Scores from neuropsychological assessments (in-depth, standardized evaluations of how a person's brain functions in various cognitive areas) are widely used to identify underlying cognitive abilities. However, a single score representing a specific cognitive domain often obscures the diverse strategies individuals may employ to complete the test. Additionally, reliance solely on scores can hide subtle cognitive changes, which are especially critical for early detection of cognitive disorders.

A new study from researchers at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and the VA Boston Healthcare System has found how people complete cognitive tests — including the small mistakes they make and the strategies they use — can predict who will later develop dementia, even years before diagnosis.

At present, only around 5% of patients with colon cancer are candidates for immunotherapy. This new biomarker could make it possible to determine more accurately which individuals may receive this treatment with a likelihood of success and expand the number of patients who could benefit from it. The study, led by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and IRB Barcelona, shows that the determination of this protein, CTHRC1, can be used to assess patient prognosis. At the same time, it opens up new avenues to approach this type of tumour. The research team has demonstrated that this biomarker can be detected using routine diagnostic tests in the clinical practice of any Pathology service. 

Researchers at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have found that stopping mass drug administration for Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) was associated with an increase in infections from other parasitic worms, threatening disease control efforts. 

The study, published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, suggests that once wider community treatment programmes for LF ended, school-aged children were nearly twice as likely to be infected with the intestinal roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides.