Monthly Archives: October 2012

Controlling inflammation in multiple sclerosis comes closer to reality

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Washington, October 5 (ANI): In a new study, researchers have suggested a possible new mechanism to control multiple sclerosis (MS).

The study by Dr Iain Comerford from the University of Adelaide is directed towards understanding how specific enzymes in cells of the immune system regulate immune cell activation and migration.

Along with his colleagues, Professor Shaun McColl and PhD students Wendel Litchfield and Ervin Kara, he focused on a molecule known as PI3Kgamma, which is involved in the activation and movement of white blood cells.

"There's already been worldwide interest in PI3Kgamma in relation to other human inflammatory disorders, such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, and our study links this molecule and MS," Dr Comerford said.

Dr Comerford and his colleagues have now shown that this molecule is crucial for the development of experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) in an animal model developed as a standard laboratory system for studying MS.

The team showed that a genetic alteration, which knocked out that particular molecule, resulted in a high resistance to the development of EAE and therefore protected against the nervous system damage typical of multiple sclerosis.

When the molecule is present, severe damage to the insulating myelin in the central nervous system was evident, resulting in inflammation in the spinal cord and myelin loss.

Following up on this result, the team then used an orally active drug that blocks the activity of the molecule PI3Kgamma at the first signs of disease onset. The drug even suppressed the development of EAE and reversed clinical signs of the disease.

"Our results so far have been very promising," Comerford said.

"We've shown that by blocking PI3Kgamma, we can reduce the activation of self-reactive immune cells, reduce the release of inflammation-inducing molecules from immune cells, and also result in a dramatic reduction in the movement of immune cells into the central nervous system.

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Controlling inflammation in multiple sclerosis comes closer to reality

Cyclists’ multiple sclerosis fund-raising ride passing through Portsmouth

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Today's most viewed articles Cyclists fighting multiple sclerosis to ride into city

PORTSMOUTH Thirty bicyclists of The MS Great 8 will ride through the city en route from Portland, Maine, to New York City, to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis and generate $160,000 in funding for multiple sclerosis research and services.

The riders are scheduled to arrive Sunday afternoon in the city after riding 75 miles from the starting point in Portland. They are scheduled to leave at 7:30 a.m. Monday from the Courtyard by Marriott on Market Street, on Day 2 of their 425-mile, eight-day trek.

The MS Great 8 Foundation provides funding to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to support research and treatments to stop progression, restore function and end the disease while helping address challenges of living with its unpredictable symptoms. The foundation was founded in 2007 by Co-Presidents Mike Zimits, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 14 years ago, and Catherine Tsigakos, whose brother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 25 years ago.

The MS Great 8 ride can be followed live at http://www.msgreat8.org, where donations are also accepted. For details, e-mail Zimits and Tsigakos at cycling@msgreat8.org or visit http://www.nationalMSsociety.org.

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Cyclists' multiple sclerosis fund-raising ride passing through Portsmouth

Cyclists' multiple sclerosis fund-raising ride passing through Portsmouth

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Today's most viewed articles Cyclists fighting multiple sclerosis to ride into city

PORTSMOUTH Thirty bicyclists of The MS Great 8 will ride through the city en route from Portland, Maine, to New York City, to raise awareness of multiple sclerosis and generate $160,000 in funding for multiple sclerosis research and services.

The riders are scheduled to arrive Sunday afternoon in the city after riding 75 miles from the starting point in Portland. They are scheduled to leave at 7:30 a.m. Monday from the Courtyard by Marriott on Market Street, on Day 2 of their 425-mile, eight-day trek.

The MS Great 8 Foundation provides funding to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to support research and treatments to stop progression, restore function and end the disease while helping address challenges of living with its unpredictable symptoms. The foundation was founded in 2007 by Co-Presidents Mike Zimits, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 14 years ago, and Catherine Tsigakos, whose brother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 25 years ago.

The MS Great 8 ride can be followed live at http://www.msgreat8.org, where donations are also accepted. For details, e-mail Zimits and Tsigakos at cycling@msgreat8.org or visit http://www.nationalMSsociety.org.

