PBR Staff Writer Published 26 March 2015 Marinus Pharmaceuticals has received orphan drug designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for ganaxolone, a synthetic analog of the endogenous neurosteroid allopregnanolone, to treat protocadherin 19 gene (PCDH19) female epilepsy. Currently, the company is conducting a Phase II trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of ganaxolone as adjunctive therapy for uncontrolled seizures in PCDH19 female pediatric epilepsy, and expects to report initial data later in 2015. PCDH19 female pediatric epilepsy is a serious and rare epileptic syndrome that is caused by an inherited mutation of the protocadherin 19 (PCDH19) gene, located on the X chromosome. Around 15,000-30,000 females in the US are affected with this condition, which is characterized by early-onset cluster seizures, cognitive and sensory impairment of varying degrees, and behavioral disturbances. Allopregnanolone is produced in the central nervous system that modulates the brain neurotransmitter GABA. Marinus Pharmaceuticals chief executive officer Christopher Cashman said: "We are pleased to receive the Orphan Drug Designation for ganaxolone in PCDH19 female epilepsy. "This designation underscores the significant unmet medical need for girls suffering from this severe epileptic syndrome, associated with clusters and other types of seizures. "We believe that the novel mechanism … Continue reading →

POOLER, Ga., March 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --Early Autism Project (EAP), Inc., today announced it is accepting clients for its new clinic at 130 Canal Street, Building 400, Suite 404. EAP offers the highest quality of intensive, research-based behavioral treatment for children and young adults between the ages of 20 months and 21 years with autism spectrum and related disorders. For more than a decade, EAP has been a leading provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, which is widely recognized as an effective, evidence-based treatment for autism. EAP provides ABA services to families across the country, including military families at Ft. Stewart Army Base and children in homes and schools in Hinesville, Ga. ABA is endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General and American Academy of Pediatrics as the treatment of choice for autism. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 68 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder. EAP's ABA therapy services are covered under Georgia's state employee healthcare plan and private insurances, and the company offers military families comprehensive, TRICARE-approved services at or near their bases. Holly Brant, Board Certified assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA), has been named clinic director and will be responsible … Continue reading →

The field of autism research has tried to find a central theory underlying brain changes associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Now, a new study shows that individuals with the disorder exhibit different patterns of brain connectivity, when compared to typically developing (TD) individuals and that these patterns adjust as the individual ages. "Our findings suggest that developmental stage must be taken into account to accurately build models that show how the brains of individuals with autism differ from neurotypical individuals," said Lucina Uddin, assistant professor of Psychology at the University of Miami (UM) College of Arts & Sciences and corresponding author of the study. "We believe that taking a developmental approach to examining brain connectivity in autism is critical for predicting response to treatment in young children with ASD." Our brain is composed of more than one trillion cells called neurons. They interact with one another to form complex signaling networks. Previous studies have identified patterns of both functional hypo- and hyper-connectivity of these signaling networks in individuals with ASD. The current study, titled "Developmental Changes in Large-Scale Network Connectivity in Autism," attempts to explain these conflicting results, by indicating that the developmental stage of the individual plays a … Continue reading →

Jacqueline Benestante (l) and Lisa Whitted Photo courtesy of ABA In July 2013, four months after her family's life was changed forever, Lisa Whitted learned that the older of her two children had been diagnosed with autism. The news was not surprising 2-year-old Quintin had begun reverting into his own cognitively uneven mind but it introduced another element to an already emotional household. That March, on the first morning of the month, her husband Jonathan, an Austin Police Department officer of nearly four years at the time, shot and killed 70-year-old John Schaefer after an armed altercation on Schaefer's property. A grand jury declined to indict Jonathan in the shooting, and he received no departmental discipline. Last month, Schaefer's son filed a lawsuit against APD and the officer. On administrative leave (departmental policy after an officer exercises lethal force), Jonathan had to wrestle with the reality that he was directly responsible for taking a man's life. And Lisa, as she admits, would "have to come to terms with the fact that I am married to and love someone who killed someone." The two realities their son's diagnosis and the emotional aftereffects of Schaefer's shooting became even starker when the Whitteds … Continue reading →

