In a world first, Australian doctors have found a way to predict the onset of seizures in people with epilepsy that does not respond to drug treatments. The finding, hailed by experts as a "major milestone", has the potential to dramatically improve the independence and treatment of millions of people living with the condition globally. Melbourne researchers reported in the Lancet Neurology medical journal on Thursday that a small device can be implanted in the brain to monitor electrical activity which can change before seizures occur. The technology, developed by US company NeuroVista, involves electrodes being surgically placed between the brain surface and the skull. The electrodes feed data to a device implanted under the skin of the user's chest which then transmits the information to a wireless hand-held device that calculates the probability of a seizure. Advertisement Lead author of the report and a neurologist from the University of Melbourne, Professor Mark Cook, said the hand-held device which can be carried in a handbag or pocket has three coloured lights to warn patients of a low, moderate or high risk of an impending seizure. It also beeps and vibrates to alert people to the results. He said the device, … Continue reading →

April 30, 2013 Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online For most babies, a game of peek-a-boo can be fun, entertaining and full of laughter. However, infants with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may find the game unpleasant and disturbing. That type of social disconnect is a telltale sign of ASD, which often worsens as newborns develop into children and adults. New research from the Koegel Autism Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara has found switching games that are disturbing to children with those the infant prefers can help lessen the infants ASD symptoms, and potentially alleviate the condition altogether, according to a new report in theJournal of Positive Behavioral Interventions. The centers director, Lynn Koegel said the game regimen her team developed is modified Pivotal Response Treatment (PVT), which is based on principles of positive motivation. In the study, the researchers coached parents to identify and focus on the most positive interactions they have with their child. We had them play with their infants for short periods, and then give them some kind of social reward, Koegel said. Over time, we conditioned the infants to enjoy all the activities that were presented by pairing the less desired … Continue reading →

By Serena Gordon HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, April 30 (HealthDay News) -- A new study failed to find any evidence to back up a suggested association between Lyme disease and autism spectrum disorders. Although a prevalence of Lyme disease as high as 20 percent (or even higher) has been reported in children with autism, the new research found no cases of Lyme disease in children when testing recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was done. Health experts are concerned that if parents suspect that Lyme disease has played a role in their child's autism, they may seek treatment with long-term antibiotic therapy. "Unless a child has been diagnosed with Lyme disease or another infectious disease, our findings don't support the idea of putting autistic children on antibiotics," said study senior author Armin Alaedini, an assistant professor of medical sciences in the department of medicine and the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University Medical Center, in New York City. Results of the study appear in the May 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Autism is a developmental brain disorder that hinders a child's ability to communicate and interact socially. Lyme disease occurs when … Continue reading →

Luke is one of a growing number of children receiving alternative treatments for autism. Photo: Oran Hardcastle, THV 11 LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -TheAutism Societyof America estimates that 1.5 million Americans live with autism. Their symptoms range from having difficulty in social situations to being unable to speak. Doctors and families are now turning to alternative therapies for help. Those therapies range from medical treatments to diets to eastern and holistic interventions. Each day, Shelly Armstrong of North Little Rock gives melatonin to her son Luke, who is autistic, in order to help him sleep better. "Because he gets his rest now, his behaviors have gotten better and he tends to have less tantrums," says Armstrong. Luke is a triplet; Armstrong says his sisters, Emily and Gracie, were developing fine. But with Luke, she noticed a huge difference right away. At two-and-a-half years old, doctors made the diagnosis. "At that moment, my mind exploded," says Armstrong. "I wanted to know if Luke was going to play football. Would he go to college? Would he have to live with us forever?" Armstrong was referred to Dr. Richard Frye at Children's Hospital. There, they practice traditional therapies along with alternative treatments. Popular … Continue reading →

