Cuba Advances in Surgical Treatment for Epilepsy

[Mika]

Cuba Advances in Surgical Treatment for Epilepsy
http://www.cubanews.ain.cu/2009/1203cirugía_epilepsia.htm

HAVANA, Cuba, March 12 (acn) Dr. Luisa Rocha, professor of the Mexican Basic Research and Advanced Studies on Epilepsy, pointed out the progress made by Cuba in that field.

Rocha was one of the experts that, along with specialists of the International Centres for Neurological Restoration (CIREN), started to use surgery for epilepsy resistant to medicament treatment, known as refractory epilepsy five years ago. This procedure has been successfully applied on 25 Cuban patients, reducing the crises to a minimum extent with fewer medicaments, thus improving their quality of life.

In Latin America, this technique is also implemented in Mexico, Argentina and Chile, recognized by the International League against Epilepsy, said the doctor.

Dr. Rocha highlighted the tight collaboration between Mexico and Cuba for many years, which has included electro-physiological studies.

She said there are experts of the National Autonomous University of Mexico currently working with the island on other research.

She said studies on epilepsy continue between Mexican and CIREN specialists, who are specifically working with dried tissues up from patients who underwent surgery in order to find out what are the causes that lead to that condition.

The results of that study were presented during the 3rd International Conference on Neurological Restoration underway in Havana, with more than 300 experts from some 20 countries in attendance.

Rocha highly valued CIREN's international program of neurological restoration and noted that the Cuban scientists have a very important vision on how to lead research and how to implement its results to fix certain health problems, such as epilepsy, in spite of economic limitations imposed by the U.S blockade.

[Idealism]

1. Good article on hard to come by information

Thanks for keeping us informed as usual Mika!

[Judi Lynn]

2. Another GREAT step forward for Cuban researchers. Look for this breakthrough to be followed

in the U.S. with a sudden diversion, like another announcement from the Heritage Foundation that Cuba has dual-use biological research, like the time they had John Bolton speaking on that subject on the eve of former President Jimmy Carter's ground-breaking trip to Cuba, during which he made a speech to the Cuban people carried live simultaneously over all Cuban radio and tv stations.

They don't get ANY press here, but they surely do everywhere else, and they are greatly respected all over the world.

Thanks for the new information, Mika. These people are amazing.