By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, May 6, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Minority children with autism are more likely to have lost critical developmental skills, such as walking or talking, than are white children, according to a new study. The phenomenon, called developmental regression, occurs when children have reached milestones such as saying words and walking, and then those skills suddenly vanish. The new research found that the odds of developmental regression were twice as high for black children and 1.5 times higher for Hispanic children than they were for white youngsters. It's estimated that one-third of children with autism go through developmental regression, said lead researcher Dr. Adiaha Spinks-Franklin, of Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. "They learn to babble or talk, then stop. They learn to play patty-cake, then stop," said Spinks-Franklin. This appears to be the first study to show racial disparities in rates of developmental regression. And for now, the cause is unclear, Spinks-Franklin said. No one knows why regression happens at all, said Dr. Dan Coury, medical director for the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network. "But it does make us wonder if it might be a different type of autism, with … Continue reading →

By Megdad M. Zaatreh, M.D. I t is estimated that nearly 33 percent of people with autism spectrum disorder also have epilepsy. But until recently there had been little clinical research about the connection between the two neurological conditions. Epilepsy is a brain disorder marked by recurring seizures or convulsions.Autism is a neurobehavioral disease that includes impairment in social interaction and language development, which often includes rigid, systematic repetitive behaviors. Both conditions can affect patients with varying degrees of severity. New research has found that adults with epilepsy are more likely to show signs of autism and Asperger syndrome. Up to this point, in many cases, epileptic adults may not have been properly diagnosed or treated for autism symptoms. The connection between the two conditions was the result of a study that showed epileptic seizures short-circuit the neurological function that affects socialization in the brain, which are the same traits seen in autism.These characteristics include impairment of normal social interaction (eye contact, conversation, enjoying the act of sharing with someone else) and tightly regimented or repetitive cycles of behavior. Shedding new light onto socialization challenges for epileptics Up to now, the social and behavioral challengers for some people with epilepsy … Continue reading →

Sean Savitz discusses revolutionizing stroke treatment, CCAM 2014 Sean Savitz, M.D., associate professor of neurology at UT Health Science Center-Houston, discusses revolutionizing the treatment of strokes with a mobile str... By: UTSystemVideo … Continue reading →

Time is Crucial in Stroke Treatment | Jay Howington, M.D. | Memorial Health Savannah Jay Howington, M.D., of Memorial Health in Savannah, Georgia, talks about the importance of rapid stroke treatment. Learn more at: http://memorialhealth.com/... By: Memorial Health … Continue reading →

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise DALLAS May 7, 2014 Tom Guynes considers himself a living miracle. Hes been treated for a typically fatal form of fast-spreading cancer, congestive heart failure, and a hernia all in the past two years. So when he suffered a stroke the morning of Nov. 24, 2013, both he and his wife Nan feared the worst. Im just thankful that I came here, Mr. Guynes said. The people at UTSouthwestern Medical Center have done wonders, and I think my life has been saved several times here. Mr. Guynes, 68, of Farmersville, Texas, credits the fast action and coordination of the stroke team at UTSouthwestern with minimizing damage to his brain from the stroke and, most importantly, saving his life. The perfect harmony of rapid evaluation, testing, and expert treatment for Mr. Guynes stroke that took place that day put into action protocols developed as part of UTSouthwesterns recent certification as an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center, the first and only such center in North Texas. This recognition by The Joint Commission is the highest level of certification for stroke care. His treatment also utilized a new telemedicine program in which UTSouthwestern specialists advise partner … Continue reading →