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Cyclists' multiple sclerosis fund-raising ride passing through Portsmouth

Standards of dementia care in Norfolk and Waveney improve

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Care for the elderly. Residents in a care home in Norwich.; Photo: Bill Smith; Copy: Generic; Archant 2006; (01603) 772434

By BEN WOODS Friday, October 5, 2012 5:35 PM

Dementia sufferers in Norfolk and Waveney have experienced a boost in their standard of care, according to a report published today (October 5).

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The annual report from the Norfolk Joint Dementia Strategy has revealed improvements in personalised dementia care, the level of support provided to home carers, as well as a reduction in the number of people being admitted to hospital.

It comes after the introduction of dementia intensive support teams (DIST), which work in hospitals, and the community, to reduce the number of hospital admissions and the length of stays in inpatient wards.

The report, published by NHS Norfolk and Waveney and Norfolk Adult Community Services, also outlines future plans to find people with dementia earlier.

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Standards of dementia care in Norfolk and Waveney improve

Aiming for a dementia-friendly town

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Aiming for a dementia-friendly town

Thursday, 27 September 2012

Jane Honey

THE newly-formed Tavistock Dementia Action Alliance received a cash boost last week and a positive reaction to its first public meeting. The group hopes to make Tavistock the first dementia-friendly town in the country and aims to raise awareness of the condition and work to banish the stigma many associate with it. The move comes in a week when new research from Alzheimers Disease International revealed that a quarter of sufferers hide their diagnosis and even avoid going out of the home because of negative connotations surrounding dementia. Just as startling is the rapid increase in cases of dementia worldwide one new case is being diagnosed every four seconds three times as many as HIV/AIDS. This means 682 million people will live with dementia in the next 40 years significantly more than the entire population of all of North America, which stands at 542 million. Tony Parker, chairman of the Tavistock DAA, said he was delighted with the turnout at the first meeting last Thursday: There was a really good response, and quite a varied cross-section of people from solicitors to charities, the police and medical people, and people from Tavistocks memory caf. It was also very interesting to hear their views and ideas on how we can make the town more dementia-friendly, from street signs to acccessibility. Several key people have volunteered their services to form a steering group and we now have some money from Cllr Debo Sellis which will enable us to start our training and awareness packages for shops, businesses and clubs etc. Parallel with this, over the next three months we are going to concentrate on identifying the practical needs of people with dementia, and their carers. Tavistock DAA is working closely with the Rotary Club, whose REPoD movement (Rotarians Easing Problems of Dementia) started in Tavistock and is now being followed all over the UK. Geri Parlby, of Tavistock Rotary Club and a member of the new steering group, said Tavistock DAA would be officially launched at a Dementia Awareness Day event in Tavistock Town Hall on November 23, which is being organised by Senior Voice, REPoD and Tavistock Rotary Club. Geri said: The day is aimed at informing people about the services available in the area and increasing awareness. There will be displays and lots of speakers and we are hoping Angela Rippon will be our keynote guest, as shes agreed to be our honorary patron, due to her links in the area. This is a key chance for the people of Tavistock to learn more about dementia, and also perhaps for us to get more volunteers involved. Cllr Sellis, county councillor for Tavistock, has given Tavistock DAA 500 from her locality budget. She said: I think probably most families have been, or will be, touched by dementia and I think this is really good use of tax payers money. I know many people are too scared to admit to themselves, let alone their families, that they feel they may have dementia, and we really must do all we can to get rid of this stigma. Anyone who would like more information about Tavistock Dementia Action Alliance can call Tony Parker on 01364 631507 or email tavistockdaa@btinternet.com

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Aiming for a dementia-friendly town

Benzodiazepine use doubles dementia risk in over 65s

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Washington, October 6 (ANI): Many people over 65 are prescribed benzodiazepines to treat the symptoms of anxiety and sleep disorders.

A new study, however, found that the risk of developing dementia increased by 50 percent for subjects who consumed benzodiazepines during the follow-up period, compared with those who had never used these molecules.

Although this study does not confirm a cause and effect relationship, as is the case for all epidemiological research, the researchers recommend increased vigilance when using these molecules.

The prescription of these molecules is widespread, especially in France and other countries such as Canada, Spain and Australia.

Consumption of benzodiazepines is often chronic, with many people taking them over a period (often several years) that significantly exceeds recommended good practice guidelines that suggest limiting the duration to two to four weeks.

The effects of benzodiazepines on cognition have been the subject of several studies with much-debated results.

