News from NYU Langone Health

How The Brain Decides Which Memories To Keep Permanent During Sleep. (Sleep Review)

Sleep Review (4/1) “A recent study led by NYU Grossman School of Medicine researchers has identified a mechanism through which the brain selects certain memories to become permanent during sleep,” with senior study author György Buzsáki, MD, PhD, the Biggs Professor of Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, and professor, Department of Neurology, saying, “Our study finds that sharp wave-ripples are the physiological mechanism used by the brain to ‘decide’ what to keep and what to discard.” First author Wannan (Winnie) Yang, PhD, graduate student, NYU Grossman School of Medicine said, “We worked to take the external world out of the equation, and looked at the mechanisms by which the mammalian brain innately and subconsciously tags some memories to become permanent.”
Also reporting was WGHP-TV (4/1).

Common Flame Retardants Linked To Deaths From Cancer In People, Study Finds. (CNN)

CNN (4/1) “Past research discovered an association between flame retardants of different types and the possibility of cancer, but finding a link to cancer mortality advances the science, said Leonardo Trasande, MD, MPP, the Jim G. Hendrick, M.D. Professor of Pediatrics, vice chair for research, Department of Pediatrics, professor, Department of Population Health,” who “researches the impact of plastics, flame retardants and other chemicals on children.”
Also reporting are UPI (4/1) and iHeartRadio (4/1).

Little People, Big World’s Zach Roloff Explains Dwarfism To Son. (TODAY)

TODAY (4/1) “‘If a parent has achondroplasia, then there’s a 50% chance of having a baby with achondroplasia,’ John G. Pappas, MD, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics, previously told TODAY.com.”
Also reporting is Yahoo! Lifestyle (4/1).

What To Know And What To Look For When Buying Travel Pillows. (ABC News)

ABC News (4/1) “‘The supporting muscles of the spine – the paraspinal muscles – can be strained and fatigued when the spine is subject to stressors, such as being in an unnatural or awkward position for an extended period of time,’ Richard Lau, MD, clinical assistant professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, told GMA.”

Addressing Sexual Dysfunction In Women’s Cancers. (Medscape)

Paywall* Medscape (4/1)* “In another study presented at the meeting, Naaman Mehta, MD, resident physician, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and colleagues reviewed data from 166 healthcare providers who completed a 23-item survey about evaluating and managing sexual health concerns of their patients.”

Does Your Pubic Hair Grow Back Faster Than Other Hair? Experts Explain. (Men's Health)

Men’s Health (4/1) Alexes Hazen, MD, clinical associate professor, the Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery, said, “People who trim or shave their pubic hair often think it grows faster than the rest of their hair, specifically the hair on their head, but this is not the case.”

NYU Langone Plans $22M Transplant Center Upgrades. (Becker's Hospital Review)

Becker’s Hospital Review (4/1) “NYU Langone Hospital filed a certificate of need application with the New York State Department of Health March 28 to consolidate its transplant services with nearly $22 million in renovation upgrades,” proposing a Transplant Institute “located on the third floor of the Schwartz Health Care Center on NYU Langone Hospital’s Manhattan campus,” consolidating “liver, lung and heart transplant services in the same location.”
Also covered in the Washington Square News (4/2).

How L-Glutamine Benefits The Gut, Muscle Mass And More. (Dr. Axe)

Dr. Axe (3/31) “A study conducted at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine showed that even mild traumatic brain injury caused brain atrophy, and most of this damage was due to the disrupted glutamine-glutamate cycle and an abnormal increase in glutamate levels.”

Eau Claire Organizations To Use NYU Langone Health City Health Dashboard With $75,000 Grant From Invest Health. (WQOW-TV Eau Claire (WI))

WQOW-TV (4/1) reports that with a new $75,000 grant from Invest Health, “The Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation, the Health Department, the City of Eau Claire, and the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire will be analyzing data and hope to come up with solutions to health issues the community is facing” using data coming from NYU Langone Health’s City Health Dashboard that “collects health demographic, economic, and other data for over 900 cities in the US.”

Your Dog Will Have An Anti-Aging Drug Before You Do. (Bloomberg Opinion)

Bloomberg Opinion (3/30) “Whether anti-aging supplements for dogs work or not, there’s likely to be demand,” said Arthur L. Caplan, PhD, the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor, Department of Population Health, Division of Medical Ethics.

Frozen Embryos As Legal Children? End Of IVF, Says Ethicist. (Medscape)

Paywall* Medscape (4/1)* Arthur L. Caplan, PhD, the Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor, Department of Population Health, Division of Medical Ethics, discusses how Alabama’s “decision that embryos in frozen nitrogen – but literally embryos anywhere – are the equivalent of full-bore children put Alabama in a terrible situation if you were a person or a couple seeking in vitro fertilization (IVF).”

Germany Legalizes Possession Of Small Amounts Of Marijuana. (Fox News)

Fox News (4/1) “Fox News’ Sean Duffy and Marc K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine “discuss the impact of cannabis use in adults on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’”
In a separate segment, Fox News (4/1) medical contributor Marc K. Siegel, MD, clinical professor, Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine discusses “the risks of infants sleeping in adult beds and April being stress awareness month.”

News from NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn

First OTC Birth Control Pill In The US Now Available In Some Stores. (CNN International)

CNN International (3/28) “‘For people who are trying to decide whether Opill is the birth control pill they want to try, I think the main things that I would talk to them about is making sure first that they are the kind of person who wants to take a pill every day,’ Colleen Denny, MD, clinical associate professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn, said Monday.”