news 2023

Eight hours without social contact can lead to a reduction in energy similar to eight hours without food In a study conducted in the lab as well as during the COVID-19 lockdowns, participants reported higher levels of tiredness after eight hours of social isolation. The results suggest that low energy may be a basic human response to a lack of social contact.

Medicine & Science The treatment of nerve injuries with the aid of nerve guidance conduits has led to the desired regenerative success in some, but by no means all, cases. In a recently published study, a research team from MedUni Vienna and the University of Oxford has used silk as a promising material for repairing severed nerves.

Medicine & Science In recent years, ultrasound brain therapies have gained importance worldwide and are considered a promising form of therapy for various neurological and psychiatric diseases. The Medical University of Vienna, together with the University of Toronto, plays a leading role in the development and research of applications for these new therapies.

Medicine & Science Although the effects of a noisy environment in the neonatal intensive care unit have been studied before, the effect of the incubators preterm infants are housed in their first weeks/months of life in has not. A team of scientists from MedUni Vienna together with colleagues from Vienna, Hamburg, Munich and Osnabruck investigated, and found that while the incubators dampen some sounds, they amplify others, potentially damaging babies- hearing.

Medicine & Science In the case of the rare genetic disease of hereditary angioedema (HAE), swelling occurs in one or more parts of the body without a recognisable trigger. An HAE attack can be life-threatening especially if the upper respiratory tract is affected. Active substances for on-demand medication are currently only available in the form of injections and transfusions.

Medicine & Science With vaccination fatigue growing and the emergence of new coronavirus variants a possibility, health officials face a potential challenge when it comes to encouraging the public to get regular boosters to protect them against Covid-19.

Studies & Further Education Carinthia University of Applied Sciences and the Medical University of Vienna have launched a cooperation project to address the sustainable interlinking of basic university research and applied brain research. Seven doctoral positions will be publicised for this purpose with research starting in the winter semester 2023/24.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people with partners and children were more likely to adopt precautions and to get vaccinated Having a partner and, to a lesser extent, having children, leads people aged 50+ to take greater precautions against COVID-19, starting with the choice to get vaccinated. In a study published in PNAS, University of Florence social-statistician Bruno Arpino in collaboration with Valeria Bordone (University of Vienna) and Giorgio Di Gessa (University College London) found that social control and support within the family leads to the adoption of healthy behaviours.

Studies & Further Education People in Austria have great confidence in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), diagnostic and therapeutic methods of TCM should also be strengthened further in national healthcare systems. A recent publication by MedUni Vienna found a clear divergence between the perceived and actual scientific character of TCM.

Medicine & Science Climate protection and sustainability are among the major issues of the future. The concerns are also increasingly coming to the fore in the health sector. Anaesthesia, and intensive care in particular, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions through the use of pollutants such as anaesthetic gases and equipment such as heart-lung machines, which have a high energy consumption.

Medicine & Science Mutations of virus and illnesses caused by new variants are still to be expected even in a SARS-CoV-2 situation that has now become endemic. Although the population has developed specific immune responses due to previous infections and vaccinations, vaccinated and vulnerable individuals continue to contract COVID-19.

Medicine & Science Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for 15% of all lung cancer cases and is still associated with a particularly high mortality rate. According to a recent multicenter study led by MedUni Vienna, SCLC can be classified into specific molecular subtypes. New research from the same international team now suggests that a novel combination drug therapy could be an effective option for patients with specific molecular backgrounds.

Medicine & Science As part of a study led by MedUni Vienna in cooperation with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the Karl Landsteiner Private University for Health Sciences (KL) in Krems, a comprehensive European allergy atlas was compiled for the first time using a newly developed test method.

Medicine & Science As part of a MedUni Vienna-led study conducted in cooperation with Stockholm's Karolinska Institute and the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Krems, a comprehensive European allergy atlas has been compiled for the first time using a newly developed test method.

A new study by psychologists at the University of Vienna shows that there is no scientific evidence for the alleged positive effect of Mozart's Sonata KV448 on epilepsy . The music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has been attributed with amazing effects, especially in the last fifty years. Reports about possible positive effects of listening to Mozart's Sonata KV448 on epilepsy symptoms received high media attention.

People of the MedUni Vienna Erdem Yildiz from the University Department of Otorhinolaryngology received the internationally renowned Spoendlin Junior Award for young basic scientists in hearing research for his research work "Investigation of Inner Ear Drug Delivery with a Cochlear Catheter in Piglets as a Representative Model for Human Cochlear Pharmacokinetics".

Medicine & Science A study by the Medical University of Vienna has investigated the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to address societal megatrends and analyzed its proposed solutions in dealing with these global challenges. Artificial intelligence can offer understandable insights into the complex and cross-cutting issues of megatrends, and how they could change and benefit in different areas if AI systems are deployed.

Medicine & Science In stem cell transplants, which are used for the treatment of leukaemia, the patient's haematopoietic system is eliminated and replaced by haematopoietic cells from donors. Even though the amount of complications occurring in this process is steadily decreasing due to medical progress, the exact mechanisms for the restoration of the immune system in these patients have not yet been conclusively clarified.

Medicine & Science An international research group, including scientists from MedUni Vienna and led by Leiden University Medical Center, has found that patients have 30% fewer serious side-effects when the drug dose is adapted to their DNA. The study, published in "The Lancet", is the first to demonstrate the practical application of prescribing drugs based on a person's genetic information.

Medicine & Science A study led last year by Wolfgang Schreiner from MedUni Vienna demonstrated the advantage of decision theory as a valuable extension of conventional statistics in therapy selection in precision medicine. In a research study based thereon, a new method was investigated to render medical decisions more justifiable and independent of intuitions.