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Neurgain

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Neurgain

Sai Kumar

Neurgain

Chronic back pain (traumatic and neuropathic) affects over 26 million Americans, of which about 7 million have spinal stiffness (spasticity).  Current therapeutic management is not working: drugs in use have poor efficacy, and cause undesirable side effects such as resistance, dependency/abuse and other disorders.

The estimated annual economic burden of back pain is over $150 billion.  Our mission is to positively impact this “pain” by means of our patented innovation to provide a therapy that works, improves patient’s quality of life and reduces the overall burden.

Neurgain Technologies, Inc., is a Delaware Corporation founded to license, develop and commercialize the technologies arising from Dr. Martin Marsala’s regenerative medical research at the University of California-San Diego (UCSD).  The innovation is distinguished by a unique combination of a novel delivery method and a specially designed device for practicing it, both of which are patented.

The delivery method has been validated in both rodent and swine models; and we have verified the satisfactory functionality of a proof-of-concept device prototype.

Special Guest:

Sai Kumar, Principal, DiligentCXO

Neurgain

ADHD

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ADHD

This week I was pleased to sit down with ADHD expert, Elaine Taylor-Klaus of ImpactADHD.com.  As a parent of three children who each have experienced some measure of ADHD in their lives, and as a patient who subsequently discovered that she, too, was an ADHD patient.

CDC.gov lists these statistics about ADHD:

  • Approximately 11% of children 4-17 years of age (6.4 million) have been diagnosed with ADHD as of 2011.
  • The percentage of children with an ADHD diagnosis continues to increase, from 7.8% in 2003 to 9.5% in 2007 and to 11.0% in 2011.
  • Rates of ADHD diagnosis increased an average of 3% per year from 1997 to 2006 [Read article] and an average of approximately 5% per year from 2003 to 2011.
  • Boys (13.2%) were more likely than girls (5.6%) to have ever been diagnosed with ADHD.
  • The average age of ADHD diagnosis was 7 years of age, but children reported by their parents as having more severe ADHD were diagnosed earlier.

With just over 1 in 10 children experiencing ADHD or one of its sub-types, it’s a significant disruptor of quality of life for many, many people.  We talked about how frustrating it can be for parents of hyper-active ADHD children and how she, herself, learned first-hand how challenging it can be to keep calm and avoid yelling to reign in their high energy kid(s).

Given her experiences in her own home, Elaine and a business partner, Diane Dempster, decided to start ImpactADHD.com.  The website serves as a resource for parents struggling to find answers for questions on how to better handle the stresses that comes with ADHD children.

The site provides recommendations for identifying suitable physicians and other professionals who can help with diagnosis and treatment.  Additionally, the organization provides a coaching approach to help parents learn other ways to communicate and how to deal with stress, among others.

ImpactADHD.com describes what they do this way, “ImpactADHD.com helps parents help their kids with ADHD and ADD, anywhere, anytime. ImpactADHD uses a combination of training, coaching and support resources, online and on the phone, to provide the “how to” that parents really need, whether they are new to the world of complex kids, or worn-out from years of management. By helping parents put strategies into action, and teaching them to make those strategies work best for their families, we guide parents to radically improve family life and empower their kids for independence and success.”

Special Guest:

Elaine Taylor-Klaus, CEO/Certified Coach, ImpactADHD  facebook_logo_small3  twitter_logo_small  Pinterest LOGO  google-plus-logo-red-265px  feed-logo  linkedin_small1

ImpactADHD

  • Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, The Coaches Training Institute
  • Professional Certified Coach, International Coach Federation
  • BA, College of Social Studies & Sociology, Wesleyan College
  • Parent of 3 children who have experienced ADHD, along with herself, who was diagnosed as an adult
  • Member, National Board of Directors, Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.  CHADD.org

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National Parkinson Foundation

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National Parkinson Foundation

This week we sat down with the President and CEO of National Parkinson Foundation, Joyce Oberdorf and Larry Kahn, CEO/Founder of PD Gladiators, a man who develoed early-onset Parkinson disease.  Approximately 1 Million people are living with Parkinson disease in the US today.  The National Parkinson Foundation’s website describes Parkinson disease this way, “Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive movement disorder, meaning that symptoms continue and worsen over time. Nearly one million people in the US are living with Parkinson’s disease. The cause is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage its symptoms.

