MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Jerry Kill will continue to take time away from the Gophers football program to focus on his epilepsy treatment, University of Minnesota athletics director Norwood Teague said Thursday. Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys will continue to serve as acting head coach during Jerry Kill's absence. "He has made this decision to try this before, but as he's felt better, he's put it off," Claeys explained. "It's a big step for him." Kill has suffered five game-day seizures in three seasons with the Gophers, including a seizure that kept him home from the team's game at Michigan last weekend. The latter prompted the decision for Kill to focus on his health until his doctors give him the all-clear to head back to the sidelines. Kill could return to the sidelines as soon as Oct. 19 at Northwestern, but no matter what happens, Claeys insisted that the players will continue to come first. The Gophers are on a bye week and do not play this Saturday. JERRY KILL STATEMENT "My wife Rebecca, myself and our two daughters want to thank everyone for their prayers and concerns during the last few weeks. This was a difficult decision to make, but the … Continue reading →

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Minnesota football Coach Jerry Kill is taking time away from the team to focus on epilepsy treatment after a series of seizures, the school said Thursday. Kill, 52, had an epilepsy-related seizure last week -- his fifth since becoming the Minnesota football coach in 2011 -- and missed the Golden Gophers' game at Michigan. Minnesota Director of Athletics Norwood Teague said Kill would take a leave of absence. Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys will be acting head coach. "Coach Kill is taking time to continue treatment and focus on managing his epilepsy," Teague said. "... Coach Kill will remain in very close contact with the team and his staff and provide direction and support as needed. "Our support for Coach Kill is unwavering and we look forward to his return to full-time coaching duties." Kill issued a statement thanking "everyone for their prayers and concerns." "This was a difficult decision to make but the right decision," the coach said. "Every decision that will be made will be in the best interest of the players and the program. I look forward to returning to the Minnesota sideline on a full-time basis soon." Kill is in his third … Continue reading →

Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill will continue to take time to focus on his epilepsy treatment, Norwood Teague, the Gophers' athletic director, announced on Thursday. "Coach Kill is taking time to continue treatment and focus on managing his epilepsy," Teague said in an official release. "Tracy Claeys will serve as the acting head coach until Coach Kill is ready to return. Coach Kill will remain in very close contact with the team and his staff and provide direction and support as needed. Our support for Coach Kill is unwavering and we look forward to his return to full-time coaching duties. "This is a great group of student-athletes under the guidance of one of the longest-tenured and most respected staffs in college football, and there is no doubt in my mind that they will continue to move this program forward and make us proud." Kill was unable to make the trip to Ann Arbor last Friday because he did not feel well, but was planning on joining the team until the head coach suffered a seizure early Saturday morning. It was Kill's fifth seizure-related episode since he took the job at Minnesota in 2011, his second of the 2013 season. "My … Continue reading →

Updated: 10/10/2013 11:38 PM Created: 10/10/2013 6:29 AM WHEC.com By: Lia Lando In our exclusive series, New York State Exposed, we're tackling tough issues that affect your life, family and money. Right now, thousands of families in our community are impacted by autism. That's a challenge in itself. But some claim they're facing another battle when it comes to medical treatment because of how New York State funds programs for children with autism. Some experts say it is costing the taxpayer more in the long run. Kids diagnosed with autism can and often do have a very bright future, but not without a lot of work. They need special services, treatment and training as early in life as possible and all the way into adulthood. But if they don't get what they need, they end up costing taxpayers millions of dollars and families a whole lot more than just money. The Kerr family has been forced to take what many would consider an extreme measure. Their oldest daughter has autism and with each passing year, it seems her behavior gets worse. So they recently decided to sell their house in Victor where they've been living as a family for more … Continue reading →

MT. PLEASANT (WWJ) The Michigan Department of Community Health has awarded $500,000 to psychology professors to increase the number of professionals trained to serve individuals in Michigan with autism spectrum disorders. CMU faculty members Carl Merle Johnson, Sharon Bradley-Johnson, Michael Hixson, Mark Reilly and Katrina Rhymer will train students in applied behavior analysis, which focuses on improving social behaviors of individuals with autism using intervention practices to modify actions and teach new skills. Behavior analysis is considered the best treatment of choice for autism because of the results it provides, Johnson said. Every individual who receives treatment experiences some improvement. Thats why its so important for us to train more people to be able to provide the service. The need is great and growing, particularly here in central and northern Michigan. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports one in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder, a neurological condition that affects normal brain function and impacts communication and interaction skills. The U.S. Department of Education estimates the number of individuals diagnosed with ASD is growing nationally at a rate of 10 to 17 percent a year. The one-year grant began Oct. 1 and will certify … Continue reading →

