In a concert, members of the audience can respond emotionally to music, owing to their biological synchronization to the audio input. However, the mechanism underlying this biological response is unclear. Now, a pioneering study has found that music-induced heart-rate synchronization is highly correlated within an individual, compared to between two randomly selected individuals. It has been determined that individual differences in cognition reduce the consistency in physiological responses and affect synchronization.
Read more …Understanding the synchronization of physiological states during a live music performance
A colder nose and warmer cheeks may be a telltale sign of rising blood pressure. Researchers discovered that temperatures in different face regions are associated with various chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. These temperature differences are not easily perceptible by one's own touch but can instead be identified using specific AI-derived spatial temperature patterns that require a thermal camera and a data-trained model. With further research, doctors could one day use this simple and non-invasive approach for early detection of diseases.
Read more …Doctors could soon use facial temperature for early diagnosis of metabolic diseases
Researchers developed a prototype of an implantable microphone for a cochlear implant. Their device, which senses the movement of the ear drum in the inner ear, performed as well as commercial hearing aids and could someday enable a fully internalized cochlear implant.
Read more …Implantable microphone could lead to fully internal cochlear implants
A new study in mice hints at the promise of an eventual alternative treatment option for the 'wet' version of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Researchers determined in mice that an enzyme related to cell growth and division is a culprit in the blood vessel invasion in the back of the eye that causes blurred central vision in wet AMD. Targeting the enzyme, called telomerase, with an experimental drug suppressed abnormal vascular growth in the animals' retina.
Read more …A new target for treatment of one type of macular degeneration