Feature
Researchers test blood flow in athletes’ brains to find markers that diagnose concussions
A hard hit to the head typically prompts physicians to look for signs of a concussion based on symptoms such as forgetfulness, wobbly gait and disorientation.
But symptoms such as those are subjective, says physiologist Sushmita Purkayastha, Southern Methodist University, Dallas.
Now a new study aims to find noninvasive objective indicators to diagnose whether an athlete has suffered a concussion. Continue reading
SMU scientists celebrate Nobel Prize for Higgs discovery
SMU’s experimental physics group played a pivotal role in discovering the Higgs boson — the particle that proves the theory for which two scientists have received the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize on Oct. 8 to theorists Peter W. Higgs and François Englert to recognize their work developing the theory of what is now known as the Higgs field, which gives elementary particles mass. Continue reading
Study finds that some depressed adolescents are at higher risk for developing anxiety
Some adolescents who suffer with symptoms of depression also may be at risk for developing anxiety, according to a new study of children’s mental health.
The study found that among youth who have symptoms of depression, the risk is most severe for those who have one or more of three risk factors, said psychologist Chrystyna D. Kouros, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, who led the study. Continue reading