COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The South Carolina House passed a bill Wednesday allowing people suffering from severe epilepsy to legally use oil derived from marijuana to control their seizures. The overwhelming 90-24 vote brought tears from supporters who have spent weeks educating conservative legislators on the bill. The measure allows people certified by a doctor as suffering from severe epilepsy, or their parents, to legally possess non-psychoactive cannabidiol, known as CBD oil. The Senate passed its own version last week that limited use to clinical trials testing federally approved drugs. Supporters say that provides no practical access to the potentially life-changing liquid treatment. Jill Swing of Mount Pleasant said Wednesdays vote means she may not have to move to Colorado, which has legalized marijuana, to help her 6-year-old daughter. She said the child can suffer from hundreds of seizures an hour. Im very grateful, Swing said. Im far more optimistic than I was a week ago. She and her mother, Harriett Hilton, have been a driving force behind the bills being introduced by Republicans in both chambers and gaining the support of others hesitant to vote for anything associated with marijuana. Restrictions were added to the Senate version after the … Continue reading →

DJ Precisis AG: second round of funding secured and entry in the epilepsy therapy market (DGAP-Media / 03.04.2014 / 18:20) Precisis AG secures second round of financing and enters the epilepsy therapy market Heidelberg, 3rd April 2014. Precisis AG has secured a new strategic investor. The new partner is closely involved with the successful German pharmaceutical manufacturer URSAPHARM and through the partnership with Precisis AG aims to support the development of further innovative therapy solutions. STRIVE AG, an established shareholder of Precisis AG will also continue to invest in the company. "We were very impressed with the development of a completely novel method of brain stimulation and also the dynamism and experience of the company management. These are prerequisites for the success of modern technologies in the current health market", so Dominik Holzer, General Manager of URSAPHARM Arzneimittel GmbH and U.B.H. Innovation GmbH, speaking on behalf of the new investor. Precisis AG develops high precision medical technology instruments for the treatment of major brain disorders. The product portfolio includes planning software and hardware products in the area of neurosurgery, add-on-collimators and robots for brachytherapy in the area of neuroradiology. Additionally a new minimally invasive brain stimulation system is in the … Continue reading →

Precisis AG secures second round of financing and enters the epilepsy therapy market Heidelberg, 3rd April 2014. Precisis AG has secured a new strategic investor. The new partner is closely involved with the successful German pharmaceutical manufacturer URSAPHARM and through the partnership with Precisis AG aims to support the development of further innovative therapy solutions. STRIVE AG, an established shareholder of Precisis AG will also continue to invest in the company. "We were very impressed with the development of a completely novel method of brain stimulation and also the dynamism and experience of the company management. These are prerequisites for the success of modern technologies in the current health market", so Dominik Holzer, General Manager of URSAPHARM Arzneimittel GmbH and U.B.H. Innovation GmbH, speaking on behalf of the new investor. Precisis AG develops high precision medical technology instruments for the treatment of major brain disorders. The product portfolio includes planning software and hardware products in the area of neurosurgery, add-on-collimators and robots for brachytherapy in the area of neuroradiology. Additionally a new minimally invasive brain stimulation system is in the development pipeline since 2013. Overall the company has achieved considerable growth following the entry of STRIVE AG as shareholder in … Continue reading →

One in 50 children globally now have a form of spectrum disorder autism Researchers recently found technology can be used to help children with autism develop new skills Apps and games visually motivate autistic children in unique ways Therapists are now using tech to teach children how to communicate Today is the seventh annual World Autism Awareness Day By Victoria Woollaston Published: 05:25 EST, 2 April 2014 | Updated: 09:39 EST, 2 April 2014 26 shares 60 View comments It is thought that up to one in 50 children globally have some form of autism, and this number continues to rise steadily each year. While there is no cure for the condition, the use of technology in autism treatment has grown in popularity in recent years, but the reasons for its success are only just being highlighted. Experts are finding that simple, carefully constructed apps are enabling affected children to feel safe and communicate more readily because the software is more predictable and ordered than human interaction. Researchers have found smartphones and tablets help autistic children develop new skills. Toca Boca, for example, create apps aimed at children aged three to six. Although the games are not specifically designed for … Continue reading →

