How loneliness changes the way our brains process the world

Oct 11, 2023 03:38 am UTC| Health

If theres one thing we as humans seem to have in common, its that most of us have felt lonely at one time or another. But is the pain that comes with feeling socially isolated simply a part of being human? Why does the...

What's insomnia like for most people who can't sleep? You'd never know from the movies

Oct 11, 2023 03:36 am UTC| Health

This article is part of The Conversations six-part series on insomnia, which charts the rise of insomnia during industrialisation to sleep apps today. Read the first article in the series here. Hollywood appears...

Are people born with good balance? A physical therapist explains the systems that help keep you on your toes

Oct 10, 2023 07:41 am UTC| Health

No one is born with the ability to ride a skateboard, surf or even stand on their tiptoes. Unlike other mammals, human beings have no balance at birth virtually no capacity to walk or even stand. Before that can happen,...

A short history of insomnia and how we became obsessed with sleep

Oct 10, 2023 07:35 am UTC| Health

French author Marie Darrieussecq writes in her 2023 memoir Sleepless: The world is divided into those who can sleep and those who cant. Its a big call. But insomnia is a well-recorded preoccupation in history. It...

You've heard of long COVID, but did you know there might also be a long cold?

Oct 09, 2023 13:05 pm UTC| Health

At least 10% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, have symptoms that last more than four weeks after the infection. With more than 770 million infections to date, this translates to tens of...

GPs could improve access to ADHD treatment. But we still need specialists to diagnose and start medication

Oct 09, 2023 12:56 pm UTC| Health

Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects 2.55% of people. Less than half of people with ADHD have been diagnosed and treated though more and more people are presenting...

Dengue: why is this sometimes fatal disease increasing around the world?

Oct 09, 2023 12:55 pm UTC| Health

Something unusual seems to be happening with dengue, a potentially fatal mosquito-borne viral disease found across swathes of tropical Africa, Asia and the Americas. As with most infectious diseases, the number of cases...