ALBERTA, CANADA - Intensive rehabilitation for patients with spinal cord injuries can stimulate new branches from severed nerve fibers, with compensatory changes in the brain, say Canadian scientists.  It could lead to restoring hand function and the ability to walk.  A study in the journal Brain shows the benefits of training after a cervical SCI - something overshadowed in recent years by the promise of cutting-edge stem cell research.  "It may be neglected because it seems so simple," says the study’s senior author Karim Fouad, of the University of Alberta.  "Some people take very desperate steps when they are paraplegic.  They go to other countries to receive treatments like stem cell transplantations, and most of these approaches aren’t really controlled trials.  They undergo a lot of risk and spend a lot of money, when they could see more benefits with fewer risks from sustained, intensive rehab training."  The study shows that when animal models with incomplete SCIs received intensive training over many weeks on a reaching task which they were able to do before their injuries, they performed significantly better than their untrained counterparts.

IOWA CITY, IA - The Disability Law & Policy e-Newsletter of the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center at the University of Iowa College of Law and the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University noted the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued two technical assistance manuals for employers and veterans to address workplace issues for veterans with service-related disabilities - including employment rights and legal obligations of employers.  Included are resources for further information on the relationship between disabled veterans and their employees, such as data on the ADA and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.  Both manuals can be found at www.eeoc.gov.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - Research from the University of Virginia Health System shows that, in cases of Type 1 myotonic Muscular Dystrophy (DM1), a well-known heart protein does several surprising things.  DM1 is the most common form of MD in adults and affects approximately 40,000 adults and children in the U.S.  The protein, NKX2-5, is a biomarker for heart stem cells; it’s also very important for the normal development of the heart.  "Too little of it causes major cardiac problems, including slow and irregular heartbeats," observes Dr. Mani Mahadevan, a human genetics researcher and professor of pathology at UVa, who led the study.  The team was surprised to find that mice and individuals with DM1 actually overproduce NKX2-5, yet experience the same kind of heart problems tied to too little of it.  Excessive NKX2-5 may explain why as many as 60-70% of those with DM1 develop heart problems which cause their heartbeats to become slow and irregular, often necessitating the need for pacemakers.  If these irregular heartbeats aren’t detected, sudden death can occur.

WASHINGTON - Monday Morning in Washington, D.C. asked: "Would you know how to ask about accessibility, explain something is damaged on a wheelchair, or request a sign language interpreter in another language?"  Many people with disabilities going abroad to study, intern, work, volunteer, and teach find themselves unable to communicate the most basic needs related to their disability due to a lack of vocabulary.  So, the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange created Disability-related Phrases and Vocabulary to Learn Before You Go Abroad.

BOSTON - The Wall Street Journal disclosed researchers identified a new genetic link to Autism using recently-developed gene-scanning technology that sorts through hundreds of thousands of genetic markers to pinpoint abnormalities.  Teams in Boston and Chicago, publishing separate studies in different medical journals, independently identified a genetic variation - in a region of DNA called chromosome 16 – that’s tied to about 1% of all Autism cases.  The abnormality is often not inherited, the teams found.  The identification isn't new; about 15% of cases have a known genetic cause, says David Miller, a researcher at Children's Hospital in Boston and a co-author of one study.  The discoveries related to chromosome 16 offer promising clues for future research.  University of Chicago researchers, who published results in Human Molecular Genetics, say the loss of a small portion of chromosome 16 results in a corresponding loss of 25 genes.  At least three of those genes are thought to influence behavior, say the researchers, making them prime candidates for Autism research.

WASHINGTON - Monday Morning in, D.C. disclosed grants are available for families struggling with child health-related treatment, services, or equipment not covered or not fully covered by their parents' health benefit plans (deadline: open).  It’s through the United Healthcare Children's Foundation (info.thearc.org).  UHCCF provides grants to help pay for speech, physical, or occupational therapy; prescriptions, and medical equipment such as wheelchairs, orthotics, and glasses.  Parents and legal guardians may apply for grants up to $5,000 each for child medical services and equipment by completing an application at the UHCCF Web site.  Children must be 16 or younger.  Families must meet economic guidelines, U.S. residence, and be covered by a commercial health benefit plan.

