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Friday, February 26, 1999

Community Briefs

COMMBRIEFS:

Study shows jogging may be good for brain

A recent study in mice suggests that jogging may add cells to your brain. Mice that ran on an exercise wheel during the study created more new cells in one area of the brain than did mice that pursued other activities.

But, it is not yet proven if jogging will increase the number of brain cells in humans.

"If you want to answer that question, you're going to have to do some experiments in humans," said Fred Gage of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego. However, "more people in my lab have started running since we found this result."

The study was published in the March issue of Nature Neuroscience. The study was a follow-up on previous studies that found mice who spent time in a playground-type environment rather than in a standard cage created more new cells in the hippocampus, an area involved in learning and memory.

In the experiment, mice were allowed to run on an exercise wheel, trained to find the location of a hidden underwater platform, or permitted to swim. An injected chemical marker identified newly created brain cells.

William Greenough of the University of Illinois said the findings may indicate that jogging can boost the number of brain cells in the human hippocampus. But, it is also possible that people would require an activity other than jogging to get that effect.

Researchers question need for 'hospitalists'

Due to today's competitive health care environment, changes are necessary to improve clinical outcomes and decrease costs. The recent introduction of the hospital-based generalist physician, known as the "hospitalist" is one decision that may need to be reversed. Hospitalists are doctors who specialize in the care of hospital patients.

A new report by UC San Francisco health policy researchers said a rigorous evaluation of the hospitalist system is needed before assessing its full impact.

The emergence of hospitalists is based on the idea that inpatient care specialists will be more efficient and available to hospitalized patients.

To provide evidence of the value of the institution of hospitalists, Jonathan Showstack, one of the studies' primary authors, and colleagues recommend that evaluations of quality of care should be based on processes performed by hospitalists and the outcomes of their work

Unique family program focuses on instruments

Special family event, "Meet the Instruments," on March 14 will feature UCLA's Symphonic Band. Presented by Design for Sharing, a community outreach organization for UCLA Performing Arts, the event will include "touch and look" demonstrations in Schoenberg Hall at 1 p.m., followed by a concert performance.

Appropriate for children ages 5-12, the live demonstration will give audience members the opportunity to explore the brass, woodwind and percussion instruments that comprise the 100-piece UCLA Symphonic Band.

Following the demonstration, the band will perform a concert featuring Percy Grainger's "Children's March" and Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty." During the concert, individual instruments will be featured to show how they pertain to various compositions.

Led by Thomas Lee, director of bands and conductor of the UCLA Wind Ensemble, the UCLA Symphonic Band is one of the oldest performance ensembles on campus and is composed of graduate and undergraduate students from every major.

General admission for "Meet the Instruments" is $7 for adults, $5 for children. For more information, call (310) 825-7681. To order tickets, call (310) 825-2101.

Compiled from Daily Bruin staff reports.

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