wow - come see this

[Guest guest]

Hi folks,

Seidman helped us get a special program for our Spring Connection on

Sunday, May 21 in Burlington, MA and boy did he get a slam dunk !!! If you are

within any reasonable drive, this will be worth your drive to attend.

Leigh Hochberg, MD, PHD, is the presenter to talk about the BrainGate

clinical trials to test an amazing brain computer interface that translates

thoughts into making things happen - to control devices using your

thoughts!

Currently, the trial underway is for ALS patients.

Here's a quote from Dr. Hochberg from an article:

" The goals of this study are to investigate the safety and feasibility of the

BrainGate System in people living with ALS or other motor neuron

diseases, " commented Leigh R. Hochberg, M.D., Ph.D., of MGH, Principal

Investigator

for the study and Instructor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. " If

study participants are able to gain control over a computer cursor with the

BrainGate System, this could open the door to controlling a broad range of

other

devices, including assistive communication devices, speech synthesizers, and,

eventually, devices to re-enable limb movement. Furthermore, by recording

neural activity over time in participants with ALS, this study may help to

provide additional insights into the neurodegenerative process that occurs with

this complex disease. "

This is a door I'd like to see opened!!! As I've said before, I believe in

an eventual cure for all of us but where that silver bullet will come from is

anyone's guess. It is exciting to hear about all the different things

researchers are looking into for our conditions and related ones.

There is no cost to attend this Spring Connection, which will be from 2:00 -

4:00 p.m. We may plan a social lunch to occur before the Connection and

people will pay for their own meals. Donations for SPF Research Awards will

be

taken.

Registration is required, as there are limited seats for this. So email me

right away on that.

Here's are article about BrainGate:

_http://www.extrahandsforals.org/mt/archives/000455.html_

(http://www.extrahandsforals.org/mt/archives/000455.html)

And also get back to me right away about our first Women's Retreat. It will

be at a Best Western near the Tampa airport the weekend of October 13. The

hotel only has 2 fully accessible rooms and it appears that will suit us

(Donna gets one) so we are going to go with that plan. Tawny (has a master's

in

clinical psyc) will help me organize the weekend with our sessions. Di -

can you come or help with our organization of this Retreat?

And while I have your attention.......... the SPF 2006 National Conference

and TeamWalk Weekend will be on Long Island the weekend of Sept. 15. The

TeamWalk will be held at Wantagh Park (on the southshore of Long Island) and

Betsy is currently looking into hotels for the Conference. We hope that Dr.

Fink will again be a keynote speaker and Annette will be inviting him (keep

your

fingers crossed). It will be another fabulous weekend with leading experts

and other sessions, fun, support, networking, etc. You'd fly into one of the

NYC airports.

best,

Kathi