Brain Freeze Research Articles

A content analysis of website marketing for cooling flavored e-liquids in a sample of brick-and-mortar vape shops in the Greater Los Angeles area.

INTRODUCTIONMenthol is a characterizing flavor in combustible cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). E-liquids are recognized as an important reason for ENDS use. Yet, compared to menthol cigarettes, menthol flavored e-liquids and other cooling flavors, including mint and ‘ice’ for ENDS, are an understudied area of investigation. The present study examined cooling flavored e-liquid website marketing among brick-and-mortar vape shops in Greater Los Angeles Area.METHODSA total of 104 brick-and-mortar vape shops were identified, and 38 had active websites. Over a 30-day period (28 September – 28 October 2020), we collected marketing for all flavored refillable e-liquids (photos/images) from each website. Data were collected for 1330 products. Only refillable e-liquid bottles were selected for this study, excluding prefilled pod vapes and disposable vapes. Each e-liquid per website was coded (e.g. menthol or not) and grouped into categories (e.g. type of menthol). The three flavor descriptor categories that the e-liquids were grouped into were menthol, mint, or ice. An ‘other’ category was also created for identified e-liquids with flavor descriptors that did not mention menthol, mint, or ice.RESULTSA total of 1330 e-liquid flavors were identified from 38 active websites. Among them, 219 were coded as menthol/mint/ice flavor e-liquids. Frequencies included ice/iced/icy (n=123; 56%), menthol (n=32; 15%), mint (n=23; 11%), and other (n=41; 19%). Of the 123 ice-flavor e-liquids, 70.3% (n=83) were in combination with fruit (e.g. ‘Apple Ice’, ‘Grape Iced’, ‘Icy Mango’). Of the 32 menthol-flavored e-liquids, 63.3% (n=19) were in combination with fruit (e.g. ‘Dragon Fruit Menthol’, ‘Blue Raspberry Menthol’, ‘Fresh Peach Menthol’). Flavors in the other category were ice-related flavor descriptors (e.g. ‘Arctic Air’, ‘Brain Freeze’, ‘Frozen Hulk Tears’).CONCLUSIONSBrick-and-mortar vape shops in the Greater Los Angeles Area market a variety of cooling flavor e-liquids on their websites. Such marketing focused largely on ice fruit flavor combinations. Future research is needed to understand how exposure to and appeal of cooling flavored e-liquid marketing differs among diverse consumer groups, including adult menthol cigarette smokers and non-smoking youth.

Ice Cream Face by Heidi Woodward Sheffield

Reviewed by: Ice Cream Face by Heidi Woodward Sheffield Elizabeth Bush Sheffield, Heidi Woodward Ice Cream Face; written and illus. by Heidi Woodward Sheffield. Paulsen/Penguin, 2022 [32p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780525518488 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780525518495 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 3-7 yrs Now here's a young man who knows his ice cream—not just its innate deliciousness and range of flavors, but its rituals: the frustration of waiting in line to be served, the melty ice cream river trickling through fingers, the shock of brain freeze, the horror of watching precious scoops tumble onto the sidewalk, and the joyful camaraderie of fellow aficionados who share their own scoops to put a smile back on your face. The narrator for this tasty outing is an appealing Everykid with a mischievous, anticipatory smile stretched across his expressive brown face, and his keen observations of the many ways to enjoy a cone (from dribblers to ice cream-bearded babies) ring true. Sheffield's collage artwork is especially evocative in its consistent contrast between grainy cut paper figures and backdrops mixed with photographs of the ice cream itself—smooth, glossy, and technicolor-bright. Use this with Lisa Robinson's The Sweetest Scoop (BCCB 5/22) and Lucky Diaz's Paletero Man (BCCB 5/21) for a satisfying triple scoop of storytime goodness. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Brain freeze: cryoablation of typical atrial flutter in a patient with a deep brain stimulator.

Brain freeze: cryoablation of typical atrial flutter in a patient with a deep brain stimulator.

