Jean M.
Writing and Content Design
Experience
Hypnopompia: Altered States at the Edge of Sleep
- At the border where sleep and wakefulness meet, people can experience vivid sights and sensations that can be illuminating, intriguing – or terrifying. Hypnopompia, a brief state of consciousness that leads out of sleep, can produce intense hallucinations and sensory impressions such as the presence of a stranger or the touch of an unseen hand. But this strange liminal, or threshold, state can also be a rich source of creative inspiration and insight.
- Hypnopompia is the transitory state between being fully asleep and fully awake. It’s the “flip side” of hypnagogia, the state between waking and falling asleep. As people transition from wakefulness to sleep, or from sleep to waking, changes in brain activity can trigger visual and sensory hallucinations that can feel disturbingly Although anyone can have hypnopompic experiences, they’re often associated with sleep disorders like narcolepsy, a condition that causes often-debilitating daytime sleepiness.
- Hypnopompic hallucinations can involve all the senses. Visual hallucinations are most common, and they can range from shapes, shadows or sparks to detailed scenes of humans and animals. Many people hear sounds such as voices talking, telephones ringing, doors slamming or bells. Less often, people report strange tastes and smells, such as something burning or perfume.
- Tactile and kinetic hallucinations can be among the most disturbing. People may feel as if they’re flying, falling, or leaving their body. They might also experience sensations like insects crawling on the skin, someone grabbing their hands or shoulders, or a body pressing down on the bed.
- The hallucinations and sensations experienced in hypnopompia are different from dreams, although researchers speculate that they arise from the same sources in the brain. Recent research on the nature of sleep itself reveals how brain wave activity and the levels of certain chemicals in the brain can combine to create these vivid and often frightening experiences.
- Sleep has two stages, REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM, or NREM sleep. REM sleep is well known as the “dreaming” period. But it’s bracketed on either end by NREM sleep, the quiet stage of sleep that also alternates with REM sleep through the night in cycles about 90 minutes long. As NREM sleep gives way to full wakefulness, the brain shifts rapidly among different wave patterns.
- In hypnopompic episodes, these shifting patterns can trigger what sleep researchers call “micro waking fragments” that combine elements of thought and dream. The mind may be in a waking state, but the body can still be under the influence of atonia, the NREM phenomenon that disables motor activity so that sleepers can remain still and safe.
- When that happens, sleepers might experience the frightening phenomenon of sleep paralysis – the sensation of being fully awake but unable to move. As the brain moves from deep sleep stages to waking, low levels of “feel good” brain chemicals dopamine and serotonin can contribute to the feelings of foreboding and horror that accompany many hypnopompic hallucinations.
- The hallucinations of the hypnopompic state can be so disturbing that they interfere with sleep in serious ways. Fear of waking up to those unpleasant sensations can contribute to insomnia and other kinds of sleep issues, especially in children. Hypnopompic hallucinations are also associated with sleep disorders such as insomnia and narcolepsy.
- Not everyone is frightened by hypnopompic hallucinations, though. Some consider the stage between sleep and waking to be full of creative potential -- a window into the mind’s other dimensions, where it’s possible to access insights and inspiration that aren’t accessible in everyday consciousness.
- The visions and other sensations of the hypnopompic state have been called “liminal dreaming” by advocates of ways to expand consciousness, such as lucid dreaming. With awareness and effort, they say, anyone can access this liminal, or threshold, state, at will. In that way, hallucinations can become entertaining rather than frightening, and the mind becomes open to new insights.
- For those who want to seek out the experiences of hypnopompia, exercises and strategies such as mindfulness, journaling and setting alarms can help people to remember or manipulate their experiences. Now, too, sophisticated new sleep monitor technologies can help users identify and access different levels of sleep in order to wake at just the right time to experience hypnopompia.
- Sleep monitors, also called sleep trackers, make it easy for anyone to gain insights once reserved for the sophisticated machinery of clinical sleep labs. Worn during sleep or placed near the sleeper, these devices can record and report things like NREM and REM sleep stages, movement during sleep, and vital signs like body temperature and pulse rate.
