July 29, 1997
Health Source: Medical News from the University of Washington
Assessing seafood consumption by Asian Pacific Americans is the goal of a University of Washington study seeking to understand how dietary customs affect exposure to harmful chemicals that may contaminate seafood. A total of 10 ethnic groups will be surveyed in the study. Dr. Ruth Sechena, director of the Environmental Risk Information Service at the UW School of Public Health and Community Medicine, said translators from each of the 10 ethnic groups participating in the study will conduct interviews to increase study participation and cultural sensitivity. Researchers will also use plaster fish models to improve accuracy in measuring serving sizes.
Evaluating dizziness and balance problems is the focus of a newly developed facility at University of Washington Medical Center. Diagnostic equipment used at the Dizziness and Balance Center includes a machine that reads fluid movements in the inner ear and a rotating chair that measures sensitivity to motion. Research projects at the center are investigating eye and head coordination and studying the effects of head movement and moving visual stimuli on postural stability. Dr. George Gates, UW professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, directs the center.
A mathematical model to simulate food moving as it is swallowed is being developed by researchers at the University of Washington. The computer model will be used to improve understanding of the dynamics of swallowing and contribute to improved patient care for patients with dysphagia. Dysphagia, or difficulty in swallowing, is a common symptom associated with many conditions, including brain injury and stroke. Dr. Michael Chang, UW professor of rehabilitation medicine, explained that while the act of swallowing takes only about one second to complete within the pharynx, it involves a complicated series of actions that must be properly coordinated.
Vaccine testing and gene therapy for skin cancer are some of the projects being performed at University of Washington Medical Center’s multidisciplinary Melanoma Center. To pinpoint the spread of melanoma, the most deadly skin cancer, physicians at the center use lymphatic mapping, a technique recently begun for breast cancer as well. Researchers also are testing an extremely sensitive diagnostic test that can detect one cancer cell in a million. “The good news is that melanoma can be treated effectively if caught early,” said Dr. John Thompson, a medical oncologist at the center. “An ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure when it comes to combating this disease.”
Improving detection and treatment of autism is the focus of a new research project under way at the University of Washington Center for Human Development and Disability. Using a coordinated research approach, investigators are examining the neurobiologic and genetic basis of autism to fully explore its early development ‹ from underlying biology to resulting symptoms. The project will include a multidisciplinary study of young children and a genetic linkage study of sibling pairs with autism. “We want to understand why only about half of the children with autism respond well to treatment,” said Dr. Geraldine Dawson, UW professor of psychology and project director.
