Media Coverage
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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TODAY
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Epilepsy strikes woman, 20, out of the blue in rare symptom
Grace Hinchman was a healthy 20-year-old college athlete when she suddenly developed epilepsy – an ordeal that made it difficult for her to talk, walk or know where she was. Doctors called her case one in a million 0 or even more unique – for contracting and then completely recovering from a rare but catastrophic sudden epilepsy syndrome. It can strike children and young adults after they develop a fever from the flu or another benign infection. Fewer than 20% of patients who have this condition, known as FIRES (the acronym for febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome) make a full cognitive recovery, said Dr. Ayush Batra a neurointensivist at Northwestern Medicine who helped treat Hinchman and an assistant professor of neurocritical care and pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “What’s so disturbing about it is there can be no known prior medical history, nothing developmentally abnormal,” Batra said. “So you couldn’t think of a more devastating situation where you have these young healthy children (and young adults) and out of nowhere, out of the blue, with no known predilection, they develop this syndrome.” Doctors don’t know exactly why it happens, but it’s believed a low-grade infection that leads to a fever somehow triggers abnormal inflammation, Batra said. Hinchman has made a full neurologic recovery by all metrics and measures, “an incredibly rare case,” Batra said. She’s back in college, playing volleyball again and feeling just like she did before the ordeal.
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US News & World Report
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Music: Bridging Memories for People with Alzheimer’s
The program, Musical Bridges to Memory, has been shown to enhance patients’ ability to non-verbally interact with their caregivers, according to a study published recently in the journal Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders. The music therapy also reduces troubling dementia symptoms like agitation, anxiety and depression. In the program, a live ensemble plays music from a patient’s youth. The patient and their caregiver are encouraged to interact with the music together by singing, dancing or playing simple instruments like shakers, drums or tambourines. It’s well-established that even as dementia wreaks havoc on the mind and memories, the degenerative brain disorder doesn’t appear to affect a person’s ability to enjoy music until much later in the disease course, said senior researcher Dr. Borna Bonakdarpour. He is an associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. Because of this, patients can retain their ability to dance and sing long after their ability to talk has diminished. “They can process music, they can get it, they receive it, they respond to it, they can dance with it, they can play with it, they can sing along with it,” Bonakdarpour said. “These are components that are pretty much intact, which is amazing.” The Alzheimer’s Association recognizes music therapy as an important non-drug therapy for dementia.
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CNN
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How extreme heat can kill and how you can stay safe
It’s nearly fall, but extreme high temperatures broke records in cities across the United States this week. Schools closed early, outdoor activities were canceled and some pools even shut down in California. High temperatures are not just uncomfortable, they are bad for your health – and can even be deadly. Of all the natural disasters, extreme heat is the No.1 killer, studies show, killing more people than hurricanes and tornadoes combined. The “most worrisome consequence” of high heat is heatstroke, said Dr. Scott Dresden, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. With heatstroke, the body can’t cool itself and regulate its temperature. In normal temperatures, your body loses water through sweating, breathing and going to the bathroom. But when humidity rises over 75%, sweating becomes ineffective. Our bodies can let off heat only when the outside temperature is lower than our internal body temperature, usually around 98.6 degrees. If you notice that someone is confused, has a flush to their skin, seems to be breathing quickly or complains of a headache, move to the shade or into air-conditioning. Cool them with cool water, icepacks or wet towels around their neck, head, armpits and groin. And get medical help as soon as possible.
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New York Times
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Jane Fonda Says She Has Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
The actress Jane Fonda announced on Friday that she had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a treatable form of cancer of the lymph system, and that she would be undergoing chemotherapy treatment for six months. People age 60 and older are more likely to develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, said Dr. Leonidas Platanias, director of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern Medicine, and the earlier it is detected, the better chance a person has of surviving. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is the fifth most common type of cancer in America. The National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be more than 80,000 new cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma this year. Symptoms of unmanaged non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma can include pain, night sweats, weight loss, swelling an fevers, although some kinds of lymphoma can be asymptomatic and are found while doing tests for other purposes.
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TODAY
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How, where and when to get updated COVID booster shots
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Thursday that teenagers and adults get updated booster shots from Pfizer or Moderna. The shots – also known as bivalent vaccines – are designed to target both the original coronavirus strain and the currently circulating omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. Some vaccine experts wonder whether the shots are necessary yet for young, healthy people. Nonetheless, Pablo Peanloza-MacMaster, an assistant professor of microbiology-immunology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, says the potential benefits seem to outweigh the risks. “the way that I look at it right now is that it seems like there’s not much to lose,” he said.
