Weekly Developments in Medicine No: 2

Dementia: A recently released review by the World Health Organization found that telemedicine and other remote-assistive technologies for people living with dementia can meaningfully improve psychological wellbeing, quality of life and safety—reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, lowering indoor falls by as much as 64%, easing caregiver burden and helping cut social isolation. The analysis found high user satisfaction with interventions like videoconferencing, virtual cognitive stimulation, phone consultations and online peer support. However, the benefits were less clear for individuals with advanced dementia, significant sensory or communication impairments, or insufficient technological/caregiver support.

Diabetes during pregnancies: The World Health Organization has published its first global guidelines for managing diabetes during pregnancy, targeting the 21 million women annually affected. The guidelines include 27 evidence-based recommendations emphasising: personalised care; frequent glucose monitoring (in-clinic and at home); medication protocols; and multidisciplinary support for women with pre-existing diabetes. They stress the need to integrate diabetes management into routine antenatal services, ensure equitable access to medicines and technologies, especially in low- and middle-income countries where the burden is growing and resources are limited. 

Lyme Disease: Researchers at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center have developed a new droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) test that can detect the bacterium that causes Lyme disease with high sensitivity, even in very small amounts (just 5–10 bacterial cells) from skin tissue. Tested on preserved skin samples, the assessment showed a sensitivity of 90.9%. Unlike traditional antibody tests, which can’t reliably tell whether someone has an active infection or just past exposure, this molecular test directly detects bacterial DNA, making it more accurate for diagnosing chronic or hard-to-confirm Lyme disease. The team plans to scale up testing and improve sensitivity further, with the goal of enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment and reducing long delays for patients. 

Cervical Cancer: Researchers in Japan have created a new nasal vaccine that may one day help treat cervical cancer caused by HPV without the need for surgery or chemotherapy. The vaccine uses tiny gel-like particles to safely carry a piece of the virus (called the E7 antigen) into the nose, along with an ingredient that boosts the immune response. In animal studies, it activated strong cancer-fighting immune cells in the reproductive tract, slowed tumor growth in mice, and produced long-lasting protection in monkeys. Because it’s noninvasive and doesn’t affect fertility, this nasal vaccine could offer a gentler and more accessible treatment option in the future, and the same technology might be useful for other diseases as well.

Hip Arthroscopy: Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, together with orthopedic surgeons, have introduced a new surgical tool called the CAP-LIFT cannula that makes hip arthroscopy (minimally invasive hip surgery) safer and more efficient. The innovation lies in its “slotted” design, which gives surgeons more room to maneuver their instruments inside the hip joint. It also combines the traditional cannula and a guiding “sled” into a single, anchored device — eliminating the need for a second person to hold a tool and reducing the risk of injuring surrounding tissues. Launched in October, it has already been used in over 100 surgeries with very positive feedback.

Sleep Apnea: According to a new review, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes frequent drops in oxygen and fragmented sleep, which changes the content and amount of exosomes released by the body. These altered exosomes can harm blood vessel cells, hurt brain cells, worsen insulin resistance, and even promote liver disease and cancer. But they might also be useful: certain exosomes from stem cells could reduce brain inflammation or boost cancer treatment response. This research highlights exosomes as both causes of harm and potential new targets for treating OSA-related diseases.

Post-surgical complications: Researchers at Stanford Medicine found that a personalized “prehabilitation” program involving one-on-one coaching on exercise, diet, mental training, and mindfulness in the weeks before major surgery significantly lowers the risk of post-surgical complications. Compared to patients given only general pre-surgery advice, those who received twice-weekly remote coaching improved more in physical and cognitive tests, had healthier immune-cell responses, and experienced much fewer moderate-to-severe complications after their operations.

Speech patterns: A recent study by Baycrest Rotman Research Institute, University of Toronto and York University shows that everyday speech including patterns such as pauses, filler words ("uh", "um") and word-finding delays is linked to executive brain functions like memory, planning and flexible thinking. By using AI to analyse natural speech during picture-description tasks and comparing it with standard cognitive tests, the researchers found that these subtle speech features reliably predicted cognitive performance regardless of age, sex or education. Because natural speech is easy to collect repeatedly and unobtrusively, it could become a scalable tool for early detection of cognitive decline, complementing or potentially improving on traditional time-limited tests.