Monthly Archives: September 2012

Islamic medicine included in Traditional and Complementary Medicine Bill 2012

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KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has agreed to include Islamic medicine practices in the Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) Bill 2012 after this was agreed upon by the Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and all the states' Islamic religious departments.

Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the amendment notice to include Islamic medicine in the Bill would be issued during the debate session in the Dewan Rakyat.

"Prior to this, we did not include Islamic medicine in the Bill as we did not have Jakim's approval, but now Jakim and all the states' religious departments have agreed.

"After this, Islamic medicine practitioners and bomohs will have to be registered through a council to be established," he told Bernama at at the Parliament lobby.

Earlier, Liow had tabled the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Bill for the second reading in the Dewan Rakyat.

Barisan Nasional and opposition lawmakers have asked the ministry to consider including Islamic medicine in the Bill as modern medicine and Islamic medicine were equally important, besides the increasing popularity of Islamic or traditional medicine among patients.

Federation of Islamic Medicine Practitioners' Associations (GAPPIMA) chairman Mohd Fauzi Mustaffa had also expressed concern over the future of Islamic medicine and increasing cases of using black magic (by bomohs) to treat patients.

Under the TCM Bill, Liow said his ministry, with the cooperation of Jakim, would be monitoring the registration process for Islamic and Malay, Chinese and Indian TCM practitioners through a council that would be set up.

He said such practitioners who failed to register themselves could face a jail term of up to two years and a fine of RM30,000 to RM50,000.

When tabling the Bill, the Health Minister said nearly 15,000 TCM practitioners would not escape stern action if found to have cheated patients or have contravened the law.

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Islamic medicine included in Traditional and Complementary Medicine Bill 2012

Taiwan Fishing Vessels Head for Disputed Islands

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Over 70 Taiwanese fishing vessels are heading for two disputed islands in the East China Sea to protest their nationalization by the Japanese government, Kyodo News reported.

The vessels left the port of Yilan in northeastern Taiwan earlier on Monday and are expected to be within 37 kilometers of the islands by 5 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Kyodo said. It had no information concerning further moves by the Taiwanese vessels.

Kyodo said that three Chinese navy ships briefly entered Japanese territorial waters around the islands on Monday morning. Two of the ships were equipped with long-range sonar equipment, according to Japanese coast guard information.

Within a few hours all three left, to join three others on station just outside the territorial waters.

The islands, known as the Senkaku to Japan and Diaoyu to China, have been at the center of a dispute recently that has triggered violent anti-Japanese protests across China and caused Japanese companies to suspend operations in China.

Both Taiwan - to which the pre-1949 Chinese government moved - and China reject Japans claims to the islands, which were controlled by the United States after World War II and granted to Japan in 1972.

Japan claims that China and Taiwan only began to take an interest in the islands in the 1970s, when evidence was discovered of major subsurface resource deposits in their territorial waters.

The issue flared up after Japan nationalized three of the five islands two weeks ago, which previously belonged to a private owner.

Beijing and Tokyo cannot agree on a maritime border in the economic zones around the islands. Japan claims it has occupied the islands since 1895, while Beijing says Japanese charts dating back to 1783 show the islands as Chinese territory.

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Taiwan Fishing Vessels Head for Disputed Islands

China surveillance ships enter waters near disputed islands

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TOKYO (Reuters) - Two Chinese marine surveillance ships entered what Japan considers its territorial waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea on Monday, the Japanese Coast Guard said, a move bound to raise tension between Asia's two largest economies. China's Xinhua news agency confirmed that two civilian surveillance ships were undertaking a "rights defense" patrol near the islands ...

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China surveillance ships enter waters near disputed islands

Carrington Colleges Group Campuses Celebrate Health Care Recognition Month with Interactive Health Care Focused Events

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PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Carrington College and Carrington College California, part of the DeVry family of schools, will host a variety of events offering complimentary health care services in celebration of Health Care Recognition month. Students at 20 campuses will provide dental kits and demonstrations, host blood drives, perform basic health care checkups, teach the public about basic respiratory care and offer CPR certifications. Because events, times and dates will vary throughout the month of October, call (855) 237-1134 for campus-specific details.

