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Welcome to the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter.
In this issue:
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Neuroscience for Kids had several new additions in September including:
A. September Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter was archived
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/news2309.html
B. Neuroscience for Kids Video Channel
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/video.html
C. New Neuroscience in the News
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/inthenews.html
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The Neuroscience for Kids "Site of the Month" for October is "Allen Institute Education Outreach" at:
https://alleninstitute.org/about/education-outreach/
The Allen Institute is involved with cutting-edge research in the fields of neuroscience, cell biology and immunology. The institute likes to share its work with the public and many of its resources are free of charge. Although many of the materials target scientists, some of the materials are perfect for teachers and students.
The Education Outreach section of the Allen Institute web site has some great resources to teach students about science, especially neuroscience. For example, teachers can request free posters about neurons and the dividing cell. There are also two lesson plans (Building Blocks of the Brain; Mitosis and Microscopy) for high school students. Each lesson plan comes with a full set of instructions, worksheets and teacher guide. Teachers will also like how the lessons are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.
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Baclofen, gabapentin, clonazepam, rotigotine, carbamazepine. Question: What do these words have in common? Answer: They are all drugs used to treat neurological disorders.
Did you know that every drug has at least three names? First, drugs get a chemical name that describes the structure of the substance. The chemical name is very specific because it includes the molecular structure of the drug. Second, a drug gets a generic name, a shorthand version of the chemical name. A company must ask the United States Adopted Names Council (USANC) for approval of the generic name. The USANC reviews the generic name to ensure that the name is short, easy-to-pronounce, and does not imply how effective it is or what part of the body it is supposed to treat. Also, the generic name should not be similar to the name of any other drug. An International Nonproprietary Name is also approved by the World Health Organization. Finally, each drug gets a brand name that is used by a company to market the product. For example, benzo[b][1]benzazepine-11-carboxamide (chemical name) is an anticonvulsive drug with the generic name carbamazepine and the brand names Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, and Tegretol. On TV and in magazines, drugs are usually advertised using their brand names.
The selection of a brand name is critical to a drug company because this is the word that consumers will associate with a product. Drug companies invest a great deal of time and money in hopes that the name of their product will be remembered by consumers when they talk to their doctors or go to the store. Search the brand names of various drugs used to treat neurological disorders and you might see some common themes. Here are some brand names of drugs used to treat insomnia: Halcion, Restoril, Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata. Don't those names sound relaxing? How about Elavil, Sinequan, Celexa, Prozac, and Effexor? These are antidepressants. Using the letters X, Z and Q may look scientific to some people and may make people think they are strong and effective.
The naming of a drug also has legal implications. If a company markets a drug with a name too similar to another drug name, it might be sued for millions of dollars by another company for trademark infringement. But if all goes well for the company, the brand name of a drug will be registered by the US Patent and Trademark Office and the company can go about its business.
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March 16-22, 2020, is the 25th anniversary of Brain Awareness Week, the global campaign to foster public enthusiasm and support for brain science. Help the Dana Foundation celebrate this milestone by capturing the ongoing enthusiasm in an original sticker design! People of all ages worldwide are invited to participate; submissions are due October 31, 2019. Three winners will be awarded cash prizes, and the first-place design will be the new art for the 2020 sticker, used by people across the United States to promote the campaign.
For contest guidelines and details, visit:
http://www.brainawareness.org/stickercontest_________________________________________________________
A. "A cure for paralysis: One scientist's prediction delivers mixed results" by Anna Groves (DISCOVER magazine, September/October, 2019).
B. "The new American addiction," the cover story of the September 30, 2019, issue of TIME magazine describes how vaping has hooked people on nicotine.
C. "The Nature Cure" is the cover story of SCIENTIFIC AMERCIAN HEALTH & MEDICINE magazine (October, 2019).
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A. Talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel suffers from narcolepsy (Source: New York Times Magazine, November 3, 2002.)
B. Mammillaria Elongata 'Cristata' is also known as the Brain Cactus because of its shape.
C. Amygdaloid Lake and Amygdaloid Island are both located in Houghton Township, Michigan.
D. "To repeat what others have said, requires education; to challenge it, requires brains." (Source: Mary Pettibone Poole from her book, A Glass Eye at a Keyhole, 1938.)
E. Captive giant armadillos sleep about 18.1 hours each day.
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To remove yourself from this mailing list and stop your subscription to
the Neuroscience for Kids Newsletter, send e-mail to Dr. Eric H. Chudler
at: chudler@u.washington.edu
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Your comments and suggestions about this newsletter and the "Neuroscience for Kids" web site are always welcome. If there are any special topics that you would like to see on the web site, just let me know.Eric
Eric H. Chudler, Ph.D.
(e-mail: chudler@u.washington.edu)
(URL:
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html)