Behind the Headlines

Green tea may be a 'brain booster'

Friday Nov 30 2012

'Research has shown green tea can help improve memory and cognition in men' the Daily Mail tells us. But this may be overselling the results of a small study looking at patterns of blood flow inside the brain…

Car exhaust fumes 'link' to autism

Tuesday Nov 27 2012

A potential link between pollution and autism is being widely reported in the media, with The Sun headline claiming 'Exhaust fume link to autism in infants and The Daily Telegraph reporting that 'Traffic fumes linked to autism...

Psoriasis drug could hold key to dementia treatment

Monday Nov 26 2012

BBC News reports that, "drugs used to calm inflammation in psoriasis may also help to combat the effects of Alzheimer's disease, a study on mice suggests." Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia, a condition characterised...

Smoking 'rots brain’ causing mental decline

Monday Nov 26 2012

'Smoking doesn't just age your lungs, it damages your brain, too' the Daily Mail warns. The headline is prompted by a UK study looking at the impact of lifestyle factors, such as smoking, on mental functioning and memory…

'Autism gene discovered' by researchers

Thursday Nov 8 2012

"Genetic mutation discovered in people with autism," The Daily Telegraph reports. The newspaper goes on to say that this mutation "cuts communication between brain cells to about one-tenth of normal levels"...

'Dementia gene' explored in teens

Tuesday Nov 6 2012

A "dementia gene" has been found in a third of teenagers, "helping to predict the disease 20 years before devastating symptoms strike", the Daily Mail claims. While, according to the Daily Express, the "dementia gene"...

Drinking alcohol every day 'link' to brain damage

Friday Oct 26 2012

'Just two glasses of wine a day can nearly halve the number of brain cells we produce' is the warning in the Daily Mail. The news is prompted by a recent study looking at how moderate drinking affects brain cell development and cognitive function…

Junk food 'fuelling stroke crisis for young people'

Thursday Oct 11 2012

Young people who binge on fast food are “at risk of developing a stroke”, according to a Daily Express report. This news is based on a large study carried out in the US that examined trends in stroke over the course of a decade...

New drug to 'stop stroke surgery damage'

Monday Oct 8 2012

'New drug lowers stroke risk after surgery' The Daily Telegraph explains. Researchers were looking at a new drug called NA-1, to see if it could prevent strokes occurring after brain surgery - a common complication that can result in brain damage

High blood pressure in pregnancy 'can lower' child’s IQ

Thursday Oct 4 2012

'High blood pressure during pregnancy can cause lifelong effect on child's IQ' the Daily Mail claims, as they report on a Finnish study. But for those worried that they’ve been born stupid, the study only found an average of a four point difference…

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