Carrington Colleges Group is proud to celebrate Health Care Recognition month. Our students and staff embody the spirit of what this recognition represents, said Robert Paul, president of Carrington Colleges Group. By participating in the month-long events, students will demonstrate their expertise in a real-world environment while also promoting to the community a better awareness of health care.

Carrington students enrolled in related programs, such as dental hygiene, nursing, medical assisting and respiratory care, will help host the events. The students will use the experience as a learning opportunity to refine their skills and promote career growth within expanding health care fields they can pursue following graduation.

Many career experts point to favorable growth projections by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for careers in health care fields. For example, employment prospects for qualified dental hygienists are expected to accelerate by approximately 38 percent through 2020, much faster than average. The job outlook for qualified registered nurses (26 percent projected increase through 2020), medical assistants (31 percent projected increase through 2020) and respiratory therapists (28 percent projected increase through 2020) is also extremely promising.

For more information about degree and certificate programs offered at Carrington College and Carrington College California campuses, or to register for classes, go to carrington.edu or call (855) 237-1134.

About Carrington Colleges Group

Carrington Colleges Group offer programs through two separate institutions, Carrington College and Carrington College California, to prepare students for careers in health care, criminal justice, business and graphic design. The colleges offer a diverse range of over 20 programs that lead to a certificate or associate degree. The colleges provide employment-focused, outcome-based, postsecondary education and training.

Carrington Colleges Group is a part of DeVry Inc. (DV), a global provider of educational services. For more information about Carrington Colleges Group, visit http://www.carringtoncollegesgroup.com.

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Carrington Colleges Group Campuses Celebrate Health Care Recognition Month with Interactive Health Care Focused Events

IOM: Physicians play key role in stopping health system waste

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Washington To cut down on what it says is a massive amount of waste and inefficiency in health care, an Institute of Medicine report is recommending that physicians and other health professionals become part of a learning system that uses new clinical support tools and payment models linking performance to patient outcomes, as well as a team approach to care management.

A panel convened by the institute to look at the challenges facing the U.S. health system found that unnecessary services, fraud and excessive administrative costs accounted for about 30%, or $750 billion, of total health spending in 2009. Wasted resources have human consequences, according to the report, Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America. According to one outside estimate, 75,000 deaths may have been prevented in 2005 if the quality of care in all of the states had risen to the level of care of the highest-performing state in the nation.

Our health care system lags in its ability to adapt, affordably meet patients needs and consistently achieve better outcomes, said Mark Smith, MD, chair of the IOM committee that wrote the report. Dr. Smith cited examples of these inefficiencies during a press event to discuss the reports 10 main recommendations on transforming the health care system.

Cost and complexity of health care are the two issues at stake, Dr. Smith said. Physicians in private practices can interact with as many as 229 other physicians in 117 different practices for their Medicare patients alone. Some of this interaction relies solely on outdated technology from the last century, such as telephones and faxes. Who uses faxes anymore? he asked.

The cost problems are known as well, Dr. Smith continued. For 31 of the past 40 years, health care has been increasing at a greater rate than the economy as a whole and now comprises roughly 18% of the nations gross domestic product.

Getting rid of health care inefficiencies and waste requires a broad transformation to a system that adopts new clinical and information technology tools to manage patient care better. Unlike the situation in 1999, when the IOMs landmark patient safety report To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System was released, the industry today has newfound access to computing and connectivity tools to make substantial gains on cost and quality, Dr. Smith said. Our sense is the system must learn continuously, that patients, clinicians and the communities they reside in have to be part of constant circle of the generation of evidence and capturing of information from patient care that can then be returned to scientific knowledge.

Current payment methods also foster inefficient care, the report stated, advising that pay instead should be based on care outcomes and the principle of providing optimal care at lower cost, instead of on individual products and services. Payers should adopt outcome- and value-oriented payment models, contracting policies, and benefit design to reward and support high-quality, team-based care that focuses on patients needs, the IOM report stated.

