Less invasive method targets seizure source, offers hope for epilepsy patients
Neurosurgeons at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic use different variations of the technique, called SEEG (stereoelectroencephalography), which places electrodes deep in the brain to find the source of seizures … Dr. Hans Lüders, director of the Epilepsy Center at UH, and Dr. Jorge Gonzalez-Martinez, a neurosurgeon at the Clinic's Epilepsy Center, have traveled to France and Italy for fellowships over the past four years to train in the technique …
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 (6 reads) |
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MSNBC 'Dr. Nancy' – Cell phones may cause brain cancer (video)
It's been an ongoing debate for years. The conventional wisdom, if you put a transmitter up to your head and you heat it you're going to get a brain tumor. There have been countless studies that have failed to show there's any science behind it at all … I'm joined by Dr. David Carpenter, director of the institute for health and environment at the University of Albany … and from UH Case Medical Center, Dr. Lisa Rogers director of the medical neuro-oncology department. Lisa, I'm going to start with you. Because as far as I understand, we don't really understand what causes brain tumors, but there is a certain part of this that just makes sense, that if you inelegantly sort of cook part of your brain or bring in radio frequencies it might alter the brain and get a tumor …
Monday, October 26, 2009 (10 reads) |
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The Plain Dealer – UH to test brain cancer drug
The National Institutes of Health has awarded $800,000 to University Hospitals Case Medical Center to test a drug that targets stem cells of glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and aggressive type of brain cancer. Funded though the NIH's 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus package, the multicenter, national study is coordinated through the Adult Brain Tumor Consortium. The trial will enroll 40 patients nationwide …
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 (9 reads) |
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UH Case Medical Center to test Gammaglobulin treatment for Alzheimer's
Researchers from the Memory and Cognition Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center will begin testing an intriguing new approach to slowing down the progression of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) using Intravenous Immune Globulin (IGIV), also known as gammaglobulin. IGIV is traditionally used to treat primary immunodeficiency disorders, but is not currently approved for treating AD, which is one of the leading causes of dementia in the elderly. Initial research in experimental models and patients suggests that immunotherapy targeting beta amyloid (the protein that forms the core of plaques in the brain) may provide a more effective way to treat AD. Antibodies that bind to beta amyloid are present in IGIV, which is made from the blood of several thousand healthy adults…
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 (69 reads) |
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NMT Medical to Accelerate CLOSURE I Data Analysis Timing
NMT Medical, Inc. announced today that, upon recommendation of the CLOSURE I Executive Committee, it will commence data analysis for its landmark patent foramen ovale (PFO)/stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) clinical trial – originally scheduled for the fall of 2010 – in April 2010. …The trial is being led by Principal Investigators Anthony Furlan, MD, and Mark Reisman, MD. Dr. Furlan is Chairman, Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland.
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Friday, September 18, 2009 (79 reads) |
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At 19, he's had a stroke and a heart transplant; now, he's figuring out how to make a difference with his life
The doctors at University Hospitals have never seen a patient like Jack Kachmarik. He arrived by helicopter the night of Sunday, May 31. It was unusual enough to see a 19-year-old having a major stroke. But for Jack to say his name and lift his right arm within minutes after blood clots were cleared from his cerebral arteries, that was remarkable…The emergency doctor at St. John West Shore Hospital also suspected Jack was high. It looked like an overdose. The hospital ordered a toxicology test. But doctors figured out Jack was in deeper trouble. About 10:30, they called University Hospitals Case Medical Center, and soon loaded Jack on a helicopter destined for UH… Workers started an IV that contained clot-dissolving medication. Dr. Jeffrey Sunshine, a specialist in neuroradiology, threaded a catheter from an artery in Jack's groin into his head…
Monday, September 14, 2009 (137 reads) |
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Stroke victim's bravery earns him University Hospitals Phoenix Award
Last year, Ryan Naylor was driven to University Hospitals Phoenix Award ceremony in Munson Township and walked into the event leaning on a cane. This year, the recovering stroke victim was able to drive there by himself and proudly step in on his own … However, he recalls some moments during the medical helicopter ride from Ashtabula County to downtown Cleveland and reassuring words from a nurse. "We're going to take you to UH because they have the best stroke care," she said. "I know that you don't feel good right now, but you're in a safe place … "A few weeks later he was transferred to UH Extended Health Care Campus in Munson Township to begin rehabilitation …
Thursday, September 10, 2009 (7 reads) |
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Dr. Jeffrey L. Sunshine takes over as VP, chief medical information officer at University Hospitals