- Users can use the data from a sleep monitor for reasons such as waking at specific points in the sleep cycle in order to access hypnopompia, controlling the daytime sleepiness characteristic of narcolepsy, or improving sleep habits for better health.
- The hallucinations and other experiences of hypnopompia can be strange and disturbing, but they can also open doors to new ways of thinking and seeing the world. And now, sleep monitor technology offers user-friendly tools for understanding and managing this mysterious stage of sleep.
Medulloblastoma Pediatric Brain Tumor Information Page
- Medulloblastoma accounts for about 20 percent of all pediatric brain tumors, and more than 70 percent of these are diagnosed in children under the age of 10. There are several subtypes of medulloblastoma, so treatment for this common childhood brain tumor includes combinations of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy designed for each patient’s unique circumstances.
- Medulloblastomas occur in the cerebellum, at the base of the brain in areas responsible for controlling balance, posture, fine motor functions, speech and swallowing. Although some adults can develop medulloblastomas, these tumors are most often found in children. The average age at diagnosis is 7 years, but medulloblastomas can also affect infants and children under the age of 3.
- Neuroscientists have identified 10 medulloblastoma subtypes, based on the kind and number of abnormal cells they contain. Since each subtype has unique characteristics, effective treatment protocols are determined by the tumor’s type and location.
- Along with a patient’s medical history, a number of tests are used to diagnose and type medulloblastoma. Typical procedures include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a lumbar puncture to search for cancerous cells in spinal fluid and a biopsy of the tumor tissue itself.
- Early medulloblastoma symptoms can be similar to those of many illnesses, and so a diagnosis can be missed or delayed, especially in very young children. These “flu-like” symptoms include:
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Irritability
- Weight loss, especially in infants
- Inability to raise the eyes upward
- As the tumor grows, other symptoms appear, caused by swelling and the buildup of cerebrospinal fluid around the tumor. These typically include:
- Headaches, especially in the morning or during the night
- Vomiting upon waking up
- Drowsiness throughout the day
- Other symptoms vary, depending on the location of the tumor and its effects on surrounding nerves and brain structures. These can include:
- Dizziness
- Problems with balance and coordination
- Vision problems such as double vision (diplopia) and involuntary eye jerking (nystagmus)
- Stiffness in the neck
- Tilting of the head
- Medullablastomas are generally treated by a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy determined by the tumor type and size, as well as the patient’s age, health and other circumstances.
- Surgery is central to the treatment of medulloblastomas of all kinds, not only to remove as much of the tumor as possible but also to relieve pressure in the brain from swelling and the buildup of fluids, and confirm the diagnosis with tissue samples.
- Surgery begins with a craniotomy, the removal of a portion of the skull to expose the brain. Neurosurgeons then remove as much of the tumor as possible, while limiting damage to surrounding brain tissue. In many cases the tumor can be completely removed. In some situations, surgeons might insert a shunt or other device to drain fluids and reduce swelling.
- After surgery, patients recover for up to 48 hours in intensive care, with monitoring including post-operative MRI and CT scanning. Some may experience short-term problems with speech and coordination, or swelling. Without complications, the typical hospital stay is around a week.
- For older children, radiation therapy generally follows surgery to destroy remaining cancer cells around the tumor. Radiation therapies used after medulloblastoma surgery are determined by the tumor type and size, as well as a patient’s age and health.
- Craniospinal Radiation, or CSI, targets not only the tumor site in the brain but also the spine, where tumor cells can also appear.
- Stereotactic Radiation Therapy (SRT) is a process that aims concentrated beams of radiation directly at the tumor site in order to minimize damage to healthy tissues in the brain and spine.
- Proton Beam Radiation Therapy (PBRT), a relatively new treatment, delivers radiation to the tumor site while reducing the amount of exposure to normal brain tissues.
- Patients undergo radiation treatment on an outpatient basis. While radiation therapy itself is painless, side effects can include fatigue, skin reactions, loss of appetite and vomiting.
- For older children, a course of chemotherapy typically follows radiation therapy in order to kill any remaining tumor cells and reduce the risk of cells spreading through spinal fluids to other parts of the body.
