Making mentally ill defendants ready for trial

KERRVILLE, Texas -- The judge ascended the bench. He looked down at cafeteria-style tables marked "Prosecuting Attorney" and "Defense Attorney." To his left, two men sat in a box marked "Jury." The witness stand was marked "Witness.""Sustained," proclaimed the judge, who wore a striped polo shirt, a thick goatee and a shock of greasy hair. He gave the gavel a sharp bang and waved it arou...

Student: 'We're graduating a premier group of new doctors'

'Why would we wait?': 3 sisters face Jolie's cancer dilemma

Actress Angelina Jolie’s revelation this week that she’d had both breasts removed to lower her elevated risk of cancer came as a bombshell to many -- but not to three sisters from Berkeley Heights, N.J.The women -- Cathy Balsamo, Cindy Lepore and Patti Broccoli -- have spent most of the past year grappling with the very dilemma that Jolie faced: What to do when a genetic mutation means you’ve got

New IVF method uses time-lapse snapshots to boost live births

LONDON -- British fertility experts have devised a new IVF technique that takes thousands of snapshots of a developing embryo that they say can help doctors pick those most likely to implant successfully and develop into healthy babies.At a briefing in London before publishing their results, the researchers said they are already using the technique to select "low risk" embryos that are the le...

New IVF technology offers dramatic results

Medical research impacted by continuing sequester

Can genetic testing help women prevent a breast cancer diagnosis?

Flesh-eating bacteria victim gets new bionic hands

Calorie-cutting condiments help trim weight

How to look younger without plastic surgery

4 new cases of deadly Corona virus found in Saudi Arabia

Aimee Copeland gets new high-tech hands

In a major milestone, Aimee Copeland, the Georgia graduate student who contracted flesh-eating bacteria after a zip-lining accident, is learning to use two state-of-the art prosthetic hands. The high-tech hands may one day allow her to do the kinds of things most of us take for granted: cooking, cleaning, driving a car. In May 2012, a wound Copeland sustained in her accident developed necrotizing

Bringing free health care to New Orleans

Fitness protects you from cancer, even 20 years later

Fitness can protect you from cancer -- even 20 or more years down the road, researchers report. And men who were the most fit in middle age were the least likely to die a quarter century later even if they were unlucky enough to get cancer, a new study finds.Men who were the most fit at age 50 back in the 1970s were the least likely to develop lung or colon cancer 20 to 25 years later, the study,

Chorus of critics greets new psychiatric manual release

The fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's manual of mental disorders is finally out, offering the latest revision in nearly 20 years of the diagnostic bible used by individuals and agencies, insurers, schools and government bodies to navigate the mental health landscape.But just as it’s birthed, the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders -- widely known

Gymnophobics are real-life 'never-nudes'

Of the many wonderfully nonsensical things the TV show “Arrested Development” has introduced us to – the mayonegg, hot ham water, each family member’s interpretation of the chicken dance – one of the most notable is the "never-nude".On the show, which returns May 26 for a much-anticipated fourth season on Netflix, psychotherapist-turned-actor Tobias Funke suffers from the psychological condition a

Larry Page's damaged vocal cords: Treatment comes with trade-offs

Larry Page, Google’s co-founder and chief executive, says the condition that has left his voice hoarse and raspy and made public speaking difficult was caused by a virus.Page disclosed Tuesday that he has some degree of paralysis in both of his vocal cords. That, he said, causes breathing problems and allows him to speak only in a quiet voice.“Thankfully, after some initial recovery I’m fully able

Psychiatrists, critics face off over psychiatric manual

CHICAGO -- In the new psychiatric manual of mental disorders, grief soon after a loved one's death can be considered major depression. Extreme childhood temper tantrums get a fancy name. And certain "senior moments" are called "mild neurocognitive disorder." Those changes are just some of the reasons prominent critics say the American Psychiatric Association is out of control, turning common ...

Woman's quest for a fifth kidney

New SARS cousin finally has a name : MERS

Every virus needs a catchy name, and now the new coronavirus linked to the Middle East that has infected 40 people and killed half of them has one: Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus or (MERS-CoV).Various scientists have been calling it MERS, but the Coronavirus Study Group, which groups experts from around the world, made it official on Thursday.“This name is endorsed by the discoverers

5 must-have medical tests

Attention deficit leads US kids' mental health problems, CDC reports

The most comprehensive report on specific mental disorders in children shows attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed problem in kids aged 3-17, with close to 7 percent of kids having a diagnosis.Another 3.5 percent have behavioral problems, 3 percent have anxiety and 1.1 percent have autism. For teenagers, addiction to drugs, alcohol and tobacco are the most

MRIs could make baby autopsies more acceptable

Bereaved parents who do not want to see their dead babies go through a conventional autopsy could in future be offered a less invasive option which uses magnetic resonance imaging and blood tests to establish the cause of death. Scientists who investigated using a combination of full body scans and sample tests found this so-called minimally invasive autopsy (MIA) was as effective in determin...

Doctors detail Angelina Jolie's breast surgery

Angelina Jolie's mother had breast cancer and died of ovarian cancer, and her maternal grandmother also had ovarian cancer — strong evidence of an inherited, genetic risk that led the actress to have both of her healthy breasts removed to try to avoid the same fate, her doctor says.Jolie, 37, revealed on Tuesday that she carries a defective BRCA1 gene that puts her at high risk of developing breas

No. 1 swimming pool problem? It's number two!

People always worry about pee in the pool, but number two is the No. 1 problem, government health experts say. They found plenty of evidence that someone’s pooping in the pool.It’s not only disgusting, but it’s evidence that people are not following basic hygiene rules, says Michele Hlavsa, chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Healthy Swimming Program.“It is time to stop treat

Charmin bear charms autistic boy

This is a story about a boy, a bear and bathroom tissue. When a giant corporation took time out to send a token of affection to a small admirer, it made a family’s day.First, meet 9-year-old Cash'an Clark, a happy, easygoing kid who also faces some big challenges, his mom Grace Clark said.Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was 2, Cash'an has problems communicating and socializing. He

New baseball helmets aim to withstand high-speed hits to kids' heads

Karen Stultz worries about head injuries every time her Little Leaguer steps up to the plate to bat. As the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand she sucks in her breath, whispering to herself, “Don’t get hit. Please, get out of the way.”Though head injuries aren’t as common in baseball as they are in hockey and football, they do occur and their impact can be devastating, especially for kids.The Centers

Actress places genetic testing in spotlight

Doctors doubt nurses skills, survey finds

Nurse practitioners are staffing retail health clinics, diagnosing and treating ills from strep throat to conjunctivitis. They’re giving flu shots and prescribing drugs. And the influential Institute of Medicine says they should not only work side by side with physicians, but replace them in some cases.But a survey published on Wednesday shows a huge gap between what nurse practitioners think they

Joy’s cook-off! Viewers compete for best one-pot dish