It’s the last episode of the Recombobulator Lab and Chris and Jason are taking a walk down season 2 memory lane with a little current affairs (Chinese balloon anyone?) thrown in too, because that’s what we do. 

Jason asks Chris what is going on in the United States, to which Chris replies nothing. He then asks if Chinese balloons ever float over Australian airspace. Jason points out that 90% of Australia is desert and that there’s nothing to see there.

Jason and Chris then discuss how it was a bit more difficult to pull of season 2 post-pandemic. The pandemic gave them the chance to slow down and freed up a lot fo their time when they first started The Recombobulator Lab but now they are back to business as usual. 

Chris says that pre-recording episodes helped them keep on top of it as they were both travelling a lot with work. 

To wrap up the episode, Jason and Chris talk about the highlights of season two. They talk about youth alcohol consumption (Ep. 10 with Dr Amy Pennay), fake meat (Ep. 11 with Dr. Tani Khara), and e-cigarettes (Ep. 16 with Dr Laura Crotty). Chris points out that the e-cigarettes episode was terrifying, and that the health harms just aren’t talked about in general conversation. Jason believes this is similar to a lot of the things they discuss on the show. 

Other highlights included learning about the BeReal app with Mike Hanley (Ep.9) and getting into the reeds about authoritarianism with Dr Doug Keene (Ep. 4) and discussing guns and gambling in episode 5. 

Chris and Jason are eager to understand the vaping or e-cigarette epidemic around the world. In this episode of the Recombobulator Lab they are joined by guest Dr. Laura Crotty Alexander, an Associate Professor in Residence of Medicine at UC San Diego, with undergraduate degrees in science and medicine, residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, and fellowship at Harvard. Laura busts some myths about vaping and shares some interesting stats and facts.  

E-cigarettes were invented in China in 2003 and went international in 2007. They rapidly evolved from looking like cigarettes to becoming more advanced and sleek devices that heat up a fluid containing nicotine and chemicals, turning it into an aerosol that users inhale. 

While e-cigarettes were invented to help people quit smoking, the original devices did not achieve this goal. However, more modern e-cigarettes contain 10 to 15 times more nicotine, making them more helpful for quitting smoking. It has not been proven that they are more effective than nicotine patches, gum, or inhalers.

According to the FDA's 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey, more than 2 million middle and high school students use e-cigarettes in the US, and 85% of them use flavored products. This trend has led to concerns about the dangers of vaping, particularly in young people who have never smoked tobacco.

Dr. Crotty Alexander and her team conducted a small study on the effects of vaping on teenagers who had never smoked tobacco. The study found that vaping alters inflammation and the immune system all over the body and causes DNA damage to cells, which is recognized as a critical factor in cancer development. The study also found that even e-cigarettes claiming to not contain nicotine actually do contain it. 

Dr. Crotty Alexander believes that to reduce e-cigarette use, the nicotine content should be reduced, and flavors should be limited to only tobacco. The big myth about e-cigarettes is that they contain water vapor and nicotine, but in reality, each puff of an e-cigarette contains 60-120 chemicals.

Dr. Crotty Alexander wants adults to have access to as much information as possible about the dangers of vaping so they can make informed decisions. The messaging around vaping is mixed, but it is more clear with regards to cigarettes, with many countries having warnings on the boxes and using price as a deterrent.

Chris and Jason have long been interested in the long term effects of concussion and head trauma. This week on the Recombobulator Lab they are joined by Dr. Ryan Takagi, nutritionist, chiropractor mechanical engineering PHD candidate. Ryan’s PHD is specifically looking at the prolonged after effects of concussion and how sleep impacts this. 

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brain condition thought to be linked to repeated head trauma. Unfortunately, the only way to diagnose CTE is through an autopsy, making it difficult to determine the extent of the problem in living patients. Symptoms of CTE can be similar to those of ADHD or depression, making it even more challenging to diagnose.

Ryan became interested in CTE as a chiropractor, observing patients who had prolonged symptoms after a concussion. He wondered why some people made a full recovery from concussion while others had prolonged symptoms. 

Jason mentions that his son has had a lot of concussions from a variety of sports and activities and Jason wonders whether he should be worried. Ryan says there are a number of studies looking into potential neurodegenerative problems that may arise from repeated concussions or subconcussive events, such as too many headers in soccer.

One of the methods used in these studies is the use of accelerometers in mouth guards or helmets. These devices can track the impact of hits to the head and provide data on where on the field there is more impact and at what age people can handle these impacts. This data can be used to help determine when certain elements of sports should be introduced, such as contact in baseball or headers in soccer. Ryan’s team are also using these in their research.

Ryan's research explores the relationship between concussions and sleep. His research is looking at two things: 

1. How a concussion results in injury to sleep centers thus causing sleep disturbances
2. How these sleep disturbances impact recovery