syndrome

Paralyzed man sends first tweet with his eyes

Tony Nicklinson is a rugby fan, a husband, and a father. He also has locked-in syndrome, which has left him fully paralyzed. His only method of communicating is through a specially designed computer system triggered by small eye and head movements.

The tweet that started Nicklinson's social-media foray last week reads, "Hello world. I am tony nicklinson, I have locked-in syndrome and this is my first ever tweet. #tony "… Read more

New test helps diagnose 'sudden death syndrome'

Sudden death syndrome--an umbrella term for a range of heart conditions that can lead to cardiac arrest--is notorious for striking those who seem most fit.

That is because the condition, thought to be largely hereditary, is often triggered by overexertion. Tragically for some, the first symptom can be cardiac arrest.

It's possible, though costly, to screen for SDS. In fact, after soccer prodigy John Marshall died of a sudden heart attack at age 16 in 1994, the day before he was set to join Everton, testing became compulsory for professional athletes in several countries.

Good thing, especially for those who don't have the means that professional athletes do, that a doctor at Tel Aviv University may have just made testing for the condition far simpler and more affordable.

"There is such a significant overlap between what's normal and abnormal on an ECG [electrocardiogram] that we need additional screening parameters," Dr. Sami Viskin, a cardiologist at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, said yesterday in a university press release. "This test, when done on people with strong symptoms, can really give...doctors a yardstick to compare those at risk for sudden death syndrome to those who would otherwise go on to live a healthy life."

Named after the doctor, the Viskin Test is easy on the patient, who simply undergoes a baseline ECG while resting in the supine position, and is then asked to stand quickly and remain still during continuous ECG recording.… Read more

Digital City 99: Social Networks, laptop tans, and dreams of PS3/360 friendships

Can you believe we're only one episode away from No. 100? We can't either, and we discuss our various plans for next week's very special podcast. But, while Dan is away in Texas, it leaves Joey, Scott, and Julie feeling restless in the rainy city.

Scott's finally seen "The Social Network," and he finds it oddly self-contained but very well-made. But, as Julie points out, where are the other movies based on computer pioneers? Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were relegated to a 1999 made-for-TV movie. We wonder what other tech endeavors deserve feature treatment...the Palm Pre story?

Also, we discuss "Toasted Skin Syndrome" and whether we fear hot laptops on our skin; Andy Rooney's latest rant goes off on car gadgets, but we find them useful; Joey wonders why PS3/360 multiplatform games can't play with each other (can't a person dream?); and Scott talks about some recently-released games he's played, including the potential sleeper Enslaved and Nintendo's latest Mii-fest, Wii Party.

See you next week on Episode 100!

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'Toasted Skin Syndrome': Are laptop users at risk?

"Hot legs" isn't just another term for good-looking gams. It can be a warning sign of a medical condition that affects users of laptop computers.

The condition, dubbed erythema ab igne or "Toasted Skin Syndrome," arises when people rest a hot laptop on their laps for an extended period of time.

Sounds ridiculous, but recent cases suggest it's no joke.

In one case, a 12-year-old boy developed a sponge-patterned skin discoloration on his left thigh after playing computer games a few hours every day for several months.

In another case, a Virginia law student … Read more

The 404 672: Where we make Frends with Kevin Pearce (podcast)

The 404 Podcast has interviewed professional athletes before, but few are as young, or as inspiring, as today's guest, professional snowboarder Kevin Pearce. At only 22 years old, Kevin is already very accomplished, winning back-to-back Arctic Challenge titles in 2007 and 2008, in addition to being the first man to earn two Air & Style rings in one season.

Kevin sits down with The 404 Podcast to talk about his snowboarding history and an accident earlier this year that left him with a traumatic brain injury. Narrowly escaping death with the support of his friends and family, Kevin also tells us that his miraculous recovery wouldn't have been possible without the help of his brother Adam, who also joins us as Kevin's unofficial photographer in the studio.

Kevin's also here to show off his new line of headphones named after his seven-deep crew of snowboarders called "Frends." The group consists of Keir Dillon, Mason Aguirre, Danny Davis, Scotty Lago, Kevin, and Jack and Luke Mitrani, and the current lineup includes five different headphones that range from earbuds to large DJ style cans. In fact, Kevin actually wears a pair with pride on today's episode.

Finally, Kevin and his brother David are in New York to participate in this weekend's 2010 New York City Buddy Walk, a one-mile walk to benefit the National Down Syndrome Society and Down Syndrome Awareness Month in October. Kevin's already well on his way to raising $10,000 but needs your help to reach his goal, so head over to his donation page and give what you can!

Episode 672 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Don't let your PC wear out your eyes

If you spend more than 2 hours a day peering at a computer display, you have at least a 50-50 chance of experiencing vision problems or other physical ailments related to your PC use. That's according to Dr. Wendy Strouse Watt, O.D., in her 2003 article Computer Vision Syndrome and Computer Glasses.

The advent of flat panels may have minimized the risk somewhat, but most office workers now spend more time each day at a computer than they did at the time of the study. In a series of articles on Computer Vision Syndrome, the American Optometric Association (… Read more

A few songs a day keep the doctor away

As a freelance writer, I admit that focus and discipline are two of the biggest obstacles to meeting deadlines. I could be doing laundry, playing piano, staring out the window...the list goes on. So I put on my Grados and launch iTunes to keep me focused (today it's Royksopp's "Melody A.M."). And it works. Every time.

According to research out of the University of Belgrade at Serbia, listening to music every day might also be good for the heart. Predrag Mitrovic just presented his study of 740 patients to the European Society of Cardiology 2009 Congress, … Read more

Put down that phone, cries elbow

While the link between cell phone use and brain damage is still debatable (personally, I don't want to believe it), another body part may be paying the price for constant connectedness: the elbow.

According to health reports, doctors have identified a condition called "cell phone elbow," also known as cubital tunnel syndrome.

It's basically pain in your elbow that results from compression of the ulnar nerve. This nerve problem can come from spending too much time folding the elbow in an unnatural stance, such as when you use the computer in a nonergonomic position or, most commonly, when you hold the phone to your ear. I often do both at the same time.

Doctors say this is an increasingly common issue among those who are reliant on technology, especially cell phones. The syndrome leads to chronic or periodic pain in the elbow, tingling along the fingers, and even loss of strength and control in your hands.

When talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device, the elbow is usually held in an unnatural, flexed position, at an angle greater than 90 degrees. Generally, doctors caution that the elbow is not naturally designed to be hyperflexed for longer than 10 minutes at a time, but many of us regularly talk for hours on end. … Read more

The 404 236: Where we're thankful for Turbaconducken

It doesn't matter if you get down with turbaconducken or veggie alternative tofurky, it doesn't matter if your first sex ed lesson was in Cantonese or involved videos of a crowning baby, you can definitely get down with The 404 pre-Thanksgiving show! We talk about Truman Show syndrome, Ann Coulter's ironic injury, forgiveness, the PlayStation credit card, alien squids and the death of Batman!

Dan the Mantern here. Okay, gross out time in five syllables: TUR-BA-CON-DUCK-EN. Only in America, people, can one indulge in the abomination of nature that is a stuffed chicken stuffed inside a duck stuffed inside a turkey that's wrapped in bacon. This, my friends, is the reason we have half-ton mothers and fathers. What's so bad about plain old turkey? Anyway, however you do the holiday, have a great Turkey day, 404 fans! The 404 is thankful for you!

EPISODE 236 Download today's podcast … Read more