Top Research News of 2019
This year Columbia University Irving Medical Center was named the top health care institution for scientific research by the 2019 Nature Index Annual Tables.
Here's a look back at some of the research findings from CUIMC that captured the attention of Newsroom readers and the nation's journalists in 2019.
How Exercise May Protect Against Alzheimer's
![](https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_200/public/media/images/2019-02/rsz_gettyimages-868051968_0.jpg?itok=BQp3l_hP 200w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_260/public/media/images/2019-02/rsz_gettyimages-868051968_0.jpg?itok=2wtYvZ-P 260w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_320/public/media/images/2019-02/rsz_gettyimages-868051968_0.jpg?itok=gV1rDhC0 320w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_400/public/media/images/2019-02/rsz_gettyimages-868051968_0.jpg?itok=R0JHZtW- 400w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_520/public/media/images/2019-02/rsz_gettyimages-868051968_0.jpg?itok=ftR8igye 520w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_640/public/media/images/2019-02/rsz_gettyimages-868051968_0.jpg?itok=jPW1lZ5F 640w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_800/public/media/images/2019-02/rsz_gettyimages-868051968_0.jpg?itok=0vYKoe1a 800w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1040/public/media/images/2019-02/rsz_gettyimages-868051968_0.jpg?itok=iaf9NidP 1040w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1280/public/media/images/2019-02/rsz_gettyimages-868051968_0.jpg?itok=zAIiyAjJ 1280w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1600/public/media/images/2019-02/rsz_gettyimages-868051968_0.jpg?itok=ffoiaBXY 1600w)
Source: Getty Images
Exercise increases levels of a hormone called irisin in the brain that may improve memory and protect against Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Researchers found irisin levels in the brain are reduced in individuals with Alzheimer’s. Irisin prevented memory impairment in mice that swam nearly every day for five weeks, despite also getting infusions of beta amyloid, the neuron-clogging, memory-robbing protein implicated in Alzheimer’s.
(See also The New York Times and Nature Medicine)
New Treatments for Opioid Use Disorders
![white pills on table top](https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_200/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1129827579.jpg?itok=rhkiylwA 200w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_260/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1129827579.jpg?itok=ewgpDfCb 260w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_320/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1129827579.jpg?itok=cuJwE2kL 320w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_400/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1129827579.jpg?itok=3_UVQ82C 400w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_520/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1129827579.jpg?itok=GOdh3_yw 520w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_640/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1129827579.jpg?itok=px5c8WNY 640w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_800/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1129827579.jpg?itok=wNsgV-U4 800w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1040/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1129827579.jpg?itok=WcfMS5_P 1040w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1280/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1129827579.jpg?itok=mHlE0oCP 1280w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1600/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1129827579.jpg?itok=_S7D_wjT 1600w)
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Naltrexone is one of three medications approved by the FDA for treatment of opioid use disorders, but up to 50% of patients stop receiving monthly injections of the drug during the first six months of treatment, which for many is not a sufficiently long period to retain benefits long-term.
CUIMC researchers are beginning to study a biodegradable implant that is inserted under the skin and gradually releases naltrexone over six months. By providing six months of naltrexone after a single administration, the implant circumvents the need for adherence to monthly injections and may reduce the risk of relapse.
(See also The New York Times)
Era of Open-Heart Surgery for Aortic Stenosis May Be Ending
![Cardiologist performs TAVR at Columbia Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy](https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_200/public/media/images/2019-03/tavr_procedure_john_abbott.jpg?itok=cJvZ7XXm 200w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_260/public/media/images/2019-03/tavr_procedure_john_abbott.jpg?itok=k-YoyqnZ 260w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_320/public/media/images/2019-03/tavr_procedure_john_abbott.jpg?itok=l44aDkZ1 320w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_400/public/media/images/2019-03/tavr_procedure_john_abbott.jpg?itok=0E3Aj8R9 400w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_520/public/media/images/2019-03/tavr_procedure_john_abbott.jpg?itok=ro1ihxrl 520w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_640/public/media/images/2019-03/tavr_procedure_john_abbott.jpg?itok=cx3vmFG7 640w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_800/public/media/images/2019-03/tavr_procedure_john_abbott.jpg?itok=OmRnI92i 800w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1040/public/media/images/2019-03/tavr_procedure_john_abbott.jpg?itok=g3aUqqG6 1040w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1280/public/media/images/2019-03/tavr_procedure_john_abbott.jpg?itok=7vfgBSO_ 1280w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1600/public/media/images/2019-03/tavr_procedure_john_abbott.jpg?itok=n_YOi_W4 1296w)
Cardiologist performs TAVR at Columbia Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy (Photo credit: John Abbott)
An estimated 5 million adults in the United States have aortic stenosis, a buildup of calcium in the aortic valve that can lead to heart failure. Patients previously had to undergo open-heart surgery to have the valve replaced.
