Growth-Factor Gel Shows Promise as Hearing-Loss Treatment

ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2010) — A new treatment has been developed for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), a condition that causes deafness in 40,000 Americans each year, usually in early middle-age. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Medicine describe the positive results of a preliminary trial of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), applied as a topical gel.

Takayuki Nakagawa, from Kyoto University, Japan, worked with a team of researchers to test the gel in 25 patients whose SSHL had not responded to the normal treatment of systemic gluticosteroids. He said, "The results indicated that the topical IGF1 application using gelatin hydrogels was safe, and had equivalent or superior efficiency to the hyperbaric oxygen therapy that was used as a historical control; this suggests that the efficacy of topical IGF1 application should be further evaluated using randomized clinical trials."

NOTE: To read the entire article, click on the title above.

New Spinal Implant to Help People With Paraplegia Exercise Paralyzed Limbs

ScienceDaily (Nov. 22, 2010) — Engineers have developed a new type of microchip muscle stimulator implant that will enable people with paraplegia to exercise their paralysed leg muscles.

It is the first time that researchers have developed a device of this kind that is small enough to be implanted into the spinal canal and incorporates the electrodes and muscle stimulator in one unit. The implant is the size of a child's fingernail.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) project is being led by Professor Andreas Demosthenous from University College London. It includes engineers from Freiburg University and the Tyndall Institute in Cork.

"The work has the potential to stimulate more muscle groups than is currently possible with existing technology because a number of these devices can be implanted into the spinal canal," said Professor Andreas Demosthenous. "Stimulation of more muscle groups means users can perform enough movement to carry out controlled exercise such as cycling or rowing."

The devices could also be used for a wide range of restorative functions such as stimulating bladder muscles to help overcome incontinence and stimulating nerves to improve bowel capacity and suppress spasms.

To read the entire article, follow the link in this post's title.

Modulating a Protein in the Brain Could Help Control Alzheimer's Disease

ScienceDaily (Nov. 18, 2010) — A protein known to exist in the brain for more than 30 years, called 5-lipoxygenase, has been found to play a regulatory role in the formation of the amyloid beta in the brain, the major component of plaques implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to researchers at Temple University's School of Medicine.

The researchers also found that inhibitors of this protein currently used to control asthma could possibly be used to prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease.

The researchers published their findings in the Annals of Neurology.According to Domenico Praticò, an associate professor of pharmacology in Temple's School of Medicine and the study's lead researcher, the 5-Lipoxygenase enzyme is found in abundance mainly in the region of the brain, the hippocampus, involved in memory.

Praticò and his team discovered that 5-lipoxygenase, which unlike most proteins in the brain increases its levels during the aging process. It also controls the activation state of another protein, called gamma secretase, a complex of four elements which are necessary and responsible for the final production of the amyloid beta, a peptide that when produced in excess deposits and forms plaques in the brain. Today the amount of these amyloid plaques in the brain is used as a measurement of the severity of Alzheimer's.

To read the entire article, follow the link in this post's title.

Controlling Cursors With Thoughts: Faster, Simpler, and More Accurately; Advance Helps People Regulate Their Own Brain Response, With Therapeutic Impl

ScienceDaily (Nov. 16, 2010) — Using a new brain-computer training approach, 14 volunteers learned in only six minutes how to move a screen cursor with their thoughts. Near-instant feedback helped the people quickly master some of their own brain responses.

Researchers have developed a speedier system that allows people to control a cursor with thought alone. Studies show that when people and animals are given feedback about their brain signals, they can gain some control over those signals. It's now possible to acquire that feedback faster than ever before -- in "real time" -- using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which registers blood flow in active brain regions.

"For most of us, most of the time, the ongoing activity of the brain is hidden and not under voluntary control," said lead author Anna Rose Childress, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. "Brain feedback studies are changing this long-standing, one-way relationship.

"Thought-only cursor control may provide more options for people with "locked-in" syndromes -- in which a person is aware but unable to communicate -- and individuals with brain injuries. Previous trials have also shown that people can learn to control pain using real-time fMRI, and researchers believe this same technique may be applied to other conditions. They theorize that if the structures that underlie these diseases can be controlled, the disease itself can be altered.

To view the full article, follow the link in this post's title.

New Technology Allows Medical Workers to Better Assess Brain Injuries

ScienceDaily (Nov. 15, 2010) — A Queen's University neuroscientist is launching a medical tool at the world's largest neuroscience conference in San Diego on Nov. 15. The KINARM Assessment Station will greatly improve the way healthcare workers assess patients suffering from brain injuries and disease.

The new technology, invented by Stephen Scott, is the only objective tool for assessing brain function, and clinical researchers need this tool to develop better therapies for treating brain injury or disease.

