Newswise WEST HARTFORD, Conn., November 27, 2012 Bruce P. Hermann, Ph.D., professor of neurology and director of the Charles Matthews Neuropsychology Lab at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, has been named recipient of the American Epilepsy Societys (AES) 2012 Service Award. Throughout his career Dr. Hermann has worked to improve the understanding, treatment, and prevention of adverse behavioral and quality of life outcomes of epilepsy and epilepsy surgery in children and adults. The AES Service Award recognizes Dr. Hermann for his service in the field of epilepsy and long record of voluntary service to AES and its members, including two terms on the AES board of directors, and active membership over the years on some 15 AES committees and task for groups, two of which he chaired. The award will be presented November 30th during ceremonies at the Societys 66th annual meeting and scientific conference at the San Diego Convention Center. In announcing the award, John Huguenard, Ph.D., who chairs the AES awards committee, said, Bruce has been extraordinarily generous in the time and energy he has his given not only to AES, but to the epilepsy community at large. Through both his research and … Continue reading →

1 Dec 2012 00:01 THE 350,000 SPECT scanner at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital detects where seizures are occurring in a brain, allowing more effective surgery for epileptics. EPILEPSY patients have been waiting nearly a year for treatment after Scotlands only specialist brain scanner packed in. The 350,000 SPECT scanner broke down in April and had to be replaced. Its hand-built Hungarian replacement arrived in May but has technical issues. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde dont know when it will be working properly. And the UKs only other scanner, in London, wont take referrals because of a long waiting list. The scanner at Glasgows Southern General Hospital pinpoints where in a brain the seizures occur, allowing more effective surgery. Gillian Downie, 22, has chronic epilepsy and has been waiting for a scan since March. Her dad Colin, from Ayr, said: We have fought long and hard against these delays but there seems to be nothing we can do. Margaret Watt, chair of the Scotland Patients Association, said: Its appalling. The basic NHS principle is care at your time of need and that is clearly not happening. Read more from the original source: Epilepsy patients wait year for treatment after Scotland's only … Continue reading →

Homeopathic treatment for Mental Retardation and Dystonia - patient testimonial Treating Mental Retardation and Dystonia (Movement disorder) due to brain damage with Homeopathy The treatment prescribed initially for our patient included homeopathic medicines capable of correcting the abnormal motor response and co-ordination as well as our in-house, researched remedies which have proven to help children with brain damage resulting in delayed milestones and heightened sensitivity. Dystonia, ataxia, cerebral palsy, delayed milestones, autism, PDD, brain damage due to birth hypoxia, traumatic brain damage, mental retardation (MR) and such neurological and developmental disorders are routinely treated here purely with Homeopathic medicines yielding satisfactory results. Our experience with researched, homeopathic, neuro-motor remedies over the past 2 decades has reinforced our passion for dealing with so called irreversible disorders. Our homeopathic treatment combined with Physiotherapy, Occupational and ABA therapy, or in conjunction with conventional treatments yields best results. We also assure you that you or your child will like taking these palatable remedies which have no side effects whatsoever. We encourage you to seek this treatment as early as possible as we witness maximum benefits if started when the conditions is in its initial stages or when your child is young. Also, results vary … Continue reading →

Psychiatrys main professional group has voted to redefine how some mental disorders are diagnosed, including autism, in a manual used by doctors to treat patients and by insurers to determine payments. The move comes after a 7-year debate that has split the mental health community over whether the changes will spur over- diagnosis of some disorders, and limit treatment for others. The guide collapses several conditions into a broadened definition for autism. It also adds new maladies, including one called disruptive mood dysregulation disorder for children who have temper tantrums at least three times a week. The vote yesterday by the American Psychiatric Association was alternately called a disaster by Allen Frances, who led work on the previous version, and a conservative document by David Kupfer, who led the panel that presented the latest edition. The guide is scheduled to be released in May at the psychiatric groups annual meeting. I think weve improved our diagnostics, but this is not written in stone, Kupfer said in a telephone interview after the vote. The committee that produced the new edition will monitor how the changes play out, he said. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is the standard used … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Nov. 29, 2012) A controversial treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not only ineffective but may be harmful, according to a study conducted by Baylor University researchers. The treatment, known as chelation, attempts to eliminate metals such as mercury from the body. "The chemical substances used in chelation treatment have a myriad of potentially serious side effects such as fever, vomiting, hypertension, hypotension, cardiac arrhythmias and hypocalcemia, which can cause cardiac arrest," said Tonya N. Davis, Ph.D., assistant professor of educational psychology in Baylor's School of Education and co-author of the study. In one example mentioned in the research, "a 5-year-old with ASD died from cardiac arrest caused by hypocalcemia while receiving intravenous chelation." And, a 2008 clinical study of chelation treatment for autism was suspended due to potential safety risks associated with chelation. "Chelation therapy represents the 'cart before the horse' scenario where the hypothesis supporting the use of chelation was not validated prior to using it as a form of treatment. Evidence does not support the hypothesis that ASD symptoms are associated with specific levels of metals in the body," said Davis, supervisor of the Applied Behavior Analysis Program at the Baylor Autism Resource Center. In … Continue reading →