Physicians, particularly older ones, have been resistant to such changes, said Paul Keckley, PhD, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions in Washington. They invest a lot of time to get prepared to practice, and then the rules change and theyre frustrated, he said.

Health care comprises roughly 18% of the U.S. gross domestic product.

Investment costs are tied to information technology, to transferring from a physician-centric to a team-based delivery model, and to shifting incentives from volume to outcomes. And its coming at a pretty difficult time, when the health systems costs are a major issue.

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IOM: Physicians play key role in stopping health system waste

Health Care: Three North Bay hospitals make U.S. ‘top performer’ list

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Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa and Kaiser Foundationhospitals in Santa Rosa and Vacaville were the three North Bay facilities on latest list of the nations top performers in key quality measures by The Joint Commission, the leading accreditor ofU.S.health care organizations.

Sutter Santa Rosa said it was recognized for exemplary performance in using evidence-based clinical processes shown to improve care for certain conditions, including heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, childrens asthma, stroke and venous thrombo embolism, as well as inpatient psychiatric services.

Kaiser Permanente said in the past several years it has had an intensive focus on improving the care and service experience for members.

The hospitals were among 620 in the U.S.that earned the distinction this year from The Joint Commission.

Eachtop performerhospital met two 95 percentperformance thresholds on accountability measure data reported to The Joint Commission in 2011. The ratings were based on aggregated data.

A 95 percent score means a hospital provided an evidence-based practice 95 times out of 100 opportunities to provide the practice. Examples include giving aspirin on arrival for heart attack patients, giving antibiotics one hour before surgery and providing a home-management plan for children with asthma, according to Sutter Santa Rosa, a Sutter Health affiliate.

***

Northern California Center for Well-Being on Sept. 14 held its annual Celebration of Dreams, honoring localhealth care professionals and individualsfor improving overall health in the region.

The event, a veritable whos who in local health care, recognized Petaluma-basedAmys Kitchen as healthy business leader for its establishment of primary care Family Health Centers at its Santa Rosa and Oregon plants. The centers are aimed at maintaining health of workers and their families and reducing ever-increasing premiums for the employer. The centers are a five-minute walk from the manufacturing plants and have a co-pay of only $5.

The following individuals were also honored:

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Health Care: Three North Bay hospitals make U.S. ‘top performer’ list

Lexington attorney writes booklet for state employers on health reform law

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If you're looking for a readable summary of the new federal health care reform law, Margaret Levi has written it.

Levi, a lawyer with the Lexington firm of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, is the author of a new publication titled The Impact of Health Care Reform on Kentucky Employers. The 68-page booklet, published by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, was released Sept. 6.

The Affordable Care Act was signed into law in March 2010, and it has been a political lightning rod before and after its passage. Levi's booklet includes short, succinct chapters on the law's history and its highlights.

"There's a lot of criticism of it from people who haven't read it, and I think you have to know it before you can criticize it," said Levi, a Danville native and resident, said of the law.

"I'm not taking a political position one way or another. I am neutral and I tried very hard to remain neutral."

The booklet was the idea of the Kentucky Chamber, the statewide business association that offers booklets about issues facing employers. The Chamber approached Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs about writing the booklet because the law firm has the largest health care practice in the state. Levi is a member of the firm's "health care service team," and her clients include hospitals, physicians and other health care providers.

Before joining the law firm, Levi, a Centre College graduate, was the in-house counsel for Ephraim McDowell Health Inc. in Danville.

Levi's first task in preparing the booklet was to read all 2,555 pages of the Affordable Care Act.

"I started in February," she said. "It took a while. I couldn't tell you how long it took me.

"The hard part in reading it is, it will have a section that says, 'This amends 43 USC (United States Code) by inserting this.' So you not only have to read the Affordable Care Act, but you have to go out and pull up what it's changing so you can see what the true effect of it is."