Recently, researchers from Inserm unit 657 "Pharmacoepidemiology and the assessment of the impact of health products on the population", 897 "Inserm Research Centre into epidemiology and biostatistics" and 708 "Neuroepidemiology", in collaboration with the Universite de Bordeaux, analysed a cohort of elderly individuals to improve knowledge of the relationship between the use of benzodiazepines and the development of dementia.

In an attempt to counteract the bias that may have restricted the scope of previous studies, the researchers completed several comparative analyses using data from the PAQUID cohort, covering 3777 individuals from between 1897 and 1989.

The main study focused on a sample of 1063 individuals from the PAQUID cohort (mean age of 78), who were free from dementia symptoms at the beginning of the follow-up period and who had not consumed any benzodiazepines prior to the fifth year in the follow-up period.

Out of the 1063 individuals, 95 used benzodiazepines from the fifth year onwards, thus defining two populations: those "exposed to benzodiazepines" and those "not exposed to benzodiazepines".

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Benzodiazepine use doubles dementia risk in over 65s

Benzodiazepine use and dementia in the over 65s

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Public release date: 5-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Press presse@inserm.fr INSERM (Institut national de la sant et de la recherche mdicale)

The results from comparative analysis of this population demonstrate the risk of developing dementia increased by 50% for subjects who consumed benzodiazepines during the follow-up period, compared with those who had never used benzodiazepines. Although this study does not confirm a cause and effect relationship, as is the case for all epidemiological research, the researchers recommend increased vigilance when using these molecules, which remain useful in the treatment of insomnia and anxiety in elderly patients.

The results of this research are available online on the British Medical Journal (BMJ) website as of 28 September 2012

In France, approximately 30% of individuals over 65 are prescribed benzodiazepines to treat the symptoms of anxiety and sleep disorders. The prescription of these molecules is widespread, especially in France and other countries such as Canada, Spain and Australia. Consumption of benzodiazepines is often chronic, with many people taking them over a period (often several years) that significantly exceeds recommended good practice guidelines that suggest limiting the duration to two to four weeks. The effects of benzodiazepines on cognition have been the subject of several studies with much-debated results.

On 28 September 2012, researchers from Inserm unit 657 "Pharmacoepidemiology and the assessment of the impact of health products on the population", 897 "Inserm Research Centre into epidemiology and biostatistics" and 708 "Neuroepidemiology", in collaboration with the Universit de Bordeaux, published on-line the sophisticated results of analyses from a cohort of elderly individuals to improve knowledge of the relationship between the use of benzodiazepines and the development of dementia.

In an attempt to counteract the bias that may have restricted the scope of previous studies, the researchers completed several comparative analyses using data from the PAQUID cohort, covering 3777 individuals from between 1897 and 1989.

The main study focused on a sample of 1063 individuals from the PAQUID cohort (mean age of 78), who were free from dementia symptoms at the beginning of the follow-up period and who had not consumed any benzodiazepines prior to the fifth year in the follow-up period (see above diagram). Out of the 1063 individuals, 95 used benzodiazepines from the fifth year onwards, thus defining two populations: those "exposed to benzodiazepines" and those "not exposed to benzodiazepines". The annual occurrence of dementia observed in the exposed group is 4.8 individuals out of 100, compared with 3.2 individuals out of 100 for the "non-exposed" group.

"The analysis of the cases of dementia in the first population group shows that individuals who began treatment after five years during the follow-up period had an increased risk of developing dementia" states Tobias Kurth, an Inserm research director. "We wanted to check the robustness of this result by completing two additional analyses" he adds.

The second analysis consisted of creating five "small" cohorts using the sample studied previously. The researchers demonstrated that the link between benzodiazepine and dementia is robust, although the date treatment began does vary (benzodiazepine consumed from T5, T8, T10, T13, and T15).

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Benzodiazepine use and dementia in the over 65s

The Dementia Plague

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As the world's population of older people rapidly grows in the coming years, Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia will become a health-care disaster.

Stephen S. Hall

Friday, October 5, 2012

William UtermohlenBlue Skies (detail), 1995 Galerie Beckel Odille Bocos

Evelyn C. Granieri is that rarest of 21st-century doctors: she still makes house calls. On a warm Thursday morning toward the end of August, the New Yorkbased geriatrician, outfitted in a tailored white suit and high heels, rang a doorbell at a seven-story red-brick apartment building in the Riverdale section of the Bronx and was buzzed in.

"You look gorgeous!" the doctor exclaimed when she greeted her patient, a 99-year-old woman with white hair and a wry smile, in the dining room of her apartment. In an hourlong conversation, Mrs. K (as we'll call her) recalled, in moving and sometimes mischievous detail, growing up in Poland, where soldiers on horseback took her brother away; coming to America on a ship and working in her parents' grocery story in Queens; and dealing with male colleagues in the real-estate business when they got "fresh." But when Granieri asked how old Mrs. K was when she got married, she looked puzzled.

WHY IT MATTERS We have no effective treatments for dementia, a huge health crisis facing the world. The annual cost of care in the United States alone could reach $1 trillion by 2050.

"I can't remember," she said after a pause. A cloud passed over her face. "Was I married? To whom?" A framed photograph on a nearby table memorialized her 50th wedding anniversary.

Spirited and funny, her personality intact even as her memory deteriorates, Mrs. K is one of more than five million Americans with dementia. Far from the gleaming research centers where scientists parse the subtle biochemical changes associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of the condition, clinicians like Granieri, chief of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Aging at Columbia University Medical Center, confront its devastating reality every day. And, often, they talk to relatives of patients. As Granieri and two interns probed Mrs. K's memory with small talk and measured her blood pressure, a niece called from Manhattan to see how her aunt was doing.

Almost every dementia patient has worried family members huddled in the background, and almost every story about dementia includes a moment when loved ones plead with the doctor for somethingany medicine, any intervention, anythingto forestall a relentless process that strips away identity, personality, and ultimately the basic ability to think. Unfortunately, Evelyn Granieri is the wrong person to ask. In 2010 she served on a high-level panel of experts that assessed every possible dementia intervention, from expensive cholinesterase-inhibiting drugs to cognitive exercises like crossword puzzles, for the National Institutes of Health; it found no evidence that any of the interventions could prevent the onslaught of Alzheimer's. She canwith immense compassion, but equally immense convictionexplain the reality for now and the immediate future: "There really is nothing." Dementia is a chronic, progressive, terminal disease, she says. "You don't get better, ever."

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The Dementia Plague

Village plan offers dementia care

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5 October 2012 Last updated at 07:11 ET

A retirement village in Wales with an on-site dementia centre is planned for farmland in Monmouthshire.

The 33m Grove Community project at Llanfoist, near Abergavenny, would be capable of housing 100 residents and could create up to 250 jobs.

The continental-style centre would offer one-to-one care and be financed by pension funds and a Swiss bank.

Ben Jones, the man behind the venture, said it was aimed at keeping couples and families together.

We hear all the time about partners being taken from their loved ones and situated miles away, so having a dementia unit will mean a lot to a lot of people

"Should one partner develop dementia, they'll not be that far away for the other partner to visit on a daily basis," he said.

"We hear all the time about partners being taken from their loved ones and situated miles away, so having a dementia unit will mean a lot to a lot of people."

Other elements of the project include a swimming pool in the barn, a restaurant alongside the lake and medical centre in the farmhouse.

Of the 225 bedrooms, flats and cottages, 100 will be sold to private individuals with the rest being offered to the state sector, including NHS patients.

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Village plan offers dementia care

Future of senile dementia

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Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012

The health and welfare ministry says that the number of elderly people suffering from senile dementia and in need of nursing care has topped 3 million this year. As Japan's population continues to gray, the number of such elderly people will inevitably increase.

It is important that average citizens have a correct understanding of senile dementia. Cooperation between them and experts must deepen within communities. For such cooperation to go smoothly, the public sector needs to make serious efforts to strengthen community nursing care services.

As of this year, people aged 65 or older now number an estimated 30.8 million an increase of about 7 million in the past 10 years. This increase and the fact that more people have started to visit medical institutions for treatment of senile dementia are believed to be responsible for an increase in the number of senile dementia cases. According to the health and welfare ministry, the number of elderly people with senile dementia who need nursing care has more than doubled in the past 10 years from 1.49 million in 2002 to more than 3 million in 2012.

