Newly approved drug may slow progression of Alzheimer’s
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In this episode, Washington University researchers discuss the Food and Drug Administration’s recent full approval of the drug Leqembi (lecanemab) and what it could mean to the future of Alzheimer’s disease treatments. The drug is approved for use in people with mild dementia from Alzheimer’s disease, but researchers at Washington University’s , believe the drug, along with other medications in clinical trials, one day may help prevent the development of memory loss and problems with thinking in people who have Alzheimer’s pathology in the brain but who have not yet developed...
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Can psychedelic drugs help treat mental illness?
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In this episode, we discuss new research into psychedelic drugs as potential therapies for psychiatric illness. Several studies have suggested that drugs, such as psilocybin, may be useful in treating problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction and depression. Psychiatry researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have been using a brain-imaging technique called precision functional mapping to learn how psilocybin affects certain networks in the brain. Principal investigator , an associate professor of child psychiatry, says scientists have suspected...
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Advocating for science and truth
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In this episode, we hear from two physician-scientists who have been leaders in the U.S. effort to deal with two medical crises that emerged almost 40 years apart: HIV/AIDS and COVID-19. Anthony S. Fauci, MD, the recently retired director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), spoke to Washington University School of Medicine’s 2023 graduating class. His role at NIH made him a leader in the worldwide effort to understand and develop treatments for HIV/AIDS, beginning shortly after the virus first was recognized. Also, in...
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Making connections through storytelling
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In this episode, we visit a recent event sponsored by the at the School of Medicine. Called “In Our Words: Connection,” the storytelling event brought together 12 faculty members, medical students, residents and fellows who told stories about how their lives have been affected by medicine as caregivers, those receiving care or otherwise. The idea behind the evening was to share stories and assist physicians and trainees in better understanding that they face many of the same challenges that their patients and colleagues face. Knowing that can help prevent burnout among physicians and help...
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Maternal mortality rates are spiking. How can the trend be reversed?
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In this episode, we report on the disturbing spike in maternal mortality rates in recent years. Although rates of maternal death have long been higher in the U.S. than in other wealthy countries, the rate recently reached its highest level since 1965. The number of deaths of mothers has risen from 17.4 deaths per 100,000 births in 2018 to 20.1 deaths in 2019 and 23.8 in 2020 — the first year of the pandemic. Then in 2021, the most recent year for which statistics are available, there were 32.9 deaths per 100,000 births. In all, about 1,200 people died during pregnancy, or within six weeks of...
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International effort aims to help those at risk for serious psychiatric illness
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In this episode, we report on a major international study involving psychiatry researchers from the School of Medicine who are working to identify causes and effects of the early stages of schizophrenia in young people — an illness characterized by significant changes in thoughts, feelings and behavior that may include a loss of contact with reality. The goal is to improve early diagnosis and treatment to potentially prevent the most devastating effects of the disorder. The study’s principal investigator is , a professor of psychiatry. He has , where he works with young people to identify...
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Recognizing, caring for dementia patients in the emergency department
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In this episode, we head to the . Doctors in most emergency departments around the country are dealing with fewer COVID-19-positive patients than before, but they continue to be faced with a different epidemic of sorts: the 20% to 30% of patients with dementia-related cognitive issues who seek emergency care. As the U.S. population ages, it’s more common for emergency physicians to find themselves treating older people who are living with dementia. Further, during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, such patients were not allowed to have relatives stay with them to help navigate and better...
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Brain-related issues can linger after patients recover from COVID-19
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In this episode, we learn more about one of the leading problems associated with long COVID-19. Those who have been infected with the virus are at increased risk for a range of neurological conditions in the first year after an infection. Research conducted at the School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System has found that strokes, cognitive and memory problems, depression, anxiety and migraine headaches are more common in people who have had COVID-19 than those who haven’t. The most common neurological symptom, called brain fog, makes it more difficult for some...
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Treating the whole patient all at once
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In this episode, we visit the team at the . It was launched to improve outcomes for patients with orthopedic issues. For example, if someone needs hip-replacement surgery, that person also can receive help losing weight, stopping smoking and taking other actions to make it more likely the outcome from their surgery will be as good as possible. The center uses dietary counseling, physical therapy, massage, acupuncture and behavioral therapy to prepare some patients for surgery, while helping others improve without surgical intervention. In addition to orthopedic issues, health professionals at...
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Updated boosters and progress toward a nasal vaccine
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As we get deeper into autumn and winter approaches, we discuss COVID-19 vaccines. New boosters have been developed to rev up the immune system not only to fight the original strain of the virus but also to boost the immune system against more recent omicron strains of SARS-CoV-2. In this episode, we discuss the boosters — now approved for use in children as young as 5 — with infectious diseases specialist , an associate professor of medicine and medical director of Washington University’s . New vaccines may be on the horizon, too. A nasal vaccine developed by Washington University...
info_outlineMeanwhile, another team of researchers at Washington University School of Medicine found that those who tested positive for the virus are more likely to report problems with peripheral neuropathy, which is characterized by pain and tingling in the hands and feet. Simon Haroutonian, PhD, an associate professor of anesthesiology and chief of clinical research at the Washington University Pain Center, found that nearly 30% of patients who tested positive for COVID-19 also reported neuropathy problems, and in 6% to 7% of those patients, the problems persisted for up to three months.
The podcast, “Show Me the Science,” is produced by the Office of Medical Public Affairs at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.