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Current Archive

Researchers find second gene responsible for ALS

A group of scientists funded by the ALS Association have discovered a second gene responsible for cases of familial or inherited ALS, known as Lou Gehrig's disease. …There is no telling when or if this research will mean anything for patients, said Dr. Amer Alshekhlee a neurologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center. "This is a step. This is one step in the ladder," he said. "It doesn't mean much for patients right now, but maybe five or ten years down the line. I hope it will open doors for better treatment."

Friday, February 27, 2009 (125 reads)

First Multi-Center Real World Clinical Data on Use of the Penumbra System in Acute Ischemic Stroke is presented at the International Stroke Conference's "Best Science of the ISC" Session

Clinical results of a 139 patient, multi-center study organized by 7 major community and academic acute stroke treatment centers in the US and Europe were presented today at the 2009 International Stroke Conference’s “Best Science of the ISC” session by Dr. Robert Tarr, Chief, Neuroradiology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Professor of Radiology and Neurological Surgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and President of the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery, on behalf of the investigator group.

Friday, February 27, 2009 (117 reads)

Surgery through a Straw

…the UPMC team is gaining recognition for surgery through a straw…"As their techniques are improved and become more widespread, I think this may become first-line treatment for certain abnormalities, like colloid cysts and benign tumors located down in the depths of the brain," said Dr. Alan R. Cohen, chief of pediatric neurosurgery and surgeon-in-chief at Case Western Reserve University's Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. "In many cases, it can enhance the safety of the operation and shorten recovery time for the patient," he said.

Friday, February 27, 2009 (126 reads)

It's crucial that Ohio continues to sufficiently fund its mental health system
It may surprise many to learn that Ohio's public mental health system is rated among the better systems in the country. Our services are funded at one-fourth the per capita expenditures of New York and Pennsylvania. Of other neighboring states, only Kentucky spends less, while Michigan and Indiana spend nearly 50 percent more on services.

Posted by: Robert Ronis, MD, MPH

Tuesday, February 17, 2009 (126 reads)

Autism ruling fails to convince many vaccine-link believers
A special court's Thursday ruling that no proven link exists between autism and certain early childhood vaccines seems to have done little to change the sometimes-passionate opinion fueling the debate..."As the scientific community has been saying for a long time, there is no good, credible, reproducible research that supports the hypothesis that MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine causes autism," said Dr. Max Wiznitzer, an autism expert at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Tuesday, February 17, 2009 (130 reads)

Autistic son charged in death of mother - Dr. Max Wiznitzer interviewed on link between autism and violence.
A Kent State University professor who was beaten in her home and later died was devoted to caring for her 18-year-old autistic son, who is charged in her death, friends say. ...Dr. Max Wiznitzer, a neurologist who treats autistic children at Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, said there is no direct link between autism and violence, but such youngsters often display more anxiety and frustration. The spectrum of autism disorders affects about 1 in 150 children and perhaps 30 percent of them display aggressive behavior, Wiznitzer said. Only a very few might try to harm someone, he said.

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Friday, February 13, 2009 (138 reads)

New Book Publication: Determinants of Minority Mental Health and Wellness, Edited by Sana Loue and Martha Sajatovic, Case Western Reserve University
Among members of minority groups, the experience and stigma of mental illness vary widely; the same holds true for coping, adjustment, and resilience. These views are central to a burgeoning literature analyzing the issues either by population or by diagnosis. Determinants of Minority Mental Health and Wellness complements these approaches by focusing on risk factors, protective factors, and prevention strategies across a wide range of cultural, ethnic, sexual, and other minorities.

Edited by Sana Loue and Martha Sajatovic

ORDER Determinants of Minority Mental Health and Wellness ! Download Order Form

Friday, February 13, 2009 (128 reads)

University Hospitals Memory and Cognition Center Part of New Alzheimer’s Disease Information Network

University Hospitals Memory and Cognition Center is one of the sites in a nationwide information network of people who are interested in learning more about Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia. The network is coordinated by the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) in collaboration with the National Institute on Aging. The purpose of the Alzheimer’s Disease Information Network is to educate the public about AD research and upcoming clinical research studies through a monthly e-newsletter.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 (332 reads)

Dr. Max Wiznitzer Featured on ABC's World News with Charles Gibson and ABC’s Nightline

Dr. Max Wiznitzer was featured on ABC's World News with Charles Gibson and ABC’s Nightline following the death of Jett Travolta. He was interviewed about Kawasaki disease as well as autism and seizures relating to the Travolta case. The teen had a developmental disability that his parents have linked to Kawasaki disease, an inflammatory disorder of the artery walls that most commonly occurs in young children and that can lead to heart disease.

Aired: January 5, 2009 (link unavailable)

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 (253 reads)

Multimodal Monitoring and Neurocritical Care Bioinformatics: The Dawn of a New Age

Neurocritical Care is a growth industry. New approaches to treating stroke, head and spinal cord trauma, global cerebral ischemia after cardiac arrest, and status epilepticus have brought neurologists back to the bedside of critically ill patients, engaged enthusiastic trainees, and raised public expectations about advances in patient care.

By: Michael DeGeorgia, MD, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH and
J. Claude Hemphill III, MD, MAS, University of California, San Francisco, CA

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 (132 reads)

Q & A: Burning unreachable brain tumors in real-time

Neurosurgeons affiliated with the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center hope to soon be one-third of the way through a Phase 1 study examining a way to dissolve previously unreachable brain tumors. The procedure is through a device called AutoLITT, created by the Canadian company Monteris Medical.

Through lasers and minimally invasive surgery, the device allows doctors to watch and adjust as they heat glioblastoma multiforme tumors and induce coagulative necrosis - a pasty state at which point the tumor is removed. Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UH) physicians started these procedures last year. They will complete 15 in the first phase of the study. Dr. Andrew Sloan is director of the Brain Tumor & Neuro-Oncology Center at UH and is participating in the research.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009 (187 reads)

Local Hospitals Test Breakthrough Treatment For Brain Tumors

Wednesday, February 04, 2009 (170 reads)