Multi-tasking is Bad for the Brain

CNN.com article entitled "Drop that BlackBerry! Multitasking May be Harmful." The article discusses research that indicates the more you multi-task with technology, the worse you do on tasks that require switching attention. The researchers indicate that this could result over the long term in reduced productivity. Do you find that it is more difficult to switch from one task to another after spending time multi-tasking? What might be some other factors influencing attention and short-term memory?

End-of-Life Comfort Care

NY Times article entitled "Months to Live - At the End, Offering Not a Cure but Comfort." This article explore a fairly new but rapidly expanding field of medicine called palliative care. The focus is not on curative care, but rather providing relief from physical and emotional suffering. How can medicine provide a "good death" while at the same time honoring a patient's wishes? How might culture impact an individual's desire for palliative care?

The Brain and Stress

NY Times article entitled "Brain Is a Co-Conspirator in a Vicious Stress Loop." This article describes animal research that indicates the brain gets "stuck" in bad habits when exposed to chronic stress. The article also discusses how this might apply to human behaviors and what happens when stress is removed. What are the implications of this research for stress-management programs and for individuals dealing with chronic stress?

Drugs That Slow Aging

NY Times article entitled "Tests Begin on Drugs That May Slow Aging." The article discusses two lines of research focused on slowing the aging process: caloric restriction (see other articles in this blog regarding this) and single-gene changes. Do you think aging is a process that should be slowed? How would human life change if the average longevity was 150 years (think about work, family, finances, resources)?

Acupuncture Boosts Effects of Painkillers

LA Times article entitled "Acupuncture Boosts Effects of Painkillers, Natural or Prescription." The article reviews recent research that indicates acupuncture makes certain key brain cells more receptive to pain-killing opioids. Acupuncture is still considered an "alternative" treatment by many insurance plans. Given this recent research, should acupuncture be part of routine pain-management treatment for individuals with chronic pain? What additional research needs to be conducted?

Mentally Ill Offenders in Juvenile System

NY Times article entitled "Mentally Ill Offenders Strain Juvenile System." The article discusses the difficulty for those young offenders who have mental illness to receive proper treatment and the struggle of state prison systems to pay for appropriate care. How could the juvenile system more appropriately work with young, mentally ill offenders? What are some alternatives to a punishment-based jail system? How could the state pay for treatment?

Disabled Students More Likely To Be Spanked in School

NY Times article entitled "Disabled Students More Likely to be Spanked in School." The article reports on a survey that reveals that of the children who are spanked in school, a disproportionate number are those with disabilities. Ohio's governor just signed a ban against corporal punishment in schools but in other states it is still legal. Why do you think this is? How effective is spanking in children? What are other ways to effectively discipline children within the school system?

Patient Consent Forms

NY Times article entitled "Doctor and Patient -- Treating Patients as Partners, by Way of Informed Consent." This article explores the complexity of discussing informed consent with patients and how the understanding of medical procedures goes beyond a simple discussion of the risks and benefits. Is it appropriate for physicians to have patients sign consent forms without proper training to do so? How might informed consent be better collected?

Suicides Rising in the Military

NY Times magazine article (quite lengthy) entitled "Suicide's Rising Toll -- After Combat, Victims of an Inner War." This article discusses the emotional cost of war, and explores the emotional trauma that military personnel experience both during the war and when they come back home. Suicide rates among returning military personnel have risen dramatically, despite great efforts in the U.S. to prevent military suicides. What more could be done to prevent suicide and the emotional trauma of war? How can the greater healthcare system support these soldiers?

Post-Partum Depression

CNN.com article entitled "Are You At Risk for Post Partum Mood Disorder?" The article discusses the symptoms of PPMD, as well as the difficulty of new mothers being willing to admit that they may need help with regulating their moods after giving birth. What are some ways that hospitals and pregnancy healthcare workers could screen for PPMD? How does the healthcare community overcome the stigma of treating PPMD versus just "sucking it up"?