Adolescence

CHOP Researchers Find Branched Chain Amino Acid Supplementation May Aid in Concussion Recovery

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

PHILADELPHIA, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In the first clinical trial of a targeted pharmacologic therapeutic for mild traumatic brain injury in pediatric patients, scientists from the Minds Matter Concussion Frontier Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have found preliminary evidence that adolescents and young adults with concussion who take a specific formulation of branched chain amino acid (BCAA) supplements after injury experience faster symptom reduction and return to physical activity. The findings were published online by the Journal of Neurotrauma.

Key Points: 
  • The mainstay of treatment remains symptom management with temporary modification of cognitive and physical activity and over the counter medication.
  • Although active rehabilitation strategies have shown promise for improving recovery time, including aerobic, vestibular, and vision interventions, these can be time and labor intensive.
  • To date, no targeted pharmacologic intervention to improve clinical outcomes in concussion has been evaluated in humans.
  • However, prior to this study, no human studies involving adolescents and young adults have assessed the potential benefits of this formulation of BCAAs as a specific treatment to aid in concussion recovery.

Amy Terpeluk to Lead the FINN Global Purpose and Social Impact Practice

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

NEW YORK, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FINN Partners announced today that Amy Terpeluk, managing partner, is promoted to Global Purpose and Social Impact Practice Lead. Amy has led the flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Social Impact Group since 2017, and her appointment to Practice Lead recognizes her ability to chart how social impact transcends C-Suite, Communications, Investor Relations, Marketing, and Customer Service functions.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FINN Partners announced today that Amy Terpeluk, managing partner, is promoted to Global Purpose and Social Impact Practice Lead.
  • Amy has led the flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Social Impact Group since 2017, and her appointment to Practice Lead recognizes her ability to chart how social impact transcends C-Suite, Communications, Investor Relations, Marketing, and Customer Service functions.
  • Amy Terpeluk to Lead the FINN Global Purpose and Social Impact Practice.
  • FINN colleague Gil Bashe, Chair Global Health and Purpose, champions the Purpose and Social Impact Practice.

Online child safety laws could help or hurt – 2 pediatricians explain what’s likely to work and what isn’t

Retrieved on: 
Friday, April 5, 2024

We want to protect them as children and yet launch them into adulthood.

Key Points: 
  • We want to protect them as children and yet launch them into adulthood.
  • Adolescents face risks from testing out independence, navigating peer relationships, developing an identity and making mistakes in these processes.
  • We are pediatricians who study child online behavior, and we are co-directors of the American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health.

Ideal legislation

  • Methods for stopping online child sexual exploitation are not adequate, and elements of proposed legislation could help by limiting who can contact teens outside of their known social circles.
  • Another helpful element of child online safety legislation is requiring better access to and control over platform settings.
  • It also is incompatible with the adolescent development ideal of exploration – teens are supposed to test things out, push boundaries and change.
  • Legislation could also require technology companies to take user-reported problems more seriously.
  • Legislation could also focus on limiting the impact of misinformation.

Legislation that would be harmful

  • This restrictive approach would limit access to safe places for many young people and exclude teens who are in unsupportive family settings.
  • These approaches also put the burden on parents to be gatekeepers for every decision about platform access, which has the potential to increase family conflict.
  • Age restrictions may serve to distract from making sure platforms are following guidelines and best practices for all ages.

Limits of legislation

  • There are numerous other critical areas of work, including bullying, mental health and parent burnout that need separate consideration.
  • But policy alone is not likely to solve all of these complex, intertwined issues that intersect in the digital world.

Moving forward

  • The Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health seeks to provide those resources through a Q&A portal, ongoing learning opportunities and resources.
  • Many teens report that parents’ social media use distracts from parent-child interaction and that adult social media use negatively affects them.
  • Dr. Moreno's research team has received funding from Pivotal Ventures to support a research program.
  • She has been paid as an expert witness by the State of California in the matter of Netchoice v. Bonta.
  • The views expressed in this article are Radesky's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Michigan.

Fire represents power and control for an Indigneous teenager who lacks both, in Melanie Saward’s compassionate debut novel

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

“From the moment I got here, I’ve wanted to set the whole of Brisbane on fire,” reflects Andrew, the protagonist of Melanie Saward’s debut novel.

