Ultrasound Enhances Noninvasive Down Syndrome Tests

ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 2009) — The addition of a "genetic sonogram" maximizes the accuracy of non-invasive testing for Down syndrome, said a Baylor College of Medicine researcher who was lead author of a landmark study in the current issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

"We wanted to be able to definitively describe the detection and accuracy of noninvasive prenatal screening for the detection of Down syndrome," said Dr. Kjersti Aagaard, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at BCM and the corresponding author of the report. "Using our data generated in the most comprehensive study performed to date (the FaSTER trial), we demonstrated that the addition of a genetic sonogram to all modes of screening in pregnancy allows for optimal noninvasive prenatal detection of Down syndrome." (FaSTER stands for First and Second Trimester Evaluation of Risk.)

Noninvasive screening for Down syndrome (as well as the other major fetal genetic or chromosomal abnormalities in the developing baby) involves a specific early ultrasound and series of tests for biochemicals in the mother's blood at particular times during pregnancy. Depending on the institution and clinic, tests are done during the first and/or second trimesters of pregnancy. Optimally, noninvasive screening also includes that a preliminary ultrasound to detect nuchal translucency takes place late in the first trimester. The test measures the clear or translucent space in the tissue at the back of the fetus' neck. If there is an abnormality, fluid will accumulate in the back of the neck making the nuchal fold area larger.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Certain Colors More Likely To Cause Epileptic Fits, Researchers Find

ScienceDaily (Sep. 27, 2009) — Researchers have discovered that epileptic brains are more ordered than non-epileptic ones and also that certain flicking colors seem more likely to cause fits.

In 1997, more than seven hundred children in Japan reportedly suffered an epileptic attack while watching an episode of a popular cartoon. This was later diagnosed as a case of photosensitive epilepsy (a kind of epilepsy caused by visual stimulus) triggered by a specific segment of the cartoon containing a colorful flickering stimulus. Recently in 2007, the animated video footage promoting the 2012 London Olympics faced similar complaint from some viewers.

Because of the widespread usages of television and video games, it is important to detect the crucial visual parameters in triggering an epileptic attack. Common guidelines are available on specific visual parameters of the stimuli like spatial/temporal frequency, stimulus contrast, patterns etc. However, despite the ubiquitous presence of colorful displays and materials, very little is known about the relationship between color-combinations (chromaticity) and photosensitivity. Further it is also not precisely known how the patients' brain responses differ from healthy brains against such colorful stimuli.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Dance Therapy Helps Cerebral Palsy Patient To Walk

Photograph by Andrea Mohin/The New York Times

The choreographer Tamar Rogoff doing “body work” with Gregg Mozgala, who has cerebral palsy and for whom she has created a dance piece.

The New York Times (November 24, 2009) -- Gregg Mozgala, a 31-year-old actor with cerebral palsy, had 12 years of physical therapy while he was growing up. But in the last eight months, a determined choreographer with an unconventional résumé has done what all those therapists could not: She has dramatically changed the way Mr. Mozgala walks.

In the process, she has changed his view of himself and of his possibilities.

Mr. Mozgala and the choreographer, Tamar Rogoff, have been working since last winter on a dance piece called “Diagnosis of a Faun.” It is to have its premiere on Dec. 3 at La MaMa Annex in the East Village, but the more important work of art may be what Ms. Rogoff has done to transform Mr. Mozgala’s body.

“I have felt things that I felt were completely closed off to me for the last 30 years,” he said. “The amount of sensation that comes through the work has been totally unexpected and is really quite wonderful.”

Cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder in which the brain does not send the proper signals to the muscles, affects gait and other movements. Those with severe cases use wheelchairs.

Mr. Mozgala’s condition is less severe but disruptive enough to have caused him to walk for most of his life like “a human velociraptor,” as he put it: up on his toes, lower extremities turned in, seesawing from side to side to maintain balance.

By Neil Genzlinger

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Analyzing Structural Brain Changes in Alzheimer's Disease

Serial MRI brain scans, taken six months apart, show progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease, with significant atrophy (blue) and ventricle enlargement (orange/red). (Credit: University of California, San Diego, UCSD)

ScienceDaily (Nov. 23, 2009) — In a study that promises to improve diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease, scientists at the University of California, San Diego have developed a fast and accurate method for quantifying subtle, sub-regional brain volume loss using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The study will be published the week of November 16 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

By applying the techniques to the newly completed dataset of the multi-institution Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), the scientists demonstrated that such sub-regional brain volume measurements outperform available measures for tracking severity of Alzheimer's disease, including widely used cognitive testing and measures of global brain-volume loss.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Explanation for Rapid Maturation of Neurons at Birth

(Credit: Image courtesy of Duke University Medical Center)

ScienceDaily (Nov. 20, 2009) — At the moment a newborn switches from amniotic fluid to breathing air, another profound shift occurs: nerve cells in the brain convert from hyperexcitability to a calm frame against which outside signals can be detected.

