Olivia Kelly (6) takes a kiss from Buck the therapy dog at the Life Skills/Touch Point Autism Services "Milk and Cookies with Santa" event in Maryland Heights, Missouri on November 27, 2012. The event offers holiday fun for families with children on the autism spectrum. UPI/Bill Greenblatt License photo DALLAS, April 28 (UPI) -- Autism spectrum is difficult to diagnose but early screening and intervention offer "a better chance" for timely diagnosis and treatment, a U.S. expert says. Dr. Catherine Karni -- a psychiatrist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and medical director of outpatient services at the Center for Pediatric Psychiatry at Children's Medical Center Dallas -- said patients often display a distinctive pattern of symptoms rather than just one. The main characteristics include impairments in social interaction, impairments in communication, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Unusual sensory interests may be part of the presentation. Parents are usually the first to notice the unusual behaviors, while pediatricians initially hear their concerns, Karni said. Early identification and intervention remain extremely important, and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends autism-specific screening of all children at 9, 18, 24, and 30 months, as well as at any time … Continue reading →

Washington, April 28 (ANI): A study by Loyola University Medical Center physicians have found that about one-third of patients suffer depression following a stroke, and depression in turn increases the risk of stroke. Antidepressant medications known as SSRIs, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), and escitalopram (Lexapro), are effective when given to stroke patients as a preventive measure, the physicians said. Murray Flaster, MD, PhD, who specializes in stroke care, and psychiatrists Aparna Sharma, MD, and Murali Rao, MD, who specialize in depression are authors of the study. Mental disorders are common after stroke. They include anxiety, irritability and agitation, uncontrollable crying, apathy, delusions and hallucinations. But the most common disorder is depression, either major or minor. Some patients recover over time, while others move in and out of depression. For some patients, depression doesn't develop until up to two years after the stroke. Post-stroke depression (PSD) is linked to worse functional outcomes and increased risks of suicide and mortality. Women are more likely to suffer PSD. Other risk factors include living alone and away from family members, higher levels of education, changes in lifestyle or marital status and degree of functional impairment. Depression, in turn, is a risk factor … Continue reading →

From Pierre Meilhan, CNN updated 9:02 PM EDT, Sun April 28, 2013 Algeria's president Abdelaziz Bouteflika is being treated for a "mini-stroke," according to the state-run Algerian news agency. STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) -- Algeria's president was in France on Saturday where he was being treated for a "mini-stroke," medical and government officials told the state-run Algerian news agency. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's condition was characterized as "not serious," Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal told the Algerian Press Service. The news agency reported the 76-year-old president was transferred to a Paris hospital for treatment. "There was no reason for worry," Rachid Bougherbal, the director of the National Center of Sports Medicine told the news agency. He said the president "needs rest before continuing examinations." Bouteflika was first elected president in 1999. He is considered central to the stability of the country, overseeing the end of the country's civil war, staving off Arab Spring uprisings and cooperating with Western powers in the fight against al Qaeda. He has said he will step down at the end of his term next year. Go here to read the rest: Report: Algeria's president has stroke … Continue reading →

ALGIERS: Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is "responding well" after he suffered a stroke and there was no irreversible damage, a doctor told the national news agency APS on Sunday. The president, 76, "did not suffer irreversible damage", said Rachid Bougherbal, director of Algeria's National Sports Medicine Centre, explaining that "no sensory function was impaired". Bouteflika, who has been in power since 1999, on Saturday suffered a "transient ischaemia", or temporary blockage of blood flow, which "did not last long", said Bougherbal, adding that the veteran leader's condition was "reversible". The stroke "fortunately" did not lead to any bleeding, he said. Bouteflika has "complete" balance and is "recovering some of the fatigue caused by the ailment," Bougherbal said. Soon after the stroke Bouteflika was transferred to Paris for additional tests following recommendation by his doctors. Bougherbal previously said that "an initial investigation has already been opened and his excellency the president of the republic must observe a period of rest to undergo exams." He insisted there was no cause for "any anxiety". See the rest here: Algeria president 'responding well' after mini-stroke … Continue reading →

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) Algeria's president was transferred to Paris for medical treatment following a mini-stroke and tests show he isn't seriously ill, the state news agency reported Sunday. Abdelaziz Bouteflika had a brief blockage of a blood vessel known as a transient ischemic attack and was sent to the French capital for further tests under the recommendation of his doctors. The 76-year-old president had been checked into Val de Grace hospital, where he was treated in 2005 for a bleeding ulcer. "Medical tests conducted at the Val de Grace hospital in Paris confirmed that there is no worry about the state of his health," according to a statement from the prime minister's office. "Daily life will continue as normal." There have long been concerns about Bouteflika's health, especially since the president rarely appears in public. Bouteflika, president since 1999, is credited with seeing Algeria through the end of a bloody civil war against Islamists and ruling in an uneasy partnership with the powerful military. The last few years of his reign, however, have been slammed with accusations of corruption. Bouteflika was also widely believed to be planning to run for a fourth term in next year's presidential elections. Visit link: … Continue reading →

ALGIERS, April 29 (BERNAMA-NNN-APS) -- Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who has been flown to a hospital in Paris after suffering a stroke here over the weekend, is responding well to treatment and the damage is not irreversible, says the Director of the National Centre of Sports Medicine, Professor Rachid Bougherbal. "No motor or sensory function was impaired," Professor Bougherbal told APS on Sunday. The transient ischemic attack "did not last long" and the affection is "reversible," he stressed, adding that President Bouteflika would have a complete health check-up and was "recovering from the fatigue caused by the ailment". Meanwhile, the Office of Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said in a statement here Sunday that the medical condition of President Bouteflika did not give rise to any concern. "Following the transient ischemic attack (mild stroke) without complications which President Bouteflika had yesterday (Saturday), the additional medical examinations, conducted at Paris Hospital of Val-de-Grace, confirmed that his health does not give rise to any concern," the statement said. "Thus, the activities of national life will continue to run normally," the statement added. President Bouteflika was flown to the hospital in Paris on Saturday evening to undergo a supplementary medical examination, a medical source … Continue reading →