New research has found that the brains of children with autism are relatively inflexible at switching from rest to task and this inflexibility is correlated with behaviors characteristic of the disorder. One of the core clinical symptoms of autism is restricted interests and repetitive behaviors, senior study author Vinod Menon, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, told FoxNews.com. Autism is characterized by significant behavioral inflexibility and we were interested in finding out the brain basis of inflexibility. This behavioral inflexibility can manifest as atypical motor behaviors including hand flapping or restricted interests such as preoccupation with particular activities, objects and sounds. Menon noted that these behaviors could impact how a child with autism attends to the external world. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 68 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder. To study the autistic brain, Stanford researchers worked with two groups. The first group of 17 children with autism and 17 typically developing children did social face recognition tasks that required them to respond when there was a different face presented in the screen. The second equally sized group did a simple math problem … Continue reading →

FAMILY MAN: Luke Elliott hopes to be able to speak to his two young boys, four-year-old Mason and two-year-old Mitchell. Luke Elliott's stroke left him unable to read, write and speak but he still dreams of reading a book to his two little boys. Now his family has new hope that might come true as it tries to raise $30,000 for a controversial treatment that could change his life. The 33-year-old Takanini resident also lost movement down half his body and was lucky to survive the stroke that struck him after cricket practice in 2005. He was 24. The unexplained attack left the young sportsman with a condition known as aphasia and he required months of recovery in Middlemore Hospital. For nine years he has battled away with therapy, improving the movement in his body and even learning to change his kids' nappies with one hand. His wife Kylee says it is the first time since his stroke that there has ever been a glint of hope - but they are moving forward with realistic expectations. "We're looking for any improvement that we could get from this treatment . . . it's been nine years since his stroke so we're … Continue reading →

By Martin Scurr Published: 19:17 EST, 28 July 2014 | Updated: 19:17 EST, 28 July 2014 The usual term for what Derek have experienced is a transient ischaemic attack - sometimes referred to as a 'mini stroke' After a transient ischaemic stroke I have had an ultrasound, which has shown that the main artery in my neck is 90 per cent blocked. The options are a stent or open surgery. I would like your opinion on which is the best and safest to go for. Derek Thomson, Newcastle. The usual term for what you have experienced is a transient ischaemic attack - sometimes referred to as a 'mini stroke'. These are common - nearly every week, I'll see a patient, typically someone in their 50s or 60s, who's had one. A transient ischaemic attack (TIA) occurs when the blood flow through part of the brain is disrupted briefly. The lack of oxygen to the brain causes symptoms similar to those of a stroke, such as speech or visual disturbance, or numbness or weakness in the arms or legs. The key difference is that the symptoms of a TIA don't last long, typically only minutes, and are certainly completely gone within … Continue reading →

Updated: July 29, 2014 7:30PM The Silver Cross Neuroscience Institute will host a free Stroke from the Heart symposium from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 6 for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals who are interested in increasing their knowledge of the management and treatment of acute stroke, according to a release from Silver Cross Hospital. The event will be at the Tinley Park Convention Center. Advance registration is required by Aug. 29, the release said. Participants will learn about the latest medical, interventional options and clinical trials available to prevent and manage acute ischemic stroke and stroke caused by cardiac disease, the release said. They will also learn how to evaluate the causes of subarachnoid hemorrhage and the management of ruptured cerebral aneurysm. Faculty will discuss the role of emergency professionals in triaging patients and also the role of nurses in the acute intervention and care of stroke patients, the release said. In addition, the importance of rehabilitation intervention for early recovery of stroke patients will be addressed, it said. The full-day conference will be led by Dr. Harish Shownkeen, medical director of the Neuro Interventional Surgery Program at Silver Cross Hospital; and Dr. Abdul … Continue reading →