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A team of researchers at Mass General, in collaboration with a team form the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, recently identified a pattern of brain inflammation in the brains of fibromyalgia patients that could be the key to diagnosing this elusive disorder.

Meditation is an ancient practice that has been used for centuries to achieve a state of calmness and clarity. While it was commonly associated with certain religious practices, it has made its way into everyday Western culture, with increasing amounts of research showing it has several positive health benefits. Herbert Benson, MD, is an internationallyRead more

Are you looking for some fun and interactive websites to engage students in science? Look no further! Our science communications intern Aliénor Rice– a high school student at the International School of Boston, recently checked out this list of the best science websites for students, and picked out some of her favorites. Check out herRead more

A Mass General research team is working to identify the ideal dosages for treating depression with ketamine.

Obesity has become one of the most talked-about health issues but, ironically, we still haven’t mastered how to talk about it yet. With all the stigma surrounding the words like fat and obese, discussing weight issues can be tough for both people experiencing it, and physicians trying to address it. Medical experts say stigma canRead more

For parents worried about the health impacts of e-cigarettes, it’s important to know the difference between systems.

What’s new in research at Mass General? Here’s a snapshot of studies recently published in top-tier scientific journals: Effect of folic acid on child brain development Have you ever noticed that everything from cereal to pasta to pancake mix has folic acid listed as an ingredient?  This is due to a government-mandated folic acid fortificationRead more

For 10 years, David King, MD, trauma and acute care surgeon in the MGH Trauma Center, and an engineering team, have been working to create ResQFoam, a self-expanding polyurethane trauma foam they hope will answer that question. King says the FDA has now approved the use of this potentially life-saving foam on patients in a clinical trial.

Unfortunately, a third of cancer patients who receive chemotherapy encounter this as a side effect, a condition known as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). This neuropathy is a result of nerve damage or impairment of the nervous system and often is chronic.

A recent Pew Research Survey of 4,000 adults aged 18 and over found that only 17 percent of respondents were “active consumers” of science news.