Using data for 2010, the ministry estimated that there were 2.8 million such people in 2010 and 3.05 million in 2012, the latter group accounting for 9.9 percent of people aged 65 or older. It predicts that the number of such people will further increase in the future 3.45 million in 2015, accounting for 10.2 percent of people aged 65 or older, 4.1 million in 2020 (11.3 percent) and 4.7 million in 2025 (12.8 percent).

In 2010, an estimated 50 percent of elderly people with senile dementia were receiving nursing care at home the same percentage as in 2002. The ministry thinks that being able to live in their own communities while receiving nursing care has a positive effect on senile dementia sufferers. Therefore, the ministry is pushing a policy of improving the treatment and nursing care of senile dementia sufferers in communities, and encouraging those who are receiving care in hospitals or nursing care facilities away from home to go back to their communities.

The ministry in August instructed prefectural governments to improve medical and nursing care of senile dementia sufferers in communities so that about half of such people who have been hospitalized at psychiatric wards will be able to go home within two months of the start of their hospitalization. Currently the goal is to have half of such patients return home within six months of the start of their hospitalization.

In 2008, about 75,000 senile dementia patients were hospitalized, and about 52,000 of them or about 70 percent were in psychiatric wards. The ministry hopes its new policy will reduce unnecessary medical costs.

Prefectural governments are supposed to work out medical treatment plans for fiscal 2013 through 2017 in accordance with the ministry's instruction. The ministry also has instructed them to establish a senile dementia medical treatment center staffed by experts and readily available for diagnosis and medical advice in each zone having about 60,000 people aged 65 or older. It is expected that about 300 such centers will be established across the nation. If everything goes as well as the ministry hopes, its policy is understandable. Nevertheless, there is the danger that senile dementia sufferers will be released from hospitals that provide psychiatric treatment after two months even if they should remain there because their communities lack sufficient care facilities.

The ministry should pay attention to the fact that there is a shortage of facilities in communities to treat senile dementia sufferers. Under the ministry's policy, an early support team composed of nurses and occupational therapists will visit families that are caring for senile dementia sufferers. Caring for a senile dementia sufferer places a heavy burden on family members . The public sector needs to establish more community facilities that can readily receive senile dementia sufferers when their condition becomes unmanageable for family members.

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Future of senile dementia

Autism redefined as Asperger’s diagnosis disappears

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Early next year, a new definition of autism will be used by scientists in order to more precisely diagnose kids with the brain disorder.

The diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome, considered a higher functioning form of autism, will disappear once the new criteria for identifying the disorder come out in May 2013, according to Dr. Catherine Lord, director of the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain a collaborative program between New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University, in partnership with the New York Center for Autism.

The proposed changes on how doctors define and diagnose autism were the subject of a research study conducted by Lord and published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

As a scientific medical diagnosis, Aspergers is merged into autism spectrum disorder, said Lord. Our committee felt there just wasnt any way to justify its continuance.

Lord is part of the American Psychiatric Associations working group responsible for updating the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a guide used by physicians around the world. Improved diagnosis leads to better treatment.

There was so much confusion of who had Aspergers and who didnt. We were also concerned that there were kids being denied services because Aspergers sounds like a better diagnosis, she said.

Autism rates are staggering in North America. A debate is currently raging among physicians as to whether or not the rates are actually increasing or if experts have just recently recognized that many social and developmental syndromes are linked.

One in 88 children is believed to have the neurological disorder. Autistic kids can display a range of symptoms from repetitive or aggressive behaviour to a complete lack of social skills and an inability to speak, communicate or make eye contact with others.

Clinicians are scrambling to better define autism in an effort to quickly identify children and get them into interactive, behavioural treatment. There is no cure for autism and the burden on families can be immense as many autistic people cannot live on their own.

Nearly 70 years ago, Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger was the first to notice in his practice intellectual children with social problems who were somewhat obsessed with specific topics or subjects. These children often avoided eye contact and were clumsy.

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Autism redefined as Asperger's diagnosis disappears

Autism redefined as Asperger's diagnosis disappears

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Early next year, a new definition of autism will be used by scientists in order to more precisely diagnose kids with the brain disorder.

The diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome, considered a higher functioning form of autism, will disappear once the new criteria for identifying the disorder come out in May 2013, according to Dr. Catherine Lord, director of the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain a collaborative program between New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University, in partnership with the New York Center for Autism.