KINARM combines a chair with robotic 'arms' and a virtual/augmented reality system that enables neuroscience and rehabilitation researchers to guide their patient through a series of standardized tasks, such as hitting balls with virtual paddles. Once the tests are completed, the system instantly generates a detailed report, pinpointing variations from normal behaviour.

To view the full article, follow the link in this post's title.

'Magic Number' 695 Opens Up New Areas for Alzheimer's Research

ScienceDaily (Nov. 15, 2010) — Alzheimer's disease is widely believed to be caused by the gradual accumulation in the brain of amyloid-beta peptide which is toxic to nerve cells. Amyloid beta peptide is formed from a protein known as APP, which is found in three forms. Most research into APP -- a key area of study for the disease -- does not distinguish between the different forms of the protein.

The findings, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, show that amyloid beta peptide is actually created mainly by just one form of APP -- known as APP695 for the number of its amino acids. APP695 is found at greater concentration in brain and nerve cells, but this study -- funded by the Medical Research Council and the Alzheimer's Research Trust -- is the first time the significance of that has been shown. This discovery will now enable research to focus more clearly on the exact mechanism by which amyloid beta peptide accumulates in the brain.

To read the full article, follow the link in this post's title.

Functional MRI Predicts Outcome to Talk Therapy in Children With an Anxiety Disorder

ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2010) — A brain scan with functional MRI (fMRI) is enough to predict which patients with pediatric anxiety disorder will respond to "talk therapy," and so may not need to use psychiatric medication, say neuroscientists from Georgetown University Medical Center.

Their study, being presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, showed that children and adolescents, ages 8 to16, who show fear when looking at happy faces on a screen inside an fMRI scanner were those who had least success with an eight-week course of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Conversely, children who showed fear while looking at fearful faces benefitted from the treatment, which is also known as talk therapy, the researchers found.

To view the full article, follow the link in this post's title.

Helping Older Adults Live Independently and Safely using Technology

Technologies for Monitoring Safe Medication Regimens

Learn about current research efforts underway and exciting collaborative opportunities as part of the SmartHOME® initiative to help older adults live independently and safely. This lunch seminar is presented by Sue Levkoff, MSW, SM, ScD, Director, SeniorSMART® & CoEE Chair, SmartHOME®, Professor, College of Social Work; and Deb Krotish, PhD, Assistant Director SeniorSMART®, Assistant Professor, USC School of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics.

Admission: Free
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
12:00 PM -1:00 PM
Coker Life Sciences Building, CLS110
Open to Faculty, Staff, Students and the general public
Please feel free to bring a brown bag lunch

For directions or more information on this seminar contact Pam Weiss at pweiss@mailbox.sc.edu, or 803-576-6074.
If you plan to attend and need special accommodations, please let Pam Weiss know.

Specialized Phone Equipment

Many people with hearing or speech impairments have difficulty using a typical phone. The South Carolina Equipment Distribution Program (SCEDP) provides free, specialized phone equipment.

Examples are: a phone that amplifies the signal so the caller can be better heard, or text on a screen that shows what the caller is saying. Other equipment amplifies the user’s voice.
SCEDPs Product Guide provides information about available equipment to help find the best solution to meet individual needs. The Guide also answers many questions about the specific equipment offered by the program.

Applying for specialized phone equipment can be done in five easy steps. Qualifying disabilities are: hard-of-hearing, deaf, deaf-blind, blind/low vision with hearing loss, or speech impaired. A landline phone is also necessary to qualify for equipment.

(Note: LifeLine/Linkup is a state-funded program that helps people with low-incomes install and pay for a landline phone.)

SCEDP
101 Executive Center Drive, Suite 120, Saluda Building, Columbia, SC 29210
toll free: 877.225.8337 (Voice), 877.889.8337 (TTY)
local: 803.896.8337 (Voice), 803.896.8334 (TTY)
fax: 803.896.8345
email: AmplifyLife@scedp.org

To view the SCEDP website, follow the link in this post's title.

The Professional Patient Advocate Workshop

Sharpen case and care management skills when working with consumers.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010
8:30-4:30
New York, NY
Continuing education: 7.0 hours of CE

The Professional Patient Advocate Workshop is a one-day course designed to improve your skills and effectiveness as a patient advocate and offers a step towards earning a Certificate in Patient Advocacy. This course is an introduction to advocacy with a focus on both private advocates as well as those employed by a hospital, an employer group or another setting. This course can be taken as part of the series of requirements to earn a Certificate or as a stand-alone educational opportunity. The Certificate Program is a comprehensive training process aimed to enhance the working knowledge of those in this specialized field, and it serves as a point of entry to professionals who want to transition to this new role, providing a course of study that builds on an existing body of knowledge.

Target Audience: Those who work directly with the consumer in any setting would benefit from this material.

