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Lawmakers tour Life Span institute

About 25 legislators visited KU today and were given a glimpse of ongoing research to improve the health of Kansans. Watch

Two glass jars filled with a murky, brown liquid rested on a table. Coiled, brown masses rested nearby.

What were they? Brains. Good brains, mediocre brains and bad brains. They were ready to be explored Tuesday evening by a group of about 25 Kansas legislators and staff members who visited Kansas University’s Life Span Institute.

They’d come to learn about the institute’s work and how it improves the lives of Kansans across the state. One of the displays, the brains, was an example of how KU is studying Alzheimer’s disease. The brains were examples of how a brain looks different based on whether — or how severely — it has been afflicted by the disease.

“We think we’re a story worth knowing in the state,” said Steve Warren, the institute’s director and KU’s interim vice provost for research and graduate studies. “Our work is really focused on problems — problems we have in Kansas and problems we have throughout the world.”

In addition to the Alzheimer’s exhibit, legislators had the opportunity to learn about the Actifier, a pacifier that helps teach premature babies how to suck, and about a program that provides assistive technology to people across Kansas.

One exhibit that required audience participation drew a large crowd. It was a test of how well people can do two tasks at the same time.

Under the supervision of professor Susan Kemper, two legislators were tested on how well they could follow a colored dot around a circle while answering an essay-style question.

“My interest is in how aging affects your ability to do two things at once,” Kemper said. “What we found is people’s performance tends to deteriorate when they’re asked to do two things at once.”

Kemper said the amount of deterioration is different as people age. The older a person is, typically, the less they are able to do both tasks at the same time.

“We would be concerned if a 35-year-old and a 55-year-old were the same,” she said.

Kemper said she’s working to develop ranges that would indicate normal levels of ability and perhaps predict whether a person is likely to experience noticeable problems in the future.

Rep. Bob Bethell, R-Alden, was among those tested.

“I didn’t know this kind of work was possible,” he said. “I really think having an understanding of what’s possible and what’s being done right now is important.”

Bethell, who leads the social services budget committee, said he wanted the committee members to get an understanding of how their budget decisions could have a tangible impact.

KU Provost Richard Lariviere said many legislators contacted him for that reason, and the presentation was devised to meet that need.

“Several of them requested information, and we realized we needed to do a better job of telling this story,” he said. “We’re really impressed with the turnout we’ve had.”

The institute, known officially as the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, has been in operation for more than 50 years and is funded primarily by research funds from the federal government.