Children exposed to epilepsy drugs in the womb may achieve poorer test results at school, a study has found. Those born to women who were prescribed certain treatments to control seizures during pregnancy went on to perform worse than their peers in Key Stage One tests, according to research published…

Scientists believe a new antibiotic which is capable of killing superbugs and has been successfully used to treat an infection could lead to the first new class of antibiotic drug in 30 years. A team at the University of Lincoln has created a simplified, synthesised form of teixobactin, a natural…

Thousands of older people in low and middle-income countries are at risk of abuse and human rights violations when being admitted to care homes, according to new research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA). The study provides the first systematic analysis of admissions practices for residential long-term care…

Fresh insights into changes in the brain linked to depression could pave the way for new treatments, according to scientists. Their study also sheds light on why a particular category of antidepressant drugs stops working in some people, researchers believe. Experts at the University of Edinburgh have pinpointed a key…

Antidepressants are effective in the treatment of the mental health condition, according to the authors of an international study. Led by researchers at the University of Oxford, the study aimed to clear up lingering questions about the efficacy of medicine to treat acute depression in adults. Through examining trials involving…

Scientists have developed a blood and urine test that can detect autism in children. Researchers at the University of Warwick said the test, believed to be the first of its kind, could lead to earlier diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children who could then be given appropriate treatment…

A new kind of antipsychotic has been found to relieve terrifying and disturbing symptoms suffered by millions of people with Alzheimer's disease worldwide. New research has found that Pimavanserin significantly improves psychosis symptoms in people with the condition, without the devastating side-effects of currently-used antipsychotics. Scientists also found that the…

Child protection professionals are ill-equipped when working with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children, say researchers who have revealed children from these groups are more likely to be taken into care. Dr Daniel Allen and Sarah Riding from the University of Salford have presented Department of Education statistics showing that since…

The recent rise in homelessness has its roots in welfare reform and the housing market, almost entirely accounted for by an increase in families losing their privately-rented housing, experts have said. The number of people officially recorded as sleeping on the streets of England rose from 1,768 in 2010 to…

Back to the Future star Michael J Fox has pledged more than £100,000 in funding toward the UK development of a new system for monitoring Parkinson's Disease sufferers' symptoms.The Hollywood actor, who himself lives with the long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, founded The Michael J Fox Foundation…

People with diabetes experience higher rates of long-term cognitive decline, new research suggests. The study also found that worse control of blood sugar levels, whether someone is diabetic or not, could also lead to a decline in brain function later in life. The research builds on previous data linking diabetes…

A new research project between Oxford Brookes University and The Open University is investigating whether sharing photographs via social media mitigates loneliness in older people and enhances their wellbeing. The project, co-led by Professor Shailey Minocha of The Open University and Dr Sarah Quinton at Oxford Brookes University, is funded…