The proposed changes on how doctors define and diagnose autism were the subject of a research study conducted by Lord and published in the latest issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

As a scientific medical diagnosis, Aspergers is merged into autism spectrum disorder, said Lord. Our committee felt there just wasnt any way to justify its continuance.

Lord is part of the American Psychiatric Associations working group responsible for updating the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a guide used by physicians around the world. Improved diagnosis leads to better treatment.

There was so much confusion of who had Aspergers and who didnt. We were also concerned that there were kids being denied services because Aspergers sounds like a better diagnosis, she said.

Autism rates are staggering in North America. A debate is currently raging among physicians as to whether or not the rates are actually increasing or if experts have just recently recognized that many social and developmental syndromes are linked.

One in 88 children is believed to have the neurological disorder. Autistic kids can display a range of symptoms from repetitive or aggressive behaviour to a complete lack of social skills and an inability to speak, communicate or make eye contact with others.

Clinicians are scrambling to better define autism in an effort to quickly identify children and get them into interactive, behavioural treatment. There is no cure for autism and the burden on families can be immense as many autistic people cannot live on their own.

Nearly 70 years ago, Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger was the first to notice in his practice intellectual children with social problems who were somewhat obsessed with specific topics or subjects. These children often avoided eye contact and were clumsy.

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Autism redefined as Asperger's diagnosis disappears

Controversial autism doctor loses license elsewhere, but can still practice in Missouri, Illinois

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Dr. Mark Geier has opened eight autism treatment clinics called ASD Centers across the country but is only allowed to practice at two of them in St. Peters and Springfield, Ill.

Missouri and Illinois are among the last states to seek discipline against Geier, whose hormone therapy for children with autism has been called dangerous, abusive and exploitive by various medical boards.

In the last two years, his medical license has been revoked or suspended in California, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

Missouri, Illinois and Hawaii have filed complaints against Geier based on other states' actions, but his license remains active in all three states. A disciplinary hearing in Geier's case is set for Oct. 19 before the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts in Jefferson City.

Geier did not respond to requests for comment.

After Geier and his son, David, ran into trouble in their home state of Maryland, they apparently came to Missouri.

Last year, David Geier, who has a bachelor's degree in biology, was charged with practicing medicine without a license. In their case against him, Maryland authorities said he had diagnosed patients, used ultrasound machines and ordered blood tests.

David Geier now works at the St. Peters clinic in a shopping center on Mexico Road.

"I don't see patients," Geier said when reached at the clinic Wednesday.

A man who answered the phone at the ASD Center in Springfield, Ill., said Dr. Mark Geier does not see patients there but consults with the clinic's director, Dr. Georgia Davis.

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Controversial autism doctor loses license elsewhere, but can still practice in Missouri, Illinois

Autism: Answers and Understanding

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CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - The numbers are startling. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate in one in 88 children will be diagnosed with Autism by the age of eight. The prevalence rate is even higher for boys where it's one in 54.

"We now have an epidemic of Autism in the United States," said Dr. Geri Dawson, chief science officer for Autism Speaks. " We need to view it as a public health crisis that needs a national strategy."

AWBTV News 3 "On Your Side" special, "Autism: Answers and Understanding" examined many of the key issues facing families who have a child on the Autism spectrum.

"If we intervene early and we work on language and we work on social skills and we work on the developmental skills than the long term prognosis is better," said pediatrician Dr. Joseph Stegman.

It's why an early diagnosis is so important. Pediatricians should be doing Autism screenings at well-baby visits at 18 and 24 months. Doctors are looking for basic milestones likesmiling, interaction, eye-contact and verbal skills.

Amanda Childress has ason Lawson whowas diagnosed two years ago.

"You would see those kids in the grocery store that would be hanging out of the cart and you would say gosh that mom can't get those kids under control," said Childress. "Now, I'm that mom and it's like but, there's a reason why."

While there is so much we don't yet know about Autism and its causes, real progress is being made. A lot of groundbreaking research is being done here in the Carolinas.

"These findings have been accelerating at a rapid pace," said Dr. Mark Zylka who is a researcher at UNC-Chapel Hill."I really do think a lot of it has to do with the increased funding and increased awareness."

