Brain "pacemaker" tested in Alzheimer's patients

Small study looked for improvements in "executive function" in Alzheimer's patients with device implanted in their brains

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brain-pacemaker-alzheimers-patients/

Couple gets parasitic hookworms in feet on beach trip

What started as itchy feet during a beach vacation quickly turned into a traveling nightmare for one young couple from Canada

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/couple-gets-parasitic-hookworms-in-feet-beach-vacation-dominican-republic/

Concussions Drive Dementia Risk Decades Later

A traumatic injury to the brain -- such as a concussion from a sports collision or a motor vehicle accident -- is already  associated with short-term risk of dementia.

From: https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20180130/concussions-drive-dementia-risk-decades-later?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Resolutions to Cut Drinking May Be Tough to Keep

The survey, of nearly 3,000 "higher-risk" drinkers, found that roughly 20 percent wanted to cut back in the near future. But six months later, there were no signs that their motivations had turned into action.

From: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20180130/resolutions-to-cut-drinking-may-be-tough-to-keep?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Can Brain Scans Reveal Who Your Friends Are?

Brain scans revealed that friends had the most similar brain-pattern responses to videos. And friends of friends had more similar brain activity than friends of friends-of-friends.

From: https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20180130/can-brain-scans-reveal-who-your-friends-are?src=RSS_PUBLIC

FDA recommends single-dose packaging to reduce opioids abuse

Silver Spring, Md. — In an effort to curb the prescription opioid abuse epidemic, the Food and Drug Administration on Jan. 30 announced it is looking to change how manufacturers package their products so that health care providers can have better options for prescribing opioids.

From: https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/fda-recommends-single-dose-packaging-to-reduce-opioids-addiction

March 1 deadline for reporting HIPAA breaches involving fewer than 500 people

The deadline for reporting Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act breaches involving fewer than 500 individuals to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office for Civil Rights is March 1.

From: https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/march-1-deadline-for-reporting-hipaa-breaches-involving-fewer-than-500-people

Registration commences Feb. 14 for Hawaiian annual meeting

ADA 2018 – America's Dental Meeting will be held Oct. 18-22 in the capital city of Honolulu, at the Hawaii Convention Center. The New Dentist Conference will run concurrent to the annual meeting from Oct. 18-20.

From: By David Burger
https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/registration-commences-feb-14-for-hawaiian-annual-meeting

Mayo Clinic Minute: Take the guilt out of Super Bowl party favorites

From: Mayo Clinic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUwc3-rVlsI

7-year-old boy from Virginia dies from flu, family says

As flu activity is reaching its highest level in nearly a decade, more people -- including children -- are dying from the flu

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kevin-baynes-7-year-old-from-virginia-dies-from-flu-family-says/

Why isn't there a universal flu vaccine?

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, explains

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/flu-outbreak-why-isnt-there-a-universal-vaccine/

Man dies in MRI accident: How does this happen?

MRI imaging is safe for human tissue, but introducing metal near the powerful machines can be deadly

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-dies-in-mri-accident-how-does-this-happen/

Why teenagers eat Tide pods

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire

It’s been on the news recently: teens are eating Tide detergent pods — despite the fact that eating them can be lethal. They film themselves doing it; it’s the “Tide Pod Challenge.”

It’s not like they don’t know it can be dangerous. Besides the fact that it’s common knowledge that detergent isn’t food, there has been a lot of media coverage about the dangers of toddlers getting into them, about how Tide pods are not just poisonous but possibly lethal.

The media coverage, actually, is part of the problem. But the real problem is the adolescent brain.

Adolescence is a crucial moment in life, the transition between childhood and adulthood. The brains of adolescents reflect that transition. They have the ability to take in a lot of information, to learn quickly, that children have — and their brains are beginning to build the connections that adults have, the connections that make different parts of the brain work together more quickly and effectively. The last part of the brain to build those connections is the frontal lobe. This is important, because the frontal lobe is the part of the brain that controls insight and judgment, the part that controls risk-taking behaviors.

Basically, teens are quick learners without a whole lot of insight or judgment, and risk-takers. As frustrating as this may be for parents, teachers, and others who have to deal with teens on a daily basis, it makes evolutionary sense.

Teens have to learn so much as they get ready to become adults. They have to learn not only academic subjects, but how to navigate life: how to hold down a job, drive, pay bills, and everything else an adult needs to do to survive. It’s a staggering amount of information, really.

