Quantitative MRI reveals how muscles in the neck are involved in primary headaches, according to research presented November 29 at the 2023 RSNA annual meeting.
In his talk, Nico Sollmann, MD, PhD, from University Hospital Ulm and University Hospital Rechts der Isar in Germany presented findings suggesting that increased T2 values of the trapezius muscles could be an objective imaging biomarker for myofascial involvement in primary headache disorders.
Trapezius muscle segmentations show (A) segmentation masks of the bilateral trapezius muscles (red areas) in a 25-year-old female and (B) in a 24-year-old male. Images and caption courtesy of the RSNA.
Are you at risk for stroke or other condition that may affect your ability to speak? Take a look at this heartwarming video.
“In honor of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, Apple released a short film, The Lost Voice, directed by Oscar-winning Taika Waititi to shed light on the true value of this technology. The story depicts a sentimental bedtime tale about a little girl searching for her missing voice. Warning: Make sure to grab some tissues before watching!”
When there are more firearms, there are more firearm suicides
More than half of all gun deaths in the United States are suicides – 27,000 in 2022!
The rate of suicides involving guns in the United States has reached the highest level since officials began tracking it more than 50 years ago, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The researchers wanted to study the association of soccer heading over two years with change in brain microstructure and cognitive performance in adult amateur players. They used DTI, an MRI technique that characterizes the microstructure of the brain by tracking the microscopic movement of water molecules through brain tissue.
In her talk, Molly Charney, MD, from New York-Presbyterian Hospital presented research showing that the normally sharp gray matter-white matter interface seen on imaging was blunted in proportion to high repetitive head impact exposure.
Researchers used diffusion tensor imaging, an MRI technique, to study the impact of soccer heading on the brain. This method tracks the microscopic movement of water molecules through brain tissue to characterize the brain’s microstructure. Image and caption courtesy of the RSNA.
f the time or energy you have to move your body is limited—or maybe you’re just easing into this whole fitness thing—rather than rushing through a complicated, multi-part workout, a better strategy can be honing in on just a few specific exercises to prevent injuries and common problems like back pain. Because, although there are hundreds of moves out there with different benefits for your body, you don’t need to do them all to stay healthy and pain-free.
Plank
One of the most loved and hated core exercises around gets top billing in this list. “Planks work your core stability and endurance, which helps with overall balance and stability as well as protecting your spine,”
Directions: Hold your body in the top of a push-up position. Aim to hold for 60 seconds at a time.
Step-ups
Exaggerating the act of going upstairs by working one leg at a time is a great way to build strength and balance.
Directions: Using the bottom of a staircase or a sturdy four- to eight-inch tall step stool, step up onto one leg. Place your hands on a railing, counter, or other surface if you feel imbalanced. Slowly lower yourself back down, then step back up. Repeat 10 to 15 times for three sets on each leg.
Side-lying hip abduction
Dr. Behenna says she has seen dramatic improvement in clients when they learn to activate and strengthen their glutes, and these leg lifts are a great way to target the gluteus medius in particular.
Directions: Lie down on one side of your body. Bend the bottom knee and keep the top knee straight. Lift the top, straight leg in the air, keeping your heel slightly behind your hip. Lower back down. Repeat 10 to 15 times, for three sets.
Heel and toe raises
Working your calves will help keep you mobile by building strength and lengthening these often tight, knotted muscles. You’ll also activate the small muscles in your feet to help create a stable base for walking.
Directions: Stand next to a counter or railing, holding on with both hands for balance only. Rise up onto your toes, then lower back down. Repeat 30 times, for two sets. Next, keep your heels down and lift your toes up, and repeat 30 times, for two sets.
Hamstring and calf stretches
These stretches are the complement to those heel raises and step ups you just did.
Directions: To stretch your hamstring, sit sideways on the edge of a couch with the outside foot on the floor and the inside leg straight in front of you on the couch. Keeping your knee and back straight, lean forward until you feel a stretch on the back of the thigh. Hold that stretch anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds and repeat three to five times on each leg.
While we’re all tired of all this Covid stuff and while you might not think so, it is still important to get vaccinated for Covid!
The booster is effective against the JN.1 which will likely become dominant by the holidays.Protect yourselves, and your family and friends.
PS: Probably best to wait a few months if you’ve recently been infected with Covid.
If you like to do your own research, start here:
“Administration of an updated monovalent mRNA vaccine (XBB.1.5 MV) to uninfected individuals boosted serum virus-neutralization antibodies significantly against not only XBB.1.5 (27.0-fold) and the currently dominant EG.5.1 (27.6-fold) but also key emergent viruses like HV.1, HK.3, JD.1.1, and JN.1 (13.3-to-27.4-fold)”
MRI scans have revealed long-lasting microstructural brain changes in patients after COVID-19 infections, according to a study to be presented at RSNA 2023 meeting in Chicago.”
This is a revolutionary development for cardiac disease (and probably stroke too!)
“A single dose of Eli Lilly & Co.’s experimental drug cut a risk factor that signals heart disease by 94% for almost a year, a first-in-human study found.
Lilly’s lepodisiran, given at the highest dose, reduced a heart disease-linked protein to undetectable levels for 48 weeks. The research raises hopes that an annual vaccine-like shot could eliminate lipoprotein (a) in people whose genes put them at high risk, said Steve Nissen, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio who led the study.”
We now have not only COVID but also Flu and RSV. Here are some steps which may help you avoid getting ill and spending more time with your family (that’s if you want to!)
Steps to consider:
Vaccination (consider all 3 – Flu, Covid & if over 65, RSV)
CNMRI 