For nearly a decade, new valves have been inserted less invasively via a catheter, but only in patients too sick for open-heart surgery.
A multicenter clinical trial, led by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, found that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) also performed better than open-heart surgery in patients considered good candidates for surgery.
(See also The New York Times and New England Journal of Medicine)
New Evidence Points to Viral Culprit in Child Paralysis
Since 2014, acute flaccid myelitis has partially paralyzed more than 560 children in the United States. Research by scientists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health points to enterovirus infection as a culprit.
![enterovirus D68 virions](https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_200/public/media/images/2019-12/enterovirus-d68_virions_cdc-cynthiagoldsmith_yitingzhang.png?itok=OCiPesey 200w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_260/public/media/images/2019-12/enterovirus-d68_virions_cdc-cynthiagoldsmith_yitingzhang.png?itok=jbROvvDk 260w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_320/public/media/images/2019-12/enterovirus-d68_virions_cdc-cynthiagoldsmith_yitingzhang.png?itok=y5yhi1yR 320w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_400/public/media/images/2019-12/enterovirus-d68_virions_cdc-cynthiagoldsmith_yitingzhang.png?itok=lzfWF3Os 400w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_520/public/media/images/2019-12/enterovirus-d68_virions_cdc-cynthiagoldsmith_yitingzhang.png?itok=QIablbto 520w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_640/public/media/images/2019-12/enterovirus-d68_virions_cdc-cynthiagoldsmith_yitingzhang.png?itok=anYggsic 640w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_800/public/media/images/2019-12/enterovirus-d68_virions_cdc-cynthiagoldsmith_yitingzhang.png?itok=SzTPV5dp 800w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1040/public/media/images/2019-12/enterovirus-d68_virions_cdc-cynthiagoldsmith_yitingzhang.png?itok=7Btd300y 1040w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1280/public/media/images/2019-12/enterovirus-d68_virions_cdc-cynthiagoldsmith_yitingzhang.png?itok=dxYiKp-V 1280w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1600/public/media/images/2019-12/enterovirus-d68_virions_cdc-cynthiagoldsmith_yitingzhang.png?itok=ndvvN3PQ 1524w)
Virions of enterovirus D68. Image: CDC/Cynthia Goldsmith and Yiting Zhang.
Physicians and scientists have long suspected that enteroviruses—a family of viruses responsible for polio, another paralyzing disease—are behind acute flaccid myelitis, but there had been little evidence to support this idea, the scientists said.
(See also The New York Times and mBio)
New Gene Editor Could Fix a Major Shortcoming of CRISPR
![structure of the INTEGRATE gene editing complex](https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_200/public/media/images/2019-12/sternberg_integrate-model.png?itok=XImfam98 200w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_260/public/media/images/2019-12/sternberg_integrate-model.png?itok=HG_Y8u0Q 260w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_320/public/media/images/2019-12/sternberg_integrate-model.png?itok=hyAlNLf2 320w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_400/public/media/images/2019-12/sternberg_integrate-model.png?itok=OpD69zH1 400w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_520/public/media/images/2019-12/sternberg_integrate-model.png?itok=uMhJRg7a 520w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_640/public/media/images/2019-12/sternberg_integrate-model.png?itok=rV21ZDa6 640w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_800/public/media/images/2019-12/sternberg_integrate-model.png?itok=NPQk_Kk8 800w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1040/public/media/images/2019-12/sternberg_integrate-model.png?itok=34WFoR4A 1040w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1280/public/media/images/2019-12/sternberg_integrate-model.png?itok=-2ix0hM2 1280w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1600/public/media/images/2019-12/sternberg_integrate-model.png?itok=mDPcgsWk 1600w)
Structure of the INTEGRATE complex showing Cascade (dark blue), TniQ units (light blue), and guide RNA (red). Credit: Sternberg and Fernández Labs/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Current tools for gene editing, like CRISPR, are great at cutting DNA. But changes to the genetic code are performed by the cell itself, which isn't always reliable.
