New research among World Trade Center (WTC) responders with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has uncovered measurable physical changes in their brain structure, consistent with changes in the balance of myelinated to unmyelinated neurons (fast- and slow-conducting nerve cells) across both hemispheres of the brain. These changes were most strongly associated with re-experiencing symptoms in individuals with PTSD. The cortical differences found in this sophisticated imaging study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, published by Elsevier, may serve as surrogate biomarkers for compromised brain health in people suffering from chronic PTSD, as well as potentially informing early screening strategies.

For the first time, scientists have analyzed metabolism-related molecules from the fossilized bones of animals that lived 1.3 to 3 million years ago, revealing insights about both the animals and their environments.

New ultrasound technology developed at Johns Hopkins can distinguish fluid from solid breast masses with near perfect accuracy, an advance that could save patients, especially those with dense breast tissue, from unnecessary follow-up exams, painful procedures and anxiety.