Epilepsy Hospitalizations Rise
Epilepsy-related hospitalizations rose 43% between 2000 and 2005, according to a report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Epilepsy-related hospitalizations reached 136,000 in 2005, up from 95,000 in 2000. This rise follows a drop in epilepsy-related cases that took place between 1993 and 2000. Of hospital patients diagnosed with epilepsy, nearly two-thirds were under the age of 45. Convulsion-related hospitalizations also have been increasing, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Between 1993 and 2005, convulsion-related hospitalizations rose from 730,000 to 1.2 million, representing a hefty 69% increase over the 12-year period. Those patients who were hospitalized with a diagnosis that included convulsions were primarily middle-aged or elderly, according to the AHRQ. The agency's report is based on databases of inpatient hospital stays.
CDC Seeks Help From Neurologists
Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating cases of inflammatory neuropathy among pork processing plant workers in Minnesota and Indiana, and they are asking neurologists for help. In a letter to the American Academy of Neurology, CDC officials said that similar illnesses may be occurring at other pork processing plants and the government agency reached out to neurologists to provide any information about patients who might have developed similar symptoms. Last fall, clinicians at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., reported an “unusual cluster” of 12 patients with inflammatory neuropathy, all of whom worked in an area of a pork processing plant where the heads of pigs were being processed. Additional patients were identified at a similar plant in Indiana. Most patients reported pain, numbness, and tingling in their extremities. The typical progression of the illness was development of “relatively symmetric mild to moderate weakness involving predominantly the distal lower limbs.” Ataxia also was reported. Neurologists should contact the CDC or their state health departments if they have made a diagnosis in the last year of peripheral neuropathy, myelopathy, or a mixed clinical presentation of peripheral/central or myelopathic involvement in individuals who were exposed to pig butchering or processing. Physicians with questions or information may contact the CDC at 770–488–7100. The CDC's letter to the American Academy of Neurology is available online at the Academy's Web site,
NIH Sets New Research Goals
Officials at the National Institutes of Health have set research goals for the next decade aimed at speeding the development of new treatments for Down syndrome. The plan was developed with input from families of individuals with the disorder, Down syndrome advocacy organizations, and NIH scientists. The research blueprint calls for a host of changes, including greater access to laboratory animals with the characteristics of Down syndrome; increased research on the medical, cognitive, and behavioral conditions found in individuals with the disorder; and studies into whether aging has a greater impact on the mental processes in individuals who have the disorder. A number of NIH institutes are currently conducting research into Down syndrome. At the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), scientists are studying the potential role of the amyloid precursor protein gene in Down syndrome.
HHS Names Autism Panel
The Health and Human Services department has named a new committee in charge of coordinating efforts within the department to combat autism spectrum disorders. The panel, which was authorized under the Combating Autism Act of 2006, will facilitate the exchange of information on autism activities and research among federal agencies as well as coordinate autism-related programs and initiatives, according to a statement from the HHS. Dr. Thomas R. Insel, who is currently the director of the National Institute of Mental Health, is set to chair the panel. Dr. Insel said in a formal statement that the committee's very first task will be to develop a strategic plan for autism research to guide both public and private investments.
Blues Launch Campaign
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association last month unveiled a 5-point plan for building on the current employer-based health insurance system to improve quality, rein in costs, and provide universal coverage. The plan would create an independent institute in order to support research comparing the relative effectiveness of different medical treatments; change incentives so that providers are rewarded for delivering high-quality, coordinated care, especially for those with chronic illnesses; empower consumers and providers with personal health records and cost data on medical services; promote healthy lifestyles to prevent and manage chronic illness; and foster public-private solutions to cover the uninsured. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association said that it and its 39 member plans will promote the current initiative in a multifaceted campaign this year.