Newswise WEST HARTFORD, Conn., November 27, 2012 Richard Miles, Ph.D., Research Director, French National Center for Scientific Research, and Group Leader, Cortex and Epilepsy, Institute for the Brain and Spinal Cord, Centre Hospitalier Universtaire Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, has been named recipient of the prestigious 2012 Epilepsy Research Recognition Award for Basic Science conferred by the American Epilepsy Society (AES). The award recognizes Dr. Miles for his highly original contributions in the understanding of electrical activity in neurons of the hippocampus, a brain structure associated with temporal lobe epilepsy. The Epilepsy Research Recognition Award is part of the AES pubic recognition program to encourage and reward basic and clinical investigators whose research contributes importantly to the understanding and conquest of epilepsy. This years award in basic science will be presented on December 1st during the Societys 66th annual meeting and scientific conference in San Diego, USA. Research by Dr. Miles and his collaborators has provided remarkable insight into the cellular connectivity or wiring of the human cortex. Among his many seminal discoveries is the observation that a single neuron can initiate a spontaneous electrical burst in a population or group of neurons, synchronous activity that could explain how seizures begin. His work … Continue reading →

DOCUMENTING EPILEPSY: Hamilton native Louis Stanislaw grew up with epilepsy but kept it a secret from friends and teachers. Now a filmmaker, he explores the effect the complex disorder has on sufferers and their families in the documentary On the Edge: Living with Epilepsy. The films debut screening is at the Pingree School in Hamilton on Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. According to Stanislaws website, http://www.epilepsyontheedge.com, epilepsy affects 3 million people directly in the United States, and millions more through family members, friends, co-workers, and caregivers. Still, it is widely misunderstood. Life with epilepsy can be unpredictable, Stanislaw said. Medicines that control seizures can have staggering side effects. Seizures can be frightening and dangerous. They can be mistaken for aggression, with tragic results. Reactions and improper treatment can have devastating consequences. In a life with daunting hurdles, ignorance is usually the biggest one for people with epilepsy. On the Edge told through Stanislaws own experience and the stories of other epilepsy patients, their families, and health care providers documents difficulties and misunderstandings at every turn: from family life to school and friends, to leaving home and starting a career and forming lasting bonds. It looks at the alienation, depression, and … Continue reading →

MAPLE GROVE, Minn., Nov. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc. (Upsher-Smith) a privately held, specialty pharmaceutical company committed to the development of new treatments for diseases of the central nervous system, is proud to sponsor emerging data on USL261, its novel formulation of intranasal midazolam, at the 66th Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES) in San Diego, CA, November 30 December 4, 2012. "Upsher-Smith is committed to working toward improving the lives of people living with epilepsy," said Pamela J. Davis, M.D., Sr. Director Medical Affairs, Medical Strategy, Upsher-Smith. "USL261 (midazolam) is being developed for the intranasal rescue treatment of seizures in patients who require control of intermittent bouts of increased seizure activity, often called seizure clusters. This is a condition where few treatment options presently exist, particularly for the outpatient setting." USL261 (midazolam) is a benzodiazepine in an investigational formulation that is delivered intranasally. It is intended to be administered by a caregiver in an outpatient setting for the rescue treatment of seizure clusters without active inhalation by the patient. Upsher-Smith plans to sponsor presentations for three investigational drug programs in epilepsy at the AES annual meeting. Following is a guide to Upsher-Smith-sponsored presentations during the meeting. … Continue reading →

NEW YORK, November 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, announces the launch of Epilepsy & Behavior Case Reports a new, online-only, Open Access journal devoted to the rapid publication of case reports on the behavioral aspects of seizures and epilepsy. As a sister journal to Epilepsy & Behavior, case reports published in the new journal will benefit from wide exposure and cross-promotion of the two titles. Epilepsy & Behavior Case Reports presents original peer-reviewed case reports that feature novel observations, significantly add to previously-reported observations, or provide compelling illustrations of important clinical principles related to the care of patients who have epilepsy and associated behavioral aspects. Topics are drawn from a variety of fields, including clinical neurology, neurosurgery, neuropsychiatry, neuropsychology, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, and neuroimaging. Steve Schachter, Professor at the Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA and Editor-in-Chief of Epilepsy & Behavior Case Reports said of the launch, "Case reports are the beacons of the scientific frontier, drawing the attention of the scientific community to previously unknown, unobserved, or unaccepted phenomena and thereby influencing the course of scientific progress. This new launch will provide the … Continue reading →

MAPLE GROVE, Minn., Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Approximately 1.5 million women and girls in the United States have epilepsy, of which nearly 500,000 are women of childbearing age.1,2 Treating women with epilepsy, especially women of childbearing age, presents significant challenges to physicians. Epilog.us [http://www.epilog.us], Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Inc's [http://www.upsher-smith.com] epilepsy-focused educational website, discusses these challenges and provides professional insight by some of the epilepsy community's most respected physicians including Dr. Cynthia Harden, Chief of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Care Center, North Shore University Hospital and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, and Dr. Christopher Skidmore, Director of Neurology Residency/Assistant Professor of Neurology, at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please visit: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/59306-upsher-smith-epilog-website-challenges-in-managing-women-with-epilepsy "There are several issues that need to be considered when providing treatment to women with epilepsy of childbearing age including: hormonal fluctuations and their effect on epilepsy; drug interactions between oral contraceptives and antiepileptic drugs; and pregnancy," said Dr. Cynthia Harden. "As clinicians, we need to understand these challenges and identify an appropriate treatment plan unique to each patient." Dr. Christopher Skidmore added: "When discussing epilepsy and pregnancy with my female patients, the first and most important thing we discuss is … Continue reading →

