Lindsey Shapiro, PhD, science writer —

Lindsey earned her PhD in neuroscience from Emory University in Atlanta, where she studied novel therapeutic strategies for treatment-resistant forms of epilepsy. She was awarded a fellowship from the American Epilepsy Society in 2019 for this research. Lindsey also previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher, studying the role of inflammation in epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.

Articles by Lindsey Shapiro

Muscle weakness while walking may contribute to unstable joints

People with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) produced less force when extending their hips during walking and had weaker muscles associated with hip extension compared to healthy people, according to a recent analysis. Researchers believe this muscle weakness may contribute to joint instability and related joint damage that tends to…

Pain interferes with walking in children with hEDS/HSD: Study

Children with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) who are in pain or anticipating pain show certain walking patterns, leading researchers to believe walking assessments may help to better understand clinical characteristics of the conditions and to develop coping strategies. Compared with typically developing children, those…

Blocking sensory nerve fibers eased pain responses in mice

Abnormally high sensitivity of a type of sensory nerve fibers is behind the heightened pain responses to harmless light touch that were observed in a mouse model of classical-like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (clEDS), a study shows. This abnormal pain sensation, called mechanical allodynia, is a main symptom of neuropathic pain…

Endoplasmic reticulum stress may underlie vEDS complications: Study

Stress in a cell compartment called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) may cause irregularities in collagen fibrils that underlie the serious blood vessel-related symptoms of vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS), according to a recent study. Patients who had more irregular collagen fibrils — major structural units of cells — tended to…

Altered sensory, pain perceptions observed in cEDS patients

Chronic pain was prevalent among people with classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (cEDS), strongly affecting life quality and emotional health, according to a recent study. cEDS patients also exhibited abnormal sensory perceptions and heightened pain responses compared with healthy people. The authors, who touted the study as the first to systematically…

Genetic test with IVF may help vEDS women have children: Report

A pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), used for identifying genetic abnormalities in embryos during in vitro fertilization (IVF), may help women with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) who want children, a recent case report shows. A woman with vEDS successfully used PGD to have two biological children via surrogacy. Neither were…