Dr. Jeffrey L. Sunshine is University Hospitals' new vice president and chief medical information officer. He has held the posts on an interim basis since November 2008. Sunshine's responsibilities will include the strategic planning, operations, integration and implementation of information systems and services throughout the health system, particularly in development of UH's $100 million electronic medical records project. He will remain in positions he currently holds as director of magnetic resonance imaging and as a diagnostic and interventional neuroradiologist with University Hospitals Case Medical Center…
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Thursday, September 03, 2009 (121 reads) |
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Hospital readmissions are costly, and efforts are under way to prevent them
Carm Merola has looked after her disabled, 62-year-old brother for years, so she knew when his legs swelled during a recent hospitalization that something was wrong… Efforts to reduce readmissions are focused on better care of patients after they leave the hospital – making sure they take medications correctly, for instance. Such preventive strategies "aren't part of the health-care culture," said Dr. Anthony Furlan, chairman of neurology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. "We're not paid to do this, and the system is not set up to do this."…
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Thursday, September 03, 2009 (106 reads) |
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‘Dr. Nancy’ – Dr. Nick Bambakidis on Ted Kennedy’s battle with brain cancer
Obviously, everyone knows at this point that Senator Kennedy had been battling a quite malicious brain tumor, something called a glioblastoma… He died last night at the age of 77 with his immediate family around him. What does this brain tumor mean for those who have it? To give us some insight, joining me now to talk more about this condition, Dr. Nick Bambakidis from University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland…
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Thursday, August 27, 2009 (127 reads) |
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Experts Urge Cognitive Testing of Kids with Epilepsy
Children recently diagnosed with epilepsy should have their language, memory, learning and other cognitive skills tested because they're at increased risk for problems, say U.S. researchers…"Our study highlights the importance of testing children with epilepsy for possible cognitive problems soon after they are diagnosed with epilepsy in order to avoid these issues affecting them later in life, especially if they have additional risk factors," Philip Fastenau, a professor of neurology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the Neurological Institute of University Hospitals in Cleveland and an author of the study, said in a news release from the American Academy of Neurology... Read More
Monday, August 17, 2009 (127 reads) |
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‘Dr. Nancy’ – Could stroke be to blame for wrong way crash
...Apparently complained of, confusion, blurred vision, disorientation. In other words, some of the same symptoms that, yes, her brother said she reported. However, does that explain everything? Joining me now from Cleveland, Dr. Cathy Sila. She is a neurologist and director of the Stroke and Cerebrovascular Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center... View Video
Monday, August 17, 2009 (123 reads) |
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Health Letters
Summary: ...I want to compliment you on a balanced and much-needed discussion of hospital ranking systems...As you point out, the US News and World Report methodology is only one means of ranking hospitals. The real issue is how hospitals address quality improvement and ultimately patient outcomes. The University Hospitals Neurological Institute established a Neurological Outcomes Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center that will focus on developing and measuring patient outcomes and quality improvement. As an example, we are currently examining with the Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management the impact of an inpatient step-down unit on stroke patient outcomes and re-admission rates, and our NI centers are participating in the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative. Such initiatives are designed to provide high-value, evidence-based health care to our patients with neurological conditions. Anthony J. Furlan, M.D., is the chairman of the department of neurology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. (link unavailable)
Monday, August 17, 2009 (91 reads) |
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Axona, a 'medical food,' is tried by an Alzheimer's patient
...Kinnison was otherwise healthy when she was diagnosed in 2006 by a geriatrician at MetroHealth Medical Center…Freeman stumbled onto something else -- a "medical food" called Axona, released by a Colorado-based company in March. ...The theory behind Axona, explains Dr. Alan Lerner, director of the Memory and Cognition Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, is that the brains of people with Alzheimer's have trouble making use of glucose, the main energy source for cells. Axona causes the body to produce an increase in a substitute energy source called ketone bodies... . Read More
Monday, August 17, 2009 (123 reads) |
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East Brunswick boy's miracle saga continues with implant surgery this week
