There are records of several unusual experiences reported by people in a terminal state, occurring in the final days, hours, or minutes of life. One such experience, known as terminal lucidity (TL), is characterized by an unexpected surge of mental clarity, which may occur along with a brief recovery of cognitive abilities. TL can be considered a medical enigma which is difficult to explain, as those who experience it often, though not always, exhibit irreversible physiological decline.

Researchers at Kumamoto University have demonstrated that iron supplementation can significantly alleviate muscle pathology and functional decline in a mouse model of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), a rare genetic muscle disease for which no effective treatment currently exists.

Researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), the National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC), and Yale University (U.S.) have published a comprehensive review article in the journal Cell that proposes a new framework for understanding neutrophils, the most abundant cells of the immune system.

A new resource is helping people with dementia speak to their doctors and health care professionals about their medicines with more confidence.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have zeroed in on a cellular gatekeeper that may hold promise for treating abnormal protein accumulation in neurodegenerative diseases, according to a study published in Nature Communications. "In all neurodegenerative diseases, there is an accumulation of misfolded proteins," said Robert Kalb, MD, the Joan and Paul Rubschlager Professor, chief of Neuromuscular Disease in the Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, and director of the Les Turner ALS Center, who was senior author of the study.

A research team at Université Laval may have discovered why physical exercise and living in favorable socioeconomic conditions reduce the risk of depression. In lab animals exposed to chronic social stress, one of the main causes of depression, physical activity and an enriched environment helped maintain the integrity of the blood-brain barrier in areas of the brain associated with mood and emotion regulation.

The distinct foot odor that comes with the skin disorder Nagashima-type palmoplantar keratosis (NPPK) is caused by the overgrowth of a specific bacterial strain, according to a study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Earlier this month, the federal government issued new dietary guidelines that place an emphasis on protein, including red meat; recommend full-fat dairy, and offer less specific guidance on alcohol intake. The new guidelines also offer a stronger focus on limiting added sugars and highly processed food, according to Stephani Johnson, a clinical dietitian and adjunct assistant professor in the Rutgers School of Health Professions.

For many women with early breast cancer, surgery is effective but life-altering. New five-year data from the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) suggest that a precisely targeted, high-energy particle therapy may allow some patients to avoid surgery without compromising oncologic outcomes.

Functioning brain cells need a functioning system for picking up the trash and sorting the recycling. But when the cellular sanitation machines responsible for those tasks, called lysosomes, break down or get overwhelmed, it can increase the risk of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurological disorders.