Background Many international guidelines on the prevention of venous thromboembolism recommend targeting heparin treatment at patients with stroke who have a high risk of venous thrombotic events or a low risk of haemorrhagic events. We sought to identify reliable methods to target anticoagulant treatment and so improve the chance of avoiding death or dependence after stroke. We obtained individual patient data from the five largest randomised controlled trials in acute ischaemic stroke that compared heparins (unfractionated heparin, heparinoids, or low-molecular-weight heparin) with aspirin or placebo. We developed and evaluated statistical models for the prediction of thrombotic events (myocardial infarction, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, or pulmonary embolism) and haemorrhagic events (symptomatic intracranial or significant extracranial) in the first 14 days after stroke. We calculated the absolute risk difference for the outcome dead or dependent in patients grouped by quartiles of predicted risk of thrombotic and haemorrhagic events with random effect meta-analysis. Patients with ischaemic stroke who were of advanced age, had increased neurological impairment, or had atrial fibrillation had a high risk of both thrombotic and haemorrhagic events after stroke. Additionally, patients with CT-visible evidence of recent cerebral ischaemia were at increased risk of thrombotic events. In evaluation datasets, the area … Continue reading →

1 May 2013 Last updated at 19:11 ET By Eleanor Bradford BBC Scotland Health Correspondent Volunteers in Edinburgh are having their brains cooled as part of a trial of a new treatment for stroke. Healthy people are testing a cooling cap as part of a European project to see if cooling the body shortly after a stroke reduces damage to the brain. About 1,000 Europeans die from a stroke every day, with twice as many being left disabled. The Eurohype study will find out whether therapeutic hypothermia could be used to improve survival. The technique is already used to improve survival in a variety of people at risk of brain injury, including newborn babies and cardiac patients. It's like sitting in the park in winter without a hat Prof Malcolm Macleod, head of experimental neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, said: "We think that it may be that within all of our cells there are really quite primitive protective mechanisms that protect us from rapid changes in temperature. "We think that what we might be able to do is reawaken those processes in the brains of patients who have had strokes to protect their brain … Continue reading →

By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, April 30 (HealthDay News) -- More than one-third of people having a stroke don't call 911, even though that's the fastest route to potentially lifesaving treatment, a new study reports. "Prompt diagnosis and early management is essential to decrease morbidity and mortality after stroke," said lead researcher Dr. James Ekundayo, an assistant professor of family and community medicine at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. "If about one-third does not arrive by ambulance, the implication is that they will have delayed evaluation and treatment with lifesaving drugs," Ekundayo said. For patients with ischemic stroke -- a blood clot blocking a blood vessel in the brain -- prior research has shown that administration of clot-busting drugs within two hours of symptom onset greatly reduces the odds of disability three months later. Ischemic stroke is more common than hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when a blood vessel bleeds into the brain. The study -- published April 29 in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes -- looked at how more than 200,000 stroke patients arrived at hospital emergency rooms from 2003 to 2010. About 64 percent arrived by ambulance and the rest used other forms of transportation, … Continue reading →

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Polycom, Inc. (PLCM), the global leader in open standards-based unified communications (UC&C), today announced the immense success of the NHS Cumbria & Lancashire Cardiac and Stroke Network (CSNLC) in its first year-and-a-half of providing 24x7 access to thrombolysis treatment from remote specialists. The telestroke network serves eight hospitals that in turn serve 2.2 million people spread over 3,500m. For this extensive population and extended rural area, 16 consultants are able to deliver 24/7 thrombolysis treatment to patients with acute ischaemic stroke. The reason such a small number of consultants can serve such a large rural population is telemedicine, powered by Polycom RealPresence video solutions. Working with Polycom partner MultiSense Communications, each hospital site is equipped with a telestroke solution that includes Polycom Practitioner Carts and their mobile HD video in the hospitals, and Polycom CMA Desktop video collaboration software installed on the clinicians home PC. Over 520 patients in Cumbria and Lancashire have benefited from the telestroke service since its launch in July 2011, with over 220 of those patients receiving thrombolysis. Patients and their family members appreciate the benefits of the new technology. One called the Polycom Practitioner Cart a fabulous piece of equipment. Three cheers for … Continue reading →