- Chemotherapy treatment involves either intravenous or oral medications designed to attack the fast growing cells of a tumor rather than slower growing healthy cells. Treatments are given on an outpatient basis in cycles of three to four weeks, with a rest period in between cycles.
- Common, but temporary, side effects of chemotherapy include fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite and hair loss in the area being treated. During chemotherapy, patients might be at greater risk for infection or catching viruses such as colds and flu.
- In infants and very young patients under the age of 3, chemotherapy is typically used right after surgery rather than radiation, because radiation therapy can have severe effects on the developing brain.
- Because all aspects of treating medulloblastoma impact both the brain and other systems of the body, post-treatment follow up includes periodic MRI scans and evaluations to detect any long-term effects on growth and cognitive and motor functioning.
- Treating medulloblastoma with surgery in combination with radiation and/or chemotherapy can be highly effective, with 80 percent of pediatric patients with non-metastatic medulloblastoma remaining cancer-free five years after diagnosis.
The Convergence of Computer Sciences and Life Sciences: New Models for Healthcare
- The Convergence Revolution – the integration of multiple, historically distinct scientific and technological disciplines into a single dynamic ecosystem – promises to transform existing models of healthcare with a combination of digital innovation and advances in life science research. This new paradigm supports not only essential research into the causes and management of health conditions throughout the world, but also speeds up the development and delivery of advanced treatments and products aimed at solving the most pressing health and wellness concerns around the globe.
- Convergence initiatives are currently being developed and implemented on a variety of levels in government, academic and private sectors. But convergence based projects have struggled for funding and support, due in part to the traditional academic research model based on segmentation of academic research into discrete disciplines that function independently of each other with the exception of specific collaborative efforts.
- But convergence is not collaboration. It is, rather, a total integration of the tools and expertise of fields as diverse as computing, engineering, mathematics, and life sciences. To create a convergence based environment in which experts from these very divergent fields can work together, new partnerships are forming between researchers from the academic community and a new generation of startup companies. These partnerships will create new opportunities for new startups willing to provide the resources needed to move forward with convergence initiatives that have the potential to transform human life – and by extension, the world.
- The “Convergence Revolution” is the end product of two transformational developments that have taken place in life sciences research since the mid-twentieth century. The path to convergence began in the 1950s with the development of molecular and cellular biology – a new way of using X-ray technology to unravel the structure of DNA and study the processes inside cells that give rise to diseases.
- The technology that enabled the emergence of molecular biology as a distinct field of study also laid the foundation for the second scientific revolution of the twentieth century – genomics. Advances in technology and computing made it possible to map the human genome and target the behavior of specific cells. That led to the emergence of biotechnology, a field dedicated to the use of technology for developing new gene based treatments for diseases such as cancer.
- These developments in molecular biology and genomics established the link between life sciences and technologies developed in other fields, and clearly demonstrated how these very different scientific and technological disciplines could be integrated for benefits greater than the sum of their parts. That synthesis of life science and technology creates the foundation for convergence – the “Third Revolution” that promises to change the face of healthcare.
- Convergence completes the connections among multiple disciplines working toward finding solutions to complex problems in areas as diverse as agriculture, energy, environmental and climate concerns, and medicine. These entities have historically engaged in a variety of collaborative projects, but convergence is more than collaboration among distinctly different entities, which typically continue their separate ways once the project is completed.
- In a convergence-based healthcare initiative, resources and tools from the physical sciences, technology, and computing integrate with biomedical and other life science disciplines to develop new approaches for solving old problems and preventing new ones. Convergence occurs in a variety of cross-discipline projects, particularly medicine and health care, where the integration of sophisticated digital and computing tools combine with innovations in biotechnology, medicine, and biological research to improve healthcare delivery, reduce costs, and make patients equal partners in caring for their health.
- Life sciences is the term traditionally used to describe a broad field encompassing all areas of study related to living organisms. But a more recent definition reflects the growing movement toward convergence in all areas of sciences related to the study of living organisms, with an emphasis on biomedical technologies ranging from agrotechnology to bioengineering and nanotechnology. All these fields incorporate tools and technologies from disciplines including engineering, physics and mathematics, but computer based technologies drive the convergences among them.
