11 February 2013 Last updated at 04:42 ET Nearly one in five people in Ireland would not employ someone with epilepsy, a new survey suggests. More than 37,000 people in Ireland, aged over five years, have a diagnosis of the disease. However, nearly 20% of people surveyed in the Republic of Ireland said, if given the choice, they would not employ someone with the condition. Research carried out by Epilepsy Ireland suggests that there is still stigma and lack of understanding. More than 1,000 people took part in the survey published on Monday 11 February, European Epilepsy Day. Peter Murphy of Epilepsy Ireland said: "Public awareness and understanding of the condition remains poor and negative attitudes towards epilepsy are a major challenge for many people living with the condition. "In fact, myths, misconceptions, fear and discrimination still surround epilepsy, often causing more distress than the condition itself and having a huge impact on people's quality of life." One in 20 people will have a single epileptic seizure at some time in their lives. The findings contrast with the fact that epilepsy is the most common, serious neurological condition in Ireland. See the rest here: Epileptics 'face work bias' … Continue reading →

The Irish Times - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 RONAN McGREEVY Myths surrounding epilepsy often cause more distress to people with the condition than the condition itself, it has been claimed. A new survey has found that one person in five would not employ somebody with epilepsy even though the illness is treatable. Speaking on European Epilepsy Day yesterday, Epilepsy Ireland deputy chief executive Peter Murphy said poor and negative attitudes towards epilepsy persisted and had a huge impact on the quality of the lives of those with epilepsy. Brainwave, a charity that helps people with epilepsy, changed its name yesterday to Epilepsy Ireland. A representative sample of Irish adults found half the public believed there was still a stigma surrounding the condition. Commenting on the survey, Mr Murphy said that although epilepsy was the most common serious neurological condition in Ireland and there had been considerable advances in treatment, public awareness and understanding of the condition remains poor, and negative attitudes towards epilepsy are a major challenge for many people living with the condition. Read more: Warning of 'negative attitudes' to epilepsy … Continue reading →

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NeuroSigma, Inc., a California-based medical device company, today announced that Christopher DeGiorgio, M.D., Vice President of Neurology at NeuroSigma and Professor of Neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Colin Kealey, M.D., Manager of Business Development at NeuroSigma, will present in London, an overview of external trigeminal nerve stimulation (eTNS) for the treatment of epilepsy and depression at The Royal Society of Medicine's Sixth Medical Innovations Summit on February 16, 2013. Now available in the European Union, with a physician's prescription, the Monarch eTNS System consists of a small stimulator that can be placed in a pocket or worn at the waist, and an electric patch that is placed on the forehead. The patch stimulates the trigeminal nerve through the surface of the skin, and is used primarily while the patient is asleep. A Phase II randomized controlled clinical trial, conducted at UCLA and the University of Southern California (USC), for the use of eTNS for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy showed a robust effect on seizure frequency and mood. At the end of the eighteen week treatment period, more than 40% of patients experienced a greater than 50% reduction … Continue reading →

Autism. 2 1/2 year old boy. Non verbal. Autistic behavior. remihealth.com 2 1 year old autistic non verbal boy. Started treatment on Feb 11, 2013. By: remihealthservice … Continue reading →

STAR Trainings at Kennedy Krieger - Be an Effective Play Partner With Your Child Sharing Treatment and Autism Resources (STAR) Parent Trainings at Kennedy Krieger Institute. STAR parent trainings provide parents and family members of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with a comprehensive offering of current resources available on autism, as well as an overview of research-based treatment elements that have been recommended for program design and delivery in the educational system(s). To learn more about STAR Parent Trainings at Kennedy Krieger, visit: http://www.kennedykrieger.org By: KennedyKrieger … Continue reading →

STAR Trainings at Kennedy Krieger - Strategies to Enhance Functional Participation in Daily Living Sharing Treatment and Autism Resources (STAR) Parent Trainings at Kennedy Krieger Institute. STAR parent trainings provide parents and family members of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with a comprehensive offering of current resources available on autism, as well as an overview of research-based treatment elements that have been recommended for program design and delivery in the educational system(s). To learn more about STAR Parent Trainings at Kennedy Krieger, visit: http://www.kennedykrieger.org By: KennedyKrieger … Continue reading →

FRIDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Attention problems might be seen in 6-month-old infants who are later diagnosed with autism, a new study says. Yale School of Medicine researchers found that these infants paid less attention to people's overtures and activities than infants who did not develop autism, according to the study recently published online in the journal Biological Psychiatry. This information could be used to identify infants at greatest risk of developing autism and provide them with early treatment, the researchers said. "This work is highly consequential for identifying new treatment targets and early intervention strategies," said Katarzyna Chawarska, associate professor at the Yale Child Study Center and a study co-author. The study included 67 infants at high risk for developing autism and 50 low-risk infants. Their eye movements were tracked while they watched a video of a woman doing everyday things, such as making a sandwich, looking at toys, or speaking. Compared to the other infants, those who were later diagnosed with autism spent less time watching the social activities depicted in the video. When they did pay attention, these infants spent less time watching the woman's face. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired communication and … Continue reading →