Higher Levels of Social Activity Decrease the Risk of Developing Disability in Old Age

ScienceDaily (Feb. 17, 2011) — Afraid of becoming disabled in old age, not being able to dress yourself or walk up and down the stairs? Staying physically active before symptoms set in could help. But so could going out to eat, playing bingo and taking overnight trips.

According to research conducted at Rush University Medical Center, higher levels of social activity are associated with a decreased risk of becoming disabled. The study has just been posted online and will be published in the April issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.

"Social activity has long been recognized as an essential component of healthy aging, but now we have strong evidence that it is also related to better everyday functioning and less disability in old age," said lead researcher Bryan James, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the epidemiology of aging and dementia in the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center. "The findings are exciting because social activity is potentially a risk factor that can be modified to help older adults avoid the burdens of disability."

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Controlling a Computer With Thoughts?

ScienceDaily (Feb. 18, 2011) — Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have been awarded funding for two projects that will place brain-computer interfaces (BCI) in patients with spinal cord injuries to test if it is possible for them to control external devices, such as a computer cursor or a prosthetic limb, with their thoughts.The projects build upon ongoing research conducted in epilepsy patients who had the interfaces temporarily placed on their brains and were able to move cursors and play computer games, as well as in monkeys that through interfaces guided a robotic arm to feed themselves marshmallows and turn a doorknob.
"We are now ready to begin testing BCI technology in the patients who might benefit from it the most, namely those who have lost the ability to move their upper limbs due to a spinal cord injury," said Michael L. Boninger, M.D., director, UPMC Rehabilitation Institute, chair, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pitt School of Medicine, and a senior scientist on both projects. "It's particularly exciting for us to be able to test two types of interfaces within the brain."

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PARTICIPANTS NEEDED: Parenting Study

We are looking for parents and primary caregivers of children in their pre kindergarten year to participate in an interview.

Parents and caregivers--- we want to get your perspective on what you do with respect to raising your children and why certain practices are important to you.

The interview will take between an hour to an hour and a half and we will come to you.

You will get a $20.00 Walmart gift card for your time.

You can contact Dr. Mark Macauda at 777-7029 or at macauda@mailbox.sc.edu for more information or to set up an appointment.

Thanks!

Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids Appear Beneficial for Hearing-Impaired Children

ScienceDaily (Feb. 21, 2011) — Bone-anchored hearing aids appear helpful in improving hearing and quality of life in children with hearing loss in one or both ears, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

"Since its introduction more than 30 years ago, the bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) has become an established treatment option for auditory rehabilitation in patients with chronic conductive or mixed hearing loss," the authors write as background information in the article. Although the BAHA was most commonly fitted in adults when it was first introduced, it has gradually become a popular option for children with bilateral conductive hearing loss who are too young to undergo alternative surgical options.

Maarten J. F. de Wolf, M.D., and colleagues at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, obtained information about 31 children who were current BAHA users. Data were collected through questionnaires answered by the children and their parents. Eligible children were a minimum of 4 years old at the time of BAHA fitting, and had been using the device for one to four years. Patients with both bilateral hearing loss (16 children) and unilateral hearing loss (15 children) were evaluated.

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A Bundle of Books from Winston's Wish Foundation

Winston's Wish Foundation is proud to announce the launch of a new statewide initiative for families of children with autism. "Bundle of Books" is a collaborative effort between Winston's Wish Foundation, Junior League of Columbia, and South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs to provide the families of newly diagnosed children with a collection of books to be used as their initial resource for understanding and dealing with a child with autism. Winston's Wish would like to express sincere appreciation to the provisional members of the Junior League who worked together to assemble the initial bundles for this program! Through collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs, we will be distributing each "Bundle of Books" to families throughout our state. Thank you to everyone who helped make the kickoff of this program a success!

NOTE: To learn more about Winston's Wish Foundation, click on the title above.

4th Annual Run For Thought

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month!
Help celebrate Brain Injury Awareness Month by coming out and showing your support of the Brain Injury Association of South Carolina at our 4th Annual Run For Thought, presented by Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital.

5K Run and 1 Mile Walk/Roll
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Start time - 9:00am
Clemson University ICAR
5 Research Drive
Greenville, SC

We would like to challenge EVERYONE to begin fundraising for this great event! This year we are using Network For Good's Charity Badge to allow participants and volunteers to do individual fundraising. You can sync it with your Facebook page, add pictures, videos, and your own picture!

NOTE: For more information and to register, click on the title above.

