Monthly Archives: May 2012

Health Aware: Edward patient among first to receive stroke treatment

Posted: Published on May 15th, 2012

Submitted May 14, 2012 5:04PM Edward is one of the first hospitals in Illinois to use the Solitaire stent retriever to capture and remove clots that cause ischemic strokes. | Submitted storyidforme: 30483979 tmspicid: 11066256 fileheaderid: 5055927 Updated: May 15, 2012 2:03PM How well we move, think, communicate, regulate our bodily functions and manage our emotions depends on that amazingly complex organ the brain. A stroke, which cuts off delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain, can create havoc with any of these abilities. And for about 135,000 Americans each year, these brain attacks are fatal. A recently FDA-approved weapon in the fight against ischemic strokes, the Solitaire FR clot removal device, is now available at Edward Hospitals Neurosciences Institute, a program thats affiliated with physicians of the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation. Ischemic strokes are those caused by a blood clot (thrombus) reducing blood flow and, as a result, oxygen to the brain. Another type, hemorrhagic stroke, results from a rupture of a blood vessel that leaks into the brain. In March, an 84-year-old ischemic stroke patient was the first at Edward and one of the first in Illinois to be treated with the new Solitaire stent retriever for … Continue reading →

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Florida Hospital Tampa Turns Guidelines into Lifelines and Earns “Stroke Gold Plus” Quality Achievement Award

Posted: Published on May 15th, 2012

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Through its daily mission of elevating healthcare in Tampa Bay, Florida Hospital Tampa has been recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Associations (AHA/ASA) evidenced-based Get With The GuidelinesStroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for its commitment and success in implementing excellent care for stroke patients. With a stroke, time is the most critical factor in preventing permanent brain damage, and the Get With The GuidelinesStroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award demonstrates our long-term commitment to being one of the top hospitals in the country for providing aggressive, proven stroke care, said John Harding, president and chief executive officer of Florida Hospital Tampa Bay Division. We will continue with our focus on providing quality care, which includes incorporating evidence-based protocols to quickly, efficiently and safely treat stroke patients. According to the AHA/ASA, stroke is one of the leading causes of death and serious, long-term disability in the United States. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds; someone dies of a stroke every four minutes; and 795,000 people suffer a new stroke each year. In addition, stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer every year, and it affects more women than men with 425,000 … Continue reading →

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Surgeons restore some hand function to quadriplegic patient

Posted: Published on May 15th, 2012

ScienceDaily (May 15, 2012) Surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have restored some hand function in a quadriplegic patient with a spinal cord injury at the C7 vertebra, the lowest bone in the neck. Instead of operating on the spine itself, the surgeons rerouted working nerves in the upper arms. These nerves still "talk" to the brain because they attach to the spine above the injury. Following the surgery, performed at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and one year of intensive physical therapy, the patient regained some hand function, specifically the ability to bend the thumb and index finger. He can now feed himself bite-size pieces of food and write with assistance. The case study, published online May 15 in the Journal of Neurosurgery, is, to the authors' knowledge, the first reported case of restoring the ability to flex the thumb and index finger after a spinal cord injury. "This procedure is unusual for treating quadriplegia because we do not attempt to go back into the spinal cord where the injury is," says surgeon Ida K. Fox, MD, assistant professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at Washington University, who treats patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. "Instead, we go out to … Continue reading →

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InVivo reports profit, expects to start human trial

Posted: Published on May 15th, 2012

Bob Langer, co-inventor of technology used by InVivo Spinal cord injury treatment company InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (OTCBB:NVIV) reported a profit for the first quarter of 2012, and said its biopolymer scaffolding is slated to enter human clinical trials later this year. InVivo shares were up about 6 percent in mid-morning trading to $2.45. The company said it expects to start a pilot human clinical trial of the scaffolding in the second half of 2012, pending approval of an Investigational Device Exemption application by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Following a meeting with the FDA held in April, the company said it is expecting the product to be regulated under the Humanitarian Use Device/Humanitarian Device Exemption pathway that should accelerate commercialization. The Cambridge company uses technology co-invented by MIT Professor Robert Langer and Mass General Hospitals Dr. Joseph P. Vacanti. Langer was among the team of InVivo scientists who met with the FDA in April. The pilot test will be an open label study to evaluate the safety and efficacy in spinal cord injury patients following treatment with the biopolymer scaffolding. The study will follow promising pre-clinical studies completed in non-human primates, according to InVivo. The company also expects … Continue reading →

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InVivo Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2012 Financial Results, Provides Business Update

Posted: Published on May 15th, 2012

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp. (OTCBB:NVIV.OB - News), a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI), today reported the financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and provided a business update. InVivo has pioneered a new treatment that uses a biocompatible polymer-based scaffold to provide structural support to a damaged spinal cord in order to spare tissue from scarring while improving recovery and prognosis after a traumatic spinal cord injury. Today there is no effective treatment for the spinal cord for paralysis caused by SCIs, and the market potential is estimated to be over $10 billion. We are off to a strong start for 2012 and the first quarter was marked by significant achievements and milestones for InVivo," said Frank Reynolds, InVivos Chief Executive Officer. We are creating a new paradigm for the treatment of neurological injuries and are at an inflection point in our growth. By the end of 2012, we expect to have several product applications under review by the FDA. Our biopolymer scaffolding device for the treatment of acute SCIs is poised to enter human clinical trials during the second half of 2012. We expect to submit … Continue reading →

