The USF Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) Center of Excellence was honored on Feb. 11 in Orlando as “awesome warriors in the fight against Huntington’s Disease” by the Central Florida Affiliate of the HDSA. Plaques commemorating the honor were given to each of the members of the HDSA CoE at USF, including Dr. Juan Sanchez-Ramos, director of the Center; Dr. Cynthia Cimino, neuropsychologist; Kelly Elliott, Nurse Coordinator; Nancy Braswell, social worker; and Dr. Tom Mueller, Medical Geneticist. From left, Kelly Elliott, J. Sanchez-Ramos, Cynthia Cimino, Nancy Braswell (not pictured […]

A nicotinic drug approved for smoking cessation significantly improved the walking ability of patients suffering from an inherited form of ataxia, reports a new clinical study led by University of South Florida researchers. The randomized controlled clinical trial investigated the effectiveness of varenicline (Chantix®) in treating spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, or SCA3. The findings were published online earlier this month in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neuroscience. Lead author Dr. Theresa Zesiewicz and colleagues at the USF Ataxia Research Center collaborated with researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess […]

Repeated injections of human umbilical cord blood cells improved motor neuron survival, delayed disease progression, and increased lifespan Tampa, FL (Feb. 3 , 2012) – Repeated, low-dose injections of mononuclear cells derived from human umbilical cord blood (MNC hUCB, tradename: U-CORD-CELL™) have been found effective in protecting motor neuron cells, delaying disease progression and increasing lifespan for mice modeling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, report University of South Florida researchers and colleagues from Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc., and the Ribeirao Preto School of […]

The Department of Defense grant may lead to better treatments, readjustment skills for veterans Tampa, FL (Jan. 31, 2012) — The University of South Florida has received a $1.57 million U.S. Department of Defense grant to conduct translational research on traumatic brain injury and other battlefield related injuries and diseases. The studies, many in collaboration with James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, are intended to improve the quality of life for military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is known as the signature injury of soldiers […]

For years, Sarah Maloney’s definition of “planning ahead” meant figuring out how to get through another day. From the time she was 13, Maloney, now 22, struggled with depression – cycling in and out of therapy and trying just about every anti-depressant on the market. Unable to cope or hold a job, she made several attempts on her life. In March 2011, suicidal and desperate for help, Maloney voluntarily checked herself into Tampa General Hospital’s emergency room. This time, things would be different. As a patient in the psychiatric services […]

Tampa, FL (Jan 3, 2012) – Immune system abnormalities that mimic those seen with autism spectrum disorders have been linked to the amyloid precursor protein (APP), reports a research team from the University of South Florida’s Department of Psychiatry and the Silver Child Development Center. The study, conducted with mouse models of autism, suggests that elevated levels of an APP fragment circulating in the blood could explain the aberrations in immune cell populations and function – both observed in some autism patients. The findings were recently published online in the […]

A review of emerging treatments for Parkinson’s disease by a University of South Florida neurologist highlights advances that may lead to more effective drugs and other therapies for the movement disorder marked by tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement, and impaired balance. Dr. Robert Hauser, professor of neurology, molecular pharmacology and physiology, and director of the USF Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center, recently published the article “Future Treatments for Parkinson’s Disease: Surfing the PD Pipeline” in the International Journal of Neuroscience. Robert Hauser, MD Dr. Hauser reviews antiparkinsonian treatments in […]

The USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute was illuminated Thursday evening in shades of purple – the signature color of Alzheimer’s disease — as faculty, staff, caregivers and university, community and governmental leaders gathered to celebrate the opening of its one-stop memory care center. The new Center for Memory C.A.R.E. reaches a whole new level in applying the latest technology and research to the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, while helping ease the anxiety and difficulties of patients and their caregivers. Guests had a chance to tour the distinctive $3.5-million […]

Mini-apartment to test ability of patients to live on their own helps set new center apart Tampa, FL (Nov. 17, 2011) — The  University of South Florida today opens a distinctive center offering people with memory disorders and their families a full range of individualized, multispecialty services in one welcoming place. The Center for Memory C.A.R.E. (Clinical Assessment, Research and Education), on the second floor of the six-story USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, is designed to support patients and their caregivers while providing convenient access to the latest research, technology […]

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The American Academy of Neurology has released an updated guideline on how to best treat essential tremor, which is the most common type of tremor disorder and is often confused with other movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. The guideline is published in the October 19, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Essential tremor affects the hands, head and voice and can be disabling for the estimated 10 million people in the United States living with the disorder. […]