Behind the Headlines

Could HRT stop dementia?

Thursday Feb 14 2013

Taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease for millions of women, a number of newspapers have reported today. The reports overextrapolate …

'Star Trek' headband for migraine shows promise

Friday Feb 8 2013

'Could this 'Star Trek' headband help banish migraines?' is the question posed by the Mail Online website as they report on a trail involving an electrical stimulator headband which had some encouraging results…

Sharp decline in UK child epilepsy rates

Monday Feb 4 2013

'The number of children being diagnosed with epilepsy has dropped dramatically in the UK over the past decade' BBC News reveals. Less children being wrongly misdiagnosed, and the meningitis vaccine are thought to be partly responsible…

Does chewing gum aid concentration?

Monday Feb 4 2013

The news that chewing gum could potentially boost brain power has hit the headlines. Both the Daily Mail and the Daily Express covered the story, with the Mail reporting that, "Chomping on gum is good for the brain and can boost alertness by 10%...

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