Columbia Parkinson'​s Support Group

We are looking forward to seeing you this coming Sunday on

Date - February 20th, 2011
Time - 3:00 p.m. until 4:00 P.M. - with time available after our meetings for socialization among guests and support group members
Cost - Free / Donations Appreciated
Where - Lexington Medical - Park 1 Auditorium
2720 Sunset Boulevard, West Columbia, SC 29169

Topic: OPEN FORUM & DISCUSSION

For our open forum meetings we usually start with a theme or topic and go from there.
Our members have an opportunity to share their own experiences; ask questions of each other; and help each other by proving solutions that they have for various issues, concerns, problems, etc.
At the open forum meetings, our members tell us they learn about things that they can't find anywhere else, because they are learning directly from other Parkinson patients and their caregivers.
We welcome all visitors and guests to our monthly meetings. There is no cost to attend our meetings. Visit our website page for more information about our meetings and directions to the Lexington Medical Center Park 1 Auditorium. We would be pleased to see you at our next meeting.

FEBRUARY 22nd SPECIAL EVENT

THE WATERFORD RESOURCE HEALTH FAIR - Sponsored by the Columbia Northeast Parkinson Support Group -- Please visit our website for more information about this event!

As always, we thank you for your constructive feedback, comments, and input to our website and support group meetings - they are very much appreciated!

We would be pleased to see you at our next meeting! Thank you for your support of the Parkinson's community.

New Report Reviews Key Provisions in the Affordable Care Act for Children with Special Healthcare Needss

AAIDD (Feb. 2, 2011)- A new report by the National Academy for State Health Policy for The Catalyst Center at Boston University provides an in-depth analysis of the Affordable Care Act and specific steps policymakers can take to better achieve three major coverage goals for children with special health care needs: universal, continuous coverage; adequate coverage; and affordable coverage. Approximately one of every seven children under 18 years of age, or 14 percent of children in the United States, has a special health care need.

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GPS-ENABLED PORTABLE DEVICE HOLDS PROMISE FOR INDEPENDENT BUS TRAVEL FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY, NEW STUDY REVEALS

AAIDD (Feb2, 2011)- In a study of adults with intellectual disability attempting to follow a new bus route and get off the bus at a previously unknown location, researchers observed that when using a GPS-based system providing visual and auditory prompts, participants were significantly more successful at completing a bus route than were people using a map and verbal directions. For example, 73% of participants with the PDS-based software successfully rang the bell and exited the bus at the right stop compared with only 8% of the control group.

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IN THE BEST OF SITUATIONS, SHELTERED ENVIRONMENTS, SEGREGATED WORK, AND THE SUB-MINIMUM WAGE DO NOT TRULY PROVIDE A MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE FOR WORKERS

AAIDD (Feb2,2011)- The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) released a report on sheltered and segregated work environments for people with disabilities. Segregated and Exploited: The Failure of the Disability Service System to Provide Quality Work identifies the barriers to employment that people with disabilities face and dispels myths about their capability to be a fully employed, equally compensated, and integral member of American workplaces and communities.

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THIRTY-ONE STATES CUT NON-MEDICAL AGING AND DISABILITY SERVICES PROGRAMS IN FY2010, A NEW 70-PAGE ANALYSIS ON LONG-TERM SERVICES AND SUPPORTS FROM AAR

AAIDD (Feb. 2, 2011)- In response to the current economic crisis, many state officials are grappling with difficult decisions on budget cuts and reductions in services. A new report from AARP provides a comprehensive analysis on the budget cuts to both Medicaid and non-Medicaid–funded long-term services and supports (LTSS) in each state, and illustrates state-by-state how LTSS are financed. In addition, the study provides a very early snapshot of the likelihood of states pursuing some of the LTSS provisions within the Affordable Care Act. Overall, the report finds that the impact of the Great Recession on LTSS lingers; balancing remains a priority; the ARRA stimulus funds preserved programs; and the Affordable Care Act provides opportunities and challenges.

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The ADHD Basics from A-Z

Presented by

Chris Zeigler Dendy, M.S.

Glenforest School

1041 Harbor Drive, West Columbia, SC 29169

February 11, 2011

9:00 am - 3:30 pm

This announcement is from Pro-parents- This conference will focus on practical and effective intervention strategies and assistive technology for addressing the profound impact Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and executive function difficulties have on a student’s academic performance. Parents and educators will find that use of these strategies and assistive technology items could be helpful to students with other types of disabilities.

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NEUROSCIENTISTS AT THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY FIND EVIDENCE THAT ADULTS WITH AUTISM HAVE TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING OTHER PEOPLE'S INTENTION

AAIDD (Feb. 2, 2011)- A study from MIT neuroscientists reveals that high-functioning adults with autism appear to have trouble using “theory of mind” to make moral judgments in certain situations. In the mid-1980s, a team of autism researchers theorized that one of the major features of autism is an inability to infer the thoughts of other people. This skill, known as theory of mind, comes naturally to most people. Though there is much anecdotal evidence that this skill is impaired in people with autism, it has been difficult to show it experimentally in adults until now.

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