Northwestern researchers made significant discoveries within the past week. The Daily compiled a recap of their most recent research developments.
New strategy for reducing post-amputation pain
In collaboration with Ukrainian physicians, researchers from Northwestern Medicine found that a procedure called “hydrodissection” decreases limb pain and opioid use among amputees, according to a news release.
When doctors injected fluid into scar tissue at the amputation site, amputees experienced a greater reduction in pain compared to those who received only opioids, according to the study. Those who received hydrodissection also had a greater reduction in opioid use than individuals in the opioid-only treatment, according to the news release.
“It’s remarkable how simple and accessible this technique is — requiring just an ultrasound and a needle,” Feinberg Prof. Steven Cohen said in the news release.
The study included 74 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians who sustained limb amputations from injuries related to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Though the study was not controlled, researchers see potential in the relatively simple procedure that could benefit people experiencing amputation-related pain, according to the news release.
Constant flares around the galaxy’s black hole
An NU-led team of astrophysicists used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to capture the most detailed view of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way to date. The researchers found constant light flares flashing from Sagittarius A*, the black hole. The finding could help scientists better understand these celestial objects, according to a Feb. 18 news release.
The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, used the telescope’s near-infrared camera to observe the rotating disk of gas and dust orbiting the supermassive black hole, according to the news release.
“Flares are expected to happen in essentially all supermassive black holes, but our black hole is unique,” physics and astronomy Prof. Farhad Yusef-Zadeh said in the news release.
The findings reveal that the Sagittarius A* black hole is always changing — a “remarkable” phenomenon, according to Yusef-Zadeh, the lead researcher on the study.
The team of astrophysicists submitted a proposal to gain additional access to the telescope to complete longer observations of Sagittarius A*, allowing them to explore the black hole with greater depth and detail, according to the news release.
Email: danielkent2028@u.northwestern.edu
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