Posted on: Sunday, 6 March 2011, 00:02 CST

Proceeds from the event will be used to fund important research projects, medical symposiums and education. since the commencement of Time for Lyme’s fundraising efforts in 2001, it has raised nearly $5 million and partnered with Columbia University Medical Center to create its Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Research Center.

Greenwich, CT (PRWEB) March 4, 2011

Time for Lyme will honor Ally Hilfiger with the Star Light Award and Richard Gerstner and Dr. Karen Newell with the Lauren F. Brooks Hope Award, at its fundraiser, “Illusions of Lyme,” on April 2 at the Hilton Hotel in Stamford. Time for Lyme is a Greenwich-based non-profit that funds research on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

Hilfiger, 26, daughter of fashion icon and Greenwich resident Tommy Hilfiger, recently launched a new fashion line and is a film producer, actress and reality show star. She’s accomplished all this despite facing a 19-year battle with Lyme disease.

Time for Lyme selected Hilfiger for the award because she is an avid spokesperson about the obstacles faced by the thousands of people afflicted with the disease. Faced with a myriad of afflictions, Hilfiger underwent years of misdiagnoses from ‘growing pains‘ to multiple sclerosis.

“We are thrilled Ally Hilfiger has joined us to help dispel the myth that Lyme symptoms are imagined. Thousands of people are told that their symptoms are “illusions”, by practitioners who are not well enough versed in the disease’s indicators” said Deb Siciliano, a co-founder of Time for Lyme.

Also honored at the gala for his unfaltering commitment to making strides in the battle against Lyme will be Richard Gerstner, who faced a long battle with Lyme during his tenure at IBM and his subsequent career in the venture capital arena. Gerstner, whose affliction made him so ill he was unable to work over a two-year period, like Hilfiger, underwent many misdiagnoses and unnecessary surgeries in an attempt to regain his heath.

He will receive the Lauren Brooks Hope Award, named for Lauren Brooks, a former board member for Time for Lyme who gave unconditional support and education to throngs of families looking for guidance in face of the disease. Brooks lost her life in 2007, and her passion and tireless effort will live on in this special award in her name honoring those who are making strides in research, treatment and, ultimately, a cure.

Past recipients of the award include Nobel Laureate Dr. Luc Montagnier and world-renown pediatrician Dr. Charles Ray Jones.

Thanks to Gerstner’s initial grant and subsequent grants from Time for Lyme, Dr. M. Karen Newell will receive the Lauren Brooks Hope Award at the event. Dr. Newell is conducting groundbreaking research in unraveling the complexities behind chronic Lyme disease and is contributing to making great progress toward treatment and a cure.

Newell’s commitment to researching and developing a protocol to treat Lyme and other tick-borne diseases includes a discovery that certain immune characteristics may contribute to whether a person is susceptible or resistant to the development of chronic inflammation as a result of infection .

“The idea behind our research is that those with a genetic blueprint that does not allow certain self-peptides to be processed or removed tend to mount an auto-reactive or chronic inflammatory immune response,” Newell says. Her theory proposes a “targeted” peptide to replace or remove the self-peptides and restore a healthy immune response in patients. The study aims to shed light on the chronic inflammatory response and symptoms shared by a significant subset of Lyme disease patients.

“It is our hope that the work of Dick Gerstner and Karen Newell will reinforce the importance of proper diagnosis and lead to improved testing and prognosis for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases,” said Diane Blanchard, co-founder with Siciliano of Time for Lyme. “We’ve selected these honorees because we believe they will encourage others to join in and continue a steadfast battle against Lyme, despite so many children and adults having their hopes dashed by ineffective testing and widespread lack of accessibility to treatment.”

The Gala will be chaired by Scott Mitchell of the high-end fashion retail store Richards of Greenwich and will feature world-renowned mentalist and illusionist Shimshi, entertainment and a live and silent auction.

Proceeds from the event will be used to fund important research projects, medical symposiums and education. since the commencement of Time for Lyme’s fundraising efforts in 2001, it has raised nearly $5 million and partnered with Columbia University Medical Center to create its Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Research Center. The Columbia Center is led by the efforts of Dr. Brian Fallon and has made significant progress in demonstrating the impact of Lyme disease on the brain and in identifying biomarkers in order to lead to improved diagnostic test and, importantly, more effective treatment.

In addition to funding research, Time for Lyme raises money to combat and prevent other tick-borne diseases through education, outreach, public policy initiatives, information-sharing and support.