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Lexington attorney writes booklet for state employers on health reform law

Health Care Quality Improvement Costs on the Rise

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KENNEBUNK, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Health insurers spent more than $5.042 billion on health care quality improvement expenses in 2011, compared to $4.936 billion in 2010, according to a new report by Mark Farrah Associates (MFA). Health insurers are similar to property insurers in that by protecting the covered entity from harm, claims stay low and the business is more profitable. MFA found, after analyzing data in the Supplemental Health Care Exhibit (SHCE) portion of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) statutory filings, that health insurers are spending a great deal of money to keep policy holders free from harm. With an aging population, a renewed focus on controlling health care costs and an ability to deduct expenditures related to quality improvement costs from PPACA MLR rebate mandates, MFA expects these expenditures to rise in the future.

Health insurance quality improvement costs are expenses for activities that are designed to improve health care quality and increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes that can be objectively measured and produce verifiable results. These activities include: improving health outcomes, preventing hospital readmissions, improving patient safety and reducing medical errors, wellness and health promotion activities and activities that enhance the use of health care data (Health Information Technology or HIT) to improve quality, transparency and outcomes.

While the primary purpose of the SHCE is for calculating mandated medical loss ratio (MLR) rebates, the data can also be used to benchmark expenditures on various activities by segments. By using the data in the Supplemental Exhibit health plans can benchmark their own efforts against other health plans. Third party vendors can use the data to identify which plans may benefit from the services they offer and consultants, government agencies and other concerned organizations can analyze these data elements.

MFAs latest business strategy report analyzes the total dollars spent on quality improvement programs in 2011 and the activities and segments where the money was spent. To read the full text of Health Plans Quality Improvements Expenditures Rising, visit the Analysis Briefs section on Mark Farrah Associates website http://www.markfarrah.com.

Committed to simplifying analysis of health insurance business, our products include Medicare Business Online, Medicare Benefits Analyzer, Health Coverage Portal, County Health Coverage, Health Insurer Insights and Health Plans USA.

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Health Care Quality Improvement Costs on the Rise

Freedom House: Ukrainian authorities manipulating Internet discussions

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Ukraine has been included on the list of countries in which pro-government commentators are used to manipulate Internet discussions, reads a report entitled "Freedom on the Net 2012. A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media" of the international non-governmental organization Freedom House.

The report shows how actively the authorities in various countries use a range of tactics to control speech online. Such tactics include the restriction and filtration of the information, the adoption of laws prohibiting certain types of content, active manipulations, physical attacks on bloggers and other Internet users, and politically motivated supervision.

According to the results and the level of use of such tactics, the countries were divided into three groups in the report: free, partly free and not free.

Ukraine along with Georgia, Argentina, Italy, Hungary, Germany, and the United States are on the list of free countries. According to the report, Estonia has the highest level of freedom from censorship and intrusions of the government in the functioning of the online media.

According to Freedom House, Kazakhstan, Russia, India, Azerbaijan are partly free, and Belarus, Uzbekistan, Iran, Cuba, China and Vietnam are not free from censorship online.

The organization pointed out progress in the level of freedom comparing to that of last years in Tunisia, Georgia, and Burma. Meanwhile, the level of freedom on the Internet has significantly dropped in Bahrain, Pakistan, Ethiopia, and Egypt.

Despite the fact that Ukraine's level of freedom of speech online was assessed higher than in other post-Soviet countries, it was still included in the group of countries (along with Belarus, Bahrain, China, Cuba, Egypt, Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela) where pro-government commentators are used to manipulate Internet discussions, reads the report.

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Freedom House: Ukrainian authorities manipulating Internet discussions

Seventh Annual National Freedom of Information Audit Released Today

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CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Sep 24, 2012) - Newspapers Canada will release its seventh annual National Freedom of Information (FOI) Audit today at the Sunshine Summit in Calgary.The launch of the 2012 report coincides with the beginning of Canadian Right to Know Week.

The annual FOI audit reviews the performance of Canadian governments with respect to their access to information regimes.As such, it provides the public the opportunity to see the degree to which our governments are in compliance with their own FOI legislation, as well as facilitating comparisons among jurisdictions.