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CBS Chicago
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Skin of Steel raises funds for melanoma research, in hopes of finding a cure
Skin of Steel is determined to find a cure for melanoma, but the pandemic created challenges for the Chicago area organization’s melanoma tissue collection. The work of the organization is now moving forward that the pandemic is easing. “If you’re looking forward and looking for new cures – not just for melanoma, but all cancers – this work is crucial,” said Dr. Jeffrey Wayne, chief of oncology in the department of surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Wayne is the lead investigator for one of four U.S. branches of the Melanoma Tissue Bank Consortium, which has partnered with the Chicago area non-profit Skin of Steel. “To have the tissue and be able to analyze and test treatments and to see if a particular treatment might work on the cellular level before you take it and use it in patients – that’s what this is all about,” Wayne said. SPF 50 sunscreen is among the best defenses to protect against melanoma. “Wearing a wide brimmed hat, sunglasses – those are also important things people can do,” Wayne said. In 2020, Northwestern University’s Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chicago partnered with Skin of Steel and the Melanoma Tissue Bank Consortium. This summer, Northwestern started collecting tissue samples. They have collected more than 80 of the 500 samples needed for melanoma research.
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Crain’s Chicago Business
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Northwestern to Study Apple Watch as Wearable AFib Monitor
With an eye toward getting atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients off lifelong, continuous blood-thinning medication, Northwestern University and Johns Hopkins University will study the effectiveness of using a heart rhythm app on an Apple Watch to tell patients when to use blood thinners temporarily. Using the app on Apple Watch and an accompanying app on iPhone, patients in the trial will be able to target blood-thinning medication use for a limited period of time and only in response to a prolonged episode of AFib, the statement said. “If proven effective, this new treatment paradigm will fundamentally change the standard of care for the millions of Americans living with AFib,” principal investigator Dr. Rod Passman, director of the Center for Arrhythmia Research and a professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “Many of these patients are on blood thinners for the rest of their lives even if they have infrequent episodes of atrial fibrillation. If we can show that this strategy is equally protective against stroke and reduces bleeding, that could save lives, reduce cost and improve quality of life. The trial, called the Rhythm Evaluation for AntiCoagulaTion trial, is a collaboration between Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the American Heart Association, with Apple providing Apple Watches to patients in the trial.
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CNN
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Religion linked to better measures of heart health among Black Americans, study says
African American adults who participate in frequent religious activities, or hold deeper spiritual beliefs, are more likely to score higher in indicators linked to good heart health than those who don’t, according to new research. More religious participants had better scores for blood pressure, cholesterol and other metrics known to influence cardiovascular health, found a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association last Wednesday. Epidemiologist Mercedes R. Carnethon, vice chair of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, told CNN that the research suggests that religious practices and beliefs are correlated with better measures of cardiovascular health. “One hypothesis that could explain these observations is that both the practice of religion and the behaviors that are associated with better cardiovascular health such as adherence to physician recommendations for behavior change, not smoking, and not drinking excessively share a common origin or personality characteristic,” Carnethon said. “Observing a religion requires discipline, conscientiousness and a willingness to follow the guidance of a leader. These traits may also lead people to engage in better health practices under the guidance of their healthcare providers,” Carnethon further said.
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New York Times
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F.D.A. Authorizes Updated Covid Booster Shots, Targeting Omicron Subvariants
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized the first redesign of coronavirus vaccines since they were rolled out in late 2020, setting up millions of Americans to receive new booster doses targeting Omicron subvariants as soon as next week. The agency cleared two options aimed at the BA.5 variant of Omicron that is now dominant: one made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech for use in people as young as 12, and the other by Moderna, for those 18 or older. “Covid-19 is the third leading cause of death in the United States. And it’s as if we’ve just accepted that that is going to be the case,” said Mercedes Carnethon, an epidemiologist and professor of epidemiology and pulmonary and critical care at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “I really hope as many people as possible will seek the updated booster so we can protect those who will have a terrible outcome.” Vaccinations remain the cornerstone of the federal government’s Covid strategy, even with tests and treatments widely available. The Biden administration has ordered over 170 million doses for the fall campaign, and officials do not expect shortages when they are rolled out.
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Yahoo! News
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If You Feel This, You May Have Had COVID, Says Dr. Fauci
A growing number of people are reporting signs of long COVID, a concerning trend where virus symptoms continue for months after initial infection. There are signs that that you’ve already had COVID. These include fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, sleep issues and muscle aches. Long-term brain fog – where people have memory issues, trouble focusing and more – is one of the more common symptoms of long COVID. “There are thousands of people who have that,” says Dr. Igor Koralnik, chief of neuro-infectious diseases at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “The impact on the workforce that’s affected is going to be signficant.” Follow the public health fundamentals and help end this pandemic, no matter where you live – get vaccinated or boosted as soon as possible. If you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, don’t travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don’t go indoors with people you’re not sheltering with and practice good hand hygiene.
