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Two patients in the United States who are paralysed from the neck down have been able to control a robotic arm using their thoughts.
It allowed one to drink unaided for the first time in nearly 15 years.
The technique, described in the journal Nature, links a sensor implanted in the brain to a computer, which translates electrical signals into commands.
BBC News - Tue, 22 May 2012
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Babies born after labour is induced have less risk of dying but a higher risk of admission to a special-care unit, a study suggests. The British Medical Journal analysis of 1.2m births in Scotland between 1981 and 2007 also found no increased chance of a Caesarean section - contrary to previous findings.
BBC News - Tue, 15 May 2012
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Food manufacturers, supermarkets and health experts are to be asked their views on the best way to label the nutritional content of food. There have been long-running battles over how to label the amount of fat, sugar, salt and calories in food - with several different systems in place.
BBC News - Tue, 15 May 2012
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The American study in BMJ Open compared more than 10,000 patients on tablets like temazepam with 23,000 similar patients not taking these drugs. Death risk among users was about four times higher, although the absolute risk was still relatively low.
BBC News - Tue, 28 February 2012
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Six patients were given a virus that infects the body with the blueprints needed to produce blood-clotting proteins. Four of them could then stop taking their drugs. Just one injection appears to be enough to mean people with haemophilia B no longer need medication, according to an early study in the UK and the US.
BBC News - Tue, 13 December 2011
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Scientists in Canada have raised a tantalising prospect - reversing Alzheimer's disease. They used a technique known as deep brain stimulation - applying electricity directly to regions of the brain. In two patients, the brain's memory hub reversed its expected decline and actually grew.
BBC News - Mon, 28 November 2011
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People with psoriasis have nearly three times the risk of stroke and abnormal heart rhythm, according to scientists in Denmark.
BBC News - Tue, 30 August 2011
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Broken sleep affects the ability to build memories, a study of mice suggests. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Science findings could help explain memory problems linked to conditions including Alzheimer's and sleep apnoea.
BBC News - Tue, 26 July 2011
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Age UK and the College of Optometrists say too few request the free check-ups offered to those aged above 60. An Age UK poll of 1,700 suggests one in seven over-60s, nearly two million, has not been tested for at least two years. Nearly four million are estimated to have fallen in the past two years, and the poll indicated one in 14 of these falls was linked to vision problems.
BBC News - Wed, 22 June 2011
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The Royal College of Psychiatrists says people over 65 should drink a maximum of only 1.5 units of alcohol a day. That is the equivalent of just over about half a pint of beer or a small glass of wine. The report says older drinkers are less able to process alcohol and the drink might also interact with medication they may be taking for other ailments.
BBC News - Wed, 22 June 2011
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