"The annual FOI audit represents an important tool for protecting the public''s right to access government information," said John Hinds, CEO of Newspapers Canada.

"Municipalities continue to perform fastest in the audit, easily outpacing the senior levels of government," noted Professor Fred Vallance-Jones, the National FOI audit''s lead researcher. "Thirty years after the Access to Information Act was passed, the federal government seems stuck in a rut of delays and can''t get out of the 50 to 60 percent range when it comes to completing requests on time."

The FOI audit compares the performance of government and various public institutions across Canada.To obtain the data for the audit, a team of researchers requested the same information from the federal and provincial government, as well as a selection of municipalities.

The FOI audit was done in collaboration with Fred Vallance-Jones, associate professor of journalism at the University of King''s College, and his team.

The 2012 Newspapers Canada FOI Audit is now available at http://www.newspaperscanada.ca/public-affairs/freedom-information.

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Seventh Annual National Freedom of Information Audit Released Today

Using artificial intelligence to chart the Universe

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24.09.2012 - (idw) Leibniz-Institut fr Astrophysik Potsdam

Astronomers in Germany have developed an artificial intelligence algorithm to help them chart and explain the structure and dynamics of the universe around us. The team, led by Francisco Kitaura of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics in Potsdam, report their results in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Scientists routinely use large telescopes to scan the sky, mapping the coordinates and estimating the distances of hundreds of thousands of galaxies and so enabling scientists to map the large-scale structure of the Universe. But the distribution they see is intriguing and hard to explain, with galaxies forming a complex cosmic web showing clusters, filaments connecting them, and large empty regions in between.

The driving force for such a rich structure is gravitation. Around 5 percent of the cosmos appears to be made of normal matter that makes up the stars, planets, dust and gas we can see and around 23 percent is made up of invisible dark matter. The largest component, some 72 percent of the cosmos, is made up of a mysterious dark energy thought to be responsible for accelerating the expansion of the Universe. This Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) model for the universe was the starting point for the work of the Potsdam team.

Measurements of the residual heat from the Big Bang the so-called Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation or CMBR allow astronomers to determine the motion of the Local Group, the cluster of galaxies that includes the Milky Way, the galaxy we live in. Astronomers try to reconcile this motion with that predicted by the distribution of matter around us, but this is compromised by the difficulty of mapping the dark matter in the same region.

Finding the dark matter distribution corresponding to a galaxy catalogue is like trying to make a geographical map of Europe from a satellite image during the night which only shows the light coming from dense populated areas, says Dr Kitaura.

His new algorithm is based on artificial intelligence (AI). It starts with the fluctuations in the density of the universe seen in the CMBR, then models the way that matter collapses into todays galaxies over the subsequent 13700 million years. The results of the AI algorithm are a close fit to the observed distribution and motion of galaxies.

Dr Kitaura comments, Our precise calculations show that the direction of motion and 80 percent of the speed of the galaxies that make up the Local Group can be explained by the gravitational forces that arise from matter up to 370 million light years away. In comparison the Andromeda Galaxy, the largest member of the Local Group, is a mere 2.5 million light years distant so we are seeing how the distribution of matter at great distances affects galaxies much closer to home.

Despite this caveat, our model is a big step forward. With the help of AI, we can now model the universe around us with unprecedented accuracy and study how the largest structures in the cosmos came into being.

Since 2011 Francisco Kitaura has been working at the AIP. His publication is available online on http://arxiv.org/abs/1205.5560 and will soon be published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS).

Science contact: Dr. Francisco-Shu Kitaura, +49 331-7499 447, fkitaura@aip.de Research, Images, Movies: http://www.aip.de/Members/fkitaura

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Using artificial intelligence to chart the Universe

West county community briefs: Parkinson’s disease lecture to be offered

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CAMARILLO

Parkinson's disease lecture to be offered

A presentation on Parkinson's disease will provide individuals with information about current opportunities for clinical trials in Ventura County. This free presentation will be offered Tuesday 1-3 p.m. at the Camarillo Health Care District, 3639 E. Las Posas Road.

