Behind the Headlines

Does getting more sleep reduce memory loss?

Monday Jan 28 2013

"Boosting sleep 'may slow memory rot'," says the BBC, in a headline that could provide us with a plausible excuse to give our bosses when we fall asleep at our desks. The news is based on a...

Lightning may cause 'thunderous headaches'

Friday Jan 25 2013

'Lightning could cause headaches and migraines, according to researchers' The Daily Telegraph reveals. This is after a new study finds that cases of migraine rose by around 25% in people who were in close proximity to a lightening strike…

Can children 'grow out' of autism?

Thursday Jan 17 2013

"Children can 'grow out of' autism, psychologists say, challenging the established view that autism is a permanent, incurable condition," The Independent has reported. The story is based on a study that documented a group ...

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Passive smoking link to dementia

Friday Jan 11 2013

"Passive smoking can dramatically increase the risk of developing severe dementia," is the Daily Mail’s headline. The newspaper reports that a study has been the first to show a significant link between secondhand smoke and dementia...

Do epilepsy and migraine share a genetic link?

Monday Jan 7 2013

'Epilepsy and migraine could have shared genetic link' BBC News tells us after researchers publish the findings of a study which suggests there is a link between family history of epilepsy and an increased risk of severe migraines…

Is blinking a sign of a 'brain nap?'

Wednesday Jan 2 2013

The Daily Mail suggests that the reason we blink is so our brains can "switch off" and have a "little nap". The story is based on research in only 20 healthy adults in Japan looking at how natural blinking relates to brain activity

Is high-fat food addictive?

Thursday Dec 13 2012

'Dieting makes people feel depressed because cutting out fatty foods alters their brain' is the alarming claim in The Daily Telegraph. They are reporting on a recent study looking at what effect suddenly withdrawing a high-fat diet had on mice…

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Orkney's world-record MS rates – Vikings to blame?

Tuesday Dec 11 2012

'Vikings could be to blame for why Scots have highest levels of multiple sclerosis' is the somewhat imaginative leap taken by the Daily Mail reporting at a study looking at the unusually high multiple sclerosis rates in Orkney, Shetland and Aberdeen…

Green tea may be a 'brain booster'

Friday Nov 30 2012

'Research has shown green tea can help improve memory and cognition in men' the Daily Mail tells us. But this may be overselling the results of a small study looking at patterns of blood flow inside the brain…

Car exhaust fumes 'link' to autism

Tuesday Nov 27 2012

A potential link between pollution and autism is being widely reported in the media, with The Sun headline claiming 'Exhaust fume link to autism in infants and The Daily Telegraph reporting that 'Traffic fumes linked to autism...