LOS ANGELES The National Institutes of Health, recognizing UCLA's preeminence in both research and clinical care for children with autism, has announced multiple awards to the university as part of the agency's Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) research program. The UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART) was the only NIH ACE Center in the nation to be awarded renewed funding for the next five years. The funding will support ongoing research focused on examining genes' link to behavior, developing clinical interventions for those severely affected by the disorder, and explaining why autism affects more boys than girls. The goal of this work is to understand the full range of autism spectrum disorders, the brain condition that causes a continuum of social deficits, communication difficulties and cognitive delays. UCLA's CART will receive $10 million for research aimed at advancing treatments, understanding the disorder's genetics and biology, and improving diagnostics. New research will link genetic mutations to distinct patterns of brain development, structure and function in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. This research effort is led by Susan Bookheimer, the Joaquin Fuster Professor of Cognitive Neurosciences at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. CART … Continue reading →

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Individuals and families across the United States have long relied on insurance plans to help cover some of their most basic medical expenses. In some cases, a good insurance policy can be a true lifesaver to a person with a serious or sudden illness; in other cases, however, serious medical conditions are not covered by insurance plans, leaving individuals to pay huge medical expenses out of their own pockets. A recent Delaware law is seeking to curb that trend, however. The state has recently enacted a law requiring that health insurance plans cover the treatment of diseases on the autism spectrum. This new law has won the attention of many legal experts and insurance industry insiders, including the lawyers at Kerr & Wagstaffe. Kerr & Wagstaffe is a firm based in San Francisco, and known for practice in a variety of legal areas. The firm has extensive experience in intellectual property and patent cases, and is also known for its expertise in constitutional law. Additionally, Kerr & Wagstaffe takes on many cases related to insurance law. The firm has responded to the new Delaware law with a statement to the press. "Making sure families … Continue reading →

LONDON (ShareCast) - Medical technology group Proteome Sciences (Xetra: 935051 - news) has released details of a study into a blood test which could reduce brain damage in thousands of stroke victims. The group has been collaborating with researchers at the University of Geneva to produce the test which can tell how long ago a stroke actually took place. The exact timing of a stroke has a big influence on the kind of therapy that is used to help patients recover. Treated quickly, the brain damage caused by strokes can be significantly reduced but as many strokes take place during sleep, it is often difficult to know when the symptoms began. During the study, scientists found one protein, "GSTP", which showed an almost instantaneous increase in the blood of stroke patients, peaking at 3 hours after onset and returning to normal levels within around 6 hours. Extrapolating the results across patients who were admitted to the Geneva Hospital in 2006/7 with suspected stroke, but who did not know when their stroke symptoms started, indicates that testing for GSTP could result in as many as five times more people being eligible for the highly effective "rt-PA" treatment, which can only be … Continue reading →

LONDON (ShareCast) - Medical technology group Proteome Sciences (Xetra: 935051 - news) has released details of a study into a blood test which could reduce brain damage in thousands of stroke victims. The group has been collaborating with researchers at the University of Geneva to produce the test which can tell how long ago a stroke actually took place. The exact timing of a stroke has a big influence on the kind of therapy that is used to help patients recover. Treated quickly, the brain damage caused by strokes can be significantly reduced, but as many strokes take place during sleep, it is often difficult to know when the symptoms began. During the study, scientists found one protein, known as GSTP, which showed an almost instantaneous increase in the blood of stroke patients, peaking at three hours after onset and returning to normal levels within around six hours. Extrapolating the results across patients who were admitted to the Geneva Hospital in 2006/7 with suspected stroke, but who did not know when their stroke symptoms started, indicates that testing for GSTP could result in as many as five times more people being eligible for the highly effective "rt-PA" treatment, which can … Continue reading →

Test would be done on patients in aftermath of stroke Tells doctors if they can give drug to limit brain damage Could see five times more people receiving treatment By Fiona Macrae Science Correspondent PUBLISHED: 01:35 EST, 18 September 2012 | UPDATED: 03:26 EST, 18 September 2012 A simple blood test that could revolutionise the treatment of stroke patients has been devised by British scientists and could be available within months. Given in the aftermath of a stroke, it will allow doctors to work out if patients are eligible for the only drug that can limit the damage to the brain. This could lead to five times as many people receiving the vital treatment that can cut the odds of disability and increase the chances of being able to continue to live independently. Blood test: Given in the aftermath of a stroke, it will allow doctors to work out if patients are eligible for the only drug that can limit the damage to the brain It is estimated that an extra 15,000 stroke patients a year could benefit in the UK alone. Doctors have just one drug they can use to break up the blood clots behind the most common … Continue reading →

Denver and Surrounding Region to Benefit from New Ischemic Stroke Treatment DENVER, Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --Swedish Medical Center has become the first advanced care center in the state to bring an innovative medical device to its stroke care protocol, aimed at treating ischemic stroke patients faster and more efficiently than ever before. The device, known as the MAX System of Reperfusion Catheters and manufactured by Penumbra, Inc., is yet another tool for physicians in Swedish Medical Center's arsenal of unmatched stroke care for residents of Denver and the surrounding region. Ischemic strokes are caused by a blood clot or embolism that stops blood flow to the brain. About 85 percent of strokes are ischemic, occur every 40 seconds in the U.S. and is the fourth leading cause of death. The new MAX Catheters provide a better alternative to the standard guidewire used by physicians to navigate the arteries to the brain. The procedure can be used to open the blood vessels of an ischemic stroke patient within eight hours of symptom onset. Swedish Medical Center uses the MAX System in conjunction with intravenous clot-busting drug, t-PA or when those drugs can't be used. "The MAX System represents a significant … Continue reading →