Melissa Solares says her son Arturo is now attending a regular preschool thanks to intensive behavioral therapy. STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) -- Eight-year-old Ava Bullard comes bounding out of the Georgia Senate chamber, a smile stretched from ear to ear. Ava's mother, Anna, bends down to talk to her daughter over the din in the hallway. Her own smile is all business, with a wink to the camera. "What did he say?" she asks, referring to state Sen. Tim Golden, head of the insurance committee. " Did you tell him we need a hearing?" "No," says Ava. "But I will!" This playful moment between mother and daughter would have been unimaginable just six years ago, when Ava was diagnosed with autism. Bullard's spirits were high because news had come that a committee hearing for Ava's Law had been scheduled. If passed, Ava's Law would require insurance companies to pay for "evidence-driven treatment" -- or treatment that's been scientifically shown to help kids with an autism spectrum disorder. The law would not affect the self-insured plans offered by bigger companies, which cover about 60% of insured people in the state, according to the Georgia Office of Insurance. Ava Bullard, 8, sits with … Continue reading →

SURREY, BC, March 11, 2013 /CNW/ - Central City Brewers + Distillers (CCBD) announce their inaugural program dedicated to raise $75,000 for autism. Funds go directly to Canucks Autism Network (CAN) and Autism Spectrum Disorders Canadian-American Research Consortium (ASD-CARC). The program includes a limited release of CCBD's award-winning Imperial IPA, in which $5 per bottle goes to ASD-CARC. Sales from limited edition glassware, from Central City's retail operations, and from the inaugural Auction & Dinner will go to CAN. The Auction and Dinner will be held April 13th at Central City Brewpub + restaurant. Auction items include Canucks tickets, team jerseys, bikes, and many other great items. "When we learned my son Callum had autism, we discovered how little is known about it and how much support is needed for a child on the spectrum. Research is critical to finding a cure, as are accessible programs for children and families living with autism that cannot afford the amount of care needed for a child with autism", says Darryll Frost, President. A web page dedicated to the program summarizes program details. The page will be found at centralcitybrewing.com/autism. About Central City Brewers + Distillers: Central City Brewers & Distillers Ltd. started … Continue reading →

Melissa Solares says her son Arturo is now attending a regular preschool thanks to intensive behavioral therapy. STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) -- Eight-year-old Ava Bullard comes bounding out of the Georgia Senate chamber, a smile stretched from ear to ear. Ava's mother, Anna, bends down to talk to her daughter over the din in the hallway. Her own smile is all business, with a wink to the camera. "What did he say?" she asks, referring to state Sen. Tim Golden, head of the insurance committee. " Did you tell him we need a hearing?" "No," says Ava. "But I will!" This playful moment between mother and daughter would have been unimaginable just six years ago, when Ava was diagnosed with autism. Bullard's spirits were high because news had come that a committee hearing for Ava's Law had been scheduled. If passed, Ava's Law would require insurance companies to pay for "evidence-driven treatment" -- or treatment that's been scientifically shown to help kids with an autism spectrum disorder. The law would not affect the self-insured plans offered by bigger companies, which cover about 60% of insured people in the state, according to the Georgia Office of Insurance. Ava Bullard, 8, sits with … Continue reading →

The UCLA Stroke Center has been certified as a comprehensive stroke center by the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The center, part of UCLA Health and the UCLA Department of Neurology, is one of the first 10 stroke centers in the nation to receive the prestigious designation. The certification, which confirms that the UCLA Stroke Center has met the highest national standards for safety and quality of care, further enhances the center's national reputation as an innovator in clinical care. "This is a true team effort, reflecting the efforts of over 200 physicians, nurses, therapists, pharmacists and technologists at the UCLA Stroke Center and spanning all of UCLA Health." said Dr. Jeffrey Saver, the center's director and a professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "It is a reflection of our team's sustained, collective commitment to saving the lives of our stroke patients." The Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, conducted a rigorous on-site review at UCLA, collecting data and evaluating the center's performance based on the commission's requirements for the certification designation. The commission … Continue reading →

Public release date: 11-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Rhiannon Bugno Biol.Psych@utsouthwestern.edu 214-648-0880 Elsevier Philadelphia, PA, March 11, 2013 Antipsychotic administration in the elderly is associated with an increased risk for cerebrovascular accident, more commonly known as stroke; a new study published in Biological Psychiatry provides additional insight into this important relationship. Antipsychotics are prescribed to elderly patients to treat symptoms such as agitation, psychosis, anxiety, insomnia, and depression. The increased risk of stroke associated with these medications was identified approximately a decade ago and has since been replicated by subsequent studies. Although the increase in stroke risk is small, some guidelines discourage the prescription of antipsychotics to elderly patients. Antipsychotic drugs vary in their effects on the body and so it is likely that antipsychotics are not uniform in their effects on stroke risk. Thus, better understanding of the mechanisms through which antipsychotics increase stroke risk might guide the prescription of safer drugs for elderly patients. In their study, Wu and colleagues focused on the wide range of brain mechanisms targeted by antipsychotic medications. All antipsychotics block the D2 subtype of receptor for the neurotransmitter dopamine. However, these drugs also act on a range of other receptor … Continue reading →