Group items tagged

The Hydrocephalus Association provides support, education and advocacy for people whose lives have been touched by hydrocephalus and the professionals who work with them. We strive to ensure that families are empowered with educational materials, informed about the latest research, and have access to quality health care.

"The focus of the study is on the plentiful neurons that communicate with each other through the neurotransmitter glutamate. While glutamate is a necessary excitatory substance in the nervous system, in excess, it overstimulates and becomes toxic - excitotoxic - to neurons. Fortunately, neighboring astrocytes can mop up the excess via molecular transporters embedded in their outer membranes. The chief transporter is a protein called EAAT2. Earlier Rothstein's group showed that astroglia - and their EAAT2 protein - are critical for normal neuron activity. In test rats whose astroglia lack the EAAT2 equivalent there's not only a flood of toxic glutamate but a resulting neuron death that leads to paralysis."

NIH PubMed Abstract of Belgium study to assess the intra- and interobserver reliability and reproducibility of goniometry and visual estimation of ankle joint range of motion measurements in children with spastic cerebral palsy. Statistical analysis showed a high reliability for intra- and interobserver measurements (r>0.75), between visual estimation and goniometry (correlation coefficient, r>0.967; concordance coefficient, r>0.957). Both visual estimation and goniometry ankle range-of-motion measurements are reliable and reproducible in spastic cerebral palsy children if a strict but simple protocol is applied.

NICHD National Institute of Health Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development - Center for Research for Mothers & Children CRMC - CRMC serves as a principal source of NIH support for research and research training in maternal and child health. Supported scientists are advancing fundamental and clinical knowledge concerning maternal health and child development problems, such as gestational diabetes, antecedents of adult diseases, obesity and overweight, specific learning disabilities, mechanisms of cognition and learning, growth retardation, HIV/AIDS, and other congenital infections and diseases. The Center also houses the primary federal research entity for research to understand the effects and effectiveness of pharmaceuticals on maternal and child health, as well as a large portfolio on the unique aspects of HIV/AIDS in women and mothers.

Running in parallel with clinical care in the Phelps Center for Cerebral Palsy and Neurodevelopmental Medicine are several Phelps Center research projects designed to improve classification and treatment for children with cerebral palsy. Using advanced neuroimaging techniques in the Kennedy Krieger Institute Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging researchers have identified specific white matter pathways that carry messages from one part of the brain to another.

Accessible Playgrounds in the United States - Let Kids Play "Playground Directory" Accessibleplayground.net is the THE site for Accessible Playgrounds. Here you will find great resources on how to develop an accessible playground from A to Z. You will also find hundreds of examples of what other people have done. In addition, if you are heading out on vacation and want to ensure you have an accessible place to play, the site can point you in the right direction. The Accessible Playground directory and learning lab is a project of Let Kids Play.

Special Olympics is a global nonprofit organization targeting the nearly 200 million people round the world who have intellectual disabilities. With a presence in nearly 200 countries worldwide and seven world-region offices, we are constantly expanding. We can say with all truth that "the sun never sets on the Special Olympics movement."

Since 1997, Boundless Playgrounds has been the leading national nonprofit developer of nearly 200 truly inclusive playgrounds in 31 states and Canada. There are currently over 100 projects under development.

University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey 2007 Study documents Widespread Repair of Neonatal Brain Injury from Adult Stem Cells - Neuroscientists at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School have discovered that the neonatal brain possesses a previously unknown capacity to replace damaged neurons in multiple brain regions. Furthermore, their research reveals that the production of these new neurons lasts for at least five months following injury.Levison's study reveals that in addition to neurons acquiring new or different responsibilities, that another adaptive response, one that has not been suspected, occurs. Their data show that large numbers of new neurons are produced from the brain's resident stem cells during their recovery from injury. These findings suggest that these new neurons are further increasing the infant brain's ability to repair itself after injury.

The HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau improves the health of mothers, children and their families. Authorized under Title V of the Social Security Act, HRSA maternal and child health programs - Assure access to quality care, especially for those with low-incomes or limited availability of care. Reduce infant mortality. Provide and ensure access to comprehensive prenatal and postnatal care, especially for low-income and at-risk women. Increase the number of children receiving health assessments and follow-up diagnostic and treatment services. Provide and ensure access to preventive and child care services, as well as rehabilitative services for certain children. Implement family-centered, community-based systems of coordinated care for children with special healthcare needs. Provide assistance in applying for services to pregnant women with infants and children who are eligible for Medicaid.

The American Academy of Family Physicians is the national association of family doctors. It is one of the largest national medical organizations, with more than 94,600 members in 50 states. Tt was known as the American Academy of General Practice. The name was changed in order to reflect more accurately the changing nature of primary health care. The Academy was founded in 1947 to promote and maintain high quality standards for family doctors who are providing continuing comprehensive health care to the public.

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is the national professional association established to represent the interests and concerns of occupational therapy practitioners and students of occupational therapy and to improve the quality of occupational therapy services. Current AOTA membership is approximately 39,000, including occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and occupational therapy students. Members reside in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and internationally. AOTA's major programs and activities are directed toward assuring the quality of occupational therapy services; improving consumer access to health care services, and promoting the professional development of members.

The American Occupational Therapy Association offers you answers and resources to learn more about how occupational therapy can help you or your loved ones live life to its fullest. Browse this section for more about our science-driven and evidence-based profession. Specialized books and consumer guides are available in our online store.

The World Confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) is a confederation of national physical therapy associations. It was founded in 1951 and in 2007 has 101 member organisations organised in five geographic regions: Africa; Asia Western Pacific; Europe; North America Caribbean; South America. Through its member organisations WCPT represents over 270,000 physical therapists worldwide. WCPT intends that these international guidelines for physical therapist professional entry-level education are used worldwide. They may be used for curriculum planning, curriculum development, and in internal and external quality assurance processes and standards assessment.

The Fern Lab - The Fern lab is located in the Department of Neurology at the University of Washington in Seattle. The lab's research focuses on ischemic injury of the brain, in particular the neonatal/developing brain. Ischemia is the term given to a loss of blood supply and can arise due to obstruction of a blood vessel (leading to a stroke), or from factors that are currently not well understood but which produce the brain injury that underlies cerebral palsy.

The objectives of the ABEA are: To educate physicians regarding optimal evaluation and management of upper aerodigestive tract disorders. To present, at the annual meeting of the ABEA held in conjunction with the Combined Otolaryngological Spring Meeting (COSM), research findings of medical interest and importance to the ABEA's members. To advocate and support endoscopic training in residency and fellowship programs. To encourage and participate in basic and clinical research and continuing education programs all in concert with domestic, foreign and international colleagues and medical and surgical specialty organizations who share these objectives and concerns for the art and science of Broncho-Esophagology.

Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs) are non-profit organizations that help families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and the professionals who serve them

2010 Study - Increased morbidity in severe early intrauterine growth restriction.CONCLUSIONS: Infants born prematurely who are also severely IUGR have higher neonatal morbidity and mortality when compared to infants of similar gestational age. The surviving IUGR infants had less intraventricular hemorrhage and periventricular leukomalacia than less mature infants of comparable birth weight, but a similar incidence of ROP and length of stay. They had a higher incidence of NEC, direct hyperbilirubinemia and chronic lung disease, probably due to end-organ damage in utero from chronic placental insufficiency. These findings highlight the unique pattern of mortality and morbidity seen in infants with severe early IUGR.

2008 Pub Med Abstract assessing Stress in parents of children with cerebral palsy: what sources of stress are we talking about? Study to explore the relation between aspects of parental distress in the parenting role and the child's limitations in functional skills and the child's behavioural difficulties, in parents of children with CP.

National Disability Rights Network - Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Disabilities - The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) has a vision of a society where people with disabilities have equality of opportunity and are able to participate fully in community life by exercising choice and self determination. MISSION NDRN's mission is to promote the integrity and capacity of the P&A and CAP national network and to advocate for the enactment and vigorous enforcement of laws protecting civil and human rights of people with disabilities.