"Fetal neurons need hyperexcitability for proper development, because they are moving to the right places (in the brain) and forming the right connections," said Wolfgang Liedtke, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor at the Duke Center for Translational Neuroscience and Klingenstein Fellow in Neuroscience. "But at birth, the brain has to undergo a developmental shift."

It does this by controlling a "pump" that drains chloride out of newborn neurons, making these highly chaotic, developing cells quiet down. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have figured out the genetic control of the pump in rodents.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Scientists Solve Structure of NMDA Receptor Unit That Could Be Drug Target for Neurological Diseases

ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2009) — A team of scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) reports on Thursday their success in solving the molecular structure of a key portion of a cellular receptor implicated in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other serious illnesses.

Assistant Professor Hiro Furukawa, Ph.D., and colleagues at CSHL, in cooperation with the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory, obtained crystal structures for one of several "subunits" of the NMDA receptor. This receptor, formally called the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, belongs to a family of cellular receptors that mediate excitatory nerve transmission in the brain.

Excitatory signals represent the majority of nerve signals in most regions of the human brain. One theory of causation in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis posits that excessive amounts of the excitatory neurotransmitter, glutamate, can cause an overstimulation of glutamate receptors, including the NMDA receptor. Such excitotoxicity, the theory holds, can cause nerve-cell death and subsequent neurological dysfunction.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Accessible Technology Webinars - FREE

Please Join us for the 2009-2010 Accessible Technology series, especially geared for businesses. Each session is 60 minutes in length and will be held from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST) on dates specified. The series is FREE and you can register at the Accessible Technology Webinar page.

The Accessible Technology Webinar series is hosted and coordinated by the DBTAC - Great Lakes ADA Center and the DBTAC-Pacific ADA Center on behalf of the National Network of ADA Centers . The National Network of ADA Centers provide a comprehensive set of services for up-to-date information, consultation, referrals, resources, and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act for businesses, employers, governmental entities, service providers and individuals with disabilities.

Date: November 18, 2009

Title: Tips and Tricks of Accessible Web Design

Description: This webinar is an in-depth look at some little-known tricks to include in your website to enhance both usability and accessibility. These tips include, making dynamic menus more accessible, best practices for displaying and printing hypertext links, printing using footnotes, visual cues on links. The session will show case AccessibleTech.org, a website geared specifically for businesses to improve their accessible technology.

Speaker: Fred Gonzalez, Independent Consultant

Fred Gonzalez currently works as the Web Accessibility Specialist for the City and County of San Francisco conducting Web site accessibility reviews, analysis, remediation, and training. Mr. Gonzalez has been working with individuals with disabilities since 1993 as a former chair and volunteer of the local chapter of PUSH America, an organization that provides disability education to the general public and enhances the lives of people with disabilities. Mr. Gonzalez has volunteered his time and efforts to various organizations promote accessibility on the Web since 1997. His educational background is Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Management San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California

Date: January 13, 2010

Title: The power of Social Networking Sites for People with Disabilities

Description: The explosion of the use of Internet-based social networking sites and social media to communicate and connect with friends, work colleagues, potential job applicants and customers has been particularly beneficial to businesses and people with disabilities who may not have had the opportunity to connect so freely through more traditional or in-person means. This session will examine what social networking is all about and how it can be leveraged successfully to enhance communication and to break down barriers to full participation by everyone in the digital age.

Speaker: Mike Paciello, President and Founder of Paciello Group

Michael Paciello is Founder and President of The Paciello Group, LLC, a software accessibility consultancy. For more than 25 years, Mr. Paciello has served as an international leader, technologist and lecturer in the areas of emerging technology, usability, technical & legal standards, and accessibility. In 2006, Mike, along with colleague Jim Tobias, was appointed co-chair to the United States Federal Access Board’s Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee (TEITAC). Mike was also invited by United Nations Ambassador Luis Gallegos of Ecuador to speak on the theme, “Identifying Core Areas of Opportunity to Foster Greater ICT Accessibility” at UN headquarters for the UN’s Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) event. He received numerous other awards and recognition for his accessibility work and authored the book “Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities"

Date: March 10, 2010

Title: Best Practice in Developing and Disseminating Documents Electronically

Description: This webinar will focus on best practices for making documents accessible when they are going to be distributed electronically, including but not limited to PDF, Powerpoint, and Word documents. This session will be of interest to individuals who are involved in the development of documents for dissemination whether they be doing it as a website content manager or an HR Manager distributing information to potential candidates to an instructor preparing materials for posting on their course content pages or for distribution via email.