A question and answer period will follow the lecture.

For more information or to register, call 388-1952, ext. 100.

Speaker to discuss family harmony

Caroline Prijatel-Sutton will speak at the Soroptimist International of Camarillo meeting from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Thursday at Ric's Restaurant, 2500 Las Posas Road.

Prijatel-Sutton is the executive director of the Coalition of Family Harmony.

The nonprofit provides direct services to victims of domestic violence, helps prevent the cycle of violence and sexual assault and educates the community on violence against women, children and men.

For information on the coalition, visit http://www.thecoalition.org. For more information, visit http://www.soroptimistcamarillo.org. Breakfast is $15. Call 987-4053 to make a reservation.

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West county community briefs: Parkinson's disease lecture to be offered

West county community briefs: Parkinson's disease lecture to be offered

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CAMARILLO

Parkinson's disease lecture to be offered

A presentation on Parkinson's disease will provide individuals with information about current opportunities for clinical trials in Ventura County. This free presentation will be offered Tuesday 1-3 p.m. at the Camarillo Health Care District, 3639 E. Las Posas Road.

A question and answer period will follow the lecture.

For more information or to register, call 388-1952, ext. 100.

Speaker to discuss family harmony

Caroline Prijatel-Sutton will speak at the Soroptimist International of Camarillo meeting from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Thursday at Ric's Restaurant, 2500 Las Posas Road.

Prijatel-Sutton is the executive director of the Coalition of Family Harmony.

The nonprofit provides direct services to victims of domestic violence, helps prevent the cycle of violence and sexual assault and educates the community on violence against women, children and men.

For information on the coalition, visit http://www.thecoalition.org. For more information, visit http://www.soroptimistcamarillo.org. Breakfast is $15. Call 987-4053 to make a reservation.

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West county community briefs: Parkinson's disease lecture to be offered

Dancing through Parkinson’s

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Written by Karen Kovacs Dydzuhn Friday, 21 September 2012 10:30

Although people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease face many physical challenges, this oft debilitating illness cannot rob its victims of the joy of dancing. Moreover, when patients engage in creative movements set to music on a regular basis, there are inevitably great improvements to their overall physicality and brain functions.

Recent research has shown a strong correlation between dancing and short- and long- improvements in the range of motion, gait, balance, hand movements and rigidity in facial muscles for those diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, said Dr. J. Antonelle de Marcaida of Eastern Connecticut Neurology Specialists.

Marcaida led a discussion about the relationship between dance and Parkinson's disease during the Mark Morris Dance Group's Dance for PD program at Fairfield University.

Led by David Leventhal of the Mark Morris Dance Group, more than 50 individuals with Parkinson's and their care partners participated in two dance sessions at Fairfield's Quick Center for the Arts. A company dancer for 14 years, Leventhal is pleased to devote himself full time to this program since his retirement last year. Since 2011, Dance for PD classes have been held in the United States and abroad.

"The dancers in the class are so eager to learn, so open and so courageous to the way they approach the movements," Leventhal explained.

After the Mark Morris Dance Group performed to an enthusiastic crowd at the Quick Center Saturday, the company's founder, Mark Morris, answered questions from the audience. About Dance for PD, Morris said those with Parkinson's disease do not leave the dance class feeling the way they did when they first walked in the doors of the Brooklyn studio.

"It's a 'fix' in that they want more of it," Morris said.

Accompanied by a pianist playing an eclectic mix of music show tunes, standards and classical participants begin the class in a seated position. Leventhal said that if they chose, they could experience the entire class in the chair.

"This is a dance class and we are here to have fun," he said. "And, you know your bodies best. So, if something doesn't feel right, don't do it, or modify it."

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Dancing through Parkinson's

Dancing through Parkinson's

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Written by Karen Kovacs Dydzuhn Friday, 21 September 2012 10:30

Although people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease face many physical challenges, this oft debilitating illness cannot rob its victims of the joy of dancing. Moreover, when patients engage in creative movements set to music on a regular basis, there are inevitably great improvements to their overall physicality and brain functions.