After Brett Fegel was diagnosed with a brain tumor in May 2007, the 7-year-old spent his days being shuttled between his home and hospitals, receiving treatments and undergoing surgeries to deal with a long list of complications... The device will deliver electrical charges to Brett's diaphragm, causing it to contract and causing air to move in and out of his lungs, said Mary Jo Elmo, a nurse practitioner at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, where the procedure will take place. It will allow Brett, who is now on a mechanical ventilator, to breathe more naturally by mimicking the stimulus normally sent from the brain to the diaphragm... . Read More
Monday, August 17, 2009 (115 reads) |
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A Warning about the Overlooked Effects of ADHD
...As well as the effects of ADHD on the individual person and on society, there is also the problem of ADHD medication. Robert Findling is a director of child psychology at the University Hospitals of Cleveland and he has expressed worry that "there is such a paucity of long-term effectiveness or safety data". This expresses so well the worries of many parents who are looking for alternative ADHD remedies and treatment... Read More
Monday, August 17, 2009 (125 reads) |
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Case gets grant to study painful bladder syndrome
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine received a five-year, $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the causes of painful bladder syndrome, a condition that affects about 3 million Americans...Thomas Chelimsky, a neurology professor at CWRU's School of Medicine and director of autonomic disorders at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, said that the researchers hope to identify parts of the nervous system involved in what he termed a "negative brain-bladder conversation." Read More
Monday, August 17, 2009 (111 reads) |
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Robert W. Tarr, MD, named editor-in-chief of newly established Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery (JNIS)
Robert W. Tarr, M.D., Division Chief of MRI/Neuroradiology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, has been named editor-in-chief of the new Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery. The journal is owned by the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery and is published by British Medical Journal (BMJ). It aims to be the leading peer review journal for scientific research and literature pertaining to its field. The journal launch follows growing professional interest in neurointerventional techniques for the treatment of a range of vascular and neoplastic disorders of the brain and neck and spine including stroke, aneurysm, and vascular malformations, as well as primary and secondary tumors. Its Web site is www.jnis.org Read Editorial
Monday, August 17, 2009 (113 reads) |
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Performance and training standards for endovascular ischemic stroke treatment
Anthony Furlan, MD, contributing author of Performance and training standards for endovascular ischemic stroke treatment Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Japan. According to the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association, there are now 750 000 new strokes that occur each year, resulting in 200 000 deaths, or 1 of every 16 deaths, per year in the USA alone. Endovascular therapy for patients with acute ischemic stroke is an area of intense investigation. The American Stroke Association has given a qualified endorsement of intra-arterial thrombolysis in selected patients. Intra-arterial thrombolysis has been studied in two randomized trials and numerous case series. Read More
Monday, August 17, 2009 (175 reads) |
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University Hospitals appoints its first psychiatrist-in-chief
University Hospitals has appointed its first psychiatrist-in-chief to better define psychiatric services across the hospital system. Dr. Robert Ronis in the fall will create a strategic plan to expand and refine the scope of inpatient psychiatric services at UH Case Medical Center, UH Richmond Medical Center and UH Geauga Medical Center. Read More
Monday, August 17, 2009 (121 reads) |
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Popular Culture Depicts Car Surfing as Cool – Journal Article Uncovers the Truth About This Potentially Deadly Activity
Why do people engage in stupid and potentially deadly activities, and why do teens in particular have a propensity for this behavior? An intriguing article published in the July 2009 online issue of Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics answers these questions in the context of the reckless "sport" known as car surfing...Neurological Injuries from Car Surfing" is written by Arthur Wang, BS, Alan R. Cohen, MD, and Shenandoah Robinson, MD, Division of Pediatric Neurological Surgery, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine... Read More
Monday, August 17, 2009 (112 reads) |
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Breathing Surgery
Three months ago, Kristen Piper's life was changed forever. While on a family skiing trip in El Dorado, Colorado, the nine-year-old Scribner girl skied over a patch of ice, lost control and collided into a tree. She suffered two broken legs, collapsed lungs, a ruptured diaphragm, and an incomplete C-1 spinal cord injury... The NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System was developed through a joint effort of physicians at several institutions including Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Veterans Administration Medical Center... Read More More information on the NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System
Monday, August 17, 2009 (111 reads) |
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