By Megdad M. Zaatreh M.D. Seizure and epilepsy are words that are often used interchangeably and both are frequently misunderstood. A seizure is an action that may or may not occur again; epilepsy, on the other hand, is a medical condition where multiple seizures take place over a period of time. Infants and toddlers who suffer from epilepsy experience repeated seizures, with the frequency varying from patient to patient. Most of the time, these episodes can be avoided or lessened with medication. It is imperative for these children to receive prompt medical assessment because with early and accurate diagnosis, most pediatric cases can be successfully controlled and some cases can eventually be cured. In the most severe situations, surgery can also be a successful treatment solution. The onset of epilepsy is most common during early childhood and after age 65. Each year 150,000 children and adolescents in the United States will have a newly occurring single seizure and 30,000 will be diagnosed with epilepsy after subsequent seizures occur.The highest incidence of epilepsy is during the first year of life, which is why new parents can often miss or misinterpret physical symptoms. Common misconceptions As a specialist in pediatric epilepsy, Ive … Continue reading →

(MENAFN - Arab News) King Fahd Specialist Hospital Dammam will host the 7th Annual Epilepsy Forum from Apr. 10-11 at Sofitel Al Khobar. The hospital is organizing the event in collaboration with the Saudi Epilepsy Society (SES), the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), the Saudi Chapter of Epilepsy, and the Commission on Eastern Mediterranean Affairs. International speakers and experts at the forum will discuss a number of issues concerning epilepsy, such as the science of the disease, the latest therapeutic methods in addition to a series of informative topics to educate epilepsy patients and their families about the nature of the disease. Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Shaibani, CEO of King Fahd Specialist Hospital Dammam (KFSHD), said. "The forum on epilepsy aspires to fulfill KFSHD's vision and strategic objectives of improving both the overall quality of medical education and the community health awareness. In addition, the event will facilitate the exchange of scientific and medical expertise and develop the scientific intellectualism in all medical fields, specially the field of the epilepsy, in which KFSHD Neuroscience Center has provided the latest and most advanced therapeutic and surgical services to its epilepsy patients. The center receives more than 3,000 epilepsy cases every year. … Continue reading →

MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --MRI Interventions, Inc.'s (MRIC) ClearPointNeuro Intervention System continues to extend its role as an integrated platform for performing a wide range of minimally-invasive neurological procedures, as physicians are now using the ClearPoint system in connection with laser ablation therapy. The ClearPoint system provides guidance for the placement and operation of instruments or devices during the planning and operation of neurological procedures within the MRI environment, making it an ideal delivery platform to place laser probes to precisely targeted areas in the brain. Using the ClearPoint system to deliver laser ablation therapy, the surgeon sees and selects the desired neurological target, aims the ClearPoint SmartFrame targeting device, and watches under real-time MRI guidance as the laser probe is advanced through the SmartFrame device to the target. Energy is then delivered to the target area through the laser probe, and that energy destroys the unwanted tissue. Because the procedure is performed withinthe MRI environment, the surgeon is able to monitor brain tissue temperature throughout the procedure, and to verify that the targeted tissue has been destroyed. Dr. Hooman Azmi at Hackensack University Medical Center was the first surgeon to couple the ClearPoint system with laser ablation … Continue reading →

Autism Treatment UK: Complimentary Webinar The Son-Rise Program Techniques from Raun K. Kaufman http://www.autismtreatment.org/ Raun K. Kaufman, the Global Director of Education for the Autism Treatment Center of America trade;, will be giving a free 90-minut... By: autismtreatment … Continue reading →

YONKERS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- April is National Autism Awareness Month. Apex Spectrum Guide has released a customizable, online program that helps children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) overcome communication, cognitive and behavioral challenges. A recent CDC study shows awareness is increasing and parents are becoming more actively involved in childrens diagnosis and treatment. But parents struggle to find a tool or process that produces results. Believing autism is a life sentence, few parents know that children CAN recover with the right treatment. Betty Crea Davidsons son was diagnosed with severe autism at age two--non-vocal, non-responsive, withdrawn. Davidson learned that Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) was the only scientifically proven treatment for autism. She also how complex ABA was and that qualified therapists were scarce. According to Maureen McSwiggan-Hardin, APRN, BC, NP-P, former Deputy Director, Developmental Neuropsychiatry Program, clinical program at Columbia University Medical Center specializing in diagnostic evaluation and focused treatment of children and adolescents presenting with an ASD: Many programs indicated use of ABA, but very few offered interventions based on sound principals and many did not include parents as part of the intervention. Using ABA as a foundation, Davidson created a custom learning plan that pulled her son out of … Continue reading →

Autism researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute have received a prestigious $13 million award from the National Institutes of Health to establish an Autism Center of Excellence and Treatment Network, making the MIND Institute one of only nine such centers in the United States. Announced on World Autism Awareness Day, the Autism Center of Excellence, or ACE, award underwrites a research program aimed at advancing the quality, pace and coordination of autism research and is led by Sally J. Rogers, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and principal investigator. Rogers will collaborate with scientists at Vanderbilt University, Nashville; the University of Washington, Seattle; and Harvard to conduct the research. The award will support two separate treatment studies designed to provide the most up-to-date data possible on the most effective methods of treating very young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While progress in research on ASD has been rapid, complex questions remain about the causes of these disorders, how to detect them very early and how to intervene most effectively, said National Institute of Mental Health Director Thomas Insel. Centers receiving ACE funding have marshaled the interdisciplinary expertise and technical resources needed to move the science forward as quickly … Continue reading →