THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Could a higher power help stroke recovery? People who are spiritual may be better able to deal with stroke-related disability, new research suggests. The Italian study linked spirituality -- be it through religion or simply a strong sense of purpose and connection to others -- to a lower risk of depression for people with low to moderate disability after a stroke and their caregivers. Spirituality also appeared to improve the quality of life for both. "We observed that when stroke survivors had higher spirituality, their caregivers had lower depression and consequently better physical and psychological quality of life," said study author Gianluca Pucciarelli, a research fellow at the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy. Stroke...

THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- The coronavirus pandemic can be especially difficult for children and adults with autism and their families, experts say. Self-isolation and disruption of routine are tough for anyone, but may emotionally upend someone with an autism spectrum disorder, said Dr. Adrien Eshraghi, a professor and director of the University of Miami Hearing Research and Communication Disorders Laboratory. The challenges autism patients and their families might face during the COVID crisis, and what health care providers should know to ensure appropriate care, are outlined in a letter published recently in The Lancet Psychiatry journal. "The goal of this paper is to define the challenges these patients face in a pandemic like this, so physicians, caregivers and...

THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- An injectable electrode could prove a better way to ease chronic nerve pain than opioid painkillers or bulky and expensive implants, animal research suggests. It's called an "injectrode." It appears easier and cheaper than spinal implants for debilitating back pain, and safer than long-term use of opioids like OxyContin (oxycodone), a recent paper suggests. A liquid silicone gel filled with small metal particles is injected around the nerve that's causing the pain, said researcher Kip Ludwig, a professor of biomedical engineering and neurological surgery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "It cures (hardens), and it becomes a conductible electrode" that surrounds the nerve, Ludwig said. Doctors then inject an outer sheath of...

THURSDAY, May 28, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- As the U.S. coronavirus death toll passed 100,000 on Wednesday, there was more evidence of the collateral damage the virus has caused: New numbers released Thursday show the number of unemployed has now passed 40 million. The death toll is "a striking reminder of how dangerous this virus can be," Josh Michaud, associate director of global health policy with the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington, told the Associated Press. COVID-19 is also a virus of opportunity: A jump in cases is being seen in nearly a dozen U.S. states, at least half of which reopened early, as the country's coronavirus case count passed 1.7 million on Thursday. Though the overall national trend has been staying steady or dropping, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South...