VP&S researchers have discovered a more dependable system in bacteria. The system can directly insert a user-defined DNA sequence at a precise location in the genome, a capability that molecular biologists have sought for decades.
(See also The Economist and Nature)
States With Permissive Gun Laws Have Higher Mass Shooting Rates
Mailman researchers found that states with more permissive gun laws and greater gun ownership have higher rates of mass shootings (defined as events where four or more individuals are killed).
![handguns for sale](https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_200/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1043689254.jpg?itok=f9ymDN-c 200w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_260/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1043689254.jpg?itok=d8yDW_X6 260w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_320/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1043689254.jpg?itok=HjRYwbGz 320w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_400/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1043689254.jpg?itok=cDC6o9so 400w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_520/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1043689254.jpg?itok=Ef_4tuz5 520w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_640/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1043689254.jpg?itok=8vBFFR0j 640w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_800/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1043689254.jpg?itok=e_0kOk_V 800w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1040/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1043689254.jpg?itok=VnGwA3Kf 1040w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1280/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1043689254.jpg?itok=XvxI-Y3C 1280w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1600/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-1043689254.jpg?itok=7Ks59mT2 1600w)
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Their study found an overall shift toward permissiveness in gun ownership between 1998 and 2014. The data showed a 10 unit increase in state permissiveness was associated with an 11 percent higher mass shooting rate, and a 10 percent higher state firearm ownership rate was associated with a 35 percent higher rate of mass shootings.
In City Teens, Undiagnosed Asthma More Common In Whites and Asians
Undiagnosed asthma may be nearly twice as prevalent as diagnosed asthma in urban adolescents, a study from researchers at the School of Nursing has found.
Surprisingly, whites and Asian American adolescents were more likely to report asthma symptoms but not a diagnosis of asthma. Latinos and African Americans were less likely to be undiagnosed.
![adolescent using an inhaler](https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_200/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-950689732.jpg?itok=6Lhsg6NQ 200w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_260/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-950689732.jpg?itok=v5fJOgSm 260w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_320/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-950689732.jpg?itok=jRD7VTeS 320w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_400/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-950689732.jpg?itok=uzDq2l8R 400w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_520/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-950689732.jpg?itok=tF5-UR-o 520w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_640/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-950689732.jpg?itok=5pNkxhPP 640w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_800/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-950689732.jpg?itok=rySFFihv 800w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1040/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-950689732.jpg?itok=te_xagJy 1040w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1280/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-950689732.jpg?itok=Gi7i-AaZ 1280w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1600/public/media/images/2019-12/gettyimages-950689732.jpg?itok=jhbtmmqr 1600w)
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Given the known asthma disparities among Latino and African American youth, the researchers say health care providers may have been more likely to assess Latinos and African Americans adolescents for asthma, leading to fewer undiagnosed cases when compared with Asian Americans or whites.
(See also Healthline and Journal of Urban Health)
Pollutant Linked to Climate Change Accelerates Lung Disease
Long-term exposure to outdoor air pollutants, especially ozone, accelerates the development of emphysema and age-related decline in lung function, even among people who have never smoked, according to a study from VP&S researchers. The findings may help explain why emphysema, a chronic lung disease, is relatively common in nonsmokers.
![](https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_200/public/media/images/2019-08/rsz_gettyimages-184404565.jpg?itok=Y9Z5yeAM 200w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_260/public/media/images/2019-08/rsz_gettyimages-184404565.jpg?itok=briJlqzb 260w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_320/public/media/images/2019-08/rsz_gettyimages-184404565.jpg?itok=QKNuY0K7 320w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_400/public/media/images/2019-08/rsz_gettyimages-184404565.jpg?itok=MwoCar2d 400w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_520/public/media/images/2019-08/rsz_gettyimages-184404565.jpg?itok=o9a0m5Wp 520w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_640/public/media/images/2019-08/rsz_gettyimages-184404565.jpg?itok=MwQm4FKg 640w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_800/public/media/images/2019-08/rsz_gettyimages-184404565.jpg?itok=pwJ7r5dD 800w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1040/public/media/images/2019-08/rsz_gettyimages-184404565.jpg?itok=OCceql2A 1040w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1280/public/media/images/2019-08/rsz_gettyimages-184404565.jpg?itok=1d5_Q2Qb 1280w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1600/public/media/images/2019-08/rsz_gettyimages-184404565.jpg?itok=Yf6aYOd7 1581w)
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Ground-level ozone is on the rise and increases with fossil fuel emissions and heatwaves. It will likely continue to increase unless additional steps are taken to curb climate change, the researchers say.
