The Scope Radio

As regretful spring breakers are recovering from binge drinking escapades, it may be hard for them to appreciate that there is a positive side to the nausea, sleepiness, and stumbling. Dr. Sharif Taha, a professor of neurobiology and anatomy, discusses his work showing that there is a certain brain region involved in learning from a bad hangover experience. The work could one day help identify those who are likely to become problem drinkers. The study was published online in PLOS ONE text on April 2.

It was recently discovered SketchUp, a 3D modeling program, is not only easy to use for some autistic individuals, but it also helps develop confidence and social skills. In some cases, the transformation is amazing. Scott Wright talks about his research, what he’s learned, and what it means for individuals with autism making the transition into adulthood.

Until recently, physicians thought a colonoscopy was 100 percent accurate. New research from the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute shows it is not. Dr. N. Jewel Samadder from talks about what the research discovered and what doctors and patients need to know to get the best result possible.

While antibiotics save lives, their overuse leads to outbreaks of hard to control, and sometimes deadly bacterial infections. The most common of these is Clostridium dificil, a toxic, naturally occurring bacteria that can take hold when antibiotics knock down healthy bacteria that normally live in our gut. Epidemiologist Dr. Matthew Samore talks about his work investigating the best practices for antibiotic use in hospitals, which were incorporated into guidelines recently issued by the Center for Disease Control. He discusses what may happen if there continues to be indiscriminate use of antibiotics, and what we can do to prevent a worse case scenario.

You’ve been trying for over a year to conceive a child but it’s just not happening. Dr. Kirtly Jones talks about the next steps to take and what specialists are available.

How long should a couple try to conceive before seeking help from a specialist? Dr. Kirtly Jones talks about what you should do when you’ve made the decision to have a baby, but for some reason or another can’t seem to conceive.

In the United States, 1 in 88 children are affected with autism spectrum disorder. In Utah, that number is even higher at 1 in 47 children. Dr. Deborah Bilder talks about the basics of autism, from what it can do to a child’s mental and physical health, to identifying the signs and symptoms in a child that might have autism. She also tells you some of the drugs and infections that could potentially increase the chances of autism, and why it’s so critical to identify autism spectrum disorder at an early age.

Were you satisfied with the service you received the last time you needed medical care? If you weren’t, you’re not alone. Turns out, medicine has been behind other industries in customer care. Now, not only are hospitals judged on it, research has also shown a link between patient satisfaction and medical outcomes. Dr. Vivian Lee and Dr. Tom Miller discuss how University of Utah hospitals and clinics are working toward ensuring patients are receiving the best service possible.

You think broke your arm. Is that a reason to go to the ER? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about what to do if your arm is broken or you think it might be broken.

Without treatment, Hepatitis C can lead to liver failure and death. If you are a baby boomer born between 1945-1965, there is a significant possibility you have the disease. Dr. Robin Kim talks about Hep C, why all boomers should get tested as soon as possible, and about two new recently developed drugs that are very effective at treating Hepatitis C.

When you hear stories about bullying, it’s generally about the victim. But have you ever considered that it might be your child that’s the bully? Dr. Cindy Gellner discusses the differences between joking around and bullying and what you need to know and should do if your child is the bully.

Each year, more people die from epilepsy than breast cancer. This startling statistic is largely because for one-third of epilepsy patients, currently available medications simply do not work. Pharmacology professor Dr. Karen Wilcox is researching the biological basis of epilepsy, with a goal of discovering new interventions. Her work suggests that a little understood cell type in the brain could be an important contributor to seizures. She explains the implications of her work, and also discusses why using marijuana extracts as an alternative treatment deserves further research.

Even though most parents think they’re taking adequate precautions, every year 60,000 children end up in the emergency room because of poisoning. Sherrie Pace from the Utah Poison Control Center talks about why that number is still so high and what you can do as a parent to prevent your child against an accidental poisoning.

Breastfed babies are supposed to be smarter and less prone to obesity and immune diseases such as asthma than bottle-fed babies. Dr. Kirtly Jones talks about these preconceived notions and whether or not breastfeeding is better than bottle feeding.

Sometimes when you pay the doctor a visit, he’ll hold a little flashlight up to your eye and joke that he's looking into your soul. But what are doctors really trying to find when they look into your eyes? Emergency room physician Dr. Troy Madsen talks about the situations that would cause him to pull out his little flashlight, and you might be surprise to learn that the two top reasons have nothing to do with the eye itself.