Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)
Tue, Jul 12 2005
Is Hit Really Iulius?
Here's how to announce today in Old English.
posted at: 16:25 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
Here's how to announce today in Old English.
posted at: 16:25 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry
The Good News Comes With Bad News, But This Bad News Could Still Bring Other Good News
It's July 12 and not April 1. But the recent stories on some folks being treated for Parkinson's disease made me look at the calendar just to be sure. It sounds like bad news at first, but if researchers know that dopamine agonists cause compulsive gambling in some patients, might this be a breakthrough in the treatment of those who already have a compulsive gambling problem? If researchers can figure out how the drugs cause the problem, maybe they can one day figure out how to stop the process. It might also lead to knowledge about what causes compulsions in other areas of life.
This whole thing holds another good lesson for humans. Most any drug that seems to target symptoms in an illness is also very likely changing other things in our bodies. Pharmaceutical companies, pharmacists, physicians and patients need to keep that in mind whenever a drug is used to treat symptoms.
posted at: 07:49 | category: /Science | link to this entry
It's July 12 and not April 1. But the recent stories on some folks being treated for Parkinson's disease made me look at the calendar just to be sure. It sounds like bad news at first, but if researchers know that dopamine agonists cause compulsive gambling in some patients, might this be a breakthrough in the treatment of those who already have a compulsive gambling problem? If researchers can figure out how the drugs cause the problem, maybe they can one day figure out how to stop the process. It might also lead to knowledge about what causes compulsions in other areas of life.
This whole thing holds another good lesson for humans. Most any drug that seems to target symptoms in an illness is also very likely changing other things in our bodies. Pharmaceutical companies, pharmacists, physicians and patients need to keep that in mind whenever a drug is used to treat symptoms.
posted at: 07:49 | category: /Science | link to this entry