Low-dose steroids: Helping babies come off ventilators and preserving the heart at the same time

In the United Kingdom 60,000 babies are born prematurely each year. Many of them will be treated with steroids, such as dexamethasone sodium phosphate, to aid with lung development. A new study published in the Journal of Physiology shows that treating these babies with a lower dose of dexamethasone, not only leads to less time on ventilators, but for the first time, notes its beneficial effects on blood circulation to the lungs, influencing better cardiorespiratory outcomes.

Managing variety in MRI scans can lead to better stroke diagnoses

The first few hours following a stroke are crucial. To be able to treat a patient effectively, doctors must rapidly localize the damaged blood vessel and determine what kind of stroke occurred. In most cases, either a ruptured blood vessel releases blood into the brain, or a blood clot obstructs a blood vessel in the brain. Patients who experience the second type of stroke are prescribed medication to dissolve the blood clot. If this medication is given to patients of the first type, however, it will fluidify the blood and only make the hemorrhaging worse.

Medicaid extensions for new moms grow, may run into limits

States around the country are making it easier for new moms to keep Medicaid in the year after childbirth, a time when depression and other health problems can develop.

Stem cell-gene therapy shows promise in ALS safety trial

Cedars-Sinai investigators have developed an investigational therapy using support cells and a protective protein that can be delivered past the blood-brain barrier. This combined stem cell and gene therapy can potentially protect diseased motor neurons in the spinal cord of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal neurological disorder known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.

How changes in length of day change the brain and subsequent behavior

Seasonal changes in light—longer days in summer, shorter in winter—have long been associated with human behaviors, affecting everything from sleep and eating patterns to brain and hormonal activity. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a prime example: A type of depression related to diminished exposure to natural sunlight, typically occurring during winter months and more often at higher latitudes when daylight hours are shortest.