Recent research has shown a strong correlation between dancing and short- and long- improvements in the range of motion, gait, balance, hand movements and rigidity in facial muscles for those diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, said Dr. J. Antonelle de Marcaida of Eastern Connecticut Neurology Specialists.

Marcaida led a discussion about the relationship between dance and Parkinson's disease during the Mark Morris Dance Group's Dance for PD program at Fairfield University.

Led by David Leventhal of the Mark Morris Dance Group, more than 50 individuals with Parkinson's and their care partners participated in two dance sessions at Fairfield's Quick Center for the Arts. A company dancer for 14 years, Leventhal is pleased to devote himself full time to this program since his retirement last year. Since 2011, Dance for PD classes have been held in the United States and abroad.

"The dancers in the class are so eager to learn, so open and so courageous to the way they approach the movements," Leventhal explained.

After the Mark Morris Dance Group performed to an enthusiastic crowd at the Quick Center Saturday, the company's founder, Mark Morris, answered questions from the audience. About Dance for PD, Morris said those with Parkinson's disease do not leave the dance class feeling the way they did when they first walked in the doors of the Brooklyn studio.

"It's a 'fix' in that they want more of it," Morris said.

Accompanied by a pianist playing an eclectic mix of music show tunes, standards and classical participants begin the class in a seated position. Leventhal said that if they chose, they could experience the entire class in the chair.

"This is a dance class and we are here to have fun," he said. "And, you know your bodies best. So, if something doesn't feel right, don't do it, or modify it."

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Dancing through Parkinson's

Van Andel Showcases Latest Parkinson’s Research

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Wikimedia Commons Photo. Photo by Grcommons

GRAND RAPIDS Van Andel Institute hosted a scientific symposium Sept. 19-20 that gathered some of the worlds most noted experts in Parkinsons disease and reinforced the regions growing reputation in the field of Parkinsons research.

Grand Challenges in Parkinsons Disease features experts from a dozen nations including Australia, Malaysia and Sweden. The purpose of the event was to showcase the latest research in the field and to honor Andrew B. Singleton, of the National Institutes of Health with the first Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinsons Disease Research.

This is truly a gathering of some of the worlds greatest minds in Parkinsons disease research, said chief event organizer PatrikBrundin, M.D., chair of the Jay Van Andel Translational Parkinsons Disease Research Laboratory and Director of Van Andel Institutes Center for Neurodegenerative Science.

The event featured keynote addresses by noted Parkinsons experts Ted Dawson, M.D., of The Johns Hopkins University, who spoke on the topic of Looking Forward to Tomorrows Therapies for Parkinsons Disease, and Roger Barker, Ph.D., of University of Cambridge, who spoke on Matching Therapies to Patients: The Complexities of Disease Heterogeneity in Parkinsons Disease.

Dr. Andrew Singleton is best known for his work aimed at understanding the genetic causes of Parkinsons disease work that is opening entire new fields of research.

His first well-known work described the discovery of a duplication and triplicationof the alpha-synucleingene that causes a severe, early-onset form of Parkinsons disease. Scientists already knew that a few extremely rare mutant forms of the protein were bad, but Singleton showed that too much of the normal protein also has ramifications.

One year later he led the group that was the first to identify mutations in the LRRK2 gene as a cause of familial Parkinsons disease. Occasionally new mutations arise in this gene, which can explain some of the cases of the more common, sporadic Parkinsons disease.

For more information, please visit http://www.vai.org

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Van Andel Showcases Latest Parkinson’s Research

Parkinson's Patients Benefit From Walking To The Beat

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Editor's Choice Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Article Date: 21 Sep 2012 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Parkinson's Patients Benefit From Walking To The Beat

4 (3 votes)

Parkinson's Disease is a brain disorder characterized by tremors and difficulty walking. Eventually stiffness becomes prominent, muscles become weaker, and posture is affected. Many studies have recommended certain rehabilitation paths, acupuncture being one of them..