Speaker: TBA

Date: May 12, 2010

Title: Successful Accommodations: Assistive Technology and Accessibility Working Together

Description: This webinar session is an overview of accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, specifically Assistive Technology. It will highlight how assistive and accessible technology work together to create a successful working environment for people with disabilities.

Speaker: David Dikter, Executive Director of the Assistive Technology Industry Foundation

Mr. Dikter is the executive director of the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) and manages the overall mission of ATIA to bring assistive technology to people with disabilities. He is responsible for all aspects of the ATIA annual conference, public awareness, government education and work on national policy issues as it relates to assistive and accessible technologies. Dikter sits on the W3C-Web Accessibility Initiative Steering Council and works with diverse groups to promote AT and the needs of individuals with disabilities.

Date: July 14, 2010

Title: Return on Investment: The Business Case for Accessibility

Description: This session will discuss the myths surrounding accessibility and demonstrate how accessibility benefits a wide range of people. Participants will be able to make a business case for the investment of accessibility

Speaker: Frances West, Director of the IBM Human Ability & Accessibility Center

Frances is Director of the IBM Human Ability & Accessibility Center. The Center’s mission is to enable human capability through innovation, so all people can reach their potential, regardless of age or ability. She is charged with the worldwide responsibility of establishing IBM market leadership by promoting IBM advanced research technology, products, services and solutions in the area of human ability and accessibility. Prior to this assignment, Frances was Director, Channels, Alliances and Business Development for the Lotus Software Group. She recruited and managed IBM Business Partners globally that specialize in Lotus software. In addition, Frances was Director, Financial Services Sector Solutions in the IBM Global Services organization. She managed investment funding and executed financial services solution plans for banking, insurance and financial markets globally. In 2005, Frances was nominated to be on the Board of Directors of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and of the Assistive Technology Industry Association. She also was invited to testified, on behalf of the IT industry, at a US Senate hearing on the impact of accessibility open standards on the European Union. In 2006, she spoke at the UN e-Accessibility Conference in New York City, an UN International Day of Disabled Persons event.

Date: Sept 8, 2010

Title: Creating Accessible Videos for Your Website

Description: Video has become a common means of sharing information about everyday activities and events. Yet, this technology remains largely inaccessible to people with sensory impairments. While there are tools available to facilitate the creation of accessible video content the availability and use of these tools is not widely known and/or understood. This session will review the key features of an accessible video, steps to consider when planning and developing accessible video content and demonstrate how it can be utilized.

Speaker: Marsha Swanke, Web Developer

Marsha S. Schwanke, Web Developer, CTRS, has eight years experience designing, programming, testing and managing content-rich, database-driven web applications that maximize accessibility and usability based on “best practices” research and established guidelines, such as the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508. She is currently responsible for the development, content management, and support of five webcourses and the web projects of the DBTAC: Southeast ADA Center – A Project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University. Marsha has a Bachelors Degree in Therapeutic Recreation from Ohio University and a Masters Degree in Information Technology from American Intercontinental University. She is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) with over twenty years experience as a manager and practitioner working with children and adults with disabilities in hospital and community settings. Since 1995, she has authored and facilitated numerous trainings on disability awareness, web accessibility, and assistive technology.

Genetic Variation Linked to Individual Empathy, Stress Levels

A genetic variation may contribute to how empathetic a human is, and how that person reacts to stress. (Credit: iStockphoto/Andrey Prokhorov)

ScienceDaily (Nov. 17, 2009) — Researchers have discovered a genetic variation that may contribute to how empathetic a human is, and how that person reacts to stress. In the first study of its kind, a variation in the hormone/neurotransmitter oxytocin's receptor was linked to a person's ability to infer the mental state of others.

Interestingly, this same genetic variation also related to stress reactivity. These findings could have a significant impact in adding to the body of knowledge about the importance of oxytocin, and its link to conditions such as autism and unhealthy levels of stress.

Sarina Rodrigues, an assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University, and Laura Saslow, a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, published their findings in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

New Neuroimaging Analysis Technique Identifies Impact of Alzheimer's Disease Gene in Healthy Brains

ScienceDaily (Nov. 17, 2009) — Brain imaging can offer a window into risk for diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). A study conducted at the University of Kansas School of Medicine demonstrated that genetic risk is expressed in the brains of even those who are healthy, but carry some risk for AD. The results of this study are published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

Investigators used automated neuroimaging analysis techniques to characterize the impact of an AD-risk gene, apolipoprotein E (ApoE4), on gray and white matter in the brains of cognitively healthy elderly from the KU Brain Aging Project.

