Teen social media use linked to lower cognitive scores; Cambridge scientists grow embryo-like structures that make human blood; ADHD in women goes unnoticed for years – Morning Medical Update

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Teen social media use linked to lower cognitive scores

Adolescents who spent more time on social media showed slightly poorer cognitive performance two years later, according to a new JAMA research letter based on more than 6,500 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco identified three usage patterns from ages 9 to 13 — no or very low use, low increasing use and high increasing use. Both low and high social media users scored lower on tests of memory, language, and overall cognition compared with minimal users, even after adjusting for factors like income, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and other screen time. The findings suggest that rising social media engagement in early adolescence may be linked to subtle but measurable declines in certain aspects of cognitive development.

Cambridge scientists grow embryo-like structures that make human blood

In a striking advance, researchers at the University of Cambridge have created lab-grown human embryo-like structures that begin producing blood within two weeks. These “hematoids,” developed from stem cells, self-organize to mimic early human development — forming beating heart cells by day eight and red blood patches by day thirteen. Published in Cell Reports, the work offers a new window into how blood forms naturally in the embryo and could pave the way for future regenerative treatments using a patient’s own cells. The model may also enable new insights into leukemia and immune system disorders.

ADHD in women goes unnoticed for years

Women with ADHD are diagnosed an average of five years later than men, even though their symptoms start at the same age, according to new research presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress in Amsterdam. The study of 900 adults in Barcelona found that women were typically diagnosed around age 29, compared with age 24 for men — by that time, they experienced more severe symptoms, higher rates of depression and anxiety and greater daily impairment. Researchers say the delay likely stems from ADHD presenting differently in girls, who tend to be inattentive rather than hyperactive and therefore less likely to draw early clinical attention.