In a new study published in PLOS One, findings suggest further studies should be completed to investigate visual, auditory, and tactile signals and their role in rehabilitation.

A team of collaborators led by Ervin Sejdic, an assistant professor of engineering at the University of Pittsburgh studied the effects of a mechanically produced beat using different stimuli, on 15 healthy adults ages 18 to 30. Participants took part in two separate sessions of five 15-minute trials in which they walked with different cues.

During the first session, participants walked at their own pace. Then, in later trials, the patients walked to a metronomic beat made by either visuals, touch or sound. Lastly, they walked with all three signals simultaneously with the pace that was set by the first trial.

Sejdic commented:

Regarding Parkinson's Disease, there is a big question whether researchers can become better informed about changes that come with this deterioration. This study suggests visual signals could be considered as a substitute approach in rehabilitation and need to be explored additionally in the laboratory.

Sejdic explains that a large limitation to their studies is the confinement of the laboratory. With Parkinson's Disease, patients can complete a walking test easily, and shortly thereafter, fall down in an outside environment. A real-life space will need to be created to account for sidewalks, streetlights, and noises such as cars honking, in order to obtain a more accurate gait measure (manner of walking).

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Parkinson's Patients Benefit From Walking To The Beat

Parkinson’s Patients Benefit From Walking To The Beat

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Editor's Choice Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Article Date: 21 Sep 2012 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Parkinson's Patients Benefit From Walking To The Beat

4 (3 votes)

Parkinson's Disease is a brain disorder characterized by tremors and difficulty walking. Eventually stiffness becomes prominent, muscles become weaker, and posture is affected. Many studies have recommended certain rehabilitation paths, acupuncture being one of them..

In a new study published in PLOS One, findings suggest further studies should be completed to investigate visual, auditory, and tactile signals and their role in rehabilitation.

A team of collaborators led by Ervin Sejdic, an assistant professor of engineering at the University of Pittsburgh studied the effects of a mechanically produced beat using different stimuli, on 15 healthy adults ages 18 to 30. Participants took part in two separate sessions of five 15-minute trials in which they walked with different cues.

During the first session, participants walked at their own pace. Then, in later trials, the patients walked to a metronomic beat made by either visuals, touch or sound. Lastly, they walked with all three signals simultaneously with the pace that was set by the first trial.

Sejdic commented:

Regarding Parkinson's Disease, there is a big question whether researchers can become better informed about changes that come with this deterioration. This study suggests visual signals could be considered as a substitute approach in rehabilitation and need to be explored additionally in the laboratory.

Sejdic explains that a large limitation to their studies is the confinement of the laboratory. With Parkinson's Disease, patients can complete a walking test easily, and shortly thereafter, fall down in an outside environment. A real-life space will need to be created to account for sidewalks, streetlights, and noises such as cars honking, in order to obtain a more accurate gait measure (manner of walking).

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Parkinson's Patients Benefit From Walking To The Beat

Acupuncture May Benefit Parkinson's Patients

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Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine Article Date: 20 Sep 2012 - 11:00 PDT

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The scientists explained that several studies had shown that acupuncture treatment relieved symptoms of patients with Parkinson's disease in human and animal subjects. Some studies using fMRI had found that neural responses in extensive brain regions were much lower among Parkinson's patients compared to healthy individuals. Brain areas particularly affected by Parkinson's include the thalamus, putamen, and the supplementary motor area.

Scientists have been carrying out more and more studies on the possible therapeutic benefits of acupuncture. An article published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) in September 2012 found that acupuncture may help in the treatment of chronic pain.

Yeo, S., Lim and team used fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to measure what the specific effects of needling acupuncture point GB34 (Yanglinqquan) were on parts of the brain that are affected by Parkinson's Disease.

Certain brain centers become too inactive in people with Parkinson's disease. The authors explained that acupuncture seems to reactivate them.

The authors divided the participants into two groups:

Acupuncture reactivated neural activity in the basal ganglia, substiantia nigra, thalamus, putamen (not shown) and caudate (not shown).

The authors wrote:

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Acupuncture May Benefit Parkinson's Patients