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Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Study: Blame the Brain for Some Types of Pain

Some types of "mystery" pain may be all in your head, and aren't necessarily psychological, researchers conclude from a new study.

When some patients were hypnotized and told they were in pain, they exhibited similar brain activity as people who actually were in pain, according to study leaders at University College London (UCL) and the University of Pittsburgh.

This may help explain why doctors can't find a physical or psychological reason for why some people experience chronic pain, reported BBC News Online. The scientists said the results prove that doctors shouldn't dismiss patients who are experiencing pain that cannot be explained, and that such cases aren't necessarily psychological.

"If this pain has an origin in the brain, it suggests that you can use other therapies, such as hypnosis, to alleviate the pain," study leader Dr. David Oakley, director of the hypnosis unit at UCL, told the BBC. Results of the research are published in the journal NeuroImage.

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Separated Twins Leave Each Other for First Time

Newly separated 27-month-old Filipino twins continued to recover in a Bronx, N.Y., hospital Monday, a day after the boys were forced to part company for the first time in their lives.

When Carl Aguirre was wheeled from his room to undergo a routine CAT scan Sunday, it was the first time he had ever left his brother, Clarence, reported the Associated Press. The occasion proved even more daunting for their mother, Arlene, who had to decide which twin to stay with. She chose to accompany Carl to the test, leaving Clarence with her mother.

Since Wednesday's 17-hour operation to separate them, the twins have shared a room in the pediatric intensive care unit at Montefiore Medical Center. Both are still sedated and are recovering in side-by-side beds.

Last week's surgery was the fourth in a series of operations designed to spare the twins the trauma of the traditional multi-day separation surgery. They still face several more operations to reconstruct their skulls, their plastic surgeon told the AP.

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Recalled Toy Frogs Can Lose Their Stuffing

Determined Productions of Larkspur, Calif., is recalling 90,000 stuffed toy frogs, whose seams may tear and leak the small plastic pellets inside. This poses a choking hazard to young users, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in announcing the recall. The firm has one report of a child who was taken to the hospital after starting to choke on plastic pellets. The child wasn't hurt. The recalled toy is an 11.5-inch-tall purple stuffed frog with a green chin, belly, hands, and feet. The frog has the word "brave" sewn in purple letters onto the underside of its right foot.

The product, made in China, was sold exclusively at all Kohl's Department Stores throughout July for about $5.

Consumers are advised to stop using the toy immediately and contact Determined Productions at 877-925-0660, or visit their local Kohl's store to receive a refund or store credit.

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Prozac Found in U.K. Drinking Water

The antidepressant Prozac is being consumed in such large quantities in Britain that it has now been discovered in the country's drinking water.

Britain's Environment Agency has revealed that Prozac is building up both in river systems and groundwater used for drinking supplies, according to a report in The Observer. Exactly how much is there is unknown. The government said that the amounts were "watered down," and weren't likely to pose any risk to public health, but said that it was a "potential concern."

The discovery has nonetheless left environmentalists concerned. The use of Prozac in the country has shot up dramatically, rising from 9 million prescriptions per year to 24 million in the decade ending in 2001, according to The Observer.

Activists are seeking an urgent investigation into the revelations, saying that the buildup of the antidepressant is tantamount to a "hidden mass medication," the paper said.

According to experts, Prozac seeps into rivers and water systems from treated sewage water.

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Kerry Aims for Jugular on Stem Cell Issue

Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee, used the party's Saturday radio address to attack what Democrats believe to be a vulnerable issue in President Bush's re-election campaign: his restriction on the use of embryonic stem cells for medical research.

"Here in America, we don't sacrifice science for ideology," the Boston Globe quoted Kerry as saying. "We're going to lift the ban on stem cell research. We're going to listen to our scientists and stand up for science. We're going to say yes to knowledge, yes to discovery, and yes to a new era of hope for all Americans."

In August 2001, Bush barred federal funds for research using new embryonic stem cell lines. The issue took a back seat in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but Democrats plan to revive it in a major way because the president hasn't backed off from that stand, even though some Republicans have urged him to do so.

According to the Globe, Democrats are keen on making the issue "a clash of values akin to a Scopes Monkey Trial for the 21st century. In their casting, Bush is like William Jennings Bryan, clinging in religious certitude to creationist theories, while Kerry is like Clarence Darrow defending evolution, a rational defender of scientific promise."

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Virus Kills Hundreds of Cats in Michigan

A virus that health officials say is easily preventable has killed as many as 800 cats in Michigan's Saginaw County.

The "cat plague" has prompted officials to tell people to keep their felines indoors, according to a report in the Saginaw News.

The virus, panleukopenia, kills rapidly, dividing body cells and making the cat more susceptible to other complications and bacterial infections, the newspaper reported. Kittens are especially vulnerable because of their immature immune systems.

Panleukopenia often breaks out in animal shelters because unvaccinated stray cats are left there. But the weather has been mild and humid, leading officials to suspect that people are leaving their cats outdoors longer and more often.

Mark Wachner, director of Saginaw's Animal Care Center, told the News that the virus can be prevented through normal vaccinations.

"Cats are among the most neglected domestic animals in the country," he said. "You have people saying, 'He's just an outdoors cat,' but they need regular examinations, too."

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