- Computer technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, Big Data, and sophisticated tools for imaging and analysis of data are among the many tools available for initiatives ranging from biomedical research to the creation of community resources for delivering more comprehensive healthcare to underserved populations. Since the early days of cellular research and genomics, computing tools have played an integral role not only in research, but also in developing new approaches to treating and managing a wide range of diseases and chronic health conditions. Now, these kinds of tools play a key role in nearly every aspect of medicine and medical research, with the potential to create a completely different kind of healthcare ecosystem.
- Innovations in computing and digital technology support all aspects of medical care and healthcare delivery, making it possible for innovative new treatments to reach patients more quickly than ever before, and for healthcare initiatives to reach underserved people around the world with economical and efficient treatment options. This convergent model of healthcare can include:
- Advanced digital imaging and processing tools to assist with diagnosis and surgical procedures as well as advanced genomic and cellular research dedicated to developing new, customized treatment options for each patient’s individual genetic and biological profile
- Internet based tools such as videoconferencing and video calling and smart medical devices that transmit a range of information such as a user’s heart and respiration rates, compliance with medication, and fetal monitoring for pregnant women
- Telemedicine initiatives that make it possible for patients in rural or underserved areas to consult with doctors and nurses online without leaving their homes
- A blend of artificial intelligence and virtual reality technology that creates an interactive, “virtual doctor” who is always available for consultations
- Advanced robotics that can perform surgery, dispense medications and perform a range of other tasks including acting as a “companion” for the elderly and disabled
- Cloud based data management for handling large databases for genome research, disease control, and diagnostic information that can lead to better management of disease outbreaks, easier ways for physicians to manage records, and tools for allowing all parties to connect and communicate at any time, from anywhere.
- Interactive technologies that allow patients to become active participants in their own health care, such as wearables for monitoring vital functions, medications, and other processes, and online portals “staffed” by AI entities that can act as a gateway to a comprehensive healthcare system accessible to anyone at any time, regardless of location or circumstances
- Computer driven tools and technologies that support innovative research on diseases such as cancer, and on developing new, less invasive microsurgical techniques for treating complex malformations of the brain and spine.
- Convergence initiatives in the new and traditional life sciences can support global healthcare systems that allow patients access to comprehensive medical systems and specialists no matter where they live or in what circumstances – a model that also depends on computing and digital tools to connect with other fields such as engineering (for projects such as designing “smart” prosthetics) and agriculture (for tasks such as developing foods designed for specific dietary needs). But this kind of comprehensive, integrated health ecosystem faces significant roadblocks in terms of funding and a lack of institutional support.
- Convergence based initiatives in healthcare and medicine often struggle for funding from government and academic institutions designed to support research and development carried out on a traditional model of individual disciplines that only come together to collaborate on specific projects with clearly defined goals. And while this kind of collaborative effort leads to innovation and new approaches to solving healthcare issues, it leaves the potential for true, transformative convergence untapped.
- The constraints of traditional models in academic institutions make it difficult for convergence-based projects to gain the support they need to move forward. But a growing number of private sector biotech companies have emerged to fill that gap by providing the tools and resources needed for developing convergence based approaches and accelerating the process of creating new products and technologies for delivering healthcare services. In that way, the convergence revolution opens doors for a new generation of startup companies dedicated to supporting convergence initiatives in the fields of healthcare and biomedical research.
- Convergence can change human lives and transform the world we live in. Traditional models of separate disciplines working on individual tracks with occasional collaboration are giving way to convergence based projects dedicated to creating seamlessly integrated ecosystems with overarching goals, and that creates new opportunities and new directions for agile companies willing to offer funding, support and resources for convergence based solutions to local and global healthcare concerns.
