Monthly Archives: May 2012

HOUSTON, May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Cyberonics, Inc. (CYBX), a global leader in medical devices for the treatment and management of epilepsy, today announced it will participate in the Jefferies 2012 Global Healthcare Conference on Thursday, June 7, 2012, in New York. Greg Browne, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will speak at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. A live audio webcast of the presentation can be accessed by clicking on the Investor Relations link on the Cyberonics home page at http://www.cyberonics.com on June 7, 2012. About Cyberonics, Inc. and the VNS Therapy System Cyberonics, Inc. is a medical technology company with core expertise in neuromodulation. The company developed and markets the VNS Therapy System, which is FDA-approved for the treatment of refractory epilepsy and treatment-resistant depression. The VNS Therapy System uses an implanted medical device that delivers pulsed electrical signals to the vagus nerve. Cyberonics markets the VNS Therapy System in selected markets worldwide. Additional information on Cyberonics and the VNS Therapy System is available at http://www.cyberonics.com. Contact InformationGreg Browne, CFO Cyberonics, Inc. 100 Cyberonics Blvd. Houston, TX 77058 Main: (281) 228-7262 Fax: (281) 218-9332 ir@cyberonics.com Read this article: Cyberonics to Present at Jefferies 2012 Global Healthcare Conference … Continue reading →

It's estimated that epilepsy and seizures affect nearly 3 million Americans of all ages. Now, a new report suggests many people with the disorder aren't getting the treatment they need. Stephanie Conklin is an active mother of two, but for years, she was concerned her epileptic seizures would get in the way of becoming a mom. She explains, "it was a challenge. It was lots of side effects from the medicine. Made you very nasty. Stephanie suffered seizures since having a brain tumor removed as a child. She tried all kinds of medications, but nothing worked. The seizures interfered with every part of her life, including the birth of her daughter. She two grand mal seizures while she was pregnant, so they took the baby early A new report from the Institute of Medicine shows there are effective ways to treat epilepsy, but many patients don't have access to the care they need. At Hackensack University Medical Center, Dr. Arno Fried says, "less than half of the people who are eligible and good candidates for some of these sophisticated treatments get them." Medicine helps most patients, but others need specialized treatments or surgery Doctors determined that Stephanie needed a series … Continue reading →

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kids Institute for Development and Advancement (KIDA http://www.KIDA.com), an integrated center for the treatment of autism and other special needs in Orange County, today announced the appointment of Dr. Barbara J. Moore as its Executive Director and Vice President of Administration. In this capacity, Moore will serve as both Clinical Director for KIDAs clinical activities and as the Principal for KIDA's Academic programs. Moore has had a distinguished career in the field of Special Education over the past two decades. During past 7 years she has been Director of Special Youth Services in the Anaheim Union High School District overseeing all special education programs. Trained and nationally recognized as an expert speech language pathologist, she has authored and coauthored numerous articles and a text book on Speech and Communication. Dr. Moore is also an adjunct faculty at Chapman University and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). "Barbara is a fantastic addition to KIDA's leadership and we are very excited about her. As we grow KIDA's programs we seek high quality experts such as Dr. Moore to build a center of excellence for the treatment of autism. We hope we can … Continue reading →

Data Provide Snapshot of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Special Health Care Needs By Denise Mann WebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD May 24, 2012 -- New research provides a snapshot of what life is like for school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder in the U.S. The findings, which appear in the NCHS Data Brief, highlight areas where there is room for improvement, including earlier diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and access to behavioral therapies and other services. The new study looked at children aged 6 to 17 with special health care needs and autism spectrum disorder in 2011. More than half of school-aged kids were age 5 or older when they were first diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, the study showed. Less than 20% were diagnosed by age 2. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatricians screen children for autism at 18 months of age. The CDC estimates that 1 in 88 children in the U.S. has an autism spectrum disorder. This is the umbrella term for a group of developmental disorders that can range from mild to severe and that often affect social and communication skills. Treatment is individualized, and often involves behavioral therapies to address … Continue reading →

Syracuse, NY -- Tina Fietta was expecting the worst when her 88-year-old mother, Christine Page, was rushed to Upstate University Hospital in late March after suffering a stroke at Fiettas Cazenovia home. Pages face was drooping, she was paralyzed on one side and could not speak. Doctors at Upstate determined she had had a blood clot blocking one of the major arteries of her brain and severe hardening of the arteries. The deck was stacked against her, Fietta said. Page became the first patient at Upstate and one of the first in New York state to be treated with a new device just approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration to remove blood clots from stroke patients. Dr. Eric Deshaies, a neurosurgeon, threaded a catheter through Pages blood vessels to the blockage in the brain artery. He pushed the catheter through the clot, then deployed a mesh-like stent, which he used to grab the clot and remove it. The procedure, which took about 18 minutes, restored blood flow to Pages brain. The next morning Pages speech was normal and the paralysis had disappeared. She telephoned Fietta at 6:30 a.m. to ask why she was in the hospital. "What happened … Continue reading →

