Based on a three-hour discussion, The New York Times (Sept. 16, 2008) published a conversation with Nancy Andreasen, MD, a University of Iowa Health Care neuroscientist who has been studying long-term changes in the brain over the past two decades. Andreasen discussed why she chose brain research as her field of expertise, her pioneering work in using imaging technology to learn about the brain, and advances in understanding schizophrenia. “I haven’t published this yet,” she said. “But I have spoken about it in public lectures. The big finding is that people with schizophrenia are losing brain tissue at a more rapid rate than healthy people of comparable age. Some are losing as much as 1 percent per year. That’s an awful lot over an 18-year period. And then we’re trying to figure out why.”

Edward Mason, MD, a professor emeritus of general surgery at University of Iowa Health Care, was quoted by the San Diego Union (Sept. 21 and 23, 2008) in two stories on children's weight-loss surgery. One story noted that while bariatric surgery can reduce a child's weight, it doesn't fix the problems that caused the obesity to begin with. Failing to identify and address underlying mental and emotional issues before surgery could lead to significant problems after the operation. Mason, who performed the first gastric-bypass operations in 1966, said all weight-loss operations should be limited to morbidly obese children. More importantly, young patients and their families should go through an intensive psychological evaluation to prepare them for the often-lifelong health and lifestyle requirements that follow surgery.

A new study links acetaminophen, a drug used to relieve pain and reduce fever, and the development of asthma in children. Asthma specialists quoted in the American Medical News (Oct. 27, 2008) said the finding was provocative but they expressed caution about casting blame. MaryBeth Fasano, MD, associate clinical professor of medicine and pediatrics at UI Children’s Hospital, said there might be something about children who require more frequent use of this medicine. “[This study] certainly doesn't prove causality, and it would be inappropriate for ... clinicians to grasp onto this and no longer prescribe acetaminophen for children.” Fasano was speaking personally, though she is on the executive committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Allergy and Immunology.