UCL in the media
Electric pulses reverse memory decline
Professor Robert Howard (UCL Psychiatry) comments on a study which found that applying an electric current to the brain can temporarily improve working memory among older people. He says this may not translate into any clinical benefit.
Alzheimer’s comes with a number of brain anomalies
People with Alzheimer’s often have a mix of brain anomalies - Professor John Hardy (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) says this may complicate treatment, meaning drugs only have a very tiny effect.
Cycling can give older people a mental boost
A study led by Dr Louise Leyland (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) found that cycling an hour and a half a week appeared to improve mental function among a group of people aged over 50.
Nutritional supplements ‘don’t work’
Professor Hugh Montgomery (UCL Medicine) comments on a study assessing the benefits of nutritional supplements, saying it adds to evidence that “routine vitamin supplementation offers little if any benefit to health and may cause harm”.
Concerns about antidepressant use
Dr Joanna Moncrieff (UCL Psychiatry) raises concerns about antidepressant use and the severity of withdrawal symptoms, after the latest figures showed 70 million prescriptions in England last year.
How much water should you drink a day?
Dr Courtney Kipps (UCL Surgery & Interventional Sciences) says it’s a myth that if you’re thirsty, it’s already too late and you have already become dehydrated – thirst, she argues, is an effective marker of fluid deficit.
Unfair citizenship charges for children
Dr Stuart Tannock (UCL Institute of Education) is among the signatories of a letter arguing that citizenship charges for children are unfair. For many children who grew up in the UK, the letter says, the pathway to citizenship takes 10 years and costs more than £10,000.
How children's centres aid child development
Amid widespread closures of children’s centres in London, Professor Courtenay Norbury (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences) explains how such centres help to ensure children do not fall behind in their development.
Measles: the return of a preventable disease
Professor Helen Bedford (UCL Institute of Child Health) explains how measles has returned to parts of Europe and the US. In her article, she points out that Ukraine has by far the biggest number of cases in Europe.
Age discrimination linked to poorer health
A study led by Dr Sarah Jackson (UCL Epidemiology & Health Care) has found that age discrimination is rife in Britain, with one in four over 50s reporting being unfairly treated in shops, restaurants and hospitals.
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