MONDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Black children with autism tend to be diagnosed later than white children with the disorder, and this delay can lead to longer and more intensive treatment, researchers say. Lack of access to quality, affordable and culturally knowledgeable health care are among the reasons for the delay in a diagnosis of autism in black children, said researcher Martell Teasley, an associate professor in the College of Social Work at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Teasley also suggested that social stigma attached to mental health issues within the black community may add to the problem. Some black parents may find it hard to accept that their child has autism, so even when the disorder is diagnosed, there may be a reluctance to use autism treatment services. Misdiagnosis is also a potential problem, the study authors noted. "There are no subjective criteria for diagnosing autism. Only brain scans can truly provide appropriate diagnoses, because we are dealing with biological and chemical imbalances in the brain," Teasley said in a university news release. "Not every child is going to have access to this kind of medical evaluation, particularly those who are indigent and don't have health care funding." … Continue reading →

Public release date: 21-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Jane E. Rubinstein jrubinstein@rubenstein.com 212-843-8287 Autism Speaks NEW YORK, N.Y. (February 21, 2012) ? Autism Speaks, North America's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today released the Sleep Strategies for Children with Autism: A Parent's Guide and Treating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Tool Kit for Dental Professionals, both available for free download on Autism Speaks Tools You Can Use webpage. Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep through the night, so sleep experts in Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (ATN) and the companion Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) have addressed how to help improve sleep for children and teens affected by ASD. The Sleep Strategies Guide helps families select ideas that have the best potential to work well with their lifestyle. It recommends that families implement their sleep plan when they have the time and energy to see if it will work, trying one small change, and then slowly incorporating other changes. With consistent routines and persistent effort, families often see changes in their child's sleep patterns over several weeks. "If your child or teen with ASD … Continue reading →

By Pat Hagan Last updated at 8:08 AM on 21st February 2012 A device that ‘traps’ blood clots so they can be safely removed from the brain could be a radical new treatment for stroke. The cage-like gadget ensnares the clot, allowing doctors to retrieve it so blood flow can quickly be restored. Strokes kill around 200 people every day in the UK, and it is estimated the NHS spends ?2.3?billion a year treating and looking after the 100,000 people annually struck down by the life-threatening condition. Strokes kill around 200 people every day in the UK Around 85 per cent of victims are affected by ischaemic strokes, where a clot travels to the brain and shuts off its blood supply. The rest suffer haemorrhagic strokes, where a blood vessel bursts in the brain, causing potentially fatal bleeding. Under current treatment guidelines, ischaemic stroke victims are treated with a clot-removing drug called tissue plasminogen activator. But this is only really effective within the first three hours after a stroke, after which a clot may be too hard and well-developed to break up with drugs.    However, the experimental new gadget, called the Solitaire Flow Restoration Device, could potentially be used … Continue reading →

Public release date: 21-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Anders Bach anba@farma.ku.dk (45) 40-32-08-06 University of Copenhagen Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have designed, produced and patented a new chemical compound for the possible treatment of brain damage caused by stroke. The compound binds 1,000 times more effectively to the target protein in the brain than the potential drug currently being tested on stroke victims. The results of biological tests have just been published in the renowned journal PNAS. More than 140,000 people die each year from stroke in the United States. Stroke causes the brain to release large amounts of glutamate, an activating signal compound, all at once. This overactivates the receptors in the surrounding healthy tissue, causing the level of calcium in the cells to rise dramatically. This then kick-starts a toxic chain reaction causing cell death. Scientists believe that this process is the cause of the brain damage that occurs in the wake of a stroke. Therefore they are looking for compounds that can limit cell death: "Research on animal models shows that the new compound we have designed and produced reduces the dead area in the brain after a stroke by 40 per … Continue reading →

MEDICAL experts from the North East are piloting a new tool to ensure stroke patients get the best treatment. Having developed the FAST acronym – face, arms, speech and time – which has been seen on national TV adverts, the Newcastle University and NHS team are now trying out an app for use on smartphones or tablets. The iPad app, called DASH II, aims to help people who have had a stroke and their medical team work out which course of treatment is most suitable for them. The app is being trialled in Newcastle and North Tyneside hospitals to help weigh up the risks and benefits of different treatments for people who have had an ischaemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot on the brain. Its potential benefits have caught the attention of the national NHS after the researchers were nominated by a public vote as one of the top 50 uses of technology. The app will be demonstrated to the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley at the Maps and Apps Showcase in London tomorrow. From the moment people suffer a stroke, medics only have a four and a half-hour window to treat them with clot-busting drugs. This means … Continue reading →

MEDICAL experts from the North East are piloting a new tool to ensure stroke patients get the best treatment. Having developed the FAST acronym – face, arms, speech and time – which has been seen on national TV adverts, the Newcastle University and NHS team are now trying out an app for use on smartphones or tablets. The iPad app, called DASH II, aims to help people who have had a stroke and their medical team work out which course of treatment is most suitable for them. The app is being trialled in Newcastle and North Tyneside hospitals to help weigh up the risks and benefits of different treatments for people who have had an ischaemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot on the brain. Its potential benefits have caught the attention of the national NHS after the researchers were nominated by a public vote as one of the top 50 uses of technology. The app will be demonstrated to the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley at the Maps and Apps Showcase in London tomorrow. From the moment people suffer a stroke, medics only have a four and a half-hour window to treat them with clot-busting drugs. This means … Continue reading →