Disability News and Research

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Alcohol-dependent Americans more likely to seek treatment than South Koreans

Hazardous alcohol use and depression are among the 10 leading causes of disability and premature death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Many low- to middle-income countries have begun to see a steady increase in alcohol use and have entered the early stages of a tobacco epidemic. A study of alcohol use disorders (AUDs), nicotine dependence (ND), and mood and anxiety disorders in the United States and South Korea has found that while AUDs are substantially more common among Americans than South Koreans, alcohol-dependent Americans are significantly more likely to seek treatment.

17 Jan 2012

Incidence of knee arthroplasty higher in women, finds study

Researchers in Finland found that annual cumulative incidences of partial and total knee arthroplasty, commonly known as knee replacement surgery, rose rapidly over a 27-year period among 30 to 59 year-olds in that country, with the greatest increase occurring in patients aged 50 to 59 years.

17 Jan 2012

Angioplasty improves quality of life in MS patients

Although using angioplasty to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) is highly controversial, sufferers often insist it helps - in some cases dramatically, such as allowing them to walk without a cane. Patients with less severe MS also reported additional quality of life improvements, such as being able to talk more clearly, after having treatment to open blocked blood vessels in the chest and neck, according to research being presented at the 24th annual International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy.

17 Jan 2012

CHUMS project to measure outcomes of NHS care in children with neurodisabilites

An exciting new study that will help put children with neurodisabilites at the centre of evaluating their own care has received almost a quarter of a million pounds (£250,00) in funding. The CHildren's oUtcome Measurement Study (CHUMS) will assess how to capture the views and experiences of children with neurodisability and their families in order to measure the outcomes of the NHS care they receive.

13 Jan 2012

Federal judge halts Calif. plan to cut Medicaid payments for medical transportation

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday to halt a 10% Medi-Cal provider reimbursement cut to medical transportation services. It was the third time the state has lost in court on this issue. State officials said the state will appeal.

13 Jan 2012

WHO to convene meeting on yaws eradication efforts based on study of oral treatment

"Findings that a one-time oral treatment to cure yaws, a neglected tropical disease, is as effective as the currently recommended penicillin injection have prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to convene a meeting on how the disease may be wiped out," IRIN reports.

13 Jan 2012

BU, SUNY Upstate develop educational program on heart attack for women

Heart attacks in women go largely unrecognized 30 to 55 percent of the time and those who miss the warning signs and fail or delay getting help, run the risk of death or grave disability. But researchers at Binghamton University and SUNY Upstate Medical University have developed an educational program they believe will shorten the time to treatment and ultimately, save lives.

13 Jan 2012

Age, marital status affect risk of going on medical leave or disability pension

Factors other than genetics and childhood environment affect the risk of going on medical leave or disability pension, reports a study in the January Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

13 Jan 2012

New research project in rehabilitation

Intelligent wheelchairs that automatically guide you to the correct store while avoiding obstacles, specific colors on the walls and stairs in order to obtain better contrasts which would likely prevent potential falls, personal guides with special training for different types of disabilities- These scenarios could soon become a reality at Place Alexis Nihon due a new ambitious research project in rehabilitation involving some of the best Quebec researchers in this area.

12 Jan 2012

DBS safe and effective for patients with advanced Parkinson's

Researchers from the University of Florida and 14 additional medical centers reported results today in the online version of The Lancet Neurology journal indicating that deep brain stimulation - also known as DBS - is effective at improving motor symptoms and quality of life in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease.

12 Jan 2012

Virtual reality technology will advance rehabilitation research for cognitive and physical disabilities

Kessler Foundation and the University of Southern California (USC) Institute for Creative Technologies will collaborate on clinical research projects applying virtual reality technology to cognitive and motor rehabilitation research.

11 Jan 2012

Prevalence of cirrhosis may climb among older Americans

Older patients with cirrhosis have significant functional disability, require twice the amount of informal caregiving, and contribute added strain on the health care system, according to U-M research published in Hepatology.

11 Jan 2012

Cirrhosis burden expected to climb in frail population

New research shows that older Americans with cirrhosis have significantly worse health status and greater functional disability compared to those without this potentially deadly disease. In fact, findings now published in Hepatology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, show that elderly patients with cirrhosis require twice the amount of informal caregiving and contribute added strain on the health care system. Given the increase in obesity and aging of those with hepatitis C (HCV), researchers expect the prevalence of cirrhosis to climb in this frail population.

10 Jan 2012

Nicotine patch may help improve mild memory loss in older adults

Using a nicotine patch may help improve mild memory loss in older adults, according to a study published in the January 10, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

10 Jan 2012

Researchers create SketchUp program to help kids with autism

These days, we hear a lot about the disorder of autism, but researchers at the University of Utah have created a program that helps kids with autism focus on building their skills and utilizing an aptitude for visual-spatial thinking, computers and other electronic media.

10 Jan 2012

New laboratory approach could aid brain recovery

In humans, active periods of the debilitating disease Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can last for mere minutes or extend to weeks at a time. They're caused by lesions in the brain that develop, partly heal, and then recur. Research into a cure has been difficult, because to date scientists have not been able to replicate these brain recurring symptoms in laboratory mice. That's frustrating because these lab animals, known as animal "models," are the primary tool for research into the mechanisms and potential treatments for MS.

6 Jan 2012

Married patients benefit from herniated spinal disc surgery

Some patient subgroups see greater improvement after surgery for herniated spinal discs relative to nonoperative outcomes—notably including married patients whose symptoms are getting worse, reports a study in the January 15, 2012, issue of Spine.

5 Jan 2012

Researchers estimate cost and impact of disabilities on finances of disabled people

A team of researchers have for the first time estimated the cost and impact of disabilities on the finances of disabled people. According to data, 90% of the population with a serious disability in Spain is in a state of moderate poverty and 56% lives in a state of extreme poverty.

5 Jan 2012

JHTR, COMBI introduce 'Tools for Clinical Use'

Starting this month, The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR)—in partnership with The Center For Outcome Measurement in Brain Injury (COMBI)—introduces a new feature designed to support effective and informed use of standardized assessments for evaluation of brain injury.

5 Jan 2012

Bedside clinical tools can detect acute spatial neglect after stroke

Researchers at Kessler Foundation and Seton Hall University report findings in the early diagnosis of acute spatial neglect, a hidden disability that is a common complication of stroke. In the weeks after stroke, 30-50% of stroke survivors cannot reliably report or respond to external events that take place in the space opposite the side of their brain injury.

4 Jan 2012