Fw: MSFYI - June 2002 Supplement

[Guest guest]

MM

Martha Murdock, Director

National Silicone Implant Foundation | Dallas Headquarters

" Supporting Survivors of Medical Implant Devices "

4416 Willow Lane

Dallas, TX 75244-7537

----- Original Message -----

From: " MSFyi " <lists@...>

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Sent: Sunday, June 30, 2002 12:31 PM

Subject: MSFYI - June 2002 Supplement

> MSFYI

> Multiple Sclerosis Foundation Internet Newsletter

>

> MSFYi is published monthly by the staff of the Multiple Sclerosis

> Foundation for the benefit of MS patients, their families, and caregivers.

>

> We value your opinions!

> Please let us know what you think of the MSFYi, this month's features, or

> send ideas for future issues.

>

> June 2002 Supplement

>

> CALL FOR ACCESSIBLE EMERGENCY PLANS

>

> Emergency response officials have certainly been busy in the wake of

> 9/11. Congress is now deliberating over emergency and disaster warnings

> for people with vision and hearing impairments. Formats being analyzed

> include closed captioning, audio alerts and additional visual clues.

>

> Emergency preparedness information must also be provided in formats

> that are accessible to individuals with sensory impairments, including the

> elderly. Other concerns include implementing ways to overcome fear or

> reluctance at leaving familiar surroundings for evacuation purposes and

> providing accessible shelters.

>

> Compromised immune systems could pose problems in the event of

> bio-terrorism due to increased susceptibility to both disease-producing

> agents and their antidotes. Prescription drug interactions could present

> other issues as well.

>

> Transportation for homebound patients and their caregivers presents

> another challenge. The Visiting Nurse Service of New York is preparing a

> " business continuity plan " to ensure uninterrupted service to the

> homebound during crises. Plans are being formulated to address

> home-delivered meals, transportation, shelter, and redundant and

> alternative means of communication. Certainly, other states are not far

> behind in this pursuit.

>

> ANTIDEPRESSANTS: Eliminating the Guesswork

>

> Depression is treatable. Finding the most effective treatment, however,

> can be time-consuming, costly, and worst of all, frustrating. In the

future, a

> simple one-hour brain scan may be able to predict who will benefit from

> antidepressant drugs and who will not.

>

> " This is the first study to detect specific changes in brain wave activity

> that precede the clinical changes in a way that can usefully predict

> response, " Dr. Ian Cook, a psychiatrist at UCLA explains.

>

> Some patients showed a similar response to placebos as they did to

> antidepressants. Other patients showed similar brain wave responses

> following psychiatric counseling. This suggests that everyone's

> depression is not the same and therefore may respond to different

> treatments.

>

> " Up to 40 percent of depressed patients do not respond to the first

> medication they try, " Cook asserts. " Since it takes several weeks for an

> effective treatment to produce clear improvement, doctors often wait six

> to 12 weeks to decide that a particular medication just isn't right for

that

> patient and move on to another treatment. "

>

> ACCESSIBLE HOUSING HOVERS ON HORIZON

>

> The Housing & Urban Development Department (HUD) has joined forces

> with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) for the first time

> ever. Their goal is to educate and train everyone in the housing industry

> about providing accessible housing for disabled persons.

>

> Builders, architects, engineers, building owners, and local government

> officials will be included in this extensive outreach campaign. HUD has

> awarded $900,000 to the International Code Council in order to develop a

> set of comprehensive, coordinated model construction codes. The

> council, in cooperation with the NAHB and the National Council on

> Disability are working diligently toward promoting the adoption of

universal

> building codes at both state and local levels. Could all multifamily

housing,

> including apartments and condominiums, soon be designed and built with

> accessibility ranking among their top priorities? It certainly appears

that

> way. To see the accessibility guidelines, visit:

> http://www.hud.gov/library/bookshelf09/fhefhag.cfm

>

> RESEARCHERS FIND LINK BETWEEN MSP AND MS DAMAGE

>

> A link has been found between the enzyme MSP

> (myelencephalon-specific protease) and the debilitating symptoms that

> patients experience in MS. This discovery by Mayo Clinic researchers is

> another clue in the ongoing search to stop the demyelination that occurs

> in MS.

>

> Upon finding a dramatic increase in MSP in demyelinated tissue,

> researchers concluded that inhibiting this enzyme could block the process

> of tissue damage. " If you could control this enzyme, you could possibly

> decrease the development of the disease, " said Isobel Scarisbrick, Ph.D.,

> Mayo Clinic neuroscientist and lead author of this study.

>

> Researchers are hopeful that this will be beneficial for therapeutic

> purposes. It is very early however to know if this will translate into

actual

> disease treatment in the future. For more information, visit

> http://brain.oupjournals.org/.

>

> SHINING LIGHT FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

>

> The Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind recently opened their newest office

> in Kansas City, MO. Here, blind and visually impaired residents are

> benefiting from computer and assistive technologytraining classes

> that are enabling them to compete for jobs previously unattainable.

>

> Assistive technology includes screen-magnification software, portable

> talking note-takers and software that converts speech into text. Over 100

> people have been trained in AT which is opening doors to better

> employment and higher earning potential. This Lighthouse office has

> trained people in Boston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and 98 other

> cities. Call the National Headquarters Toll-Free at (877) 324-5252 or

> contact via e-mail at info@....

>

>

> For questions regarding this publication, email editor@.... For

> support services, email support@.... Please do not reply to this

> email address for correspondence.

>

> You are receiving this newsletter because your email address was

> submitted to us for subscription on our web site at www.msfocus.org. If

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>

> **Editor's Note: Material contained in this newsletter is designed to give

> you information on various medical conditions, medications, treatments,

> and procedures for your personal knowledge and to help you be more

> informed on health related issues. It is not intended to be complete or

> exhaustive, nor is it a substitute for the advice of your physician. You

> should seek medical care promptly for any specific medical problem you or

> your family members may have.

>

>

>

>