Headaches. We all get ‘em, we all whine about ‘em. But I think I may bite my tongue before I go bemoaning my next bout …
Month: September 2013
"Mountain Dew mouth" rots teeth, costs taxpayers
"Blecch! Ew! Sheesh! I'll take a crab juice," replied a thirsty Homer Simpson to a vendor's alternative offer of Mountain Dew. I side with Homer …
Kids and concussions: What to keep in mind
Back to school means to back to sports for many, and it's a good time for parents and coaches to be thinking about - and …
How villainous substance starts wrecking synapses long before clumping into Alzheimer's plaques
Brain researchers are convinced that a sticky and mysterious substance called beta-amyloid is a "black hat" in the neurodegenerative process resulting in Alzheimer's disease. But nobody's …
Spinal bracing for adolescents with scoliosis
Scoliosis, a condition marked by a spine curvature in the shape of an "S" (sideways) or a "C" (forward and backward), ranges in severity from …
A physician’s personal odyssey with chronic pain
Philip Pizzo, MD, former dean of Stanford's medical school was preparing to head to Washington, D.C. to meet with top federal health officials when he …
Time flies? For bigger-bodied animals with slower metabolic rates, it may feel that way
I've often wondered why time seems to tick by at a faster tempo for adults than it does for children. As a child, I stared at the …
A prescription for reducing medical student stress
A second-year medical student blogger once described the process of studying for Part I of the United States Medical Licensing Examination as “the black hole …
Asking the hardest questions: Talking with doctors while terminally ill
We’ve partnered with Inspire, a company that builds and manages online support communities for patients and caregivers, to launch a patient-focused series here on Scope. …
Stanford Health 4 America kicks off
The Stanford Prevention Research Center has launched a new professional certificate program in preventive medicine, called the Stanford Health 4 America Fellows Program, and its first informational program …
Heart attacks and chest pain: Understanding the signs in young women
I'll be honest: Though I knew that young people can have heart attacks and the symptoms can be difficult to recognize in women, I'd never …
IV fluid choices for children make a difference
Intravenous fluids are as much a part of the hospital experience as those oh-so-flattering gowns that open in the back. But while there's little variation in gown …
Studying nesting behavior in moms-to-be
Recently a pregnant friend who's five weeks from her due date solemnly acknowledged it was time: She and her partner had long ago agreed that …
NIH announces focus of funding for BRAIN initiative
Monday was a big day for President Obama's BRAIN Initiative - a ten-year, 100-million dollar research plan designed to advance technologies related to mapping and understanding how …
Last day to submit questions on sleep and athletic performance to Stanford expert
As a reminder, today is the final day to submit questions for our Ask Stanford Med installment spotlighting sleep and athletic performance. Questions related to …
The dawn of DNA cloning: Reflections on the 40th anniversary
As you might guess, I write a lot about science for my job. And it's always great fun to hear about all the newest findings …