Treating a Brain Aneurysm Using a Pipeline Stent: Differences, Advantages and Complications
- About 6 million Americans are living with a brain aneurysm – a weak spot in an artery that cases the artery wall to balloon outward and fill with blood. Some aneurysms remain small and stable throughout life, but they can also rupture, causing a life-threatening stroke. The goal of treating an aneurysm in the brain is to eliminate the risk of a rupture by closing off the flow of blood to the aneurysm.
- The pipeline stent, or pipeline embolization, is an innovative, minimally invasive procedure that diverts blood flow from the aneurysm without directly accessing the aneurysm itself. A pipeline stent procedure is not for everyone, but it can pose fewer risks and offer a shorter recovery time than other standard treatment options for unruptured aneurysms.
- An aneurysm develops when an artery in the brain develops a thin, weak place. This damaged area fills with blood, creating a sac that bulges out into surrounding tissues.
- Aneurysms can develop in a variety of shapes and sizes, and those factors can affect decisions about treatment options. Saccular aneurysms (also called berry aneurysms) are rounded and attached to the parent artery by a “neck” of artery tissue that can vary in size from narrow to wide. Fusiform aneurysms balloon out on all sides of the artery, and have no defined neck.
- Aneurysms can affect people of all ages. Some are present from birth, or are caused by genetic factors that affect connective tissues. Family history also plays a role, since people with close relatives who have had an aneurysm are at greater risk of developing one.
- Aneurysms can also be related to health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, untreated hypertension, and polycystic kidney disease. Mycotic aneurysms can develop because of an infection in the artery wall. Lifestyle factors such as smoking, inactivity and obesity may also contribute to the development of an aneurysm.
- Unruptured aneurysms are typically treated by various surgical procedures designed to block off the blood flow from the parent artery to the aneurysm.
- Microvascular clipping surgery is an invasive, open-brain procedure in which surgeons open the skull to access the brain and place a clip directly across the aneurysm’s neck. This prevents blood from flowing from the parent artery into the aneurysm, so that it shrinks and eventually disappears.
- Endovascular coil embolization is a minimally invasive procedure that allows surgeons to avoid opening the skull to access the aneurysm. In this procedure, a catheter is inserted through an incision in the femoral artery in the groin and directed to the site of the aneurysm. Then, flexible platinum coils are passed through the catheter and placed directly into the aneurysm. The coils fill the aneurysm sac and block the flow of blood from the parent artery.
- Both these procedures can eliminate an aneurysm, or prevent it from rupturing. But because they involve operating directly on the aneurysm, they can also have significant complications including causing a rupture. Along with that, clipping poses the risks of open-brain surgery, and coils can compress or migrate, so that the aneurysm is not completely resolved.
- A pipeline stent avoids those complications by focusing on the artery that feeds the aneurysm’s blood supply, not the aneurysm itself.
- A pipeline stent procedure, also called a pipeline embolization, is a minimally invasive surgery in which a wire mesh stent is placed inside the parent artery at the aneurysm site. In an endovascular procedure similar to coil embolization, a small incision is made in the femoral artery at the groin and a catheter is threaded through the artery to the site of the aneurysm.
- The stent is passed through the catheter into the artery and released at the aneurysm site. There it opens out against the artery walls, so that it diverts blood to flow normally past the aneurysm rather than into it. Without a blood supply, the aneurysm eventually shrinks and disappears.
- Because it doesn’t require operating on the aneurysm itself, a pipeline stent procedure usually has fewer risks of rupturing the aneurysm than either clipping or coiling. Since the pipeline stent can be placed without opening the skull, patients can recover more quickly and spend less time in the hospital than a clipping procedure requires.
- A pipeline stent also allows doctors to treat aneurysms with characteristics that are problematic for both clipping and coiling procedures, such as fusiform aneurysms, saccular aneurysms with wide necks, very large aneurysms and aneurysms in locations that are difficult to reach.
- The pipeline procedure is minimally invasive, safe and effective, but it does have risks and potential complications, including stroke, perforated or damaged arteries, and cranial neuropathy – problems with nerves affecting vision, movement and sensation in the face. In some cases, the stent itself can slip or migrate into another part of the artery, or fail to deploy properly. Other risks can include reactions to materials in the stent itself, and incision-site complications such as infection or nerve damage.
