Washington, Feb 2 (ANI): Genetic screening of at-risk patients may lead to better diagnosis or treatment of autism, a study led by an Indian-origin researcher suggests. As autism spectrum disorders affect nearly 1 in 88 kids, understanding the altered genetic pathways is critical for diagnosis and treatment. "Autism is the most inheritable of neurodevelopmental disorders, but identifying the underlying genes is difficult since no single gene contributes more than a tiny fraction of autism cases," Rajini Rao of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. said. Rather, she continues, "mutations in many different genes variably affect a few common pathways." A team of scientists at Johns Hopkins and Tel Aviv University in Israel looked at genetic variations in DNA sequence in the ion transporter NHE9 and found that autism-associated variants in NHE9 result in a profound loss of transporter function. "Altering levels of this transporter at the synapse may modulate critical proteins on the cell surface that bring in nutrients or neurotransmitters such as glutamate," Rao said. "Elevated glutamate levels are known to trigger seizures, possibly explaining why autistic patients with mutations in these ion transporters also have seizures," she added. A unique aspect of the team's approach was that they … Continue reading →

Will Utah, with one of the nations highest rates of autism spectrum disorders, join the majority of states that mandate insurance coverage for its treatment? On Friday, freshman Sen. Brian Shiozawa, R-Cottonwood Heights and past president of the Utah Medical Association, released SB55, which would require health insurance plans to cover autism treatment. Whats next P SB55 is scheduled to be discussed Monday at 4 p.m. in the Senate Business and Labor Standing Committee, room 215 of the Senate Building. If passed, Utah would join 32 other states that require insurance coverage, according to the national advocacy group Autism Speaks, which endorsed the bill. Thats a big "if." Utahs autism community has been trying for years to mandate coverage, but last year saw their efforts stymied by a bill that instead created three pilot programs treating about 300 children under the age of 6. Shiozawa, an emergency physician, was unavailable for immediate comment Friday. But Mirella Petersen, president of Utah Autism Coalition, which is pushing for insurance coverage, said the senator recognizes "were in a triage situation. We cant do much about it [autism] if were not going to offer effective, early treatment." The bill requires coverage of the diagnosis … Continue reading →

Jan. 31, 2013 People having an ischemic stroke should receive clot-dissolving therapy -- if appropriate -- within 60 minutes of arriving at the hospital, according to new American Stroke Association guidelines published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. Ischemic stroke, which accounts for nine in 10 strokes, is caused by a blood clot in the arteries leading to the brain. Calling 9-1-1 immediately after recognizing any of the warning signs of stroke -- and getting to a stroke center as fast as possible -- are still the most important steps for optimal stroke care. During an acute stroke, physicians must quickly evaluate and diagnose the patient as soon as possible to determine if patients are eligible to receive the clot-dissolving drug recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which must be given 4.5 hours within hours of symptom onset. The goal is to minimize "door to needle" time which provides the patient with the best opportunity for benefit from the treatment. "tPA can now be considered for a larger group of patients, including some who present up to 4.5 hours from stroke onset," said Edward Jauch, M.D., lead author of the guidelines and director of the Division of Emergency Medicine at … Continue reading →

Washington, February 1 (ANI): People having an ischemic stroke should receive a clot-busting drug up to 4-5 hours after their symptoms begin, according to new guidelines from the American Heart Association. Ischemic stroke, which accounts for nine in 10 strokes, is caused by a blood clot in the arteries leading to the brain. Calling 9-1-1 immediately after recognizing any of the warning signs of stroke-and getting to a stroke center as fast as possible-are still the most important steps for optimal stroke care. During an acute stroke, physicians must quickly evaluate and diagnose the patient as soon as possible to determine if patients are eligible to receive the clot-dissolving drug recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), which must be given 4.5 hours within hours of symptom onset. The goal is to minimize "door to needle" time which provides the patient with the best opportunity for benefit from the treatment. "tPA can now be considered for a larger group of patients, including some those who present up to 4.5 hours from stroke onset," said Edward Jauch, M.D., lead author of the guidelines and director of the Division of Emergency Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. The new guidelines recommend integrating … Continue reading →

Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter Posted: Friday, February 1, 2013, 10:16 AM THURSDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- New guidelines on stroke care stress that getting clot-busting drugs and other treatments within one hour of arriving in the emergency room is crucial to minimizing brain damage and speeding recovery. "We have incorporated a lot of learning and experience in the past five years in developing stroke systems of care," said guideline author Dr. Edward Jauch, director of the division of emergency medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston. "It's not just a single person managing a stroke that makes a difference. It's creating a process that involves patients, people around patients, pre-hospital care and hospitals," he said. "When all these pieces are in place, the patient has the best chance for having a good outcome." The new guidelines, from the American Stroke Association, were published online Jan. 31 and will appear in the March print issue of the journal Stroke. The most common type of stroke, called an ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot in an artery in the brain. Ischemic strokes account for 90 percent of all strokes. Once doctors determine that a patient is … Continue reading →