Naomi Swiezy, clinical director at the Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center in Indianapolis, says autism treatments today address symptoms, not causes. No one knows its cause. As clinical director at an IU School of Medicine autism treatment center, Naomi Swiezy is, by nature, a goal-oriented health-care practitioner. A researcher as well as a behavioral psychologist, her focus is on research-based, empirically supported approaches to treating the pervasive developmental disorder. She uses the term treat advisedly. Like any expert in the field, she can only speculate on what causes the range of behavioral, social and intellectual impairments known as Autism Spectrum Disorders. Genetic predisposition triggered by unknown environmental factors is the prevailing wisdom. Cure isnt a part of the vocabulary. Its not about curing the autism, Swiezy said during an interview at the Christian Sarkine Autism Treatment Center at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. We dont believe thats a possibility. Autism is, in fact, a relatively new and little-understood condition, she said. While autism appeared in the literature in 1943, Swiezy explained, the American Psychiatry Association didnt even define the Autistic Disorder diagnosis until 1980, with the publication of the third edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental … Continue reading →

Public release date: 5-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Michelle MacLeod michelle.macleod@hkstrategies.ca 416-413-4744 Hill & Knowlton Toronto, June 1, 2012 - A specific antioxidant supplement may be an effective therapy for some features of autism, according to a pilot trial from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital that involved 31 children with the disorder. The antioxidant, called PharmaNAC, contains pharmaceutical-grade N-acetylcysteine and is specially-packed to preserve its potency. PharmaNAC lowered irritability in children with autism as well as reduced the children's repetitive behaviors. The researchers emphasized that the findings must be confirmed in a larger trial. Irritability affects 60 to 70 percent of children with autism. "We're not talking about mild things: This is throwing, kicking, and hitting; the child needing to be restrained," said Antonio Hardan, MD, the primary author of the new study. "It can affect learning, vocational activities and the child's ability to participate in autism therapies." The study appears in the June 1 issue of Biological Psychiatry. Hardan is an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford and director of the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic at Packard Children's. Finding new medications to treat autism and its … Continue reading →

VANCOUVER, June 5, 2012 /CNW/ - The Stroke Recovery Association of BC welcomes the recent decision by the Province of British Columbia to grant access to Pradax (dabigatran etexilate) for eligible patients living with atrial fibrillation (AF) for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism. Atrial fibrillation, which causes the heart to beat irregularly, affects approximately 48,000 British Columbians. People with AF are three to five times more at risk of having a stroke and are twice as likely to die from one.1 But for those who survive a stroke, the disabilities can be significant, including: paralysis; loss of speech and understanding; effects on memory, thought and emotional processes.2 "Many stroke survivors go on to have successful and enjoyable lives. They learn to make the most of the abilities they have," says Tim Readman, Executive Director, Stroke Recovery Association of British Columbia. "However, we still need to do everything we can to prevent strokes, which is why having access to medications like Pradax is so important. My biggest concern is the lack of awareness about AF because this means people aren't protecting themselves from potential strokes." Stroke costs the Canadian economy $3.6 billion a year in physician services, hospital costs, … Continue reading →

On Wednesday evening, Garrison Leif Sandberg, assisted by an aide or two, will be among the 400-plus Napa High School seniors walking across Memorial Stadium in front of family and friends. The commencement ceremony will be memorable for many. For Leif, the victim of a drunken-driving crash a year ago, it will be an even more remarkable milestone. On graduation night last year, Leif was near death at Queen of the Valley Medical Center, with doctors questioning whether he would make it through the night. Today, Leif, now 18, still cannot walk unassisted. Enunciating words remains a challenge. Continual tremors on his right side have forced him to become left-handed. But he is alive and much recovered. Come diploma time Wednesday, assisted by buddies, he intends to walk before family and friends. Last June 10, responding to a crash at 4:46 a.m. on Dry Creek Road north of Orchard Avenue, the California Highway Patrol found Leif, then 17, in a pickup truck, unconscious. The vehicle had rolled and hit a tree on the passenger side where he had been sitting. A second teenage passenger suffered minor injuries in the crash, while the driver, Joseph Mackey, then 17, was not injured, … Continue reading →

05-06-2012 08:52 Dr. Marshall Nirenberg, with co-winners Robert W. Holley and Hr Gobind Khorana, was awarded the 1968 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in recognition "for their interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis." Dr. Nirenberg was the first NIH researcher and federal employee to receive the honor. His work helped set the stage for the genomic era we are living in today. In the summer of 2009, Dr. Nirenberg reflected on his NIH career (which began in 1957). Read the rest here: A Conversation with Dr. Marshall Nirenberg - Video … Continue reading →

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pathway Genomics Corporation, a clinical genetic testing laboratory and results interpretation service based in San Diego, has been selected by San Diego Venture Group as one of 30 cool companies to be featured at its 10th Annual Venture Summit on June 6. Selected from a field of over 150 applicants, Pathway Genomics and the other 29 companies will be a prominent part of the event, which draws more than 100 venture capitalists and 500 attendees. The selection is a reminder that companies like Pathway are at the forefront of a major shift in the way medicine is practiced throughout the world, said Jim Plante, Pathways founder and CEO. Pathway provides genetic tests for drug responses, nutrition and exercise response, inherited genetic conditions, and risk of many diseases. Pathway consists of more than 40 scientific and medical professionals, including medical doctors, molecular geneticists, and genetic counselors, as well as a world-leading scientific advisory board. To learn more about Pathways genetic testing services, visit http://www.pathway.com. For more information about San Diego Venture Groups Cool Companies 2012 and its 10th Annual Venture Summit, visit http://www.sdvg.org/venturesummit. About Pathway Genomics Pathway Genomics owns and operates an on-site genetic testing laboratory that is … Continue reading →

ROCKVILLE, Md., June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Neuralstem, Inc. (NYSE MKT: CUR) announced that the Emory University Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved the amendment to the ongoing Phase I trial evaluating Neuralstem's spinal cord stem cells in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease). The amendment permits the return of three previously-treated patients to the trial to receive additional injections of cells. This modification to the protocol was approved earlier by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Implementation was contingent upon IRB approval, which has now been secured. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20061221/DCTH007LOGO ) "Bringing patients back for a second set of injections should they meet the inclusion requirements at the time of surgery, or giving new patients both lumbar and cervical injections, is a major step forward toward testing the maximum safe dosing of our cell therapy," said Richard Garr, Neuralstem President & CEO. "We have been encouraged by the results of the trial to date, and are eager to commence treating patients with this increased dosage." About the Study The ongoing Phase I study is designed to assess the safety of Neuralstem's spinal cord stem cells (HSSC's) and transplantation technique in up to 18 patients with ALS. The … Continue reading →