Brain freeze: outdoor cold and indoor cognitive performance

We present first evidence that outdoor cold temperatures negatively impact indoor cognitive performance. We use a within-subject design and a large-scale dataset of adults in an incentivized setting. The performance decrement is large despite the subjects working in a fully climate-controlled environment. Using secondary data, we find evidence of partial adaptation at the organizational, individual and biological levels. The results are interpreted in the context of climate models that observe and predict an increase in the frequency of very cold days in some locations (e.g. Chicago) and a decrease in others (e.g. Beijing).

An “Ice Cream Headache” in a Term Gravida: A Case Report

BACKGROUND: Headache is often the only presenting symptom of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Its incidence in pregnancy of 5 per 100,000 is dwarfed by more common, benign causes of headache, complicating diagnosis. CASE: We presented a 41 year old at 38 weeks 5 days gestational age that presented local hospital reporting a “terrible brain freeze” after eating ice cream. After transfer of care to a tertiary care center a non-contrast computed tomography scan revealed subarachnoid blood layering in the basal cistern suspicious for sequelae of aneurysm rupture. After a cesarean section was performed the patient was transported to the interventional radiology suite where rupture of a 3mm left paraopthalmic artery aneurysm was confirmed and coiled. A non-ruptured 4mm right paraopthalmic artery aneurysm was also diagnosed. The patient was moved to the Intensive Care Unit in stable condition following the procedures and was discharged post-op day 7. She returned one month later for coiling of the right paraopthalmic artery. CONCLUSION: Headaches during pregnancy can indicate a variety of disease processes. Subarachnoid hemorrhage has high morbidity and mortality for mother and fetus making prompt diagnosis and treatment crucial. This case highlights the safety and importance of prompt cranial imaging in pregnancy when clinically appropriate.

Abstract P6-11-02: Voice of cancer patients: Analysis of patient concerns regarding scalp cooling devices for prevention of chemotherapy induced alopecia

Abstract Adjuvant chemotherapies for breast cancer cause hair loss in majority of patients. Although Chemo Induced Alopecia (CIA) is temporary, is distressing for many patients and about 7% patients treated with docetaxel experience permanent hair loss. Scalp cooling devices (SCDs) have been shown to reduce hair loss in patients receiving chemo. Many patients share their experiences in online forums as freely shared messages and can be used to analyze concerns regarding CIA and SCDs. We use our automated system, VoCP, to analyze these messages and assess the utilization and efficacy of SCDs, concerns and associated barriers. Method: We collected 15.13 million unique messages (987,189 patients) from 37 cancer forums that provide clinically relevant information; we built custom ontologies for chemo drugs and regimens, hair loss, SCDs, supportive therapy and efficacy. We then used VoCP (using techniques from Artificial Intelligence - deep learning, information retrieval and natural language processing) to extract relevant information. Results: Out of 15.13 million, 17,966 messages from 4,258 patients discussed the use of SCDs during chemo. 16,527 of these were inquiring about SCDs, e.g., do SCDs work, side effects, Difficulty in use, risk of scalp and brain metastasis, cost and insurance coverage, ease of obtaining and manufacturers. 2,213 messages from 817 patients discussed SCDs with Docetaxel, 1,470 from 687 patients discussed with FEC/AC, and 517 from 249 patients discussed with AC/Taxol. In 1,439 messages, 668 distinct patients who used SCDs mentioned that, they were able to keep 50-75% of their hair but experienced significant hair-thinning. Most users were satisfied with SCDs' use and would prefer them over loosing hair completely; comments regarding side effects, barriers and advice included: · Headaches, shivering, frost-bite, heaviness, neck and shoulder discomfort, chills, brain freeze, scalp pain, migraine, drowsiness, dizziness and cold; May use Lorazepam, Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen. · Use mittens/hand-gloves, scarves, blankets and heating pads to keep body warm and avoid shivering · Use cold caps during and 3-5 hours after chemo; change them every 15-30 minutes · Cold caps with varying temperatures - warmer in front and sides for ear and forehead protection – may help; trim long hair · For cold caps, either the facility needs to provide a freezer or patients need to bring their own · Penguin cold caps are most common (2,055 messages) but monthly rent is $500-$600 · Patients can buy Elastogel caps (918 messages) for about $100 · Alternatives include icepacks/wrap-arounds provided by companies such as ElastoGel · For single cap cooling devices such as DigniCap (337 messages) and Paxman (434), facility has to provide the system · Rapunzel Project (171 messages) can help with scalp cooling gear, freezers and counseling; 79 SCD users mentioned getting their help Discussion: Despite significant discomfort, cost and inconvenience, many patients are satisfied with SCDs' use for CIA. More programs like Rapunzel project are needed to help patients. By analyzing millions of messages, VoCP provides meaningful insights into patients' treatment and concerns and gives insight into unmet needs for further research and resources. Citation Format: Aggarwal S, Sharma R, Sharma R, Aggarwal A. Voice of cancer patients: Analysis of patient concerns regarding scalp cooling devices for prevention of chemotherapy induced alopecia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-11-02.

Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation and Brain Freeze: A Case of Recurrent Co-Incident Precipitation From a Frozen Beverage

Patient: Male, 29Final Diagnosis: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation • cold-stimulus headacheSymptoms: Palpitations • headacheMedication: Diltiazem • IbutilideClinical Procedure: NoneSpecialty: Emergency Medicine • Internal MedicineObjective:Unknown ethiology • Rare diseaseBackground:Episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation may be precipitated by the rapid ingestion of ice-cold foods and beverages. This condition has received little research attention, and its true prevalence is poorly described. Treating physicians may not identify cold ingestion as a causal factor of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, thus compromising both history taking and patient education.Case Report:We report a case of a healthy young-adult man who drank a slushed ice beverage that immediately induced atrial fibrillation and a brain freeze headache simultaneously. This occurred on two separate occasions, years apart. During both episodes, the acute brain freeze self-resolved quickly, but the new-onset palpitations occasioned a visit to the emergency department for diagnosis and treatment. The emergency physicians failed to make the causal link between the cold drink and the atrial dysrhythmia. Though the brain freeze headache and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were both precipitated by rapid ingestion of an ice-cold beverage, the mediating mechanisms are distinct. We review these two cold-induced conditions, their prevalence, and their probable mechanisms.Conclusions:The recurrent simultaneous occurrence of brain-freeze headache with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation identifies the ingestion of a frozen beverage as the precipitant of the atrial dysrhythmia. Increasing physician awareness of cold ingestion as a cause of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation will improve history taking and patient education.

Intentional Brain Freeze, Traffic Ticket Science

As summer ramps up, people seeking solace from the heat will increasingly begin to scarf down a slew of chilly treats such as ice creams and slushies. And although these icy delicacies will likely ...

Cerebral Vascular Blood Flow Changes During ‘Brain Freeze’

‘Brain freeze’ commonly occurs when ice cold food or liquid is rapidly consumed. It's mechanism remains unclear, however rapid cooling of the brain through the upper palate may cause local cerebral blood flow changes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether ‘brain freeze’ induces the hypothesized cerebrovascular changes.Using transcranial Doppler, we evaluated cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) in the middle (MCA) and anterior (ACA) cerebral arteries in 13 healthy adults while consuming ice and ambient water. Subjects drank ice water through a straw against the palate until pain developed. CBFV, heart rate, and blood pressure were analyzed, before pain, during pain and after pain.Consumption of ice water produced a tendency towards increased cerebral flow velocity in the ACA (P=0.078) but not the MCA (P=0.24). Ice water also resulted in greater cerebrovascular resistance during the experimentally induced “brain freeze” when compared to following ambient water consumption.Our results support a vascular mechanism for brain freeze. Ice water consumption resulted in a significantly greater cerebrovascular resistance as compared to that during ambient water consumption. However, the fact that cerebral flow increased during pain along with increases in blood pressure may suggest autoregulation was not as effective. Supported by NASA and NIH.

