Health & Science Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Shepherd Study Treats Substance Use Disorder With Light Therapy

Researchers at Shepherd University are using light therapy to treat symptoms of substance use disorder and depression, and say they have found early signs of success.

Scientists have long recognized the impact of sunlight on vitamin intake, sleep patterns and mood.

But researchers at Shepherd University are taking things a step further with a form of light therapy known as photobiomodulation (PBM). Their goal is to use light to address symptoms of substance use disorder and depression.

The study involves placing a non-invasive helmet over a participant’s head and transmitting near-infrared light for three minutes. Participants regularly attended these sessions, receiving the treatment twice a week for eight consecutive weeks.

This helps stimulate energy production in cells, reduce inflammation and aid the healing of nerves, according to Jennifer Flora, director of the Shepherd University Wellness Center and a co-author on the study.

So far, Flora said the results have been promising. “I was like, ‘You need to run these numbers again,’ because it was so shocking,” she said.

“After eight weeks, those in the PBM treatment group reported significantly fewer cravings and less severe symptoms of depression compared to the control group,” Flora said. “The results were so compelling.”

Flora is working on the project alongside Kelly Watson Huffer, co-author and coordinator for Shepherd’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

The results of Flora and Watson Huffer’s study were discussed on Shepherd’s campus Monday, with a presentation on the second phase of the study.

West Virginia officials and Shepherd University staff gathered for a Monday morning presentation on photobiomodulation therapy and substance use disorder.

*Photo Credit: Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting*

This will be conducted at the Berkeley Day Report Center in Martinsburg, which serves as an alternative to incarceration for individuals who have gone through legal troubles tied to substance use disorder.

The second phase of the program will continue its phase-one light therapy interventions and compare their results for a second group of participants.

Several state officials attended Monday’s event and expressed their hopes that the study could soon benefit West Virginians.

“The work that’s going on in Shepherd is a critical part of the future of how we tackle the drug epidemic,” said Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. “There [is] a need for additional approaches, creative approaches, to help really make a big difference at some of these cravings, [to] go after the science of addiction.”

“West Virginia has been sort of the most hard-hit place in the country with the opioid epidemic,” said West Virginia State Auditor J.B. McCuskey. “The work that our universities are doing locally to find non-pharmacological solutions to this [is] incredible.”

Flora said her team is currently developing a more portable version of the helmet, which could help people access PBM from the comfort of their homes.

In the meantime, she encouraged state and local officials to consider expanding access to PBM and emerging therapeutic treatments.

“As we continue our research we invite the community — health care professionals and policymakers — to consider the potential of innovative therapies like photobiomodulation to make a real difference,” Flora said.

Steve Williams Calls For Abortion Ballot Measure

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams has launched a petition calling for Gov. Jim Justice to include discussion of an abortion ballot measure during the special session in May.

The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, and West Virginia lawmakers convened a special session in September of that year in which they passed the state’s near-total abortion ban or the Unborn Child Protection Act.

The Unborn Child Protection Act, also known as House Bill 302, outlaws abortions in West Virginia except in cases when the mother’s life is in danger, or instances of rape and incest that are reported to law enforcement in a timely manner. Any abortion performed must be done so in a hospital within eight weeks for adults and 14 weeks for minors.

“Women’s reproductive health certainly isn’t a right and it’s at risk,” Williams said. “And particularly the physicians that care for these women placed their own medical license at risk in assisting with women and there’s a level of uncertainty.”

Now, Williams, a Democrat running to be governor, is calling on Justice to include reproductive freedom on the agenda for the upcoming legislative special session.

Williams said if lawmakers believe the will of the people is to uphold the abortion ban, then they should have no trouble putting it to a vote.

“This is not this is not a matter of being pro-life or pro-choice,” Williams said. “This is a matter of freedom, and we’re just simply suggesting let’s put freedom on the ballot.”

The ballot measure, if approved by a Republican governor and Republican majority House and Senate, would allow voters the chance to vote on abortion rights in the state.

Williams referred to former President Donald Trump’s stance on abortion: to let states decide

“I agree with what former President Trump said, is that let’s put it in the hands of the people and let the people speak,” Williams said.