They also have to take risks. Just think about it: leaving home, getting a job, falling in love… it’s a lot of scary firsts. Those risks are hard to take when you fully understand how things can go wrong, and how we are all flawed and mortal. They are much easier to take when you think you are invincible.

Unfortunately, teens don’t limit their risk-taking to leaving home or falling in love. They take dumb risks, the same kind we took as teenagers. We took them because we thought we were invincible, and because our friends were watching and egging us on. That’s another part of teen reality: what their peers think matters a lot.

That’s where the media coverage comes in — more specifically, social media. Back when I was a teen, the group of friends watching and egging me on was relatively small, and most of them were people I’d chosen to be friends with, at least some of whom had some interest in my well-being. They were also there in person, and we could talk about risks before taking them.

With social media, today’s teens have potentially millions of people watching and egging them on, mostly people they didn’t choose, who are not there in person — and who have zero interest in their well-being. It’s “I dare you” in proportions we can’t measure or imagine, played out in the latest “challenge” (there have been plenty of them) and broadcast via their ever-present phones.

That’s why the American Association of Poison Control Centers reported 86 intentional exposures to laundry detergent packets in the first three weeks of 2018. And those are just the ones that got reported.

YouTube has said it will take down any reported videos, which is good, but there will undoubtedly be another challenge. We can’t make social media go away, any more than we can change the adolescent brain.

We must realize that social media has changed the world adolescents are growing up in; while it has upsides like connectedness, it also can put them at risk. We need to find ways to use the power of social media for good, like the video the New England Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski has made telling teens not to eat Tide pods. We also need to spend more time with teens, both talking and listening. We need to help them navigate this new socially connected world; we need to help them understand where and how to draw the line, so that they stay safe.

The post Why teenagers eat Tide pods appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Claire McCarthy, MD https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-teenagers-eat-tide-pods-2018013013241

Weight-Loss Surgery Alone Won't Keep Pounds Off

Doctors usually recommend patients try different types of diet and exercise for at least five years before considering weight-loss surgery.

From: https://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/news/20180130/weight-loss-surgery-alone-wont-keep--pounds-off?src=RSS_PUBLIC

A Diet to Boost a Woman's Fertility?

Greek researchers report that younger women who followed this heart-healthy eating plan in the six months before trying IVF had better odds of a successful pregnancy than women who didn't.

From: https://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/news/20180130/a-diet-to-boost-a-womans-fertility?src=RSS_PUBLIC

From private practice to academia

Gainsville, Fla. — Dr. Bonita Wynkoop had been in private practice for more than 20 years when she found an opening to pursue something she always wanted to do: teach.

From:

By Kimber Solana

https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2018-archive/january/from-private-practice-to-academia

Kidney Donors Could Face Long-Term Health Risks

More than 19,000 kidney donations were performed in the United States in 2016, the latest figures available, according to U.S. Government Information on Organ Donation and Transplantation. About 1 in 5 donations of all organs is from a living donor.

From: https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/news/20180129/kidney-donors-could-face-long-term-health-risks?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Infectious disease expert explains why this year's flu virus is so deadly

Health workers are facing a huge challenge in trying to contain this season's flu outbreak. It's the most widespread in recent years, with at least 37 child deaths reported so far. The biggest clusters are in the South and West. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, joins "CBS This Morning" from the NIH headquarters to discuss the importance of getting vaccinated and why it's so difficult to create a universal vaccine.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/infectious-disease-expert-explains-why-this-years-flu-virus-is-so-deadly/

Groups Ask Facebook to Scrap Messenger Kids App

Facebook should scrap its Messenger Kids app because it could pose health and development risks, 19 groups say in a letter to be sent Tuesday to Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.

From: https://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20180130/groups-ask-facebook-to-scrap-messenger-kids-app?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Memory Loss Hitting Some Fentanyl Abusers

Imaging scans of patients revealed lesions on the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with memory, Haut explained.

From: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20180129/memory-loss-hitting-some-fentanyl-abusers?src=RSS_PUBLIC

7-year-old among latest victims of deadly flu epidemic

Kevin Baynes, a 7-year-old boy from Virginia, died Sunday, a day after his flu diagnosis. The CDC projects roughly 700,000 flu-related hospitalizations this season. Manuel Bojorquez reports.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/7-year-old-among-latest-victims-of-deadly-flu-epidemic/