MONDAY,NOV.12,2001
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN - 3A
Pacifier helps detect injuries in preemies
Device is part of research done at new laboratory in Haworth Hall
By Eve Lamborn Kansan staff writer
Steve Barlow held a pacifier that detects brain injuries in premature infants and talked about how it could help keep those injuries from causing serious developmental problems.
Tiny electrodes embedded in the pacifier shield measure brain activity and transmit the readings to a device that protrudes from the back of the pacifier.
"The pacifier is the only thing the baby sees," said Barlow, director of the Communications Neuroscience Laboratories.
The device was designed and built from scratch at the University of Kansas, and a $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will fund testing for it in nearby neonatal units starting in January.
More than 450,000 babies are born prematurely every year. Barlow said. Preemies cannot generate
their own body heat and some do not even have lungs strong enough to breathe. Because they are so fragile, these babies are much more likely to suffer brain injuries.
"Sometimes all it takes is a change of blood pressure," Barlow said.
These injuries, if left undetected can cause long-term difficulties including learning disorders, attention disorders and speech, language, hearing and motor-control problems.
Barlow said doctors in the past have had no way to detect if an injury had occurred except to wait and see if problems developed. These problems persist for a lifetime, but by the time they are detected, it's too late to do anything about them.
Barlow's pacifier device, which he called an Activer, is a solution to this problem. It doesn't use any invasive procedures. Electrodes detect whether brain injury has occurred. Another electrode stimulates the infant's facial muscles. Barlow said the idea behind the exercise was to stimulate neurons and restore damaged pathways in the brain.
"We're the only lab on the planet that does this."
Steve Barlow Directory of the Communications Neuroscience Laboratories
"As the old saying goes, 'The neurons that fire together, wire together.'" Barlow said.
A $1.5 million Communications Research Laboratory opened eight weeks ago in Haworth Hall to do research about the brain and communicative disorders, including the innovative research on the brain development of preemies, Barlow said.
"We're the only lab on the planet that does this," he said.
Shiva Prasad, Hyderabad, India, graduate student, who works in the lab, said the computers humming quietly behind him were some of the most sophisticated and state-of-the-art equipment on the market.
"These are some of the best labs at KU." he said.
Contact Lamborn at 864-4810
OLIVIA SARI/KANSAN
The Actifer, a special type of pacifier developed at KU, may help to detect injuries in premature infants.
Check out our ad in the classified section. meadowbrook
804 Massachusetts St.
Downtown Lawrence
(785) 843-5000
patagonia
CHEMISTRY CARNIVAL
Erin Beck of Lenexa stirs ingredients to make slime. Making slime was one of the more popular activities of the Carnival of Chemistry yesterday at Malot Hall. This is the eighth year the chemistry department has sponsored the event, which takes place every year during National Chemistry Week.
J. E. WILSON/KANSAN
Barn: Rented throughout year
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
Michelle Burkholder, Alpha Chi Omega social chair, organized the event Saturday night. The Geneva, Ill., junior said the barn, surrounded by empty fields, was a great place for a party.
"You don't have to worry about noise, you've got a ride, you've got security," she said.
Paige Isaacson, All Scholarship Hall Council social chair, said the ASHC visited the barn every year for a barn dance. This year the event was in September. She said she remembered high ceilings. Christmas tree lights hanging from the rafters, and David Shirk helping her set up a feeding trough to put drinks in.
The Theta Chifraternity has two social events at Shirk's barn every year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Collin Zander, Theta Chi social
chair, said the fraternity's Red Ox event in the fall had a country-western theme, which fit in perfectly at the barn.
The Topeka sophomore said students dressed up as cowboys and cowgirls and square danced to country-western music.
Margaret Shirk said she and her husband only rented to organized groups that had someone responsible in charge. If the group makes too much commotion, they can't come back. But the last time that happened, Shirk said, was 25 years ago.
"The groups respect our wishes and we really have no problems." she said. "If we did, we wouldn't do it."
Margaret Shirk wouldn't say how much it cost to rent the barn.
Contact Lamborn at 864-4810
Festival: Draws community
Janelle Anderson, Derby sophomore, said she had been to the event last year and wanted to come again.
"The costumes are colorful."
Anderson said. "There's a lot of
He said it was one of the most successful events the organization had sponsored in the past couple of years.
energy."
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
energy.
Minal Patni, Wichita sophomore, said she celebrated the Festival of Light by going to programs and praying. She said she enjoyed the program.
"It draws in the whole Indian community," Patni said. "And it helps non-Indians experience it."
Contact Mendoza at 864-4810
Please think before you drink. Watch for the Weekly Specials every Thursday in the Kansan and always on Kansan.com
Peace Corps. Learn how you can make a difference.
Peace Corps Open House
Friday, November 16
5:00 - 8:00 pm
Burge Union, Frontier Room
Join us to learn about Peace Corps
programs, locations,and the application process.
Jayhawk Bookstore
www.jayhawkbookstore.com
(785)843-3826
1420 Crescent Rd.
Lawrence, Kansas 66044
...at the top of Naismith Hill