Best Clinical Practice in Botulinum Toxin Treatment for Children with Cerebral Palsy.

Abstract Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) is considered a safe and effective therapy for children with cerebral palsy (CP), especially in the hands of experienced injectors and for the majority of children. Recently, some risks have been noted for children with Gross Motor Classification Scale (GMFCS) of IV and the risks are substantial for level V. Recommendations for treatment with BoNT-A have been published since 1993, with continuous optimisation and development of new treatment concepts. This […]

Lurasidone Improves Function in Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder

As published in PracticeUpdate® May 18, 2015—Toronto, Ontario, Canada—Lurasidone has been proven effective in patients with autism spectrum disorder. This outcome of a retrospective chart review of the drug in seven patients from a developmental disability clinic was presented at the 168th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association from May 16 – 19. Aadhar Patil, MD, of St. Lukes/Roosevelt Hospital, New York, explained that his group’s report is the first on the use of […]

10 Things You Need to Know about Mental Health

Disability Connection Newsletter May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, making this a good time to check up on yourself and gauge your overall mental health. There are many different types of mental health conditions and it’s important to learn the warning signs of each to start the path to better mental health. Many organizations are working to prevent the stigma associated with these conditions so that more people are comfortable speaking about their experiences […]

New research implicates immune system in Rett syndrome

Adapted by MNT from original media release Finding suggests therapeutic target for slowing progression of the disease New research by investigators at the University of Massachusetts Medical School suggests the immune system plays an unsuspected and surprising role in the progression of Rett syndrome, a severe neurological disorder affecting children. Immune cells known as macrophages are unable to perform their normal function and are instead amplifying the disease. The finding, recently published in Immunity, points […]

As More With Autism Near Adulthood, Clues To Success Emerge

By MICHELLE DIAMENT What’s the biggest predictor of success for individuals with autism in adulthood? Researchers say it might not be what you’d expect. The ability to do everyday, self-care activities like bathing, cleaning and cooking trumped other factors like symptom severity and intellectual functioning, according to findings from a new study being presented this week at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City. Researchers looked at the experiences of 152 people […]