Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
The New York Times: One Twin Was Hurt, The Other Was Not. Their Adult Mental Health Diverged.
A large study of “discordant twins,” in which only one suffered abuse or neglect, adds to evidence linking childhood trauma to adult illness. (Barry, 3/6)
Stat: He's 19 Months Old And Has One Of The World’s Rarest Diseases
At 19 months old, Lucas Guo has never crawled, walked, or stood by himself. He babbles but can’t say words. He struggles to chew and swallow. He gets most of his nutrition through a feeding tube attached to his belly. Lucas has one of the world’s rarest diseases, ZTTK syndrome, a complex neurological disorder caused by a genetic mutation. Scientists have documented only about 60 cases worldwide and estimate that, at most, it afflicts several hundred people — far too few to encourage drug makers to find a treatment. (Saltzman, 3/4)
The New York Times: Powerful Psychedelic Drug Gains New Notice As An Opioid Addiction Therapy
Ibogaine, a formidable psychedelic made from the root of a shrub native to Central Africa, is not for the timid. It unleashes a harrowing trip that can last more than 24 hours, and the drug can cause sudden cardiac arrest and death. But scientists who have studied ibogaine have reported startling findings. According to a number of small studies, between a third and two-thirds of the people who were addicted to opioids or crack cocaine and were treated with the compound in a therapeutic setting were effectively cured of their habits, many after just a single session. (Jacobs, 3/5)
AP: How A Pennsylvania Prison Is Helping Men With Disabilities
A Pennsylvania prison unit is helping men with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities stay safe behind bars while learning life skills. (Lauer, 3/3)
The New York Times: Apparently Healthy, But Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s?
Determining whether someone has Alzheimer’s disease usually requires an extended diagnostic process. A doctor takes a patient’s medical history, discusses symptoms, administers verbal and visual cognitive tests. The patient may undergo a PET scan, an M.R.I. or a spinal tap — tests that detect the presence of two proteins in the brain, amyloid plaques and tau tangles, both associated with Alzheimer’s. All of that could change dramatically if new criteria proposed by an Alzheimer’s Association working group are widely adopted. (Span, 3/4)
Modern Healthcare: How Nebraska Medicine Uses AI To Detect Diabetic Retinopathy
An academic health system in America's heartland is testing the potential of artificial intelligence in a clinical setting. Nebraska Medicine, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is using AI at two of its primary care clinics to detect diabetic retinopathy in patients. Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that can lead to blindness in patients with diabetes. (Perna, 3/4)
