How conscious are people in a vegetative state? Although the answer may seem obvious, in actuality it isn’t. A recent study found that some patients who appear unconscious still have hidden brain network patterns that support a level of cognition. This indicates that even though the patients seem outwardly unresponsive, they may be aware of their surroundings and be capable of thought processing.
There are a wide variety of diseases that impair the growth of the brain and nervous system, ranging from autism spectrum disorders to schizophrenia. With this large number of disorders comes an even larger number of treatments, from medications to therapies to surgeries. However, many of these seemingly different neurodevelopmental disorders may share a common cause. One treatment could be developed that would be effective for many different disorders.
Sensory input from the external world profoundly influences homeostasis and evokes complex behavioral output important for health maintenance and survival. One such critical sensory input is light, which allows us to visualize the outside world.
Teachers tell students that math will be useful later in life, but did they know it would be useful at the gas station? A group of Hopkins scientists have developed a mathematical model to estimate how much of a gasoline droplet will infiltrate concrete or evaporate into the air. The model shows that small droplets, which occur frequently during refueling, could damage our environment and our community.
Between wars, accidents, birth defects and diseases like diabetes, there are more than 1.6 million people in the U.S. who suffer from some kind of limb loss. Advances in technology have allowed doctors to fit prosthetics that are comfortable and function well, but there are no artificial limbs that allow patients to regain sensation.
Coffee, that magical elixir some of us swear by during midterms and finals, has been found to genetically affect our bodies. Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital recently released the results of a study that suggests that people naturally adjust their coffee intake to experience the optimal effects produced by caffeine.
Hot off the heels of the September unveiling of new iPhones and a smart watch, Apple introduced two new iPads, new Mac models, and the release of two major operating systems (OS).
America is the birthplace of a multitude of fast food chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and many more. Perhaps not coincidentally, the U.S. is also facing an obesity epidemic: In 2012, more than one-third of adults were obese. However, a new study has found that restaurants have started voluntarily lowering the calorie count of their menus.
On Thursday Oct. 16, a dedication ceremony for Malone Hall was held in an outdoor pavilion on Decker Quad. Dr. John C. Malone, who contributed $30 million to fund the construction of the building, was honored at the dedication.
“What happens to us after we die?” This question has bewildered mankind since the dawn of human civilization. In attempting to find an answer, mythological traditions and major religions have arisen.
Kabuki syndrome, a newly-discovered genetic disease, has been the subject of several studies aimed at determining its causes and finding potential medications for treating the disease. Recently, a team at the School of Medicine has discovered a potential route for developing drugs that can treat the disease.
For a long time it was widely believed that the adult mammalian brain was incapable of generating new neurons. During early development, a significant amount of neurogenesis (production of new neurons) occurs in order to form the nervous system. This neurogenic program was thought to shut down during adulthood, rendering the brain lacking in neurogenic capabilities.
The stereotypical portrayals of people suffering from addiction and mental illness have become prevalent in the brains of many Americans due to messages conveyed by TV shows, addiction or depression recovery projects and brochures advertising antidepressants. These stereotypes are the root of a study conducted by Colleen Barry, associate professor and associate chair for research and practice in the Department of Health and Policy at the Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) titled “Discrimination, Treatment Effectiveness and Policy: Public Views About Drug Addiction and Mental Illness.”
Hopkins is no stranger to battling epidemics. From the influenza epidemic of 1918 and 1919 to the AIDS crisis, Hopkins researchers have worked on accurately diagnosing patients, developing treatments and identifying at-risk populations. This is why, to Hopkins President Ronald J. Daniels, it made sense that Hopkins would host a symposium on the current Ebola epidemic. The symposium was held Tuesday, Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH). It was also available to the public on a livestream.
Three years after the announcement of Windows 8, Microsoft is back with another entry in its decades-spanning operating system. Whereas Windows 8 was meant to serve touchscreens with large, easy-to-navigate icons in a flat and colorful “metro” environment, the new Windows 10 will harken back to the old days with a more prominent desktop environment. With the changes, Microsoft intends to make it easier than ever to use a Windows machine.
Birth certificates are useful for more than just getting a passport. Vital statistics, specifically the documentation of births and deaths within a population, play a critical role in evaluating the progress toward achieving worldwide health goals. One such health goal is the U.N. Millennium Development Goal of reducing mortality in children under the age of five by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015.
Today it may seem like there’s a pill to treat everything. But is turning to medication always the best answer? A researcher at the Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) conducted a meta-analysis of studies from between 1988 to 2013 and found that individual Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is more effective at treating social anxiety disorder than any pharmacological or psychological treatment options. This analysis could help treat the 15 million people in the U.S. with social anxiety disorder.
Consider the vaccine. It is administered to hundreds of thousands of screaming infants and toddlers each year; its advertisements are ubiquitous in store and pharmacy windows during flu season. Vaccines are also commonly grown and incubated in the eggs of mammalian animals, to be harvested and made into the fluid which we inject into our upper arms. But researchers have found that there may be a cheaper and better way to produce vaccines, and the answer lies in the form of the tobacco plant.
It is hard to fathom that animals as complex as humans evolved from tiny microscopic organisms. A recent fossil discovery may provide more insights into how exactly the evolution from single-celled forms of life into the intricate life forms alive today happened.
Turmeric, known scientifically as Curcuma longa, does more than just add spice to the curry eaten all over the world. Native to southeast Asia, the orange and yellow plant has been used for centuries not just as a dye or a spice but also as a medical treatment. A lab in Germany has recently brought turmeric back into the medical playing field. The study, done by Maria Adele Rueger and her team, tested the compound’s utility in relation to diseases of the brain.