Autism Speaks has funded more than $170 million in scientific research. Most of the money comes from fundraising walks held across the county. The Carolinas Walk Now for Autism Speaks will be October 27th at zMax Dragway in Concord.Learn more about creating a team, joining one or making a donation by clicking here.

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Autism: Answers and Understanding

Small school for kids with autism a ‘lifesaver’

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Kenny Jakeman is not a fan of corn. Or carrots.

But the 11-year-old agreed to give both a try at his schools annual Thanksgiving lunch Thursday, as practice for his family dinner this weekend.

Jakeman is one of six students at Woodview Learning Centre (WLC) in Aldershot, a small private school for children with autism.

The intimate class size six kids and three teachers allows staff to focus not just on academics, but building social skills and addressing the specific needs and challenges outlined by the students families.

Structure is a big thing for these kids and the unfamiliar, such as trying new foods, can be overwhelming.

We are very much mimicking a real school, said program coordinator Lindsey Court.

But here they can play outside without so many other kids around to cause them anxiety. They play with each other were really such a close community with the kids and their parents.

Autism is a neurobiological disorder that often leads to difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) occur in about 1 in 200 people in Canada.

Kennys mom, Sue Jakeman says WLC was a lifesaver.

Theyre our family. I know that even when Kennys gone from there, we will always keep in touch (with the school). And with the other families.

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Small school for kids with autism a ‘lifesaver’

Auburn Fire Dept. starts Autism response program

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AUBURN, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Firefighters in Auburn want to know where people with Autism live, and how they can better serve them.

The Auburn Fire Department has launched an Autism database with the Lewiston/Auburn 911 Dispatch Center.

Fire Chief Frank Roma said it will give emergency responders an opportunity to serve people with Autism in the best possible way.

"More importantly, we can provide them the same level of service as anyone else would have," said Chief Roma.

According to the Executive Director of the Maine Autism Alliance, Heidi Bowden, sirens and flashing lights can trigger a sensory overload in people affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Bowden said signs of a meltdown include:

Roma said if his department knows they are responding to a home where someone has Autism, they can do things like turning off the sirens and lights, and following the guidelines set forth in a personal survey.

Participation is voluntary, and requires information about the Autistic person's address, potential triggers, favorite topics of conversation, among other personal information.

Once a person or family registers with the database, a red flag will appear in the 911 center's software to alert emergency responders.

Fire Prevention Officer David O'Connell said he came up with the idea for the database after meeting with children who have Autism and their guardians.

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Auburn Fire Dept. starts Autism response program

“Autism Speaks U” advocacy group establishes on campus

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Bobby Pendry, sophomore neuroscience major, and Megan Pruitt, senior psychology major and child development minor, combined their efforts with Naomi Ekas, assistant psychology professor, to bring "Autism Speaks U" to campus, making the university the third college in Texas to host the national organization.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which encompasses autism, Aspergers and other mental disorders, are disorders that affect brain development, according to the official website. When referring to the range of disorders encompassed by ASD, it is called the spectrum.

The university chapter will focus on advocating and creating awareness of the disorder on campus, said Priutt, the president of the university's chapter of "Autism Speaks U". The group will have monthly meetings and fundraisers to create one big event each semester, she said.

Pruitt became interested in autism when she began working as a lab assistant for Ekas. She said her interest peaked because she was able to work with younger children with autism.

Pendry, vice president of the chapter,said he wanted to create an autism awareness group, similar to one he started in high school, because his brother is on the autism spectrum. Because the university does not allow more than one of certain kind of group, he decided to join the organization.

Robbins said she wants the group to be the "megaphone" for the metroplex.

Upcoming events:The first "Autism Speaks U" event will be on Oct. 19 at the Hope Center for Autism in Fort Worth. Students will babysit children while their parents have a night to themselves.

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"Autism Speaks U" advocacy group establishes on campus

"Autism Speaks U" advocacy group establishes on campus

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Bobby Pendry, sophomore neuroscience major, and Megan Pruitt, senior psychology major and child development minor, combined their efforts with Naomi Ekas, assistant psychology professor, to bring "Autism Speaks U" to campus, making the university the third college in Texas to host the national organization.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which encompasses autism, Aspergers and other mental disorders, are disorders that affect brain development, according to the official website. When referring to the range of disorders encompassed by ASD, it is called the spectrum.

