November 7, 2012 Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online Researchers from Yale School of Medicine recently discovered that, when provided earlier treatment, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) showed serious improvements in behavior, communication and brain function. Dr. Fred Volkmar, Kevin A. Pelphrey, and other researchers at the Yale Child Study Center published the study on early treatment, paving a way for brain change in autistic children. The findings were discussed in a recent issue of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. The brain systems related to social perception had positive reaction to the pivotal response treatment, a kind of early intervention behavioral program that was developed at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Along with parent training, the treatment included a section just focused on play and includes areas for learning and development. ASD is a heterogeneous disorder, and research aimed at understanding treatment must address this heterogeneity, noted Pelphrey in the statement. Both the children in our current study made progress, but their degree of progress and level of skills at the end of treatment were distinct. Researchers explained how pivotal response treatment could help children as young as two years of age. In the … Continue reading →

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on November 7, 2012 Emerging research suggests early treatment for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can significantly improve behavior, stimulate communication and enhance brain function. Yale School of Medicine researchers have published their study findings in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Researchers Fred Volkmar, M.D., Kevin A. Pelphrey, Ph.D.,and colleagues say the study findings suggest that brain systems supporting social perception can be improved when an early intervention behavioral program is administered. In the study, investigators used a technique called pivotal response treatment. This treatment includes parent training, and employs play in its methods. ASDs are complex neurobiological disorders that inhibit a persons ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and are often accompanied by behavioral challenges. Until recently, the diagnosis of autism diagnosis typically was not confirmed until a child was about three to five years-old. As a result, treatment programs were developed for this older age group. Today, Volkmar and his team are diagnosing children as young as age one. The combination of an early diagnosis and then application of the pivotal response treatment intervention has been revealing. Pivotal response treatment, developed … Continue reading →

Scientists at Auckland University's Centre for Brain Research say they have gained new understandings of the causes of autism, opening up new avenues for possible treatment. The ground-breaking research, done in collaboration with Stanford University in the United States, looked at brain cell communication and genetic mutations in people with autism. The team discovered that autism was caused by mutated brain proteins, called Shank3, weakening communication between brain cells. Head researcher Jo Montgomery said that the discovery was exciting because it meant treatments could be investigated. "Brain cells are incredibly sociable cells in the brain and they talk to each other all the time," she said. "There are about 10 trillion brain cells connected by about 10 billion synapses which gives you an idea of how much chatter is going on in your brain at one time, and all that chatter underlies how you see things, how you move, how you learn and how you remember things. "What we showed is that when you have these autism-associated mutations, this changes how synapses in the brain function." Dr Montgomery said there was definitely reason to get excited about the possibilities for a cure for autism, at some stage in the future. … Continue reading →

Kaplan Headache Center and the Stroke Treatment Prevention Center - Clifton Park, NY Kaplan Headache Center and the Stroke Treatment Prevention Center 518-388-9900 http://www.yellowbook.com eugene-kaplan-md-erpxg8zma-5183889900.flvFrom:yellowbookViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:36More inHowto Style Link: Kaplan Headache Center and the Stroke Treatment … Continue reading →

Presented at AHA's Scientific Sessions 2012, first long-term results from the RELY-ABLE study demonstrate that advantages of PRADAX (dabigatran etexilate) treatment are maintained over more than four years PRADAX is the first and only novel oral anticoagulant supported by long-term clinical data Sustained benefits for both doses allow for persistent brain protection and tailored treatment according to patient needs BURLINGTON, ON, Nov. 8, 2012 /CNW/ - Data from the *RELY-ABLE study have provided additional data to support the long-term safety profile and efficacy of PRADAX (dabigatran etexilate) for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). **1 The new long-term results presented at the American Heart Association's (AHA) Scientific Sessions, are highly consistent with the findings from the landmark RE-LY trial, the basis for the approval of PRADAX in countries all over the world. The rates of stroke and hemorrhage observed during the 2.3 years of blinded follow-up in RELY-ABLE correspond to the initial RE-LY results, supporting the benefit of both doses of PRADAX for tailored brain protection.1-3 The combined data from RE-LY and RELY-ABLE equates to over four years of experience and provides the most comprehensive evaluation of the benefits and safety of any novel oral anticoagulant for … Continue reading →

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Radisphere (www.radispheregroup.com), the largest and fastest-growing national radiology group in the United States, today announced that it has helped implement a new imaging procedure for the medical staff at Adventist Medical Center - Hanford in California. The procedure, known as a computed tomography (CT) brain perfusion exam, can provide better diagnostic information for suspected stroke patients. Sanjeev Athale, M.D., who is the Onsite Medical Director of Radiology at Adventist Medical Center - Hanford and employed locally by Radisphere, was instrumental in bringing this new procedure to Adventist Health / Central Valley Network. We are excited to have this procedure, usually only offered at hospitals in major urban settings, available in the Central Valley, said Kendall Fults, R.N. and Senior Vice President of Network Operations at Adventist Health. It is important to have strategic partners like Radisphere to help us provide quality services so the medical staff can offer faster comprehensive patient care. A CT brain perfusion exam can quickly evaluate blood flow in the brain and help physicians see if a patient is about to have a stroke. The exam measures blood flow, blood volume, and the time required for blood to pass through tissue in order to … Continue reading →