news 2024

Not all pain is the same. Depending on the cause, it requires different therapies. A team led by ETH Zurich has now developed a method that enables physicians to better distinguish between physical and psychosocial pain. Severe pain often has physical causes. But emotional, psychological and social factors can influence how we perceive and react to pain.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience greater exclusion than heterosexual people. This is the conclusion of a recent study by researchers from the University of Basel and the University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU). Heterosexual individuals who deviate from traditional gender roles are also affected.

Scientists from the University of Geneva have discovered that fentanyl leads to the activation of two distinct cell populations in the brain, first when the drug is taken and then during withdrawal, suggesting a novel model for opioid addiction. Fentanyl is a particularly powerful synthetic opioid. Diverted from its original medical use, it has become a deadly drug responsible for three-quarters of overdose deaths in the United States.

Many people aspire to a successful partnership. But is this success determined by destiny, or does it result from working on the relationship? Researchers from the University of Basel have investigated the role of people's inner convictions on how they approach a relationship and how satisfaction develops over time.