Surprise discovery may lead to drug for autism, other disorders. Bob Wright arrives for the Autism Speaks NFL Kickoff for a Cure II Benefit Gala at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. (UPI Photo/Laura Cavanaugh) License photo CHICAGO, June 13 (UPI) -- In a surprising finding, U.S. researchers say there is a common molecular vulnerability in autism and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, making treatment closer. Senior author Eva Redei, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said both disorders have symptoms of social impairment and originate during brain development in utero. The study, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, found male offspring of rat mothers who were given alcohol during pregnancy had social impairment and altered levels of autism-related genes found in humans. Female offspring were not affected. However, Redei and colleagues found the alcohol damage could be reversed. A low dose of the thyroid hormone thyroxin given to the alcohol consuming rat mothers at critical times during their pregnancy alleviated social impairments and reversed the expression of autism-related genes in their male offspring, Redei said. "The beneficial effects of thyroxin in this animal model raises an exciting question … Continue reading →

HOUSTON - It is the number 4 cause of death in the United States, but many people do not know the warning signs and the impact of a stroke until its too late. A stroke is essentially the lack of blood flow to a particular area to the brain. The stroke can be caused by two main reasons. Either you may have a clot that may go up to the blood vessel and produce a blockage of blood flow, or you could have a rupture of the blood vessel that could create some hemorrhage and could cause bleeding. Houston has some of the best hospitals in stroke acute care and rehabilitation. St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital is a primary stroke certified facility and rehabilitation center. "Our doctors and nurses are trained to recognize and treat stroke patients," said Dr. Jose Suarez, who is the Director of Strokes and Critical Care at St. Luke's Hospital. According to the American Stroke Association you can lose up to 2 million brain cells every minute during a stroke. "It is very critical to get the patient into the emergency room as soon as possible," Suarez said. "The first hour is very very critical." John Gilmore, … Continue reading →

Atrial Fibrillation Health Home>>Atrial Fibrillation>> Written by: Bill Kaufmann, QMI Agency Jun. 14, 2013 Stroke patient Art Cunningham mugs for a photo with his therapy instrument, a Nintendo Wii, at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, Alta. on Friday, June 14, 2013. Cunningham is part of a nationwide study examining the benefits of using the Wii's motion games as a form of stroke rehabilitation. (Lyle Aspinall/QMI Agency) Suffering a stroke ushered Art Cunningham into the digital gaming generation. And limbering up his mind with games like Nintendo Wii could be the route to salvation for those whove endured disruption of blood to the brain, say researchers studying the treatment. Two weeks after an April 11 stroke damaged the left side of his body, 60-year-old Cunningham began using physical reality Wii games to fight his way back and on Friday, he was hitting strikes and spares hurling virtual bowling balls. Im not so concerned about scores, but improving on them, he said, adding his grandchildren introduced Wii to him. The nationwide study aims to recruit 140 stroke patients in gauging the merits of using physically-interactive electronic games comparing the benefits to more conventional activities like cards or dominos. A previous study showed … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court ruled that human genes are a product of nature and cannot be patented and held for profit, a decision that medical experts said will lead to more genetic testing for cancers and other diseases and to lower costs for patients. In a unanimous ruling Thursday, the nine justices declared that human genes are not an invention, so they cannot be claimed as a type of private property. The decision invalidates a Utah company's patents on two genes that are linked to breast and ovarian cancer, and is likely to lead to several thousand other gene patents being tossed as well. "This is a landmark decision," said Dr. Stanley Robboy, president of the College of American Pathologists. "Genomic medicine has the potential to be a cornerstone of medical testing, treatment and clinical integration, but the question of who owns your genes needed a definitive answer. Now we have it." The broad reach of the court's decision goes well beyond genetic testing for cancer. Dr. Wayne Grody, a UCLA medical geneticist, said he planned to add a host of genetic tests including genes for congenital hearing loss, spinocerebellar ataxia and various muscular dystrophies "right back on our test … Continue reading →