Key Points: 
  • “From the moment I got here, I’ve wanted to set the whole of Brisbane on fire,” reflects Andrew, the protagonist of Melanie Saward’s debut novel.
  • Saward, a Bigambul and Wakka Wakka author, moved to Bracken Ridge in the northern suburbs of Brisbane as a teenager, after growing up in Tasmania.
  • Fire is symbolic: it’s power and control for Andrew, who has precious little control over his life.

Reading as ‘invited guests’

  • Writes Leane:
    Presencing means the recognition that First Nations works are happening in the same ‘now’ as the settler reader.
  • Presencing means the recognition that First Nations works are happening in the same ‘now’ as the settler reader.
  • While my own experience was very different, I recognise the way poverty and deprivation press up against natural beauty in Saward’s novel.
  • As an adult living in Melbourne, I became gradually aware of the economic gap between the mainland and Tasmania.
  • They were reasons I left the state when I was old enough to do so.
  • Despite living in Melbourne for nearly 30 years, I still feel the thread Saward writes about, connecting me to Tasmania.
  • Burn, however, generates a type of “presencing” that allows you to see complexity in the way the past manifests in the present.

Inside family trauma

  • “We don’t know how deep it is,” he said the first time I started wading in for a paddle.
  • If a nice, warm, nearly nine-year-old boy gets in, they might think you’re their dinner.” The tidal pool becomes a recurring image for trauma.
  • We see inside family trauma, how the dynamics are self-perpetuating.
  • We also bear witness to the role institutions play in exacerbating trauma associated with colonialism, such as ongoing disconnection from culture.

Crossover appeal


Burn has obvious crossover appeal for teen and adult audiences, with a strong adolescent protagonist driving the story. So it interests me that this novel has been published as adult fiction. In fact as a young adult author and once-upon-a-time editor of books for teenagers, I puzzled over the decision.

  • When teaching young adult fiction to creative writing and publishing classes, I often ask Dr Lili Wilkinson’s four powerful plotting questions: What does your character want?
  • In this novel, there is nothing Andrew alone can do to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma.
  • The only answer posed to the question, “What does Andrew need to do?” is: light fires.
  • Andrew lights fires which destroy, but Andrew’s fires also offer regeneration and renewal.

‘Who’s your mob?’

  • In Tasmania, Sarah and Andrew try and fail to imagine new futures for themselves, to generate a fantasy of who they might be.
  • New love interest, Tess, makes clumsy attempts to connect with Andrew, and he in turn tries hard not hurt her.
  • This question cuts to the heart of what it means to belong: to family, to Country, to culture and to your own story.


Penni Russon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Goodside Health Expands Services into Pediatric Primary Health Care

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 7, 2024

AUSTIN & FORT WORTH, TX, March 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Goodside Health, a renowned leader in closing the gaps in children's healthcare, is proud to announce the expansion of their services into Pediatric Primary Health Care.

Key Points: 
  • AUSTIN & FORT WORTH, TX, March 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Goodside Health, a renowned leader in closing the gaps in children's healthcare, is proud to announce the expansion of their services into Pediatric Primary Health Care.
  • By stepping into Primary Care, Goodside Health aims to provide comprehensive and accessible healthcare to children with a focus on their long-term health and wellbeing.
  • Primary Care Patients can now access the care they need conveniently from any Goodside Health location, including scheduled primary care visits, walk-in urgent care available 365 days a year, on-demand telehealth services available 8am–9pm, and school-based services (where available in 1000+ Texas and Florida schools).
  • "We are thrilled to expand our services into Primary Health Care," said Brian White, CEO of Goodside Health.

Pace Center for Girls and Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center Announce Partnership to Study the State of Today’s Girls and Young Women

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 4, 2024

Pace Center for Girls' research department will collaborate with the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center’s research team, operating out of Jacksonville, FL, to conduct an environment scan using secondary sources.