Autism Live Wednesday, November 21, 2012 Like Autism Live on Facebook at facebook.com Today on Autism Live, Ask Dr. Doreen features Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh answering questions on what high functioning Autism means, how diet and health relate to Autism and more. During Let?s Talk Autism with Shannon and Nancy recent news linking fevers in pregnant mothers is discussed along with flu shots. Michael and Pross Bahinyoza visit to talk about their mission and success in bringing their nephew with Autism from Uganda with the help of Nancy Alspaugh Jackson and Autism Care and Treatment Today! Truly a show to thankful for! Autism Live is a production of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), headquartered in Tarzana, California, and with offices throughout the United States and around the globe. For more information on therapy for autism and other related disorders, visit the CARD website at centerforautism.comFrom:AutismLiveViews:0 2ratingsTime:01:59:59More inEducation Read more: Autism Live Wednesday, November 21, 2012 - Video … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2012) This month's issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry features an editorial commentary by Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. In it, Dr. Dawson describes how the dramatic progress in autism research has paralleled increased recognition of autism's prevalence and financial impact. "This issue of the journal features three articles on autism," she writes in her editorial. "A decade ago, the journal published about the same number of autism articles per year." Dr. Dawson also notes that, while the funding for autism research has dramatically increased over the last decade, it hasn't kept pace with the increasing scale of the public health challenges posed by autism. Despite an increase in research and funding, "we yet to fully describe the causes of ASD or developed effective medical treatments for it," Dr. Dawson writes. "[This issue's] articles point to an urgent need for more research on prenatal and early postnatal brain development in autism, with a focus on how genes and environmental risk factors combine to increase risk for ASD." In one of the three articles, scientists report a three-fold increase in autism risk associated with exposure to traffic-related air pollution during pregnancy and the first … Continue reading →

Holiday tunes act as a soundtrack for shopping. Strings of lights twinkle in trees and hang from high ceilings. And lines of parents wait with children dressed in cute Christmas outfits for the chance to take pictures with Santa and whisper in his ear. The hustle and bustle at malls this time of year can quickly become overwhelming for anyone as the holidays loom closer. But for the nearly 2 million children nationwide with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other developmental disabilities, a trip through the mall to visit Santa's workshop can be downright traumatic. "They simply cannot often handle a loud, noisy, bright environment like at the mall," said Catherine Hughes, Director of Family Support Services for Family Behavioral Resources, headquartered in Greensburg. To make sure children with sensory challenges can also share in the holiday tradition, a number of malls, businesses and other organizations are hosting special autism-friendly Santa events each season without the crowds and chaos. "I remember as a child going to see Santa and getting to sit on Santa's lap and I know that for some of these kids, they'll never be able to experience that because of the setting that Santa's in," said Holly Maust … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Nov. 27, 2012) Autism is a poorly understood family of related conditions. People with autism generally lack normal social interaction skills and engage in a variety of unusual and often characteristic behaviors, such as repetitive movements. While there is no specific medical treatment for autism, some success has been shown with early behavioral intervention. Understanding the importance of early diagnosis, researchers at Women & Infants' Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk in collaboration with researchers at University of Pittsburgh have been studying the cry acoustics of 6-month-old infants. Their research has recently been published in Autism Research. "Because we can measure various aspects of babies' cries from the earliest days of life, it may be possible to use this technique to identify risk for neurological problems such as autism long before we can detect behavioral differences," said Stephen J. Sheinkopf, PhD, lead researcher, psychologist at the Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, and assistant professor (research) in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. The study examined ways in which infants at risk for autism produced cries as compared to the cries of low-risk … Continue reading →

HealthForumOnline (HFO), a nationally-approved provider continuing education (CE) for mental health professionals, nurses and allied healthcare workers, announces updates to their online course, Effective Therapy Techniques for Persons Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Their Families. The number of persons diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disorders (IDD) is steadily increasing, largely due to the rising notoriety of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). There are many maladaptive behaviors associated with IDDs and ASDs that are routinely treated with evidence-based behavior management techniques. Additionally, families of these persons likely benefit from Family Therapy methods. This online CE course provides practitioners an understanding of how these 2 modalities, along with psychoeducation, can prove beneficial within this population. All of HFOs over 80 online CE courses are fast, convenient and especially cost-effective as health professionals have free ongoing access to course updates beyond completion of the CE activity. Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) November 27, 2012 After reviewing diagnostic patterns in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently estimated that 1 in 88 U.S. children (11.3 per 1,000) have an Autism Spectrum Disorder. This is a 23% increase since the 2009 report and a 78% increase since the 2007 report (1). The CDCs most … Continue reading →