The OHSU Brain Institute announced on Sept. 14 that it is the proud sponsor of Gunther von Hagen’s newest BODY WORLDS exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, beginning Oct. 20. BODY WORLDS and The Brain will run for several months at OMSI. It follows the enormously popular 2007 BODY WORLDS at OMSI, which OHSU also sponsored. Nearly 400,000 people visited that exhibit during the exhibit’s four-month run. BODY WORLDS & The Brain … Read More
The Oregonian’s Joe Rojas posted an interesting blog item today about research efforts that don’t pan out. Here’s a link to the full post. Here’s an excerpt Placing wire mesh stents in brain arteries for stroke protection failed big time in the first randomized clinical trial, reported widely this week. Safety monitors halted the Wingspan stent trial in April after seeing more strokes and deaths among people randomly assigned to receive stents. You would never … Read More
This news story just happened to catch my eye: MSNBC: Widely-used PTSD drug fails test in combat veterans With two wars going on, it’s no surprise that PTSD rates continue to climb and today’s news is not good news for families battling the issue. However, medications aren’t the only way to combat PTSD. OHSU’s Helene Wabbeh has been developing a meditation therapy to assist veterans. Here’s a video clip to explain: … Read More
Health research has extended and improved our lives in countless ways. In fact, one recent poll suggests that our success in combatting disease has shifted thinking around the globe. The international survey demonstrated that people are as fearful of Alzheimer’s as much as they fear cancer. While it’s great news that people expect to live longer, healthier lives, Alzheimer’s is a disease where there are many unknowns and of course…no treatments. This week, OHSU’s Dr. … Read More
Most of us have heard of winter depression. But did you know that there are folks out there who dread the dog days of summer? It’s true according to OHSU’s Dr. Alfred Lewy. Dr. Lewy was interviewed for MSNBC.com column the call “The Body Odd.” Here’s an excerpt from that story: As hot weather approaches, those with summer SAD sleep less, eat less, and lose weight. They’re extremely irritable and agitated. (It’s the reverse for … Read More
An exciting front page headline in The Oregonian this morning about efforts to combat multiple sclerosis. It’s a good example of how findings in animals and humans can often be cross-linked allowing for new treatments to be developed for one or both species. The research project started with a mystery…a naturally-occurring disease found in a small number of ONPRC’s Japanese Macaque monkeys. The disease caused the animals to lose the loss of their limbs over time. Further … Read More
OHSU scientists this week unveiled a remarkable new technology that they’re developing — technology that allows completely paralyzed people who have no ability to speak or write to communicate through their brain waves. The scientists demonstrated the “brain computer interface” system at a national conference this week in Portland — with the help of a Portland man, Greg Bieker, who was severely disabled by a stroke 16 years ago and who has been working with … Read More
Two OHSU physicians know first-hand the travails of multiple sclerosis: they’ve been diagnosed with the disease. But Elizabeth Steiner and Fran Biagioli have always tackled MS head on. And they’re doing it this month, as they’re getting set to participate in the MS Mud Run Portland on June 18. The event is a fundraiser for the National MS Society. Participants in the event will try to complete a 10-kilometer obstacle course that will have them … Read More