LONDON - Bloomberg News noted more than 100,000 Americans die yearly from lack of timely, effective medical care.  A study that found the U.S. has the highest rate of preventable deaths among 19 industrialized nations.  In five years through 2003, the U.S. rate of preventable deaths declined more slowly than in the other 18 market-based, democratic nations, the policy journal Health Affairs disclosed.  The U.S. is the only one of the 19 nations without universal healthcare coverage.  About 47 million Americans lack insurance to help pay for rising medical costs.  If the U.S. preventable death rate matched the average of the top three countries - France, Japan, and Australia - 101,000 fewer Americans would die annually, the study said.  The analysis was done by Ellen Nolte and C. Martin McKee, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.  Nolte said, "People who don't have insurance tend to forgo, postpone, or delay healthcare when they need it.  It also leads to presentation at a later stage when less can be done."

PITTSBURGH - MedPage Today noted depression symptoms in women with bipolar disorder improved following light-box therapy delivered at midday, researchers said.  Four of nine women exposed to 7,000 lux of light therapy 15-60 minutes a day up to six weeks had complete relief and two others showed partial responses, Dr. Dorothy Sit, of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues stated in Bipolar Disorders.  Most improvements came with treatment delivered between noon and 2 p.m.  The first four participants received treatment in the morning, but three of them developed symptoms of both mania and depression, forcing two to quit treatment entirely.  The remaining patients were then treated at midday without manic flare-ups.  "We found the optimal response was at 7,000 lux midday light for 45 or 60 minutes," researchers said.  Among non-responders to midday treatment, one had a full response when switched to a morning schedule, they said.  Another had partial symptom relief with morning treatment.

PORTLAND, OR - Reuters Health noted that when given at doses that lower lipid levels, atorvastatin, sold in the U.S. as Lipitor, appears to have no effect on bone mineral density or bone metabolism in post-menopausal women, researchers report.  Results of previous lab and clinical studies suggested the commonly prescribed class of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins "may have very favorable effects on the skeleton," senior investigator Dr. Michael R. McClung told Reuters Health.  "This study demonstrates clearly statins don’t have effects on bone in the clinical setting."  Dr. McClung, of the Oregon Osteoporosis Center, and colleagues studied 626 post-menopausal women with high levels of LDL cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol.  The women were assigned randomly to treatment with one of four doses of atorvastatin daily or to sugar pill, researchers reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.  At 52 weeks, all active treatment groups showed significant cuts in LDL cholesterol versus the beginning of the study and versus placebo.  The treatment was well-tolerated.  Researchers found no clue atorvastatin had any significant effects on bone mass or markers of bone mass.

WASHINGTON - Monday Morning in Washington, D.C. disclosed the Joshua ONeill and Zeshan Tabani Enrichment Fund offers financial aid to Down syndrome young adults who wish to enroll in postsecondary programs or take classes to help them attain employment, or independent living skills.  Up to five grants will be awarded, each not to exceed $1,000, and it may pay for tuition for a course or program at an local college, learning center, or employment training program.  The deadline is July 18.  This is a National Down Syndrome Society fund and the application is at info.thearc.org, or e-mail Erin Geller (egeller@ndss.org).

ANN ARBOR, MI - HealthDay News noted urinary catheters may be one of the least pleasant parts of a hospital stay, but doctors, families, and patients need to pay more attention to the risk of infection.  A University of Michigan Health System national study shows fewer than 33% of hospitals use bladder scanners or antimicrobial catheters to prevent urinary tract infection and fewer than 10% use daily, automated reminders that prompt doctors to review the need for a catheter.  Researchers noted 25% of hospital patients have a urinary catheter, a tube inserted into the urinary tract to allow urine to flow out of the bladder and into a bag; 1% of these patients are at risk for a urinary tract infection, the most common kind of infection acquired while hospitalized.  The Michigan team sent a detailed survey to all 119 U.S. Veterans Administration hospitals, plus 600 randomly-selected non-federal hospitals with an intensive care unit over 50 hospital beds.

WASHINGTON - Monday Morning in Washington, D.C. disclosed the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust is accepting applications for grants to improve lives of children with disabilities (deadline: June 15).  The trust focuses primarily on supporting charities making a difference for children with disabilities.  Resources are also allocated to help support organizations focused on providing healthcare to the uninsured.  All applications must be submitted online.  Visit the CVS Web site for complete guidelines and online application form.