brainier Boys who eat fish regularly in their mid-teens appear to do significantly better in intelligence tests years later, according to Swedish researchers who say the omega-3 fats in fish appear to be important to early brain development and long-term maintenance. The Goteborg University team based their findings on a three-year study of almost 4,800 boys who were surveyed when they were 15 about their diet and lifestyle, and then given intelligence tests when they were 18. On average, those who ate fish more than once a week scored higher than those who ate less of it, Reuters reports.

Early Alzheimer's test created

US researchers have devised an accurate test for Alzheimer's disease in its earliest stages by measuring proteins in spinal fluid. 'The general consensus is you're going to have the best chance to improve Alzheimer's if you can catch it early, when there's more brain function to preserve,' says team leader Leslie Shaw of the University of Pennsylvania. The test focuses on two classic hallmarks of the disease in the brain: amyloid beta protein, which forms sticky brain plaques; and another protein, tau, which forms fibrous tangles in the brain, Reuters reports.

TCM relieves eczema in children

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) appears to relieve symptoms of persistent eczema in children - typically dry, itchy and scaly skin - with no side effects, based on a pilot study in New York. The treatment entailed drinking a herbal tea twice a day, herbal baths and skin creams, and acupuncture. At the start of the Mount Sinai Hospital study, more than half of the children had severe symptoms; after eight months, most had only mild skin problems, WebMD reports. Meanwhile, Japanese researchers say TCM also appears to be successful in clearing up or significantly relieving eczema symptoms in adults within about four months, based on a study of more than 250 sufferers.

Musicians' brains synch when playing

When musicians play in harmony, their brain waves appear to be in synch as well, say researchers from Berlin's Max Planck Institute who tested eight pairs of guitarists playing some short jazz-fusion. The guitarists' brain-wave patterns became increasingly harmonised as they listened to the beat of a metronome before starting and also when they actually began playing. Nonetheless, the researchers aren't sure whether the brain synchronisation occurs first or in response to the beat, healthday.com reports.

'Veggie Viagra' boosts men's libidos

Meanwhile, if music be the food of love ... another team of Berlin researchers is testing a 'veggie Viagra': an impotency treatment for men made from natural ingredients that, in some cases, works better than the original. The libidos of the men given the treatment were 'even higher than the control group taking Viagra', says Olaf Schroeder from Berlin's Charite medical school. The cocktail includes the herb Tribulus terrestris, a root vegetable from the Andes called maca, and a grape juice extract, AFP reports.