Parkinson’s involves the malfunction and death of vital nerve cells in the brain, called neurons. Parkinson’s primarily affects neurons in the an area of the brain called the substantia nigra. Some of these dying neurons produce dopamine, a chemical that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. As PD progresses, the amount of dopamine produced in the brain decreases, leaving a person unable to control movement normally.”

Joyce came by to talk about research the National Parkinson Foundation is supporting that is aimed at improving the quality of life of patients living with the disease today.  They seek to share best practices that show promise among providers, with regard to the pace of progression and/or severity of symptoms so these persons can enjoy life more fully, longer.

She brought Larry Kahn, founder of PD Gladiators, a boxing gym exclusively for PD patients that was launched after Larry learned about and experienced the benefits of vigorous exercise on his symptoms.  He shared his poignant story about learning he has PD (after having had it missed over a year earlier by his initial doctor), how he and his wife approached the diagnosis, and how/why he started PD Gladiators.  Larry and Joyce talked about research that has shown the benefits of vigorous exercise on cognitive function among ALL of us, including PD patients.  They endeavor to share that information widely so that more PD patients can receive the reparative benefits themselves.

We talked about the resources needed by the National Parkinson Foundation and Larry that will enable them to further advance awareness and quality of life among Parkinson disease patients.  We hope you share this podcast, as the information they shared will very likely help someone you care about who’s suffering with Parkinson today.

Special Guests:

Joyce Oberdorf, President and CEO, National Parkinson Foundation  linkedin_small1  facebook_logo_small3  twitter_logo_small  feed logo  youtube logo

Joyce

Larry Kahn, Founder, CEO, PD Gladiators  linkedin_small1  twitter_logo_small  facebook_logo_small3

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Alzheimer’s Research

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Alzheimer’s Research

This week we sat down with experts in neurologic diseases and alzheimer’s research.  According to the CDC,

  • In 2013, as many as 5 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s disease.1
  • The symptoms of the disease first appear after age 60 and the risk increases with age.
  • Younger people may get Alzheimer’s disease, but it is less common.
  • The number of people with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65.
  • By 2050, this number is projected to rise to 14 million, a nearly three-fold increase.1

This devastating disease currently has no cure.  In our ongoing mission to get the word out about important research and health solutions available in our community we focused this week on studies and solutions that will likely have a marked impact on patient outcomes.

We were joined by Dr. Marshall Nash, a neurologist whose practice is focused on investigating a variety of diseases of the brain, including alzheimer’s disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease and others.  He shared his personal story of how as a teenager he learned a family member was developing dementia and at the time there was essentially nothing that could be done for them.  He talked about how the experience potentially influenced his decision to focus on neurology as his clinical field in medical school.  His practice has transitioned from a neurology practice to one focused on research.  We discussed the Tommorrow Study, in which they are looking to find older adults from 65-83 who are in essentially good health that they can evaluate for potential to develop dementia/alzheimer’s as well as effectiveness of medications to slow/prevent progression if it does occur.

We also spoke with a gentleman in studio whose wife has been a participant in a study with Dr. Nash’s practice, and who has since learned that he also carries genetic markers that place him at risk for alzheimer’s/dementia.  He shared his perspective on how being a part of Dr. Nash’s research helped him and his wife.  He gave advice to folks in the community to talk about changes in mental function/memory with their physicians and his view on the value of knowing if you or a loved one is at risk for developing alzheimer’s/dementia.

Jim Schwoebel, co-founder of Neurolaunch came by to talk about their organization that serves as an incubator/accelerator for start-ups focused on addressing neurologic diseases.  Neurolaunch helps device companies, emerging pharma, and researchers commercialize their ideas to help get them to the community more quickly.  Jim talked about how long it can take to go from idea/research to a product or medication to reach the community in need these solutions serve.  He introduced us to Alex Turjman, CEO of Cognition Medical.

Cognition Medical is a company developing a device to be used in treating acute strokes.  We know that during the acute phase of stroke, the area of damage can be extended in some patients when blood flow is re-established quickly (called reperfusion injury).  Their device helps modulate the rate that blood flow is resumed to the injured area of the brain, preventing the reperfusion injury from occurring.  Alex shared how interfacing with Neurolaunch has helped them make progress on the development of their device, bringing them closer to making the device available to patients in need.

Special Guests:

Dr. Marshall Nash, MD, of Neurostudies.net 

 

Jim Schwoebel, Co-founder of Neurolaunch 

 

Alex Turjman, CEO of Cognition Medical 

 

Bob B., Significant Other of an Alzheimer’s patient