norton
• July 23, 2019
• Full Page

Nearly three years ago, U.S. diplomats in Cuba began experiencing hearing loss, dizziness and memory problems -- in what the Trump administration attributed to an attack of unknown origin.

Now researchers say they have detected some "alterations" in the patients' bra...

Is MRI Screening Worth It for Breast Cancer Survivors?

• Amy Norton
• June 4, 2019
• Full Page

Breast MRI screening is a good way to detect small tumors, but it's unclear how much it benefits women with a history of breast cancer, a new study finds.

Right now, experts recommend that breast cancer survivors have yearly mammograms to help catch any recurrences e...

Tattooed and Need an MRI Scan? What You Need to Know

• Robert Preidt
• February 13, 2019
• Full Page

If you have tattoos, it's probably safe to get an MRI scan, European researchers say.

While millions of people with tattoos have MRIs every year without side effects, some adverse reactions have been reported. Researchers said there had been no systematic studies of ...

U.S. Leads Health Care Spending Among Richer Nations, But Gets Less

• Robert Preidt
• January 7, 2019
• Full Page

Higher costs, not better patient care, explain why the United States spends much more on health care than other developed countries, a new study indicates.

U.S. health care spending was $9,892 per person in 2016. That was about 25 percent more than second-place Switz...