They found that healthy elderly individuals carrying a risk-allele of the ApoE4 gene had reduced cognitive performance, decreased brain volume in the hippocampus and amygdala (regions important for memory processing), and decreased white matter integrity in limbic regions. These type of brain changes are also found in people with AD. Therefore, brain changes, usually found in AD patients, are also evident in nondemented individuals who have a genetic risk of later developing AD.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Love and Envy Linked by Same Hormone, Oxytocin

Studies have shown that the oxytocin hormone has a positive effect on positive feelings. The hormone is released in the body naturally during childbirth and when engaging in sexual relations. (Credit: iStockphoto)

ScienceDaily (Nov. 13, 2009) — A new study carried out at the University of Haifa has found that the hormone oxytocin, the "love hormone," which affects behaviors such as trust, empathy and generosity, also affects opposite behaviors, such as jealousy and gloating. "Subsequent to these findings, we assume that the hormone is an overall trigger for social sentiments: when the person's association is positive, oxytocin bolsters pro-social behaviors; when the association is negative, the hormone increases negative sentiments," explains Simone Shamay-Tsoory who carried out the research.

Previous studies have shown that the oxytocin hormone has a positive effect on positive feelings. The hormone is released in the body naturally during childbirth and when engaging in sexual relations. Participants in an experiment who inhaled the synthetic form of the hormone displayed higher levels of altruistic feelings, and it is supposed that the hormone plays an important role in the formation of relationships between people.

However, in earlier studies carried out by other investigators with rodents, it was found that the hormone is also related to higher levels of aggression. Therefore, it was decided to examine whether the hormone also affects negative social sentiments.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Language Support In Schools Vital For Children With Autism

ScienceDaily (Nov. 12, 2009) — Teachers and parents must be vigilant in observing difficulties with language comprehension, reading and spelling in children and young people with autism, Asperger's syndrome and ADHD. "It is important that pupils are offered the support to which they are entitled," says Jakob Åsberg in a new thesis at the University of Gothenburg.

Pupils with these neuropsychiatric disorders are often reported as having problems with spoken and written activities. However, relatively little research has been carried out within the field. Considering how important such skills are for coping independently in school and in working life and society in general, it is of great importance that we become better informed about these issues," considers Jakob Åsberg, who is publicly defending his thesis in psychology.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.

Free Webcast on AT for Hearing Loss

Join the DBTAC - Southwest ADA Center at ILRU for a webcast:

"Update on Assistive Technology for those with Hearing Loss"

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 2:00pm Central.

Rose Minette, Hard of Hearing Specialist for the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services will provide information on the latest innovative assistive technology solutions that can accommodate persons who are deaf or hard of hearing in accessing the workplace, businesses and public services. Topics of discussion will include:

Accessibility issues Assistive listening devices Best accommodation practices Improved accessibility for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing

To link to this webcast and download accompanying materials visit:
http://ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/calendar.html

For instructions on how to access a webcast visit:
http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/instructions.html

Please visit this site ahead of time to test and ensure your computer is configured and updated to participate in the webcast.

For technical assistance, please check out our FAQs (frequently asked questions) at:
http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/FAQ.html

Or contact a webcast team member at swdbtac@ilru.org or 713.520.0232 (v/tty).

This webcast is supported through the DBTAC - Southwest ADA Center, a project of ILRU. The Southwest ADA Center ( www.SouthwestADA.org) is one of ten Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to provide training, technical assistance and materials dissemination on the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability-related laws. NIDRR is part of the U.S. Department of Education.

Call 1-800-949-4232 v/tty to reach the DBTAC that serves your area.

We hope to see you on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009!

To visit the Southwest ADA Center, please click on the link above.

Theory About Long And Short-term Memory Challenged By New Research

ScienceDaily (Nov. 9, 2009) — The long-held theory that our brains use different mechanisms for forming long-term and short-term memories has been challenged by new research from UCL, published in PNAS.

Neuroscientists formed this theory based on observation of patients with amnesia, a condition that severely disrupts the ability to form long-lasting memories. Typically, amnesia is caused by injury to the hippocampi, a pair of brain structures located in the depth of the temporal lobes.

Despite the condition devastating long-term memory, such patients are quite proficient in rehearsing a phone number over short periods of time, as long as their attention is not distracted. This led to a hypothesis that the hippocampus supports long-term but not short-term memory. However, the UCL study shows that this distinction now needs to be reconsidered.

To view the entire article, please click on the link above.