Ohio State News Tips 5-16-14
Ohio State
research: Caring for horses eases symptoms of dementia. People with Alzheimer’s
become calmer, happier after grooming horses. In the first study of its kind,
researchers have determined that spending time with horses eases symptoms of
Alzheimer’s dementia.
A
collaboration between The Ohio State University, an equine therapy center and
an adult daycare center found that people with Alzheimer’s were able to safely
groom, feed and walk horses under supervision—and the experience buoyed their
mood and made them less likely to resist care or become upset later in the day.
The small
pilot study, which appears in the journal Anthrozoös, suggests that equine
therapy – a treatment used today for children and teens who have emotional and
developmental disorders – could work for adults, too.
Holly
Dabelko-Schoeny, associate professor of social work at Ohio State, said that
equine therapy could supplement more common forms of animal therapy involving
dogs or cats and provide a unique way to ease the symptoms of dementia without
drugs. SEE: http://news.osu.edu/news/2014/05/05/caring-for-horses-eases-symptoms-of-dementia/.
CONTACT: Holly Dabelko-Schoeny, 614-292-4378, dabelko-schoeny.1@osu.edu,
Pam Frost Gorder, 614-292-9475, gorder.1@osu.edu.
Ohio State students to dig up crime scene – May 19 - 21. Ohio State students along with partners from the PAST Innovation Lab will be excavating a “crime scene” May 19-21 at Ohio State’s Waterman Arm, 2490 Carmack Road as part of the Ohio State/ PAST Forensic Science and Anthropology Field School. On Monday (5/19) students will work with K9 Response Search and Rescue from 9 – 10:30 a.m. to hunt for bodies. On Tuesday (5/20), students will excavate and expose buried human plastic skeletons from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Students will be looking at decomposing pigs to see the affects insects have on remains. SEE: https://pastinnovationlab.org/students/bridge-programs/forensic-field-school-2014/. Media Contact at the site: Adam Kolatorowicz, director, Forensic Science and Anthropology Field School, kolatorowicz.1@osu.edu/ 847-508-8658.
Free eye
exams for service animals at Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center – May 19. Dr. Anne Gemensky-Metzler and Dr.
David Wilke, veterinary ophthalmologists at The Ohio State University
Veterinary Medical Center (VMC) will conduct free sight-saving eye exams for
service animals on May 19. All animals were pre-registered during the month of
April through a program hosted by the American College
of Veterinary Ophthalmologists and sponsored in part by Stokes Pharmacy.
Service
animals include dogs that assist people who have physical limitations, as well
as search and rescue dogs, police dogs, lead dogs, and pilot dogs. These
animals are devoted helpers to their owners so it is important that they are in
optimal health. This is the sixth year the VMC has participated in National
Service Dog Eye Exams. While dogs can’t read the familiar charts that human eye
doctors use to test our eyesight, veterinary ophthalmologists have a series of assessments
to check visual responses to gestures, and medical exams to detect
abnormalities of the eyes. To schedule an interview or observe an exam, CONTACT:
Melissa Weber, 614-292-3752 (office) or 614-327-6024 (cell).
History of
Black Columbus Conference to Explore the Columbus City School System – May 24. The annual History of Black Columbus
Conference will convene from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 24 at the
Ohio State University African American and African Studies Community Extension
Center, 905 Mount Vernon Ave.
The theme for
the conference is “The Columbus City School System: How Did We Get To This
Point and Where Do We Go From Here?” Highlights include talks from keynote
speakers, panel discussions, and presentations by faculty, community members
and local officials.
Sponsored by
The Ohio State University Community Extension Center, the primary aim of the
conference is to bring the community together to celebrate the rich history of
African Americans in Columbus and to increase awareness regarding the
significant contribution African Americans have made in all areas of life in
the city. The secondary aim of the conference is to document and preserve this
history for future generations. CONTACT: Alecia Shipe, program
coordinator, Shipe.12@osu.edu, 614-292-3922.
The person listed as the CONTACT will have the most current information about the story. Call on our media relations staff for help with any Ohio State story: Jane Carroll, 614-292-5220 or carroll.296@osu.edu; Liz Cook, 614-292-7276 or cook.17@osu.edu; Gary Lewis, 614-688-2048 or lewis.330@osu.edu; or Amy Murray, 614-292-8385 or murray-goedde.1@osu.edu.