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Quitting smoking in middle age or later is linked to slower age-related cognitive decline over the long term, according to a new study by UCL researchers. The study, published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity , looked at data from 9,436 people aged 40 or over (with an average age of 58) in 12 countries, comparing cognitive test results among people who quit smoking with those of a matched control group who kept smoking.

Women performed best on cognitive tests during ovulation but physical activity level had a stronger influence on brain function, according to a new study from researchers at UCL. The study, published in Sports Medicine - Open , explored how the different phases of the menstrual cycle and physical activity level affected performance on a range of cognitive tests designed to mimic mental processes used in team sports and everyday life, such as the accurate timing of movements, attention, and reaction time.

A team co-led by UCL researchers has reversed Alzheimer's disease pathology in mice using nanoparticles that help the brain to clear away toxic amyloid proteins naturally. Unlike traditional nanomedicine, which relies on nanoparticles as carriers for therapeutic molecules, the approach utilised nanoparticles that are bioactive in their own right, known as "supramolecular drugs".

Women who have Caesarean births at an advanced stage of labour are about eight times more likely to develop scars in the womb which are known to increase the likelihood of premature births in future pregnancies, UCL researchers have found. The study , published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology , looked at how the stage of labour when the operation is performed affects where the scar forms and how well it heals.

Around 12,000 years ago, hunter-gatherers in what is now Saudi Arabia created detailed, life-sized rock carvings of camels and other animals on cliffs. Here researchers, including Dr Ceri Shipton (UCL Archaeology), explore what this means for history and archaeology. About 12,000 years ago, high up on a cliff in the desert of northern Arabia, an artist - or perhaps artists - was hard at work.

Autistic children and adults may be experiencing PTSD at higher rates than official diagnoses suggest, with their symptoms misdiagnosed or dismissed as being autism traits because of 'diagnostic overshadowing,' finds a new analysis by UCL researchers. The study, published in  Clinical Psychology Review , reviewed diagnosed PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) rates in over 190,000 autistic people globally, and compared them with other evidence of PTSD symptoms prevalence.

A fossil discovered in Scotland has revealed a new species and family of Jurassic reptile linked to the origins of lizards and snakes, reports a study co-led by a UCL researcher. Published in Nature by an international team including researchers at UCL, the American Museum of Natural History, National Museums Scotland and colleagues in the UK, France and South Africa, the study describes a previously unknown Jurassic reptile that lived around 167 million years ago.

Using a wood or coal burning stove or open fire at home may lead to a decline in lung function, suggests a new analysis from UCL researchers. The study, presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Amsterdam, found that lung function among solid fuel users in England declined faster over eight years compared to non-users.

The interior of the mysterious far side of the moon may be colder than the side constantly facing Earth, suggests a new analysis of rock samples co-led by a UCL and Peking University researcher. The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience , looked at fragments of rock and soil scooped up by China's Chang'e 6 spacecraft last year from a vast crater on the far side of the moon.

Recently discovered, life-sized figures of camels carved prominently onto cliff faces in the northern region of the Arabian Peninsula were likely used to mark routes to water sources in the vast Nafud desert nearly 12,000 years ago, finds a new study involving UCL researchers. The paper, published in Nature Communications , found that these stone-age carvings indicate that humans settled in the region at a time when seasonal water sources were starting to return at the beginning of the Holocene following the dry conditions of the last ice age.

A team led by UCL and Imperial College London researchers has shown for the first time how life-saving antibiotics called polymyxins pierce the armour of harmful bacteria. The findings, published in the journal Nature Microbiology , could lead to new treatments for bacterial infections - especially urgent since drug-resistant infections already kill more than a million people a year.

Being racially or ethnically discriminated against may increase the risk of later developing psychotic symptoms, finds a major review of international evidence led by UCL researchers. The authors of the new umbrella review, published in PLOS Mental Health , found consistent evidence from numerous studies that racial and ethnic discrimination appears to contribute to the development of psychosis.

Plain packaging of vape pods reduces young people's interest in trying them, but does not reduce interest among adults, according to a new study led by UCL and King's College London researchers. The study, published in the journal Lancet Regional Health and carried out in collaboration with Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and Brighton and Sussex Medical School researchers, looked at survey responses from 2,770 young people in Great Britain (aged 11-18) and 3,947 adults (18+) in the UK who were shown either branded vape pod packs or standardised packs.

A link between kidney transplant rejection and changes in the body's lymphatic vessels has been discovered in a UCL-led study. The study, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, examined lymphatic vessels in the body's immune system which help to transport white blood cells and remove waste.

Thousands of people with dementia are prescribed powerful medications for longer and at higher doses than recommended, raising concerns about safety and quality of care, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The study, published in the Lancet Psychiatry , found that many people living with dementia are being prescribed antipsychotic medications* for longer periods and at higher doses than National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines advise, highlighting a serious gap between clinical recommendations and everyday medical practice.

Children with a rare, debilitating muscle disease could benefit from the findings of new research by experts at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). For the study, published in Annals Rheumatic Diseases , the scientists closely analysed muscle samples from three children with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and discovered the mitochondria, small energy-producing structures inside cells, were not functioning correctly.

Tiny elements in the human diet, such as micronutrients, may have influenced human evolution in ways greater than previously recognised, according to a new study led by UCL researchers. In the American Journal of Human Genetics , the scientists describe how human ancestors around the world developed various genetic adaptations in response to shortages and surpluses of minerals in their diets based on where they lived.

An ultrasound device that can precisely stimulate areas deep in the brain without surgery has been developed by researchers from UCL and the University of Oxford, opening up new possibilities for neurological research and treatment of disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Scientists have long been looking for a way to modulate brain function, which could improve our understanding of how the brain works and help to treat neurological diseases, using non-invasive methods that don't involve surgery.

A synthetic cell that can be activated by a magnetic field to release a medicine whilst deep in the body has been created by chemists at UCL and the University of Oxford. The new technique, published in Nature Chemistry , could be used to precisely target medicines for cancers or bacterial infections, simultaneously increasing their effectiveness and reducing side effects.

Sinus surgery is more effective than antibiotics at treating chronic rhinosinusitis, according to a major clinical trial led by UCL along with academics at the University of East Anglia and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), or sinusitis, is a long-term condition affecting one in 10 UK adults.