Key Points: 
  • Pace Center for Girls' research department will collaborate with the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center’s research team, operating out of Jacksonville, FL, to conduct an environment scan using secondary sources.
  • “By partnering with the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, we are taking a proactive step towards understanding the unique challenges faced by girls today and developing targeted solutions to address them."
  • Inderjit “Vicky” Kaur Basra, DSW, President and CEO of the Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, emphasized the importance of this collaborative partnership, saying, "Our collaboration with Pace Center for Girls represents a shared commitment to improving the lives of girls and young women.
  • For more information about the collaborative partnership between Pace Center for Girls and the Delores Barr Weaver Foundation, please contact Lymari Benitez , PhD, Pace Senior Director of Program Information and Impact.

Stop & Shop Fights Pediatric Cancer with Kick Off of ‘Help Cure Childhood Cancer’ Campaign

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 29, 2024

Stop & Shop’s ‘Help Cure Childhood Cancer’ campaign will run in all stores from March 1 through March 31.

Key Points: 
  • Stop & Shop’s ‘Help Cure Childhood Cancer’ campaign will run in all stores from March 1 through March 31.
  • 100% of proceeds will benefit the two hospitals to assist in their pioneering pediatric cancer treatment and care.
  • The Stop & Shop Pediatric Brain Tumor Clinic at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a world-renowned destination for children with malignant and non-malignant brain tumors.
  • “Stop & Shop’s dedication and generous support of pediatric cancer continues to help fund critical research and care,” said Scott Armstrong, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Taysha Gene Therapies Announces Updates to TSHA-102 Clinical Program in Rett Syndrome

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 29, 2024

DALLAS, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Taysha Gene Therapies, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSHA) (“Taysha” or “the Company”), a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing and commercializing AAV-based gene therapies for the treatment of severe monogenic diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), today announced updates to its TSHA-102 program in clinical evaluation for the treatment of Rett syndrome. The Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) approved the Company’s request to proceed to dose escalation in the REVEAL Phase 1/2 adolescent and adult trial, enabling earlier advancement to the high dose cohort of 1x1015 total vg. The IDMC also approved the dosing of the second patient in cohort one (low dose) of 5.7x1014 total vg in the REVEAL Phase 1/2 pediatric trial. The decisions follow IDMC review of available clinical data from the patients dosed with TSHA-102. The Company also announced the expansion of its ongoing REVEAL Phase 1/2 adolescent and adult trial in Canada into the United States (U.S.) following submission of the adolescent and adult trial protocol to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Key Points: 
  • The decisions follow IDMC review of available clinical data from the patients dosed with TSHA-102.
  • The trial is taking place in Canada and the U.S. TSHA-102 is administered as a single lumbar intrathecal injection.
  • Update on available clinical data from completed cohort one of 5.7x1014 total vg expected in the first quarter of 2024.
  • Initial safety and efficacy data from cohort two (high dose, n=3) of 1x1015 total vg expected in the second half of 2024.

Pace Center for Girls Launches TelePace: Expanding Virtual Therapeutic Services for Girls

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Championed by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz through Community Project Funding, this initiative aims to address the escalating demand for trauma-informed behavioral health services for girls.

Key Points: 
  • Championed by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz through Community Project Funding, this initiative aims to address the escalating demand for trauma-informed behavioral health services for girls.
  • "Expanding access to mental health services is crucial, particularly for girls who may face barriers to traditional care,” said Sara Nunez, Executive Director of Pace Broward.
  • “Our goal is to ensure transportation and finances don’t become a barrier to providing the essential services that girls need."
  • The program adheres to the Pace Reach Therapeutic Services logic model, designed to be gender-responsive and meet the unique needs of girls.

Editas Medicine Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results and Business Updates

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 28, 2024

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Editas Medicine, Inc. (Nasdaq: EDIT), a clinical-stage genome editing company, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2023 and provided business updates.

Key Points: 
  • CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Editas Medicine, Inc. (Nasdaq: EDIT), a clinical-stage genome editing company, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2023 and provided business updates.
  • In 2023, Editas Medicine strengthened and focused its discovery organization to build an in vivo gene editing pipeline.
  • Editas Medicine plans to participate in the following investor events:
    The Editas Medicine management team will host a conference call and webcast today at 8:00 a.m.
  • ET to provide and discuss a corporate update and financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2023.