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Treatment at McGuire evolving to meet needs

Posted: Published on May 15th, 2012

By tracking eyeball movements, doctors may be able to determine if a patient is at higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a study led by a researcher at McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond. The study received wide notice in the Parkinson's disease community and is one example of the cutting-edge care and research available in the Veterans Affairs health care system. "We are looking at all sorts of patients with neurological disorders, not just Parkinson's disease," said George T. Gitchel, lead author on the study and a research specialist at McGuire's Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center. The Veterans Affairs health care system, often criticized for being cumbersome and difficult to navigate, has in recent years carved out areas of specialized care in response to veterans' health care needs. The Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center at McGuire is one of five such centers in the national VA system developed to treat patients suffering multiple traumatic injuries from blasts, such as those from explosives used in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other treatment areas getting more resources include mental health and neurology, chiefs of those units at McGuire VA said. The hospital, located on Broad Rock Boulevard … Continue reading →

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ACADIA Pharmaceuticals to Webcast Educational Program on Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis on May 22, 2012

Posted: Published on May 15th, 2012

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ACAD - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on innovative treatments that address unmet medical needs in neurological and related central nervous system disorders, today announced that it will host a live webcast of its Educational Program on Parkinsons Disease Psychosis to be held with analysts and investors in New York City on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Eastern Time. The program will be hosted by ACADIA and consist of presentations by two leading clinicians in the field of Parkinsons disease psychosis. The speakers will provide a physicians perspective of Parkinsons disease psychosis and an overview of the current treatment landscape. A live webcast of the event will be accessible on the companys website, http://www.acadia-pharm.com, under the investors section, and an archived recording will be available on the website through June 5, 2012. About Parkinsons Disease Psychosis (PDP) According to the National Parkinsons Foundation, about one million people in the United States and from four to six million people worldwide suffer from Parkinsons disease. Parkinsons disease psychosis, or PDP, is a debilitating disorder that develops in up to 60 percent of patients with Parkinsons disease. Currently, there is no … Continue reading →

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Parkinson's disease may be diagnosed by studying colon, reports say

Posted: Published on May 15th, 2012

Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the brain, but it may be possible to diagnose it at an early stage by examining the bowel, researchers said Tuesday. As new drugs to treatParkinson's are developed, they noted, earlier diagnosis should make it possible to intervene at an earlier stage when the disorder is more susceptible to drugs, thereby prolonging quality of life and lifespan. Parkinson'sis a common neurological disorder that is associated with aging. It is characterized by tremors or shaking, and difficulties with walking, movement and coordination. There is no cure, and it ultimately proves fatal. An estimated 0.4% of people in industrialized countries have it, with the proportion rising above 1% in people over 60 and 4% in those over age 80. The disorder affects almost 5 million people worldwide, a number that is expected to double by 2030. The disorder is characterized by the accumulation of a protein called alpha-synuclein in brain cells, killing the cells. The definitive diagnosis is provided at autopsy, when the brain can be examined to search for the protein. In living patients, however, the disease is diagnosed by the appearance of symptoms, and some estimates are that as many as 20% of patients … Continue reading →

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Wake Forest Baptist researches say new device helpful in treating brain injuries

Posted: Published on May 15th, 2012

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have determined that a new device for treating traumatic brain injury can reduce the size and extent of damaged tissue and prevent cell death. The research was the focus of a three-year, $1.5 million study funded by the U.S. Defense Department. A report has been published in the journal Neurosurgery. The technology, tested in rats, is called mechanical tissue resuscitation. It uses negative pressure to create an environment that fosters cell survival. Similar negative-pressure devices have been used to treat wounds and burns. "The Department of Defense has identified this as an area that is ripe for medical advancement," said study co-author Dr. Stephen Tatter, professor of neurosurgery at Wake Forest Baptist. "We believe it will soon be ready for a clinical trial." The Wake Forest Baptist research team was led by Dr. Louis Argenta and Michael Morykwas, professors in the department of plastic surgery and reconstructive surgery. The team used the device to remove fluid and other toxins that cause cell death from an injury site deep in the brain. When the brain is injured by blunt force, explosion or other trauma, the cells at the impact site are irreversibly damaged and … Continue reading →

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What you need to know about traumatic brain injuries

Posted: Published on May 15th, 2012

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs when an external force, such as a violent blow, damages the brain. Depending on the severity of the injury, this could end in serious long-term damage or even death. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that about 1.7 million people will experience a TBI each year. Brain injury The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the special education law in the United States. It defines TBI as "an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment." Ricardo Jorge Komotar, neurological surgeon at the University of Miami School of Medicine, said that people should know about the chronic nature of the condition. "Most of the focus is on concussions but people need to understand that there are repercussions 10 to 15 years down the road, not just right now." Frank Toral, senior partner at Toral Garcia Battista (a brain and spinal cord injury law firm), explained that TBI the leading cause of death anddisabilityfor children 14 and under. Causes There are two basic forms of TBI: Closed head injuries (blows to the head) and penetrating injuries (penetration of brain by foreign … Continue reading →

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