Early Signs of Autism

This Chicago Tribune article entitled "Study Finds Early Signs of Autism in Baby Brains" reports on recent research finding that the brains of infants who later were diagnosed with autism actually responded differently to eye contact with another person than did the brains of infants who were never diagnosed with autism. Although the researchers call for additional study, this research is intriguing in that it may allow for very early identification and potential treatment of autism. What other research is needed in this situation? How might early identification change the treatment of autism?

Interactive Prognosis Tool

This NY Times article entitled "Interactive Tool to Assess the Likelihood of Death" reports on a new website called ePrognosis which has  16 assessment scales with “moderate” to “very good” abilities to determine the likelihood of death within six months to five years in various older populations. Researchers at UCSF have offered this interactive tool to physicians who work with older adults, particularly in healthcare settings where older adults have multiple medical conditions (e.g., nursing homes) as a way to explore benefits of aggressively pursuing treatment tools. Do you think this is a helpful or dangerous tool? If you were an older adult with multiple medical conditions, would you want your physician to use a tool such as this one?

Binge Drinking in Adults

This AP/Columbus Dispatch article entitled "CDC: Young Adults Down 9 Drinks When They Binge" finds that the average college-aged adult will average 9 drinks when they get drunk. Binge drinking is considered anything over 4-5 drinks at a time. One out of every 4 adults between the ages of 18-34 say they binge drink at least once a month. Why do you think young adults binge drink? What factors contribute to binge drinking?

Pot Smoking and Health

This NY Times well-blog article entitled "Marijuana Smoking Does Not Harm Lungs, Study Finds" describes a recent study revealing that long-term marijuana use does not harm the lungs the way that cigarette smoking does, which is contrary to the common belief about the drug. Past studies have revealed, however, that smoking pot does impair cognition. Do the benefits of smoking marijuana for chronic medical conditions outweigh the problems associated with it? How do you feel about the results of this study?

The Fat Trap

This NY Times article entitled "The Fat Trap" discusses some intriguing research that finds obese individuals who lose weight eventually gain all their weight back, no matter how determined they are to keep the weight off or whether they maintain their efforts to do so. The research indicates that hormones in the body that are related to hunger and metabolism fundamentally change in these individuals. It may change the way the entire nation thinks about weight loss. How does this impact your thinking about diet and exercise's role in weight loss? What other factors might be involved in the weight loss process?

Sexual Satisfaction in Women

This Chicago Tribune article entitled "Sexual Satisfaction Highest in Oldest, Youngest Women, Study Says" explores research that reveals that sexual satisfaction in women is not related to high levels of sexual desire or sexual activity! In general, women under age 55 and those over 80 were the most likely in the study group to say they had high levels of sexual satisfaction. What might explain these findings? How might this change the way that we think of sexuality, especially in women?

Good Teachers Create Lasting Gains

This NY Times article entitled "Big Study Links Good Teachers to Lasting Gain" reviews recent research that reveals elementary and middle-school teachers who help their students raise standardized testing scores also impact wider-ranging variables, such as teen pregnancy rates and college graduations. Students with top-performing teachers also make more money as adults. What variables might be influencing this correlation? How could this research impact the future of our educational system?

Re-Thinking The Anorexia Protocol

This NY Times article entitled "Protocol to Treat Anorexia is Faulted" explores how the standard protocol of "start low, advance slow" with giving food and nourishment to anorexics early in their hospitalization may be faulty. The article discusses how recent research reveals that this protocol actually results in continued weight loss before increasing weight. However, other researchers are concerned about the physical and emotional consequences of changing the protocol. What do you think? What makes sense to you in terms of helping anorexics early in their hospitalization? How should future research be conducted?