A ‘memory prosthesis’ implant appears to improve memory in people with brain damage, as I wrote in September. The device is designed to mimic the way our brains typically form memories in a seahorse-shaped structure called the hippocampus.
And a non-invasive form of brain stimulation, which delivers gentle pulses of electricity through an electroded swim cap, appears to improve memory in older people.as I reported last year.
Electrodes implanted in the brains of people with depression are helping us better understand and treat the disorder. A team has used an array of electrodes to develop a “mood decoder”, designed to tell when a person is slipping into a depressed state and help reverse it.
It’s not just brain data that could be dangerous in the wrong hands. My colleague Tanya Basu has written a guide to protecting your menstrual health data in a post-roe world.
from all over the web
The World Health Organization has finally published a definition of long covid in childrenafter a long and extremely heated debate between parents, doctors and scientists. Children and adolescents with “post-covid-19 condition” have symptoms that affect their daily life for at least two months, which usually include fatigue, anxiety and changes in the sense of smell. The WHO has included a list of other potential symptoms, including chest pain, fever, nausea, rash, palpitations, and cognitive difficulties. (WHO)
Speaking of long-term covid, here’s what not to ask someone experiencing long-lasting symptoms. (the atlantic)
He Jiankui, the controversial scientist whose work led to the world’s first babies being born using CRISPR gene editing, has had his Hong Kong visa revoked. The Hong Kong government made the announcement hours after it said it was in contact with universities, companies and research institutes there. (Associated Press)
A 53-year-old man is considered the third person with HIV to be officially free of the virus. The man received stem cells from the bone marrow of a person with a genetic mutation that makes the cells resistant to HIV. (Nature)
Your body is electric. Cracking the code of the “electrome” could help us find new ways to understand and treat all kinds of diseases. (new scientist)