By Serena Gordon HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, Oct. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Children with autism in the United States routinely take one or more prescription medications, even though little evidence exists regarding the drugs' safety or effectiveness for treating the neurodevelopmental condition, a new study finds. The study of almost 34,000 children with an autism spectrum disorder found nearly two-thirds were prescribed at least one medication. Within that group, more than one-third were given two medications, and one in seven took three drugs. "There are a lot of children who are being treated with psychotropic medications with unknown effects for benefits and harms," said the study's senior author, Dr. Anjali Jain, a managing consultant with the Falls Church, Va.-based Lewin Group, a health care consulting firm. "I hope everyone -- parents and providers -- will consider these medications with caution," she added. Children with autism have impaired communication and social skills, and often exhibit repetitive behaviors. In the United States, about one in 88 children has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, which can range from mild, as in Asperger syndrome, to severe autism. The study, released online Oct. 21 in Pediatrics, looked at the use of psychotropic medications, which … Continue reading →

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 24-Oct-2013 Contact: Karen Astle karen.astle@heart.org 214-706-1392 American Heart Association A hands-free ultrasound device combined with a clot-busting drug was safe for ischemic stroke patients in a phase II pilot study, reported in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. The device is placed on the stroke patient's head and delivers ultrasound to enhance the effectiveness of the clot-busting drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Unlike the traditional hand-held ultrasound probe that's aimed at a blood clot, the hands-free device used 18 separate probes and showers the deep areas of the brain where large blood clots cause severe strokes. "Our goal is to open up more arteries in the brain and help stroke patients recover," said Andrew D. Barreto, M.D., lead author of the study and assistant professor of neurology in the Stroke Program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. "This technology would have a significant impact on patients, families and society if we could improve outcomes by another 5-10 percent by adding ultrasound to patients who've already received tPA." In the first-in-human study, 20 moderately severe ischemic stroke patients (12 men and 8 women, average age 63 years) received intravenous tPA up to 4.5 hours … Continue reading →

Newswise HOUSTON (Oct. 23, 2013) Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) are part of a multi-center, international study investigating the safety and best dosage of a clot-buster for children with acute ischemic stroke. No one knows how kids who have suffered a stroke will respond to this type of treatment and we dont know what the correct dosage might be, so this will look at various doses, said James Grotta, M.D., professor, chair and the Roy M. & Phyllis Gough Huffington Distinguished Chair in the Department of Neurology at the UTHealth Medical School. Very few kids have ischemic strokes and they look very different from strokes in adults. We know kids recover quicker and better than adults because a childs brain has more capability for recovery. Grotta, co-director of the Mischer Neuroscience Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, said children also sometimes present with symptoms that mimic ischemic stroke, but might actually be a migraine or seizure, so the study will also help determine the incidence of pediatric ischemic stroke. Ischemic stroke occurs when an artery or blood vessel in the brain is blocked by a blood clot. While ischemic stroke is more common … Continue reading →

LONDON More than 30 percent of strokes occur in adults between the ages 20 and 64 years old. It's a "startling" 25 percent rise over rates reported 20 years ago, according to the authors of a new study. The authors of this first global analysis of the problem say strokes are increasingly striking younger adults, and the incidence of the disabling condition worldwide could more than double by 2030. Play Video Play Video More than 85 percent of strokes are caused by a clot blocking an artery that supplies blood to the brain, known as ischemic stroke. Other types of stroke include hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by a blood vessel bursting in the brain, or transient ischemic attacks or "mini strokes," which cause the symptoms of a stroke but don't leave lasting damage. When having a stroke, patients often experience symptoms including a droopy face, the inability to lift their arms and garbled speech. If not treated quickly, patients can be left with long-term side effects, including speech and memory problems, paralysis and the loss of some vision. While a stroke occurs in all age groups, previous research shows the risk doubles for each decade between the ages of … Continue reading →

CHIPLEY Northwest Florida Community Hospital is teaming up with Gulf Coast Medical Center to offer area stroke victims a faster treatment option through the use of telemedicine and robots. Andy Long, director of neuroscience and telehealth services with Gulf Coast Medical Center in Panama City, and Daniel Dunlap, hospital outreach director with Hospital Corporation of America in Tallahassee, met with the NFCH Board of Directors on Oct. 15 to explain the program, which will allow neurologists in Panama City to interact with and treat stroke victims brought to the Chipley hospital. There isnt any where in the stretch along Interstate 10 from Tallahassee to Pensacola that offers stroke care, Dunlap told the board, which means stroke victims from Jackson, Holmes or Washington Counties have to be taken to Panama City, a 50-minute trip. The treatment of strokes is very time sensitive, with brain function lost by the minute during the attack. The sooner a patient can get seen by a neurologist and prescribed the clot-busting drugs called thrombolytics needed to treat strokes, the better the patient outcome will be, Dunlap explained. Despite the effectiveness of the thrombolytics, many patients are not treated due to late arrival at the emergency room, … Continue reading →

Newswise Vanderbilt University Medical Center has joined a national network funded by the National Institutes of Health to streamline multi-site clinical trials focused on key interventions in stroke prevention, treatment and recovery. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Stroke Trials Network will include up to 25 academic medical centers and aims to increase efficiency and resource sharing within cerebrovascular clinical research. Its widely recognized that research in stroke is very slow. This network will make it more efficient with a standing platform of investigators and institutions ready to implement new trials as they are developed. And with that increased efficiency, we will get better results, said Michael Froehler, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery, who will direct VUMCs participation in the network. VUMC received a $1.9 million grant to support network infrastructure and will receive additional funds for the individual trials. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., and is particularly prevalent in the stroke belt states in the South. As the Regional Coordinating Stroke Center for Tennessee, VUMC has forged partnerships with Erlanger Medical Center, Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and Huntsville Hospital to access an estimated 4,300 stroke admissions … Continue reading →