A Boy Laughed at Nothing for Two Years, and His Brain Scan Came Back Completely Normal
An 8-year-old's laughing fits turned out to be gelastic seizures from the temporal lobe, not the hypothalamus, with a normal 1.5 Tesla MRI.
People Eating Mostly Plant Foods Consumed Fewer Calories Without Trying to Restrict Their Food Intake
A JAMA food-group table shows what drove a vegan trial's calorie drop. Legumes tripled, added fats collapsed, and total food weight went up.
Drinking More Coffee Was Linked to Less Visceral Fat and More Muscle in a Surprisingly Detailed Health Study
A Finnish study of 2,264 adults at age 46 tied heavy coffee intake to less visceral fat, more muscle, and an odd testosterone split in men.
Salmonella and Three E. Coli Strains Have Been Found in People Who Ate the Same Alfalfa Sprouts
Minnesota and Wisconsin report about 40 illnesses from Calco and Everything Sprouts alfalfa sprouts, involving Salmonella and three E. coli strains.
Australian Data Put the Maternal RSV Vaccine at 78 Percent Effective Against Infant Lung Infection Admissions
A JAMA Pediatrics study of 1,012 hospitalized infants found maternal RSV vaccine effectiveness to be 77.8% against lung infection admissions through six months.
A Firework Toy Named Monkey Mania Draws a Federal Warning for Flame That Travels and Ignites Fabric
CPSC says Monkey Mania firework toys can produce high temperatures that travel far enough to ignite fabric. Officials say to dispose of them.
New CDC Chief Tells Staff She Will Challenge Kennedy Privately While Funded Programs Sit Without People
In her first all-hands meeting, CDC Director Erica Schwartz acknowledged understaffed programs and burnout and said she would disagree with Kennedy privately.
COVID Test Positivity Tops Three Percent for the First Time Since March as Surveillance Gaps Widen
COVID test positivity passed 3% for the first time since March. A state health officer says surveillance can no longer size the increase.
Patients and Researchers Push Back on Cancer Drug Doses That May Be Higher Than Treatment Requires
A KFF Health News investigation finds cancer drugs are often approved at doses higher than needed, leaving patients with avoidable side effects.
Duchenne Cell Therapy Shifts Its Target from the Heart to Arm Function as Decision Date Slips
Capricor will amend its deramiocel filing to seek an upper-limb indication, and says the FDA has signaled that the August 22 decision date will move.