The work done by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine faculty members (and even some students) is regularly highlighted in newspapers, online media outlets and more. Below you’ll find links to articles and videos of Feinberg in the news.
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In the aftermath of a mass casualty event like Tuesday’s shooting in Uvalde, Texas, blame swirls, often landing on one frequent victim: mental illness. However, years of research show that mental illness does not play a role in the vast majority of gun violence. Lori Post, PhD, director of the Buehler Center for Health Policy and Economics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine said, “There is no evidence the shooter is mentally ill, just angry and hateful. While it is understandable that most people cannot fathom slaughtering small children and want to attribute it to mental health, it is very rare for a mass shooter to have a diagnosed mental health condition.”
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Last year, researchers at Northwestern University reported initial success in developing an alternative to the temporary pacemakers used today: a wireless, “dissolving” pacemaker made of materials that biodegrade over a few weeks. The wireless system could allow them to move around, and perhaps recover at home, said John Rogers, PhD, primary investigator in this research. It is a “niche” group of patients who need temporary pacing. This could include someone who had a surgery and may need temporary pacing.
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A new study from Northwestern Medicine shows that many so-called COVID “long-haulers” continue to experience symptoms including brain fog, tingling, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus and fatigue an average of 15 months after the onset of the virus. According to Igor Koralnik, MD, chief of Neuro-infectious Diseases and Global Neurology at Northwestern Medicine, “The study reports the longest follow-up period of neurologic symptoms impacting non-hospitalized patients suffering from long-COVID anywhere in the world.”
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Tali Raviv, PhD, shares the importance of mental health support after experiencing a traumatic event. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress may include difficulty sleeping, change in normal routines, intrusive thoughts or nightmares, feeling on edge or jumpy. These are all normal responses to trauma. There are trauma treatments for youth and adults that do help to reduce post-traumatic stress symptoms, and it’s important for people to seek out support when they need it.
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Many COVID-19 patients who didn’t wind up in the hospital continue to battle lingering health issues more than a year later, a new study finds. According to Igor Koralnik, who oversees the Neuro COVID 19 Clinic at Northwestern Medicine, “We were surprised by the persistence of most of the debilitating neurologic symptoms of our patients, and by the late appearance of symptoms that suggest dysfunction of the automatic nervous system.” On average, long-haulers continued to have brain fog, numbness/tingling, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus and fatigue for 15 months after their initial infection, the investigators found.
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be easy to miss when it starts. That’s because you might not have any symptoms. But over time, you may start to cough a lot or feel short of breath when you’re active. Mild COPD might not seem like a big deal. But it’s important to act early. According to Benjamin Seides, MD, health system clinician of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, a long-acting bronchodilators are a better choice to ease symptoms if you reach for your rescue inhaler a lot. He recommends this as they’re sued in a scheduled way – in the same way you’d take a blood pressure medication.
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A woman started experiencing uncomfortable episodes of fear, which she thought were panic attacks. Then there was brain fog, which was subtle at first but got to the point where she had to really focus to be a part of a conversation. The woman, Kim Grau, finally received a diagnosis after suffering a grand mal seizure, a type that involves the entire body. Grau had a tumor growing deep in her brain. The tumor was causing seizures, which lead to some of the strange symptoms she experienced, said Dr. Matthew Tate, a neurosurgeon at Northwestern Medicine and associate professor of neurological surgery and neurology, who removed the growth last year.
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People who get a mild case of COVID usually recover in a week or two. But a new study from Northwestern Medicine found COVID long haulers are still dealing with symptoms 15 months after their initial infection. The study discovered fatigue, brain fog, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, a ringing in the ears and numbness were still big problems for patients, even though they were never hospitalized for COVID. Northwestern researchers found the sense of taste and smell improved for long haulers after six to nine months, but they had more issues with heart rate, blood pressure and gastrointestinal symptoms.
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A follow-up study by the Northwestern Medicine Neuro COVID-19 Clinic finds that long-haulers are experiencing symptoms like brain fog, numbness, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision and fatigue on average 15 months after the onset of the disease. According to Dr. Igor Koralnik, chief of neuro-infectious diseases and global neurology at Northwestern Medicine, “As new variants emerge and the number of patients impacted by long COVID rises, we’re now focusing our research on understanding the root cause of long COVID. We’re also devising interventions to improve the management of those patients and find the best treatment options for them.” The Northwestern clinic has treated nearly 1,400 long-haulers from across the U.S.
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News sites shared a study in Australia that claimed it found the ’cause’ of sudden infant death syndrome: a biochemical marker that could help identify babies at risk of death. But physician-scientists who have devoted their careers to studying SIDS say the study’s findings are, perhaps understandably, being overblown by people desperate for good news on infant deaths. However, the study was found to have a small sample size and must be replicated in a larger group before it can be taken seriously. According to Debra E. Weese-Mayer, MD, professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, “Other studies have found factors after the child has died…is it a perfect study? No. But if you’re careful not to over-interpret the results, it does add a possible new piece to the puzzle of SIDS.”