Dr. Jeffrey Keller, Hibernia National Bank/Edward G. Schleider Endowed Chair at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and Sara Seifert, president of Minnesota HealthSolutions, have received a new National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award to develop an innovative digital health platform that will help parents support teenagers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as they learn to drive. Teen drivers with ADHD represent one of the highest risk groups for motor vehicle crashes.

The Phase I SBIR award of $353,306, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, supports the collaboration between Pennington Biomedical and Minnesota HealthSolutions. 

New research from UT Health San Antonio suggests that physical activity may slow cognitive decline in Hispanics particularly, in one of the first studies examining the effect of cardiovascular factors on mental function across ethnicities.

About the Study: In this cohort study of Danish women, associations with childbirth decreased from mid- to late-reproductive ages, when the window of fertility narrows. These findings suggest that childhood body size is associated with timing of childbirth, highlighting the importance of addressing women’s reproductive health early in the life course.

About the Study: This qualitative study of consumer perspectives on AI in health care found that social license for AI is a conditional and dynamic construct not a fixed state; structural, performance, and relational factors intersected to shape social license. The findings provide evidence-based recommendations for stakeholders designing and implementing AI in clinical settings, highlighting the need for AI tools designed to support both consumers and clinicians in delivering care that is personalized, empathetic, and responsive to patient needs.

About the Study: In this cohort study across inpatient and outpatient settings, HRSN screening had a substantial reach largely free of selection. Nearly 30% of screened patients demonstrated needs, with higher rates among patients who were members of racial and ethnic minority groups and publicly insured. This study provides support for inpatient HRSN screening workflows, even as policy mandates evolve, to preserve equitable reach for patient groups with disproportionately high social needs.

About the Study: In this nationwide cohort study of KD in Japan, KD incidence rebounded after the relaxation of COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions, with age-dependent patterns. Nonpharmaceutical interventions (eg, mask-wearing) during the pandemic may explain the greater rebound pattern observed in older children; however, the minimal changes in infants suggest different exposure pathways to potential KD triggers. These findings support an age-stratified approach to KD pathogenesis research, distinguishing infants from older children.

Four privately owned animals have died from the illness.