Zebinix (eslicarbazepine acetate), a novel anti-epilepsy treatment for adult individuals with partial epilepsy, has received reimbursement under the class A-PHT category from the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA). Once-daily eslicarbazepine acetate is indicated as adjunctive therapy in adults with partial onset seizures, with or without secondary generalisation.[1] "New, effective and well tolerated treatments with a well-balanced effectiveness/tolerability ratio are welcomed by doctors and patients," commented Prof. Roberto Michelucci. "The reimbursement of eslicarbazepine acetate in Italy too is a concrete and positive step forward as it means that we will have access to a new treatment option for the treatment of individuals with epilepsy." In Italy, there are approximately 400,000 people with epilepsy and 25,000 new cases are diagnosed every year.[2] For the majority of people with epilepsy, seizures can be controlled with one antiepileptic drug; however, 30% of individuals with treated partial onset epilepsy still experience refractory seizures.[3] Eslicarbazepine acetate, a new sodium channel blocker, targets sodium channels, stabilising their inactive state. Eslicarbazepine acetate was approved by the European Commission in 2009 based on data submitted which showed a reduction of seizure frequency by up to 45% in patients with partial onset seizures.[4],[5],[6] Long-term studies also show that up to 18% … Continue reading →

The incidence of autism is increasing dramatically and one in every 68 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. It's precious time lost, because the earlier autism is detected, the better the outcome. Jim and Kim Derk brought one child apiece into their marriage before deciding to adopt just one more. Kim says, "we ended up going through a lot of - we believe divine intervention -- we had a lot of help and we ended up identifying a sibling group over in Hungary and so what we thought we were coming back with one child, we actually came back with four the first time." They went back two more times for two more kids from the same sibling group. The Derks call them their Hungarian six pack. Kim says, "probably about six months in we were seeing a level of tempers and a level of aggression and a lot of things going on." Those "things" eventually led to four of the children being diagnosed with autism. 19-year-old Willie got the first diagnosis when he was in first or second grade. "It was a situation where we were told that if you are going to get … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 16-May-2014 Contact: Steffanie Marchese steffanie.marchese@autismspeaks.org 646-385-8537 Autism Speaks ATLANTA, GA (May 16, 2014) The Simons Foundation, Autism Speaks and the Autism Science Foundation today announced the launch of the Autism BrainNet registration site, It Takes Brains (www.takesbrains.org). Autism BrainNet is a consortium of academic sites funded collaboratively by the Simons Foundation and Autism Speaks to collect, store and distribute brain tissue resources necessary for researchers to understand the underlying neurobiology and genetics of autism. The pace of autism research has been significantly hindered by a severe shortage of human brain tissue. Important discoveries have already been made thanks to generous donations of brain tissue of individuals with autism. This type of research could lead to a better understanding of the disorder, its treatments and its causes. To date, research has shown that the brains of people with autism seem to be structurally different possessing different numbers and sizes of neurons and appear to show increased inflammation compared to brains of typically developing individuals. In addition, shared changes in gene expression have been identified in the brains of people with autism when compared with non-affected individuals. However, none of these findings have received adequate replication, in part due … Continue reading →

Port Townsend, WA (PRWEB) May 16, 2014 Dr. Nathan Gelder honors Stroke Awareness Month by educating periodontal disease patients on common gum disease causes and the link between untreated gum disease symptoms and stroke. Patients who are dealing with mild to advanced gum disease symptoms are encouraged to seek minimally invasive laser gum disease treatment in Port Townsend by scheduling an appointment with Dr. Gelder right away. Many periodontal disease patients are surprised to learn that there is a link between untreated gum disease symptoms and stroke. While most dental patients are aware of common gum disease causes, including insufficient flossing and brushing and genetics, they may not be aware of the many studies that show a link between strokes and untreated gum disease symptoms. These studies show that individuals who suffer from periodontal disease are at a much higher risk of suffering from a stroke than individuals who have healthy gum tissue. This may be due to the fact that gum disease puts stress on the immune system, causes excessive inflammation, and infects the body with harmful bacteria that can lead to blockages and blood clots in the heart. These blockages reduce the amount of oxygen that is able … Continue reading →