The course addresses these basic health consumer needs:
1. When it comes to healthcare, what really matters to consumers? Answer: Feel good, pay only appropriate costs, get help with available resources, understand options, trust a health care advisor
2. Grant every patient access to a professional dedicated to his/her best health interests
3. Eliminate the need for the patient or family to navigate the complex healthcare system alone
4. Promote health care based on a competent and trusted advisor relationship
5. Understand basic state, federal and private healthcare programs
6. Help patients access basic behavioral and medical health services through insurance benefits and state programs
7. Advise about programs to extend benefits
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
Understand the trends in healthcare that lead to increased fragmentation, as well as unprecedented innovation and increased consumer responsibility.
Define patient advocacy and who can serve as a Professional Patient Advocate.
Define what services a Professional Patient Advocate can provide.
Define the scope of the Professional Patient Advocate Certificate Program.


Patient Needs Assessment/Coordination of Care
Analyze the patient’s needs, desires and options based on a patient/family interview, physician interview, medical records review, and employer review when appropriate.
Prioritize health management issues jointly with the patient and physician.
Explore options and related costs for addressing identified needs.
Explore both medical and behavioral health needs.
Advise about programs available to extend benefits.


Patient & Family Support Communication and Cultural Competence Skills
Provide support to the patient and family so that they are safe, comfortable and informed.
Interpret medical jargon, including diagnosis and treatment information, to the patient and family when appropriate.
Assist the patient in accessing reliable web-based information and assist them in understanding when it is appropriate.
Explain various diagnostic tests, treatments and medications.
Provide education and support for the patient's religion, values, dietary habits and end-of-life beliefs and desires.
Provide education related to various complementary and alternative medicine modalities.


Direct Patient Contracting
Provide an agreement with the patient for health advocacy services to be provided, outlining the specific service to be provided and the related fees.
Offer cost estimates.
Make payment arrangements.
Utilize legal consent and disclosure forms.
Understand transitions of care appointments and scheduling.
Schedule and coordinate doctor and treatment appointments.
Help transfer medical records, X-rays, and lab results.


Payer Provisions
Obtain an understanding of insurance contracts, patient co-pays, provider network features, pharmacy benefits, vision, dental and specialty policies.
Understand Medicare options, including Parts A, B and D, with the ability to help patients understand out-of-pocket costs and care implications for various choices.
Understand Veterans care, Tricare, CHAMPUS and various military service-related care plans, costs and implications to families.
Determine benefits available to families from long-term care policies.
Advise about programs available to extend benefits.


Healthcare Billing
Understand the basic medical codes utilized by providers and assist patients In resolving payment concerns and denials.
Analyze and negotiate provider bills to decrease inappropriate billing, thus saving money for the patient.
Obtain approvals for covered services.
Coordinate among multiple providers.
Identify the reporting needed and documentation required to accomplish the above.
Business Considerations.Create a business skills self-assessment to understand your strengths and potential weaknesses.
Create a full-fledged business and financial plan.
Learn how to create marketing and public relations materials, as well as fee structures and referral sources.
Explore the implications of and tips for success in operating a home-based business.

Agenda:
8-8:45Intro to Patient Advocacy
8:45-10:00Assessment & Coordination of Care
10:00-10:15Break
10:15-11:15Patient & Family Support/Communication & Cultural Competence Skills
11:15-12:15Direct Patient Contracting: Agreements, Payments, Transitions of Care & More
12:15-1:00Lunch Break
1:00-1:45Payer Provisions: Insurance Contracts, Medicare, Veterans & More
1:45-2:45Healthcare Billing: Medical Codes, Approvals, Negotiations, Approvals
2:45-3:00Break
3:00-4:15Business Considerations: Business Plans, Skills, Marketing, & More
4:15-4:30Q&A

Location: Offices of Access Intelligence,110 William Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY
Continuing education: 7.0 hours of CE
Instructors: Catherine M. Mullahy, RN, BS, CRRN, CCM and Jeanne H. Boling, RN, MSN, CCM of Mullahy & Associates, LLC Huntington, NY
Questions or for registration assistance, contact: Carol Brault, 301-354-1763
For more information on this event and to register online, click on the title above.

Gene Associated With Autism May Alter How Brain Functions

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- People with a common genetic variant that's associated with autism have a "disconnect" between their frontal lobe and other areas of the brain important for language, brain scans show.

The disconnect may help explain some of the language and communication difficulties that are characteristic of autism, researchers report in the Nov. 3 issue of Science Translational Medicine.

About one-third of all people carry the variant of the CNTNAP2 gene that is associated with a heightened risk of autism, as well as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Tourette syndrome, schizophrenia and other language difficulties.

In the study, researchers performed functional MRI brain scans -- which measure blood flow in the brain -- on 32 children who had the gene variant. Half had an autism spectrum disorder, while half were developing normally.Regardless of whether the kids had autism or not, children with the CNTNAP2 "risk" gene showed more activity in the frontal lobe of the brain (specifically, inside the prefrontal cortex) during a "language learning" task than those without the risk gene.