This Is Your Brain in Meltdown

The entrance exam to medical school consists of a five-hour fusillade of hundreds of questions that, even with the best preparation, often leaves the test taker discombobulated and anxious. For some would-be physicians, the relentless pressure causes their reasoning abilities to slow and even shut down entirely. The experience—known variously as choking, brain freeze, nerves, jitters, folding, blanking out, the yips or a dozen other descriptive terms—is all too familiar to virtually anyone who has flubbed a speech, bumped up against writer’s block or struggled through a lengthy exam.

11 Experiments That Failed (review)

Reviewed by: 11 Experiments That Failed Deborah Stevenson Offill, Jenny. 11 Experiments That Failed; illus. by Nancy Carpenter. Schwartz & Wade, 2011. 36p. Library ed. ISBN 978-0-375-95762-8 $19.99 Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-375-84762-2 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-375-98384-9 $16.99 R 5–8 yrs. In a similar vein to their 17 Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Anymore (BCCB 12/06), Offill and Carpenter document the adventures of a young scientist who’s more notable for her zeal than her rigorous approach. Each “experiment” begins with a question (“Can a kid make it through the winter eating only snow and ketchup?”), a hypothesis (“Ketchup and snow are the only food groups a kid needs”), and list of what you need; it then goes on to outline the steps and the results (“What Happened: Stomachache. Brain freeze. Love of ketchup wavering”). The book derives maximum humor from the contrast between the dryly technical format and the high-level mischief of “experiments” such as glittering up the dog and flinging bologna at a classmate. The subjects of the experiments are pleasingly broad (they’re neatly categorized, of course) but they’re mostly plausible domestic home-and-school [End Page 99] malfeasances—er, research. Carpenter’s art is again a delicious hybrid of photography and digitally colored ink linework. The sparely realistic drawing style, which includes helpful step-by-step diagrams, enhances the comedically serious approach, and it’s filled with telling detail such as the protagonist’s ubiquitous white lab coat. Photographic elements densely populate the spreads, adding additional poker-faced touches of scientific realism as well as designerly impact. Between this and 17 Things, Offill and Carpenter have established themselves as the official documentarians of misbehavior, and kids will revel in exploring their research. Copyright © 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Brain freeze induced changes in cerebral blood flow

Brain freeze induced changes in cerebral blood flow

Twenty (Better) Questions

Maybe you don't struggle getting your students to read literature assignments, but I do. Getting an edge on MTV, mall-walking, and girlor boywatching is difficult, but I am competing better since I've changed my tack in evaluating students' knowledge of literature and my view of what that knowledge should be. Most of us have used the as a quick check to see who has read last night's assignment. We rationalize that it is positive motivation-a reward for those who have read, rather than punishment for those who have not. We make quizzes simple so any fool who has skimmed the assignment can pass. But do you remember taking one of those quizzes? I do. I remember heart palpitations, silent prayers that the teacher would ask what I'd remembered of the details (and they were always about details), and brain freeze. I couldn't remember the name of the main character, the author of the story, or even the setting. And I'd read it; I had! Well, I'm guilty of having given those infernal quizzes, too. Why don't I give them any more? The influence of two people changed my approach to quizzing and my whole outlook on what is to know about literature. The first influence was a wide-eyed high achiever in my first period class three years ago. Heidi was an eager student, willing to participate in all class activities. She went beyond what most students did. Needless to say, she always read her assignments, often more than once. Yet she would come in panic-stricken the day after a reading assignment, begging to know if we were having a pop quiz. On the day we quizzed Thurber's The Dog That Bit People, Heidi froze. It was a true/false quiz with simple questions, but Heidi missed them all. She left her paper totally blank; she didn't even record her name. But the agony for me was watching her face as I read each question. I saw various stages of panic, fear, agitation, and resignation, ending finally in silent tears. She was silent the entire class period. As the classroom cleared at the bell, she came to my desk and stood for several moments. Then she apologized. She had read the story twice, she said, but didn't know the important parts; she would work harder, read again, do whatever I could suggest. But she didn't know how to figure out what I thought was important. That gave me pause. What I thought? Is this what I wanted her to do: psych out what I felt was about Thurber's story? Is that what teaching literature should be? The second influence was Maia Pank Mertz at