Among the myriad medical treatments for low back pain – a leading cause of disability that affects more than 600 million people worldwide – new Australian research has found that simpler and relatively more affordable lifestyle solutions may make the biggest difference.

The Warfighter Brain Fitness Study, which recently published in the journal Military Medicine, shows that the combination of two brain fitness programs delivered significant improvements across multiple key measures of cognitive resilience a health and readiness priority of the US military. The study, led by ARA, combined SMART™ with BrainHQ.

Using artificial intelligence, researchers analyzed psychological and behavioral data from over 1,000 young adults to identify predictors of exercise addiction. Published in Addictive Behaviors, this study from UMH and ISABIAL highlights perfectionism and competition level as the strongest risk factors, paving the way for early detection and preventive strategies.

Although the Sultanate of Oman has a relatively low prevalence of MS (15 cases per 100,000 people) compared to other Gulf countries, understanding the psychological, cognitive, and social burdens linked to the disease in the local context is of critical importance, especially given the increasing worldwide awareness of its impact on cognition and mental health. The disease affects vital cognitive functions in a patient’s life, such as attention, memory, and processing speed, which negatively impact their independence and quality of life. 

From this standpoint, Prof. Samir Al-Adawi, from the Department of Behavioural Medicine at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, led a research team on a multi-centre study involving clinically stable MS patients at Khawlah Hospital and Sultan Qaboos University Hospital – two of the leading neurology centres in the Sultanate of Oman. 

Multimorbidity—when several chronic diseases occur at the same time—has become a growing barrier to effective healthcare. 

Air pollution poses a widespread threat to human health, particularly due to its strong link to respiratory diseases. Airborne microbes, including bacteria, fungi, viruses, and cellular debris, are estimated to account for approximately 25% of atmospheric particulate matter (PM), some of which are pathogenic to humans. Researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University have conducted a groundbreaking investigation into the sources, composition and health-related toxicity of these microbial particles, revealing concerning connections between air pollution and its impact on human health. 

As research suggests that up to 30% experience mental ill health as a result of IBD diagnosis, a new study outlines how new patients diagnosed each year could receive more tailored mental health support thanks to a simple tool that identifies psychological distress and predicts disease severity.