To read the full article, follow the link in this post's title.

Brain May Be More Developed at Birth Than Thought

THURSDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Babies are born with an important collection of fully formed brain networks, including one linked to introspection, a new study shows.

The findings challenge previous ideas about early-stage brain development and activity.Scientists at the MRC Clinical Sciences Center at Imperial College London used functional MRI to examine the brains of 70 babies born at between 29 and 43 weeks. The scans showed that full-term babies have adult-equivalent resting state networks. These are connected systems of neurons that are always active, even when a person is not focusing on a particular task or is asleep.

One fully formed resting state network identified in babies is called the default mode network, which is believed to be involved in introspection and daydreaming. Previous research had indicated this network was incomplete at birth and developed during early childhood.

"Some researchers have said that the default mode network is responsible for introspection -- retrieving autobiographical memories and envisioning the future, etc. The fact that we found it in newborn babies suggests that either being a fetus is a lot more fun than any of us can remember -- lying there happily introspecting and thinking about the future -- or that this theory is mistaken," lead author David Edwards said in a news release from Imperial College London.

To read the full article, follow the link in this post's title.

Pro-Parents Calendar of Workshops

11/16/2010
9:30 am - 11:30 am

Office of Civil Rights (Washington DC)
Section 504 Information and Updates
Glenforest School – Auditorium
1041 Harbor Drive
West Columbia, SC

PRO-Parents of SC

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688 or go to:
www.proparents.org to Sign Up


11/16/2010
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Getting and Keeping the First Job Workshop
Laurens County DSS
93 Human Services Road
Laurens, SC

Rene Sharkey, PRO-Parents of SC
South Carolina Special Kids Project
Project Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


11/17/2010
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Positive Behavior Interventions (PBI) Workshop
SCYAP
3815 Montague Avenue
North Charleston, SC

Gayle Munn, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 1, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


11/17/2010
11:30 am - 1:00 pm

*** WEBINAR ***

The Benefit Bank of SC

Internet and Phone Line Required to Participate

Registration Closes on November 16th, 2010 at 5:00 pm

Melanie Burnett, PRO-Parents of SC
South Carolina Adult Sibling Leadership Network

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


11/17/2010
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

*** WEBINAR ***

Positive Behavior Interventions (PBI) Webinar

Internet and Phone Line Required to Participate

Registration Closes on November 16th, 2010 at 5:00 pm

Tanya Inabinet, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 2, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


11/18/2010
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Transition Into Special Education (Early Intervention) Workshop
Anderson DDSN
221 McGee Road
Anderson, SC

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


11/18/2010
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Journey to Adulthood – What Parents Need to Know Workshop — Sexuality Training for Parents of Youth with Disabilities (Part I)
Saxe Gotha Presbyterian Church
5503 Sunset Blvd
Lexington, SC

Rene Sharkey, PRO-Parents of SC
South Carolina Special Kids Project
Project Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


11/22/2010
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Individual Education Program (IEP) Workshop
Oakdale Elementary
1129 Oakdale Drive
Rock Hill, SC 29730

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


11/23/2010
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Journey to Adulthood – What Parents Need to Know Workshop — Sexuality Training for Parents of Youth with Disabilities
Outreach Family Fellowship (YANA)
136 Pee Dee Church Road
Dillon, SC

Gayle Munn, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 1, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


11/29/2010
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Positive Behavior Interventions (PBI) Workshop
Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station
Building 807
Beaufort, SC

Gayle Munn, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 1, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


11/30/2010
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Transition Into Special Education (Early Intervention) Workshop
Williamsburg DDSN Office
61 Greenlee Street
Kingstree, SC

Gayle Munn, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 1, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


12/02/2010
9:30 am - 11:30 am

ADD / ADHD Workshop
Pediatric TEAM
1807 A East Main Street
Easley, SC

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


12/02/2010
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Communications Workshop
Pediatric TEAM
1807 A East Main Street
Easley, SC

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


12/06/2010
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Getting and Keeping the First Job Workshop
Sponsored By: York County DDSN
McCelvey Center
212 East Jefferson Street
York, SC 29745

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


12/08/2010
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Individual Education Program (IEP) Workshop
United Ministries
503 Vardry Street
Greenville, SC 29601

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


12/09/2010
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Individual Education Program (IEP) Workshop
The Master’s Baptist Church
Subertown Road
Whitmire, SC

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688


12/14/2010
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Getting and Keeping the First Job Workshop
Family Connection of SC
Spartanburg Library
151 South Church Street
Spartanburg, SC

Susan Bruce, PRO-Parents of SC
Region 3, Education Coordinator

For More Information or To Register Call:
1-800-759-4776 or (803) 772-5688

To view the full calendar of events, follow the link in this post's title.