The university chapter will focus on advocating and creating awareness of the disorder on campus, said Priutt, the president of the university's chapter of "Autism Speaks U". The group will have monthly meetings and fundraisers to create one big event each semester, she said.

Pruitt became interested in autism when she began working as a lab assistant for Ekas. She said her interest peaked because she was able to work with younger children with autism.

Pendry, vice president of the chapter,said he wanted to create an autism awareness group, similar to one he started in high school, because his brother is on the autism spectrum. Because the university does not allow more than one of certain kind of group, he decided to join the organization.

Robbins said she wants the group to be the "megaphone" for the metroplex.

Upcoming events:The first "Autism Speaks U" event will be on Oct. 19 at the Hope Center for Autism in Fort Worth. Students will babysit children while their parents have a night to themselves.

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"Autism Speaks U" advocacy group establishes on campus

Clinton Center hosts 2012 Walk Now for Autism Speaks

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LITTLE ROCK (Oct. 6, 2012) - Every 11 minutes, another family receives the devastating news that their child has an autism spectrum disorder.

The third annual Arkansas Walk Now for Autism Speaksseeks to raise more than $105,000 for autism research and advocacy work. The event is today, October 6, at the Clinton Presidental Center.

"We continue to be pleasantly surprised and grateful to fellow Arkansans for the outstanding community support this event receives," said Dawn Itzkowitz, Autism Speaks co-chairwoman. "Not only is the walk a fundraiser to benefit the national Autism Speaks organization, the walk funds local grants to autism providers and introduces Arkansas families to each other and to resources in their area. We hope to see walkers from across the state at this event."

Searcy native Joe Aaron, perhaps best known as the co-creator of the Disney animated series Doug, joins the walk as a special guest. Aaron is an autism awareness advocate and is raising funds to film Guttersnipes, a feature film addressing autism, homelessness and race relations, in Arkansas. THV's own Ed Buckner and Craig O'Neill will serve as event emcees.

On-site, day-of registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The walk begins at 10 a.m.

The 2011 walk raised more than $99,000 for Autism Speaks and had more than 1,700 participants. This year's goal is to raise $105,000 from 1,800 participants and 140 teams.

The money raised funds autism research and advocacy work. Learn more at WalkNowforAutismSpeaks.org.

Autism Speak's goal is to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders. They are dedicated to funding globalbiomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism; to raising public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardships of this disorder.

(Source: Walk Now for Autism Speaks)

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Clinton Center hosts 2012 Walk Now for Autism Speaks

New Autism Criteria Will Have Minor Impact: Study

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TUESDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Parents should not worry that proposed changes to the criteria for diagnosing autism might leave their child ineligible for care, a new study indicates.

Researchers assessed the impact of the proposed changes, which were developed by an expert panel appointed by the American Psychiatric Association and are expected to take effect in May 2013.

Previous research had suggested that 45 percent or more of children who currently qualify for a diagnosis of autism would not under the new criteria. Those findings caused widespread concern among parents who depend on state-financed health services for their children, The New York Times reported.

However, this latest study concluded that only 10 percent of these children would be excluded under the new criteria.

"I know that parents worry, but I don't believe there is any substantial reason to fear that children who need to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, and provided with vital services, will not be included in the new criteria in this updated manual," said study senior investigator Dr. Catherine Lord, director of the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain at New York-Presbyterian Hospital's Westchester campus, along with its affiliated medical schools Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The study is the largest to date to try to determine the effects of the new diagnostic criteria for autism. It was published in the Oct. 1 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Lord and her colleagues looked at 4,453 children currently diagnosed with autism and found that 91 percent of them would still qualify for the diagnosis under the proposed new criteria. Many of the remaining 9 percent would likely qualify with additional input from their doctors, the study added.

The proposed changes are designed to better identify autism and to distinguish it from other conditions, the researchers said.

The overall issue with the current criteria is "not that a lot of people are diagnosed with autism who shouldn't be, but that there is a lot of confusion because the criteria were not very accurate," Lord, who was a member of the panel that proposed the new criteria, said in a hospital news release.

She explained that in developing the new criteria, the panel "deliberately added and organized things to try to bring in and better address the needs of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) of all developmental levels and ages -- including girls, who were not represented as well as they should be in" the current criteria.

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New Autism Criteria Will Have Minor Impact: Study