Voters in seven states — California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Vermont have approved abortion rights measures after they were put up for a vote. Several more states are expected to put the issue up for a vote this year as well.

More Than $45 Million Available For W.Va. For Opioid Recovery Efforts

West Virginia can apply for more than $45 million to address the overdose crisis in 2024.

The Department of Health and Human Services, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced the 2024 State Opioid Response (SOR) and Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) notice of funding opportunities.

West Virginia can apply for $45,758,863 in federal dollars for prevention, harm reduction, treatment such as the use of medications for opioid use disorder, naloxone and other opioid overdose reversal medications, and recovery support.

Nationally, up to $1.48 billion is available for states, territories and the District of Columbia and $63 million to Tribes. This funding is an investment in President Joe Biden’s Unity Agenda for the nation.

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Xavier Becerra said more than 100,000 Americans die of drug overdoses each year.

“Today’s crisis is different from what we’ve seen in the past,” Becerra said. “The illicit drug supply today is increasingly lethal and unpredictable. Nonetheless, we are making progress.”

Becerra said by focusing on evidence-based intervention, states can drive down overdose deaths.

“We saw historic yearly increases in overdose deaths in the U.S.,” Becerra said. “The latest CDC data show we have flat those increases. And while we still see Americans die, we are not seeing the types of growth in overdose deaths that we had seen prior to President Biden coming into office.”

According to a press release from the White House, from 2018 to 2023, SOR recipients reported over 550,000 overdose reversals, about 9.8 million naloxone kits and 7 million fentanyl test strips distributed. They also reported that over 1.2 million people received treatment services and over 600,000 people received medications for opioid use disorder, including buprenorphine, methadone, and injectable extended-release naltrexone.

At their six-month follow-up, 78 percent of people who received treatment through SOR reported they did not use illicit drugs.

Study Finds Sterilization Rates Rose Post-Dobbs Decision

More young people are seeking and following through with permanent contraception procedures.

A new study found that rates of young people seeking permanent contraception have risen since the overturn of Roe v Wade.

The study evaluated changes in rates of tubal ligation and vasectomy procedures among adults aged 18 to 30 following the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The Supreme Court overturned Roe in June of 2022, and West Virginia lawmakers convened a special session in September of that year in which they passed the state’s near-total abortion ban or the Unborn Child Protection Act.

In a written statement, Kristin Sinning, Marshall Health obstetrician-gynecologist and professor at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, confirmed an increase in patients expressing interest in and proceeding with permanent sterilization within the past two years.

“Marshall Obstetrics and Gynecology offers patients a comprehensive range of contraception methods including permanent sterilization procedures,” Sinning wrote. “During the past two years, our clinics have experienced an increase in patients expressing interest in and proceeding with permanent sterilization. This is consistent with the findings outlined in the recent Journal of American Medicine Association article.”

Jacqueline Allison is an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health Policy and Management and one of the authors of the study on rates of permanent contraception. She said the study was inspired by the conversations she had with friends and family following the overturning of Roe v Wade.

“I think a lot of people who with the capacity for pregnancy, including myself, felt a lot of fear and anxiety around the ruling,” Allison said. “And that fear and anxiety, as we saw in our study, translated to changes in contraceptive decision-making.”

Allison said the study found a substantial increase in both tubal ligation and vasectomy procedures among young people since the Dobbs decision.

“We also found that this increase in tubal ligation procedures was twice that of the vasectomies,” Allison said. “It was also the increase was also sustained in the post Dobbs period, whereas for vasectomies, there was sort of an initial uptick, and then the rate leveled off.”

There could be multiple reasons for those rates, but Allison suspects people who can get pregnant are more likely to experience the consequences of not being able to terminate an unwanted or unsafe pregnancy.

“Women disproportionately experience the health, social and economic consequences of abortion bans, whereas men may not experience those consequences as directly,” Allison said.

Another factor could be that men might not have health insurance coverage for a vasectomy. Allison explained that under the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate, all private payers are required to cover contraceptives, at no additional cost to patients.

“That mandate did not include the vasectomy,” Allison said. “So it’s also possible that men do not have insurance coverage for vasectomy, whereas women do have coverage for tubal ligation.”

