MedPage Today reports on a study by UTMB’s Dr. Huey-Ming Tzeng that found that a Medicare annual wellness visit was associated with greater recognition of mild cognitive impairment in older adults.

The spices that are commonly used to make the fall favorite pumpkin spice flavor all have health benefits, writes Dr. Samuel Mathis.

The news of UTMB receiving a $46 million grant for research on vaccine development was highlighted in this editorial by The Galveston County Daily News. “When it comes fearsomeness, most other things pale in comparison to viruses, so this is money well spent,” writes Editor-in-Chief Michael A. Smith.

A new study poses a theory that accumulation of fat droplets in glial cells causes the plaques and subsequent symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their weekly Medical Discovery News column.

“Computers and texting encourage a forward head position and make it harder to maintain good posture,” UTMB’s Dr. Lynne Hughes tells Consumer Reports. Hughes offered tips on how to maintain good posture.

As more farmworkers are diagnosed with bird flu, one possibility that hasn’t received much attention is that some individuals may carry the pathogen without ever having an immune response or developing symptoms, Dr. Gregory Gray tells the New York Times. “We haven’t really thought about that with respect to influenza,” Gray said.

Dr. Victor Sierpina shares his recent experience learning Spanish and how we can benefit from building our bilingual skills. Those benefits included improved memory, sharper cognitive skills, adaptability in problem-solving, better self-control, and even forestalling dementia.

Drs. Megan Berman and Richard Rupp discuss a recent study that indicates that the shingles vaccine may provide some protection against dementia. “If so, the varicella-zoster virus may play a role in dementia,” they write.

Many crucial questions remain unanswered about the deadly Marburg outbreak in Rwanda, reports the journal Science. Dr. Thomas Geisbert spoke to Science about the outbreak and about the importance of figuring out the genetic sequence of the virus spreading in Rwanda. “They’re obviously all deadly viruses, but the mortality rates are a little different,” Geisbert said.

In this health column for the Galveston County Daily News, Dr. Sally Robinson shares helpful tips on helping teenagers with mental illness. “It is not always easy to tell when the normal ups and downs of adolescence are something to worry about,” she writes.