Norwalk Reflector A break for parents of special-needs children

She, and other parents of special needs children are taking advantage of a new local respite program called Parents Night Out. The program, a partnership between area churches, allows such parents to take a break from providing round-the-clock care. At the same time, it gives special needs children and their siblings a chance to have fun in a safe environment.

via norwalkreflector.com

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Woman dies of H1N1 in Highland, coroner reports | new, coroner, reports - Local News - The Telegraph

Dead teen had H1N1 virus in system

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More exposure to sun may reduce chances of multiple sclerosis

via ptinews.com

Melbourne, Nov 17 (PTI) A team of Australian scientists claim to have discovered that frequent exposure to sun and the resulting production of Vitamin D in the body could result in lowering the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS).

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Multiple sclerosis more aggressive in children: Study

Washington: Multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosed in childhood is more aggressive and causes more brain lesions than that detected in adulthood, according to magnetic resonance images (MRI) performed by University at Buffalo researchers.

However, patients with pediatric-onset MS-- which comprise up to 5% of total MS cases--develop disabilities at a slower pace than patients with adult-onset MS, the data showed.

"Patients with pediatric-onset MS have three times as many relapses annually than patients with adult-onset disease, which suggests there is greater disease activity in this population," said Bianca Weinstock-Guttman.

"But surprisingly, the average time to reach the secondary progressive phase of the disease is longer in patients who develop MS in childhood than in adult onset MS. Reaching the next stage of disability is almost 10 years longer in pediatric-onset patients," she continued.

MS causes demyelination-- destruction of the sheath that protects and insulates nerve fibers. Breaks in the myelin sheath disrupt the flow of electrical impulses, causing loss of sensation and coordination.

The UB study involved four sets of patients--17 children with an average age of 13.7 who were diagnosed with MS 2.7 years earlier; 33 adults with an average age of 36.5 years who were diagnosed with pediatric MS 20 years earlier; 81 adults with an average age of 40 who have had MS for an average of 2.6 years; 300 adults with an average age of 50.5 who've had MS for 20 years.

All participants underwent a brain MRI scan and specific MRI metric analysis.

The MRI measured two types of brain tissue damage--T1-lesion volume, which shows "black holes," or hypointense lesions, which are areas of permanent axonal damage; and T2-lesion volume, which shows the total number of lesions (lesion load) and overall disease burden.

Both of these measures indicated that MS is more aggressive in children in the early stages, said the researchers.

"This corresponds with recent data that suggest a higher lesion burden in pediatric MS than adult-onset MS. These findings are somewhat surprising, considering we have assumed that children generally have a greater capacity for central nervous tissue repair," they added.

"Our findings, which are limited to a cross-sectional study design, suggest that children have a somewhat better reserve and functional adaptability than adults, but less support for a better remyelination process. However, the remyelination process may require a more in-depth prospective analysis," said Weinstock-Guttman.

She said that the data support the need for early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention in paediatric MS patients. The study was published online on November 5.

via dnaindia.com

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Boosting NAD+ after spinal cord injury may prevent permanent nerve death

Substances naturally produced by the human body may one day help prevent paralysis following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College.

via news-medical.net

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Paralyzed Teen, Dog Take Up Surfing

Los Angeles (myFOXla.com) - Fifteen-year-old Patrick Ivison suffered a spinal-cord injury in a car accident when he was 14 months old and he has been paralyzed since but he has not given up on his goal to walk again.
To raise money for Ivison's physical therapy, which is not covered by insurance, it was suggested that the pair take up surfing.
So with the help of his best buddy, Richochet, the pair hit the waves.

Determination is his partner - Chicago Tribune

Determination is his partner - Chicago Tribune: "When 22-year-old Brent Sapit stepped onto the dance floor, his shoes may have been the only indication he wasn’t quite like the other ballroom dancers."