From the Heart's Perspective, Not All Sitting is Equal
Sitting has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and early death, but a study from VP&S researchers suggests that not all types of sitting are equally unhealthy.
![woman watching TV](https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_200/public/media/images/2019-12/diaz_gettyimages-598674382.jpg?itok=4uILMsGX 200w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_260/public/media/images/2019-12/diaz_gettyimages-598674382.jpg?itok=ynRwRoE4 260w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_320/public/media/images/2019-12/diaz_gettyimages-598674382.jpg?itok=ZmrEFSRQ 320w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_400/public/media/images/2019-12/diaz_gettyimages-598674382.jpg?itok=grWa-W4u 400w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_520/public/media/images/2019-12/diaz_gettyimages-598674382.jpg?itok=1Nc8I5w9 520w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_640/public/media/images/2019-12/diaz_gettyimages-598674382.jpg?itok=H5x8D7ht 640w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_800/public/media/images/2019-12/diaz_gettyimages-598674382.jpg?itok=KHGd8jjp 800w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1040/public/media/images/2019-12/diaz_gettyimages-598674382.jpg?itok=7ffioVpS 1040w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1280/public/media/images/2019-12/diaz_gettyimages-598674382.jpg?itok=DnmWwr0F 1280w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1600/public/media/images/2019-12/diaz_gettyimages-598674382.jpg?itok=zctJe_7W 1600w)
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The study found that leisure-time sitting (while watching TV)—but not sitting at work—was associated with a greater risk of heart disease and death among the study’s more than 3,500 participants. The study also found that moderate-to-vigorous exercise may reduce or eliminate the harmful effects of sedentary television watching.
(See also NPR and Journal of the American Heart Association)
Hidden Consciousness Detectable with EEG Just Days after Brain Injury
For unconscious, brain-injured patients, there’s currently no way to accurately predict the chance of recovery. A study from VP&S researchers suggests that EEG—a tool that’s readily available in most hospitals across the globe—has potential.
![EEG graph](https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_200/public/media/images/2019-12/rsz_gettyimages-1059095460.jpg?itok=VoQmeqp3 200w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_260/public/media/images/2019-12/rsz_gettyimages-1059095460.jpg?itok=xgN3Ms-r 260w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_320/public/media/images/2019-12/rsz_gettyimages-1059095460.jpg?itok=a-epsSc8 320w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_400/public/media/images/2019-12/rsz_gettyimages-1059095460.jpg?itok=qHVoL0HZ 400w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_520/public/media/images/2019-12/rsz_gettyimages-1059095460.jpg?itok=iNU_ISak 520w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_640/public/media/images/2019-12/rsz_gettyimages-1059095460.jpg?itok=o4LIMG54 640w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_800/public/media/images/2019-12/rsz_gettyimages-1059095460.jpg?itok=sU4EM5c3 800w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1040/public/media/images/2019-12/rsz_gettyimages-1059095460.jpg?itok=O8fhlZ7X 1040w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1280/public/media/images/2019-12/rsz_gettyimages-1059095460.jpg?itok=bx4V3gJd 1280w, https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/styles/cola_media_1600/public/media/images/2019-12/rsz_gettyimages-1059095460.jpg?itok=2D23x-hh 1600w)
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The researchers' analysis of EEG data from 104 brain-injured ICU patients revealed that nearly one in seven showed evidence of hidden consciousness just days after injury. Patients with such signs were more likely to recover.
If the findings are confirmed in larger studies, the technique could help physicians better predict which patients will likely regain consciousness.
(See also The New York Times and New England Journal of Medicine)