Allison said she expected to see an increase in interest and follow through with permanent contraception procedures following the Dobbs decision, but did not expect the increase to be as pronounced as it was. She was also surprised to learn that younger people were already more interested in the procedures than their older counterparts were at their ages.

“Even before the Dobbs ruling, younger people were more likely to go out and get permanent contraception, or they were there, the rate was increasing, rather,” Allison said. “And that’s opposite, that’s not what we see when we look at like all adults or older adults. So it suggest to me that, you know, young people are increasingly choosing this option, even before Dobbs.”

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.

Justice Breaks Ground On New State Lab

Dignitaries broke ground Tuesday on a new consolidated state laboratory in South Charleston.

Alongside fellow state leaders, Gov. Jim Justice broke ground on a new state laboratory on Tuesday.

The West Virginia Regional Technology Park is expanding to include the new $250 million West Virginia consolidated state laboratories facility.

Funds for the 300,000-square-foot facility were appropriated by the West Virginia Legislature in 2023 through Senate Bill 1031.

“This is truly a great day for West Virginia as we start turning our dream of a brand new state laboratory into a reality,” Justice said. “When it’s finished, this facility will provide the space and resources many of our state agencies need to properly serve the people of West Virginia. This will make a huge difference and promote collaboration because so many great people from our state agencies will be working together under the same roof. This isn’t just an investment in a new building. This is an investment in the future of our state, and I’m very thankful to see it happen. Finally, I want to thank the West Virginia Regional Tech Park for their efforts in making sure our needs are met during this process.”

Design work is set to conclude by early 2025 and construction is anticipated to be completed by 2027.

When complete, the facility will house the Department of Health’s Office of Laboratory Services, the Division of Labor’s Office of Weights and Measures, the State Police and the Department of Homeland Security forensics lab and the State Medical Examiner.

According to a press release, the facility will also include labs from Marshall University and West Virginia University.

The Department of Administration will operate the facility in cooperation with all of these tenants and the tech park.

Governor: Child Care On Special Session Docket

Gov. Jim Justice confirmed that a childcare tax break would be on the agenda for the proposed May special session.

Gov. Jim Justice confirmed that a child care tax break would be on the agenda for the proposed May special session.

A question from Mark Curtis, reporter for WOWK 13 news, prompted Justice to say that in his State of the State address, he proposed tax cuts for young family’s child care costs.

“For a lot of adults in two-parent families, it’s difficult because they can’t afford day care and one parent has to stay home,” Curtis said. “So what kind of legislation might you put on the call in the special session to bring some either tax cuts or tax relief or tax credits to parents or subsidies for child care?”

Justice said he expects legislators to address child care tax cuts during an upcoming proposed May special session, after they restore funding to the Department of Human Services.

“We proposed a tax cut for young families’ daycare and everything,” Justice said. “It was just shoved over to the side, I’ll surely have that on the call, you know, in the special session. The first thing we need to do is we need to get our funding back in place on our budget for DHHR.”

The Fiscal Year 2025 budget that passed both chambers on the last night of the legislative session cut funding for the state’s Medicaid program by about $150 million compared to previous years.

According to a report from Care.com on child care, 47 percent of parents spent more than $1,500 per month on child care expenses in 2023. This adds up to $18,000 per year.

According to the same report, West Virginia ranks among the least expensive places to hire a nanny (an average of $622 per week), a babysitter (an average of $139 per week) or a day care (an average of $141 per week).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers 7 percent of income to be affordable for child care.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2022, the median household income in West Virginia was $55,217, with nearly 18 percent of persons in poverty.

Therefore, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services metrics, a family making the median household income in West Virginia should pay at most $3,865.19 annually for child care to be considered affordable.

There are nearly 26,000 children under 6 who need but cannot access child care in West Virginia, according to Child Care Aware’s Mapping the Gap tool.

Child care was expected to be a bipartisan issue during the 2024 legislative session with lawmakers and the governor calling for tax breaks following the end of pandemic era support for the industry.

Providers have been asking for their reimbursement model to change for years. As the program stands, providers are reimbursed based on a student’s daily attendance, rather than their enrollment.

Providers and advocates say reimbursement based on enrollment would make it easier to hire, train and retain staff with higher salaries and better hours.