By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, March 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Using stents rather than medication alone to keep narrowed arteries open in the brain may actually increase patients' risk of stroke, according to the results of a new trial. The study involved more than 100 patients at risk of stroke because of what's called intracranial arterial stenosis -- plaque build-up in the artery walls in the brain. Those who received balloon-expandable stents -- tiny, mesh tubes like those used to open heart arteries -- were more than twice as likely to suffer a stroke or ministroke as patients treated with two blood thinners, Plavix and aspirin. Moreover, in the month after the procedure, 8.6 percent of the stent patients suffered from bleeding in the brain and about 5 percent died, versus none of those who were treated with drugs. "The current technology with balloon-mounted stent is very limited and is not recommended for patients with stroke or ministroke secondary to a narrowed brain artery," said the lead researcher, Dr. Osama Zaidat, an associate professor of neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. "For those people with symptomatic intracranial stenosis, medical [drug] therapy is the treatment of … Continue reading →

JUST a year ago the countys stroke services were on borrowed time. Today (Thurs) they were recognised for how far they have come. Wye Valley NHS Trust (WVT) Board heard that progress was still tempered by poor performance against patient targets for transient ischemic attack or mini strokes. The service has also had hard time recruiting, needing two new consultants and specialist nursing staff. But the care pathway plan so much a part of securing a future for the service is in place as a multi-agency approach to treatment from assessment to discharge. Stroke services are now all co-located on Wye ward at Hereford County Hospital. Service unit manager Lynne Kedward told the board she was confident of a strong stroke service if recruitment challenges could be met. The board, in turn, recognised the extent of work done so far on a big agenda. Stroke patients make up a significant specialist workload for the trust. Chief executive Richard Beeken told the board he had been overwhelmed by the number of stroke patients in Herefordshire compared to other trusts he had worked with. View original post here: Progress recognised over county's stroke services … Continue reading →

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise Ben Taub Hospital is the recipient of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Associations Get With The Guidelines- Stroke Gold Plus-Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus Award. The newly created elite award means the hospital achieved high marks for response and care provided for acute ischemic strokes, the most common stroke87 percent of all casesin America. The recognition places Harris Heath Systems Ben Taub Hospital among an exclusive group in southeast Texas capable of offering specialized care for the most complex stroke patients. The nationally-recognized hospital already boasts an impressive rsum of multiple certifications and commendations for its comprehensive stroke service. Comprehensive stroke centers are the largest and best-equipped hospitals in a given geographical area. This once again exhibits our staffs commitment to excellence in patient care. To achieve this award, Ben Taub Hospital demonstrated 24 consecutive months of superior performance in the care of stroke patients. There is no higher recognition, says Dr. Robert Trenschel, executive vice president and administrator, Ben Taub Hospital. Most importantly this signifies that patients coming to Ben Taub Hospital will receive the highest quality care possible in the treatment of stroke and continues to fortify our position … Continue reading →

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise MAYWOOD, Ill. Elizabeth Celli was experiencing a moderate-to-severe stroke when she arrived at Loyola University Medical Centers Emergency Department. Mrs. Celli was weak on her left side, had difficulty speaking and was unable to walk. But after being treated with a new device called a stent retriever, her symptoms dramatically reversed. Neurosurgeon Asterios Tsimpas, MD, used a catheter to deploy the device, also known as a stentriever. The device restored blood flow and retrieved a blood clot that was blocking blood to a major part of her brain. Before the procedure, Mrs. Celli had a score of 19 on the National Institutes of Healths 0-to-42 point Stroke Scale. After the procedure, her scored dropped to 1, indicating almost no lasting effects. About 85 percent of strokes are ischemic, meaning they are caused by clots that block blood flow to the brain. The intravenous clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can restore blood flow, if it is given soon enough and the clot is small enough. But in many patients, tPA alone is not sufficient to restore blood flow. In such cases, mechanical devices deployed with catheters can be used to remove the … Continue reading →