BRIEFLY NOTED
BY THE NUMBERS 4 drugs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for Alzheimer’s disease, though more than 100 have been tested. 30 countries were represented at this year’s International Neuroethics Society virtual meeting, nearly twice as many as the previous meeting in Chicago. 36 advanced degrees in neuroscience were awarded to Black students in 2018 out of a total of 493. 40-50% of Covid-19 patients develop neurological or psychological problems while they are in the hospital. 300,000,000 olfactory receptors are used by a dog, in contrast to 6 million in a human. 2,500 partner events were held in 2019 during Brain Awareness Week , which will be held this year from March 15-21. 10,000 mental health “wellness” apps are available for a broad range of conditions.
BRAIN IN THE NEWS Links to brain-related articles we recommend:
> Scientific American: Governments Worldwide Consider Ditching Daylight Saving Time
> New York Times: The Healing Power of Singing > Wall Street Journal: How to Stop the Negative Chatter in Your Head > New York Times: When It Comes to Living With Uncertainty, Michael J. Fox Is a Pro > Washington Post: A pandemic pod could help you get through winter, experts say. Here’s how to form one. > Consumer Reports: Brain-boosting supplements may have high doses of unapproved Rx medications > New York Times: Your Brain Is Not for Thinking > Star-Ledger: Living with long-term effects > New Scientist: Living electrodes for linking brains to computers tested in rats > Smithsonian Magazine: The New Science of Our Ancient Bond With Dogs > Rutgers Magazine: Great Minds > Washington Post: Atypical forms of dementia are being diagnosed more often in people in their 50s and 60s > Star-Ledger: A road map to transform the mental health system > NewYork Times: Hearing Aids Could Use Some Help When we engage kids in sports, we don’t expect them grow up to be a scientist, engineer, or physician, but as a member of a questioning and informed electorate. And we as a society really need that.” — John A. Pollack, Ph.D. , co-director of the Chronic Pain Research Consortium at Duquesne University and winner of the 2020 Society for Neuroscience Science Educator Award. “ to grow up to be a pro athlete—we do it for the joy of the game. Science is no different: Kids who discover the joy in science will not necessarily
ISSUE: Hearing aids , which cost on average $4,700 a pair and are barely covered by Medicare or private insurance, are crucial to one-quarter of Americans in their 60s and nearly two- thirds of those over 70 who suffer from hearing loss. The damaging consequences of hearing loss can include
social isolation, an increased risk of falls, and much higher rates of dementia. Despite 2017 legislation from Congress that would allow hearing aids to be sold directly to consumers, without a prescription, the Food and Drug Administration had failed the draft legislation to establish safety and effectiveness benchmarks for these over-the- counter devices.
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