Autism spectrum disorder, identified in about 1 in 68 U.S. children, is a hot topic and news about it likely will fill the Web throughout April, Autism Awareness Month. At 3 p.m. Thursday, April 3, Darryn Sikora, a pediatric psychologist with Providence Neurodevelopmental Center for Children, will join us for a live chat about the disorder. We hope you will, too. Sikora has diagnosed and treated autism for 25 years. In 2003, she developed the autism program at Oregon Health & Science University, and she has bee instrumental in developing the Providence program. She has contributed to research in identifying genetic conditions associated with autism, common health problems among those with autism, and quality of life issues for those with the disorder, and for their families. During our live chat, Sikora will explain what autism spectrum disorder is, discuss diagnosis, treatment and challenges faced by those with autism and by their families. Bring your questions and your curiosity and join the conversation. If you're interested in reading about autism spectrum disorder before the chat begins (or afterward), check out the links below to some new research and older coverage of the topic. VACCINE LINK? Despite studies clarifying that vaccines are … Continue reading →

When Stephen Shore was a child, doctors recommended he be institutionalized. Nonverbal until age 4, he was diagnosed with strong autistic tendencies and too sick for outpatient treatment. When I was diagnosed as on the autism spectrum, my parents were strongly urged to send me to an institution, Shore, now an assistant professor of special education at Adelphi University, said. Fortunately, my parents didnt. Today, the recommendation would focus on early intervention programs and strategies. Shore, who has Asperger syndrome, is the featured speaker at the Autism Summit at 10 a.m. Saturday at Easter Seals Capper Foundation, 3500 S.W. 10th Ave. There is no cost to attend the summit, which is sponsored by the Capper Foundation and the Topeka Autism Support Group, but reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling (785) 272-4060. Shore, the author of four books and a DVD on autism, will talk about some of the obstacles hes overcome and social situations hes navigated, as well as provide advice to parents of children with autism. I will be emphasizing how we can promote success for individuals on the autism spectrum, with a focus on the differences between when I was growing up on the autism … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 3-Apr-2014 Contact: Matt Sobczak msobczak@pcipr.com 312-558-1770 Infectious Diseases Society of America [EMBARGOED UNTIL THURSDAY, APRIL 3] Patients' risk of stroke significantly increased following the first signs of shingles, but antiviral drugs appeared to offer some protection, according to a new study in Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online. People with shingles, an often painful skin rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, had a higher stroke risk in the first 6 months after shingles symptoms appeared; this risk was particularly increased in patients with a rash near their eyes, the study found. Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a significant public health problem, affecting an estimated 1 million adults in the U.S. and nearly 90,000 in the U.K. each year. The disease develops when the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox in children and then remains dormant in the body, reactivates later in life. Sinad Langan, MD, PhD, and colleagues at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine identified patients with first-ever incidents of shingles and stroke, and also examined antiviral treatment records for shingles, drawing from a database of information from patients across 600 general practices in the U.K. Researchers compared the risk of stroke … Continue reading →

Awareness of stroke symptoms important 3 April 2014 MidCentral Health is encouraging people to learn more about stroke; ahead of Stroke Awareness Week which runs from 7-13 April. Strokes are the third most frequent cause of death in New Zealand, accounting for about 2500 deaths each year. It doesnt just impact older people either, with 10 percent of deaths occurring in those aged under 65. It is also the leading cause of long-term disability. One-third of new stroke patients (700 per 1,000,000) die each year, and less than half recover and regain their independence. It is important to identify risk factors and causes of stroke in order to take steps toward prevention. Primary prevention addresses all measures for avoiding a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Prevention includes blood pressure lowering, cholesterol reduction, smoking cessation, and antiplatelet therapy (to help prevent blood clots). A stroke can either result from a brain bleed or from a blocked vessel in the brain. Brain bleeds can present with an abrupt onset of a severe headache (like no headache ever experienced before), accompanied by vomiting and neck stiffness. However, more often strokes present with one or more symptoms highlighted below. To help prevent the … Continue reading →