Monthly Archives: May 2012

Public release date: 2-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Rhiannon Bugno Biol.Psych@utsouthwestern.edu 214-648-0880 Elsevier Philadelphia, PA, May 2, 2012 Although the two disorders may seem dissimilar, epilepsy and psychosis are associated. Individuals with epilepsy are more likely to have schizophrenia, and a family history of epilepsy is a risk factor for psychosis. It is not known whether the converse is true, i.e., whether a family history of psychosis is a risk factor for epilepsy. Multiple studies using varied investigative techniques have shown that patients with schizophrenia and patients with epilepsy show some similar structural brain and genetic abnormalities, suggesting they may share a common etiology. To investigate this possibility, researchers conducted a population-based study of parents and their children born in Helsinki, Finland. Using data available in two Finnish national registers, the study included 9,653 families and 23,404 offspring. Individuals with epilepsy had a 5.5-fold increase in the risk of having a psychotic disorder, a 6.3-fold increase in the risk of having bipolar disorder, and an 8.5-fold increase in the risk of having schizophrenia. They also found that the association between epilepsy and psychosis clusters within families. Individuals with a parental history of epilepsy had a 2-fold increase … Continue reading →

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama lawmakers gave final approval today to a watered-down version of legislation aimed at getting more insurance coverage for autism treatment. The House of Representatives voted 96-0 for the bill, sending it to the governor for his signature. The legislation requires insurance companies to offer coverage for the treatment of autism, including for a costly behavioral therapy that now is rarely covered. Businesses could choose whether to offer the coverage as part of their insurance options for employees. An original version of the bill would have mandated the coverage, but the sponsor said he did not have the votes to get that passed. "It's one more step down the road for providing benefits and better opportunities for those on the autism spectrum in Alabama," said sponsor Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster. "Obviously it's not everything we wanted, but it's definitely still moving it forward." Parents have complained that many of the treatments for autism, particularly an intense and costly behavioral therapy that doctors frequently recommend, are not covered by insurance, leaving them with tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses each year. Ward said the coverage also could be purchased as a rider. Ward, whose daughter has … Continue reading →

01-05-2012 13:36 Prompt stroke treatment at Western Baptist, the region's only certified stroke center, saved the life of busy mom and avid runner Lorane Smith of Mayfield. Neurologist Joseph Ashburn, MD, says stroke patients receive state-of-the-art care at Western Baptist, including the clot-busting drug, tPA. Read the original here: On HealthBreak: Prompt stroke treatment saves young Mayfield woman - Video … Continue reading →

FARMINGTON, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. In observance of Stroke Awareness Month, BroadcastMed is proud to present special online content produced from NewYork-Presbyterian. Every Tuesday through the month of May, viewers will learn how the doctors at NewYork-Presbyterian are working to change the publics perception of strokes through education and innovative treatments. Join us at Noon Eastern every Tuesday through the month of May as we highlight Stroke Prevention and Treatment at NewYork-Presbyterian. Learn more about this and other web events at ORLive.com. You can sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Plus, to see numerous health videos from a wide-range of specialties, check out our YouTube Channel. About BroadcastMed, Inc. BroadcastMed is an online medical broadcasting company. We help the Worlds leading hospitals and medical device companies create and deliver trusted educational content to physicians. Our clients rely on us to deliver measurable results by expanding their reach through the BroadcastMed syndication network which includes ORLive.com, ranked among the top three online destinations for physicians. The rest is here: BroadcastMed Highlights Stroke Awareness Month with NewYork-Presbyterian … Continue reading →

On average, someone suffers a new or recurrent stroke every 40 seconds and someone dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the U.S., with approximately 4.7 million stroke survivors alive today. Did you know that 85 percent of all strokes are preventable? May is National Stroke Awareness Month, so I encourage you to recognize the signs of a stroke and learn what to do to help prevent one especially if you or a loved one are at risk for a stroke. A stroke is an actual brain attack in which blood and oxygen to brain cells are cut off. An attack could affect one's ability to speak, walk and breathe. Often, arteries are blocked by blood clots, plaque or fatty deposit build-up, which causes arteries to rupture due to weakened walls of blood vessels. Symptoms of a stroke include numbness, or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side; confusion; trouble speaking or understanding; trouble seeing in one or both eyes; difficulty walking; dizziness; loss of balance or coordination; severe headache with no known cause. Once stroke symptoms begin, there's a four-and-a-half-hour window in which the patient … Continue reading →

Public release date: 2-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Mark Michaud mark_michaud@urmc.rochester.edu 585-273-4790 University of Rochester Medical Center The mantra in stroke care is "time is brain." With each passing minute more brain cells are irretrievably lost and, because of this, timely diagnosis and treatment is essential to increase the chances for recovery. While significant strides have been made to improve the response time of caregivers, a new study shows that a critical step in the process imaging of the brain to determine the nature of the stroke is still occurring too slowly at too many hospitals. A study out this month in the journal Stroke shows that only 41.7 percent of stroke patients underwent brain imaging within the recommended 25 minutes of their arrival at a hospital. It also found that certain individuals, including people with diabetes, those over 75 years of age, women, those that did not arrive by ambulance, non-whites, and those with certain cardiac conditions were less likely to receive a timely brain scan. These delays potentially mean that treatment will come either too late or not at all. "We were struck by the fact that less than half of patients with acute stroke … Continue reading →

Newswise A few weeks before Halloween 2011, Houston radio personality Colonel St. James got the scare of his life when he suffered a stroke, his second. Lucky for him, it wasnt a severe episode and he sought care at an Advanced Primary Stroke Center Ben Taub General Hospital. One week later, the 40-year veteran of the airways was back on the job spinning classic rock hits on KKRW-FM (93.7 The Arrow). Early detection of stroke and immediate treatment is the best way to ensure patients have the best recovery possible. Treating a stroke victim quickly in minutes and seconds can be the difference between life and death, says Dr. Joseph Kass, chief, Neurology, and medical director, Stroke Service, Ben Taub General Hospital, and assistant professor, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted because a blood vessel is blocked or bursts. Each year, about 800,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, the nations third leading cause of death. On average, someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds or dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. It was scary and totally unexpected. I started feeling a tingling on the right … Continue reading →