The five most-read posts on Scope this week were:
Clinical trial research that knocked my socks on: Stanford Professor Keith Humphreys, PhD, discusses the results of a randomized trial looking at the use of compression socks deep vein thrombosis (DVTs) on long haul flights and why the findings changed his mind about the specialized hosiery.
Imaging study shows little difference between poor readers with low IQ and poor readers with high IQ: A team led by Stanford imaging expert Fumiko Hoeft, MD, PhD, have provided "biological evidence that IQ should not be emphasized in the diagnosis of reading abilities." The researchers said that their work, which will appear in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, indicates that "any child with a reading difficulty, regardless of his or her general level of cognitive abilities (IQ), should be encouraged to seek reading intervention."
Better diet in pregnancy shown to protect against birth defects: A high-quality diet protects against two types of serious birth defects, researchers at Stanford found. The study, which appears in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, was the first to link overall quality of the diet with protection from birth defects.
Can yoga help women suffering from fibromyalgia?: A study recently published in the Journal of Pain Research shows that practicing yoga boosts levels of the stress hormone cortisol and could help ease some symptoms of fibromyalgia such as pain, fatigue, muscle stiffness and depression.
Might kidney-transplant recipients be able to toss their pills?: A medical advance developed by Stanford's Sam Strober, MD, appears to be allowing kidney-transplant patients to get weaned off anti-rejection drugs.
