Chronic CerebroSpinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI) has been described as a hemodynamic disturbance of the CNS venous drainage. The theory being that CCSVI results from obstructing lesions of the extra-cranial veins in the CNS drainage pathway. Venous hypertension, as a result of the impaired venous drainage seen with CCSVI, is postulated to play a role in […]

Michael Arata, MD, Frances DeBarge-Igoe, RN, Piay DeGuzman Synergy Health Concepts, Newport Beach, CA. BACKGROUND: Jugular venous angioplasty has been performed as a treatment for a condition described as CCSVI. The efficacy of this treatment been challenged as being attributed to a placebo effect or that objective data is lacking and reported responses to treatment […]

Michael Arata, MD1;Prabhjot (Nina) Grewal, MD1; Steven Cen, PhD2; Frances DeBarge-Igoe, RN1. 1Synergy Health Concepts, Newport Beach, CA 2USC Dept of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy PURPOSE: to evaluate the changes in blood pressure that occur following jugular vein balloon dilation in patients exhibiting symptomatic autonomic dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: a retrospective chart review was performed […]

M. ARATA1, S. Cen2; BACKGROUND: The FDA recently stated, “the criteria used to diagnose CCSVI have not been adequately established. Therefore, data to support CCSVI as a clinical entity on its own or its relationship with MS are inconclusive and at times, contradictory.” Patients seeking treatment for CCSVI present with a number of symptoms that […]

EM Haacke1,2, PhD, D Utriainen1, BS, S Sethi1, MS, W Feng2, PhD, JJ Hewett3, MD, M Arata3, MD 1MR Innovations, 2Wayne State University, 3Pacific Interventionalists INTRODUCTION: Quantitative imaging of CCSVI using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides an opportunity to study not just anatomical abnormalities1-8 but also the ability to quantify flow2,3,4,7,9. These two pieces of […]

This publication is based on the evaluation of 323 MRV’s performed at Synergy Health Concepts. It is important in that it uses accepted methods of determining cerebral blood flow (the total amount of blood going to the brain). Patients with more advanced MS had reduced cerebral blood flow. It also confirms a significant reduction in […]