Illusions of Lyme will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 2 at the Hilton Stamford Hotel. for tickets or more information, call 646-502-9374 or visit timeforlyme.org.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/03/prweb5123314.htm

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Untreated symptoms can often bring on feelings of low self-esteem or low mood. the ADHD adult can be a high achiever, for example, but her disorganization holds her back from unmet goals that then lead to poor self-image. of course, symptoms may lead her straight to a bout with depression or even chronic anxiety.

What’s more, these individuals are also more likely to smoke; smoking is twice as common among people in this population. Researchers at Columbia University are studying smokers who have ADHD symptoms; they are interested in the effects of the drug methylphenidate and whether it might reduce symptoms of ADHD as well as tobacco withdrawal. Research like this may help us better understand the disorder.

Yet the tendencies of the ADHD adult can also be directed to one’s advantage. Some, for instance, are hyper-focused on tasks that interest them. That’s why professions such as medicine, science, or art may be better suited for these individuals. It’s no surprise, then, that people like Albert Einstein, John Lennon, and Beethoven are said to have had symptoms of ADHD.

Sometimes, just being aware of the symptoms can be a big help. what you may not know is that there are three types of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive. while all types affect executive function, each one has its own quirks. Here are some signs to look for:

The inattentive ADHD adult is pretty much a disorganized person. She often gets bored and easily distracted, losing herself in daydreams. with little attention to detail, she can make careless mistakes. All of which leads to an inability to focus and follow instructions. Conversely, this person can focus too much on tasks of interest and can even underestimate the time needed to complete these tasks. This can fuel procrastination and lateness. Don’t be too put off as the inattentive ADHD adult can appear aloof or even arrogant.

The hyperactive suffers restlessness, even fidgety hands and feet. It’s not surprising to find this person squirming in general. He also is known to talk excessively, hopping from one topic to another. She may be dogged by feelings of being overwhelmed.

The impulsive type may suffer irritability, anger, and impatience. She, in fact, cannot curb her reactions. in interactions with others, he may speak without thinking, interrupt others, and suffer poor timing. these people sometimes suffer addictions like impulsive shopping or even eating disorders.

Many people who have ADHD see marked improvement through a combination of talk therapy and medication. But each person is different, so treatment plans must be tailored to the individual. Here are some steps you can take to combat ADHD. first, consult a mental health professional and ask for a thorough assessment covering everything from attention span to medical exam. also ask about medications such as Ritalin and Adderall. different drugs, however, work for different individuals; you may have to try one and then another. plus, studying up on ADHD will help as well as building skills like using to-do lists, day planners, and filing systems. You can also divide large tasks into smaller more manageable ones, that way you will not feel so overwhelmed. if you need further tools to manage your behavior, try meditation or relaxation techniques. and lastly, turning to others by joining an ADHD support group will let you know you are not alone.

A new Roche drug that treats the listlessness and apathy experienced by schizophrenics is “the most exciting development in the therapeutics of schizophrenia in a long time,” according to a top psychiatry researcher.

The researcher, Columbia University’s Jeffrey Lieberman, is excited because the new medicine, RG1678, works entirely differently from the drugs that preceded it, was designed rationally, and treats symptoms of the disease that current entrants don’t address.

Lieberman played a pivotal role in testing current big selling schizophrenia drugs such as Eli Lilly’s Zyprexa, Pfizer’s Geodon and Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka’s Abilify. But he also ran a large clinical trial, run by the National Institutes of Health, that has been widely interpreted as meaning that advantages of these drugs, known as second-generation antipsychotics, are more limited than doctors originally thought.

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However, Lieberman cautions, longer studies are going to be critical in proving if this drug works. Roche, which released the results in a press release, says that bigger clinical trials are being conducted with the hope of filing for regulatory approval.

Roche’s medicine is important not just because it works in a new way, but also because it treats symptoms of schizophrenia that other medicines don’t. Most drugs are targeted against the so-called positive symptoms of schizophrenia, the obvious, acute problems like hallucinations. RG1678 is being tested as a treatment for the negative symptoms of the disease, which include apathy and poor or nonexistent social functioning. these problems can be debilitating for schizophrenic patients, who experience them very frequently. Roche hopes that the first use of RG1678 will be in patients who are on other schizophrenia drugs, but who need relief from the negative symptoms of the disease.

Although Roche said that patients who did not withdraw from the study had a significant reduction in negative symptoms, the drug did have side effects. There was a panic attack, a suicide attempt, and a case of anxiety in the drug group, and there was a dose-dependent decrease in hemoglobin that was not considered clinically significant.