- A pipeline stent can resolve more than 80 percent of unruptured aneurysms, including those considered too difficult to treat with other procedures. If you’ve been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, your doctors will work with you to determine whether a pipeline stent is the best treatment for your condition.
Why Virtualize Clinical Trials?
- Only ten percent of new drugs that complete the first phase of a clinical trial make it to market, and by Phase III, patient participation drops by more than 30 percent. Bogged down by regulatory glitches, logistical difficulties, and other problems, traditional clinical trials often fail – and that means new drugs, devices and other treatments can take much longer to reach the patients who need them.
- With a patient centered philosophy and an array of innovative cloud based tools, virtual clinical trials can eliminate many, if not all, the obstacles presented by the standard model of clinical trials. And that means benefits for sponsoring companies, investigators and patients themselves.
- The traditional clinical trial model not only makes it inconvenient for patients to participate, it also limits both the quality and quantity of the data that can be collected. But a virtual clinical trial changes those dynamics. Wearable tech allows patients to stay home and to record and gather data whenever needed, for a far more complete picture of a patient’s health. Video tools allow doctors to “meet” with patients wherever they are and respond to their needs right away. A variety of apps and online tools allow patients to become active participants in the trial and stay engaged in it to the end.
- Virtual tools also help patients to find appropriate trials and enroll in them. With easily accessible databases on hundreds of available clinical trials, patients can quickly find relevant ones and apply for them.
- Implementing the technology to run a virtual trial can add some initial expenses, but the virtual approach can save money over time. Faster, richer data collection makes the trial run more efficiently, since patients can share information instantly at any time and investigators have wider access to participants. Virtual databases can collect and store data directly, and cloud based analytics can extract relevant information without the risk of human errors in transcription or reporting.
- Virtual clinical trial technology also streamlines the process for investigators. Patients are more likely to stay engaged with the trial since they have to make fewer visits to the trial site. Wearables and other tech are transmitting data all the time, so that reduces the need to try to collect all the relevant data in a patient visit. And because virtual trial technology provides tools for processing and analyzing data, that reduces the amount of time site staff must devote to managing data on the site.
- Virtual technology also improves compliance with regulations on all levels. Cloud based analytical tools can analyze documentation for missed or non-compliant elements and ensure that a trial meets all the required standards before it even begins. That saves time and money that have to be spent on revising and supplementing previously submitted documents. The FDA now supports new virtual technology to improve clinical trials, and participates in the Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative for developing new opportunities to incorporate mobile tech in clinical trials of all kinds.
- From project sponsorship to patient participation, virtual technology can improve clinical trials on every level. With innovative cloud based tools for professionals and patients alike, virtual clinical trials can streamline the process of developing new drugs and devices.
Summary
Freelance science/tech writer and designer with 10+ years of professional freelance experience in science and tech writing and digital information design.
- Writing articles and whitepapers
- Creating eBooks and brochures
- Research AI training and evaluation
- Developing proposals and presentations
- Designing book covers and graphics
Languages
English
AdvancedRussian
AdvancedBulgarian
IntermediateEducation
Sep 1983 - May 1986
University of California, Los Angeles
Certificate and Credential · Slavic and Applied Linguistics · Los Angeles, United States · 3.8
Enrolled in UCLA's PhD program in Slavic Linguistics, where I studied both Slavic and general historical linguistics as well as the languages Bulgarian and Czech. As a teaching associate I also taught undergraduate Russian courses and ran a pilot language program in a local high school. Instead of pursuing the doctorate in Slavic Linguistics, in my final year in the program I switched to the university's program in Applied Linguistics with a teaching concentration and completed my studies in that field.
University of Arizona
MA · Russian Language and Literature · Tucson, United States
University of Arizona
BA · Russian Studies and English · Tucson, United States
Certifications & licenses
Digital Design and Illustration
Sessions College of Design
Need a freelancer? Find your match in seconds.
Try FRATCH GPT More actions
Similar Freelancers
Discover other experts with similar qualifications and experience
- English
- Deutsch
2025 © FRATCH.IO GmbH. All rights reserved.