Research Areas

At Outpost Research Partnership, we are beginning a basic research programs to further our understanding of neurological diseases. Since many neurological diseases are being treated without a clear understanding of what causes the disease, we are initiating our research program with three studies: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Multiple Sclerosis, and Oligodendroglioma. It is our goal to set up a basic research laboratory to use new techniques, such as genetic analysis, as well as classic techniques, such as tissue culture, to identify how these disease processes start within the nervous system. It is our focus to test and experiment for causation of these diseases. With the growth of our program, we hope to obtain laboratory equipment, a place to conduct our study, and a PhD professional with training in the techiques listed above. 

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

 

 

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and verbal and non-verbal communication, and sometimes by restricted, repetitive, or stereotyped behavior. The autism spectrum disorder is determined by a diagnosis of one or more of the following disorders: autistic disorder, Asberger disorder, pervasive developmental disorder. 

 

This study is focused to help healthcare professionals further their understanding of ASD, learn more about the effectiveness of Zoloft® on children with ASD, gather preliminary data that may be used in future studies and treatment plans, and determine the rate of responding patients. Participation in this study is free; eligibility of the patient is verified by Dr. Rosenthal during a brief examination. 

 

Participants partake in clinic vists, phone interviews, and home observations. ASD severity of the patient is observed every month for six months to help determine positive or negative efficacy of the Zoloft® medication based on assessment of symptomatic and behavioral changes.

 

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

 

 

Multiple Sclerosis is an immune-mediated disease in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This disrupts the ability of parts of the nervous system to communicate, resulting in a wide range of signs and symptoms, including physical, mental, and psychiatric problems. It is unknown as to which specific target antigen immune cells attack throughout the central nervous system. 

 

Our goal is to understand how this disease works and its mechanism for function. Our study is using a lymphocytic flow cytometry as our assay to analyze the discrepencies of lymphocytic cells in MS patients.