ROSEVILLE - Timely treatment for someone experiencing signs of a stroke is crucial for survival. That is why Asim Mahmood, M.D., regional medical director of stroke services for the Sutter Neuroscience Institute, wants to get the word out during May - Stroke Awareness Month - about how to recognize and treat a stroke. Common stroke symptoms are usually sudden, including onset weakness on one side of the body, severe headache, and difficulty with vision, balance or speaking. Dr. Mahmood says it is important for people to know the signs of a stroke and get help as fast as possible if they or others are experiencing these symptoms. "It is imperative that they call 911 right away and have them brought to Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital," said Dr. Mahmood, who is based at Sutter Roseville Medical Center. "We have emergency treatments available that can limit the extent of the damage to the brain and those can only be beneficial within the first three hours." If patients are brought to a Primary Stroke Center hospital in a timely manner, Dr. Mahmood says they can be treated with a procedure called tissue plasminogen activators, or tPA, but it must be administered within three … Continue reading →

Editor's Choice Main Category: Stroke Article Date: 24 May 2012 - 15:00 PDT Current ratings for: 'Is Alteplase Safe For Stroke Patients Over 80? Researchers Say Yes' Although the drug can be used in several conditions including ischemic stroke, heart attacks and pulmonary embolism, the time window in which the drug can be administered safely and effectively after a stroke is still debated. Two studies published in The Lancet reveal the benefits of alteplase in stroke patients age 80+ and also confirm the benefits of rapid treatment. The first study reports the results of the third International Stroke Trial (IST-3). In the trial, Professor Peter Sandercock, University of Edinburgh and Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK, evaluated 3,035 patients at 156 hospitals in 12 countries in order to determine whether stroke patients treated within 6 hours in clinical trials might benefit (ie, be alive and independent in daily living). 53% of study participants were older than 80 years of age. At present, thrombolysis is known to benefit individuals under the age of 80 who are treated within 4-5 hours of acute ischemic stroke. The researchers assigned 1,515 participants to receive alteplase and 1,520 to the control group. At 6 months, the … Continue reading →

Stroke victims are more likely to make a better recovery if they are given a new clot-busting drug, Scottish researchers said. More than 3,000 patients worldwide took part in Edinburgh University's trial of the rt-PA drug, which was administered after an acute ischemic stroke. Doctors found that for every 1,000 patients treated with the drug within three hours of stroke, 80 more will survive and live without help from others than if they had not been given the drug. Professor Joanna Wardlaw, from the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, said, "We have looked at data from more than 7,000 stroke patients worldwide. What we see is that the drug increases patients' longer term recovery." However, patients are also at risk of death within seven days of treatment because the drug can cause a secondary bleed in the brain. Wardlaw added, "We need to find out why some people bleed and how to reduce this to increase the effectiveness of clot busting treatment." The findings, published in The Lancet medical journal, advised that the drug was effective up to six hours after a stroke. Visit link: Clot drug aids stroke recovery, researchers say … Continue reading →

The common practice of infusing magnesium sulfate into patients who have suffered a hemorrhagic (bleeding) stroke provides no discernible benefit, Dutch researchers reported Friday. The study could lead to a change in treatment for victims of such strokes, which account for about 13% of the estimated 795,000 strokes that afflict Americans each year -- and about 30% of the 133,000 stroke deaths. The rest of the strokes are caused by blood clots that impede circulation in the brain. Many survivors of hemorrhagic strokes, which occur when a blood vessel in the brain leaks blood into the organ, causing acute pressure, are left permanently impaired. The only treatments for such strokes that have proved modestly effective are calcium-channel antagonists such as nimodipine. Magnesium has been proposed as a treatment because it also acts as a calcium antagonist and because it has neuroprotective effects. Small clinical trials, however, have produced mixed results. Dr. Sanne Dorhaut Mees of the Utrecht Stroke Center in the Netherlands and her colleagues had previously performed a phase 2 trial of magnesium infusions with 283 patients in the Netherlands, half of whom received infusions of the drug and half who got infusions of saline solution as a placebo. … Continue reading →