Monthly Archives: February 2012

The researchers used gene therapy in rats to stimulate production of somatostatin, a seizure-stopping chemical that naturally occurs in the brain. The study was published in the February issue of the journal Neuroscience Letters. More than 3 million people in the United States have epilepsy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This lifelong disease is characterized by uncontrollable seizures and can keep people from living independently or holding jobs, particularly if they do not respond to seizure-controlling medication. Finding novel ways to prevent these seizures could help people with epilepsy live more normal, symptom-free lives, said Dr. Paul Carney, chief of the division of neurology in the UF College of Medicine department of pediatrics and senior author of the study. “For years people have focused only on treating the disease, not preventing the disease,” Carney said. “The mantra is no seizures, no side effects.” People with epilepsy tend to have lower levels of the hormone somatostatin, as do people with Alzheimer’s disease. Although somatostatin, which belongs to a group of protein-like molecules called neuropeptides, is present in the brains of people with epilepsy, scientists have shown that its levels decrease during seizures, said Rabia Zafar, the lead … Continue reading →

Ramona Puget/Special to the Sun On Feb. 24, the Autism Society Chapter-Kern Autism Network will hold its 17th Annual Autism Awareness Conference at Hodel’s Banquet Room, 5917 Knudsen Drive, in Bakersfield. Our featured speaker is Emily Rubin, MS, CCC-SLP. Emily Rubin is the director of Communication Crossroads, a private practice in Carmel, Calif.  She is a speech-language pathologist specializing in Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, and related social learning disabilities. As an adjunct faculty member and lecturer at Yale University, she has served as a member of their Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic.  She has also served as an instructor for the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department of Emerson College in Boston, Mass. where she has developed courses to prepare graduate level students for addressing the needs of children with autism and their families. She recently participated as a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Ad Hoc Committee on Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), a committee charged with developing guidelines related to the role of speech-language pathologists in the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of ASD.  She lectures internationally and provides consultation to educational programs serving children and adolescents with autism and related developmental disorders. Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with … Continue reading →

Newswise — The rate of diagnosis for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is the same among all racial groups — one in 110, according to current estimates. However, a study by a Florida State University researcher has found that African-American children tend to be diagnosed later than white children, which results in a longer and more intensive intervention. The reasons for later diagnoses include a lack of access to quality, affordable, culturally competent health care, according to Martell Teasley, an associate professor in Florida State’s College of Social Work who has conducted a comprehensive review of researchliterature on autism and African-American children. In addition, the stigmaattached to mental health conditions within the black community contribute to misdiagnoses of autism, and underuse of available treatment services. “There are no subjective criteria for diagnosing autism. Only brain scans can truly provide appropriate diagnoses, because we are dealing with biological and chemical imbalances in the brain,” Teasley said. “Not every child is going to have access to this kind of medical evaluation, particularly those who are indigent and don’t have health care funding.” Teasley examined ASD diagnosis and treatment strategies, and their effect on African-American families, in “Autism and the African-American Community,” a paper … Continue reading →

STRATHAM, N.H., Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Premium Swiss chocolatier, Lindt, announces today it is once again partnering with Autism Speaks to raise funds and awareness for autism during the Easter season. Lindt will support the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization through donations from sales of the iconic Lindt GOLD BUNNY.   Lindt GOLD BUNNY will support the Autism cause as it celebrates its 60th birthday in 2012. The #1 selling chocolate bunny in the United States*, Lindt GOLD BUNNY, is available in five sizes and three chocolate varieties: milk, dark and white chocolate. Starting today and continuing through Easter, April 8, 2012, Lindt will donate 10 cents to Autism Speaks for every Lindt GOLD BUNNY purchased in the United States, up to $100,000. Lindt will also donate $2 for every Easter basket sold at Lindt Chocolate Shops, Lindt.com and through Lindt Chocolate R.S.V.P., Lindt's home sales program. In addition, Lindt will donate $1 for every free Lindt Easter e-card sent, up to $5,000, to the organization, and up to $10,000 for consumers who use Pinterest to express their Easter traditions. Lindt is raising additional funds and awareness for Autism Speaks by hosting the third Lindt GOLD BUNNY Celebrity Auction. … Continue reading →

The researchers are from the PCMD-based National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Peninsula Collaboration for Health, Operational Research and Development (PenCHORD), which is part of the NIHR Peninsula Collaboration for Leadership and Applied Health Research and Care (PenCLAHRC). The study is investigating the whole process of emergency treatment that follows when a person suffers an acute stroke from a blocked artery in the brain. For most patients in this situation, the earliest possible administration of the clot-busting drug Alteplase can greatly improve their chances of recovery – called thrombolysis. The drug is currently licensed for delivery up to three hours from the onset of a stroke, but in that time the patient needs to call an ambulance, get to hospital, have a brain scan, and be assessed by specialists before receiving the treatment. The research team is working with healthcare professionals from SWASFT and the RD&E to analyse the various steps by which a stroke patient is identified, transported to hospital and treated. This includes paramedics, the emergency department (ED) team, triage nurses, the acute stroke team and the radiology department (which performs the brain scans). By investigating what happens 'on the ground', researchers have been able to create computer … Continue reading →