October 11, 2013 The Pennsylvania Autism Action Center Foundation is looking for Monroe County volunteers to help raise money for autistic children whose families cannot afford treatment services not covered by insurance. Having a strong genetic basis and appearing in children as young as 2, autism is a neural development disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and verbal and non-verbal communication and by restricted, repetitive or stereotyped behavior. Though there is no cure, therapies and behavioral interventions are designed to remedy specific symptoms and can bring about substantial improvement, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Since the ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that meet the specific needs of individual children, most health care professionals agree the earlier the diagnosis and intervention, the better. Treatment involves modifying an autistic childs environment to teach the child communication and other skills, said Michelle DeMarsh of Tobyhanna, PAAC principal owner. New laws require all autistic children with need for treatment services to be covered by insurance, DeMarsh said. But because this is still so new, many insurance companies are not participating, she said, adding that less coverage from insurance companies that do participate mean higher co-pays many … Continue reading →

Public release date: 10-Oct-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Amanda Petrak Amanda.Petrak@case.edu 216-368-0345 Case Western Reserve University Five Cleveland biomedical research and health care institutions have received a $1 million grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), one of the National Institutes of Health, to collaborate on developing the Cleveland Stroke Clinical Trials Regional Coordinating Center. Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine will administer the five year grant through its Clinical Translational Science Collaborative (CTSC), an initiative that has secured $128 million to accelerate the progress of medical breakthroughs from research labs to patient care. Under the five-year grant, Case Western Reserve will work with its CTSC partner institutions which include primary affiliate University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth Medical Center, and Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, to improve prevention and treatment of strokes as well as rehabilitation for stroke patients. "When we bring together talented and passionate people, incredible progress consistently follows," School of Medicine Dean Pamela B. Davis, MD, PhD, said. "We are delighted to see another strong partnership secure federal support to advance its outstanding work." Principal investigator on the Cleveland project is Anthony J. Furlan, … Continue reading →

October 10, 2013 April Flowers for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online Current treatments and prevention methods, aimed at improving the quality of life for people who have experienced a stroke, are poorer than researchers have hoped, according to a new study from the UK. Despite best efforts, the researchers found that strokes still take nearly three out of five quality years off a persons life. The findings, published online in the journal Neurology, leave considerable room for improvement in treating stroke, which is the leading cause of adult disability and the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States. These results highlight the severe toll that stroke takes on millions of people every year, said Peter M. Rothwell, FMedSci, a professor with the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, United Kingdom. This is the first study since the 1990s to look at long-term quality of life after stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA). The researchers followed 748 people who experienced stroke and 440 who had a TIA for five years. The patients were given questionnaires that measured quality of life and utility, which places a numerical value on the desirability of various health outcomes. These numeric values based on responses from the … Continue reading →

Researchers are calling for better stroke prevention and treatment methods after a new study found having a stroke could cause people to lose five quality years of life, even minor strokes like transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). "These results highlight the severe toll that stroke takes on millions of people every year," lead study author Peter M. Rothwell, a professor of neurology at the University of Oxford in the U.K., said in a written statement. "Our study should serve as a wake-up call that we need more funding and research for stroke treatments and secondary stroke prevention measures to improve quality of life in stroke survivors." Play Video Rothwell says his study is the first in more than two decades to track long-term quality of life following a stroke. A stroke is a major cause of disability in the United States: On average a stroke occurs every 40 seconds, affecting about 795,000 people each year, says the American Stroke Association. Strokes can be caused by a clot blocking blood flow in arteries that lead to or are found in the brain, called an "ischemic stroke" or by a blood vessel in the brain rupturing, what's known as a "hemorrhagic stroke". Effects … Continue reading →

Washington, Oct 10 : A new study has found that having a stroke may shave nearly 3 out of 5 quality years off your life. Stroke treatments and prevention to improve quality of life for people who experience a stroke is poorer than researchers hoped, with stroke still taking nearly three out of five quality years off a person's life, the study suggests. Researchers say the findings leave considerable room for improvement in stroke treatment. Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States. "These results highlight the severe toll that stroke takes on millions of people every year," study author Peter M. Rothwell, FMedSci, a professor with the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, United Kingdom, said. "This is the first study since the 1990s to look at long-term quality of life after stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA)," he said. The study determined the five-year quality-adjusted life years for the participants, calculated by multiplying the time spent in a health state by the value assigned to that particular health state. For example, the study found that out of a possible five years of perfect health, people who had a stroke … Continue reading →