MedWorm: Autism

Sleep problems in autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence, nature, & possible biopsychosocial aetiologies

Sleep Medicine Reviews — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:10:23 +0100

This article summarizes and evaluates the current literature related to a) the higher prevalence of a sleep problem compared to typically developing children, b) the specific types of sleep problems for people with an ASD, and c) the possible aetiology of sleep problems in the ASDs within a biopsychosocial framework. It is concluded that recent studies confirm that the majority of this population are likely to experience sleep difficulties, with settling issues in children with an ASD the most commonly reported. However, exploration of the types of sleep difficulties and associated aetiological factors in the ASDs is still in its infancy. (Source: Sleep Medicine Reviews)

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Record Number Of Researchers, Advocates, Parents Drawn To Autism Consortium Symposium For Autism Update

Autism News From Medical News Today — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0100

The Autism Consortium, an innovative collaboration of researchers, clinicians, funders and families dedicated to catalyzing research and enhancing clinical care for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), held its fourth annual symposium on October 28th, 2009, at Harvard Medical School in Boston. (Source: Autism News From Medical News Today)

Chelation Therapy Drug Found Safe And Beneficial For Children With Autism

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0100

Two studies published by the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in the October issue of BMC Clinical Pharmacology investigated the use of oral dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), a prescription medicine approved by the FDA for treating lead poisoning, and used off-label in these studies for treating heavy metal toxicity in children with autism. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Chelation Therapy Drug Found Safe And Beneficial For Children With Autism

Autism News From Medical News Today — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0100

What Is The Value Of A Life?

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:16:53 +0100

I was once told that I shouldn't have kids, because the child could be born with Asperger's, like me. I answered with a question - "Would you have given the same advice to my parents?""Well," came the answer, "look at all the difficulties you've had, and the pain you've had to endure...surely you wouldn't wish that on a child." Well, it's true that living my life with Asperger's has often been difficult. Yes, I have dealt with my fair share of pain and rejection... In a perfect world I wouldn't want a child to go through the same issues. But I also had to wonder...is life just about avoiding pain? Or is there something more? Looking back on my life, I find that the most painful experiences taught me the most valuable lessons. But, you n...

What is smart?

Psychology Today Personality Center — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:07:53 +0100

"He's such a bright little boy!" My mother and her friends said things like that all the time, as they pointed to me when they thought I wasn't paying attention. Now that I'm grown, I can let them in on a secret: There was never a time when I didn't pay attention to grownups as a kid. I watched them really close, all the time. I may not have understood everything I heard, but I surely took it all in. But what did it mean? I got a new bike, and my mother said, "What a pretty red bicycle!" Everyone who saw it said the same thing. It was a nice, red bike. The attributes didn't change. It was always a bike, and always red. No one ever called it blue or green, because colors were absolute. Something was either red or green; it didn't change at your whim or mine. Unfortunately, phrases like, "Br...

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[Seminar] Autism

LANCET — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Autism spectrum disorders are characterised by severe deficits in socialisation, communication, and repetitive or unusual behaviours. Increases over time in the frequency of these disorders (to present rates of about 60 cases per 10 000 children) might be attributable to factors such as new administrative classifications, policy and practice changes, and increased awareness. Surveillance and screening strategies for early identification could enable early treatment and improved outcomes. Autism spectrum disorders are highly genetic and multifactorial, with many risk factors acting together. Genes that affect synaptic maturation are implicated, resulting in neurobiological theories focusing on connectivity and neural effects of gene expression. Several treatments might address core and com...

Psychosis, Affective Disorders and Anxiety in Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Prevalence and Nosological Considerations

Karger Publishers — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Psychopathology 2010;43:8-16 (DOI:10.1159/000255958) (Source: Karger Publishers)

Autism Consortium Symposium - Autism Update

Disabled World — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:59:10 +0100

Autism Consortium symposium draws record number of researchers, advocates, parents for autism update. The Autism Consortium, an innovative collaboration of researchers, clinicians, funders and families dedicated to catalyzing research and enhancing clinical care for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), held its fourth annual symposium on October 28th, 2009, at Harvard Medical School in Boston. (Source: Disabled World)

Exploring Genetic Susceptibility to Autism: An Expert Interview With Hakon Hakonarson, MD, PhD

Medscape Today Headlines — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:55:18 +0100

Dr. Hakon Hakonarson reviews the latest findings on genetic susceptibility to autism spectrum disorders and discusses what impact they might have on clinical practice in the future. Medscape Genomic Medicine (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Chelation Therapy Drug Found Safe and Beneficial for Children With Autism

Drugs.com - Clinical Trials — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:02:44 +0100

The Autism Research Institute calls for further investigations into the use of chelation therapy for individuals with autism SAN DIEGO, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Two studies published by the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in... (Source: Drugs.com - Clinical Trials)

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Autism Consortium symposium draws record number of researchers, advocates, parents for autism update

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0100

(Autism Consortium) The Autism Consortium, an innovative collaboration of researchers, clinicians, funders and families dedicated to catalyzing research and enhancing clinical care for autism spectrum disorders, held its fourth annual symposium on Oct. 28, 2009, at Harvard Medical School in Boston. The meeting gave scientists, clinicians, advocates and parents an opportunity to gather for the latest information on causes of autism and their implications for diagnosis, prognosis and therapies for people with autism spectrum disorders. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

The Triad of Impairment in Autism Revisited

Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Exceptional pioneering work in the late 1970s gave rise to the concept of the triad of impairments as the central plank of the construct of autism: impaired communication; impaired social skills; and a restricted and repetitive way of being-in-the-world. This clear articulation of the structures of the phenomena allowed a new way for professionals and families to see and understand autism, and to relate to those with autism. Like the evolution of many concepts, this was a transitional idea. The original triad of impairments described the behavioral manifestation; the actual triad of impairments is at the level of cognitive processing. The actual triad of impairment is static and ubiquitous unlike the variable and fluctuating behavioral manifestation. The actual triad of impair...

Recommended Childhood Vaccines Safe for Children With Inborn Errors of Metabolism

Medscape Today Headlines — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:31:10 +0100

A preliminary study found no evidence of serious adverse events, including autism, in children with inborn errors of metabolism who received recommended childhood immunizations. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

Pediatric safety of tizanidine: clinical adverse event database and retrospective chart assessment.

Paediatric Drugs — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:10:02 +0100

Authors: Henney HR, Chez M Tizanidine is an imidazoline with central alpha(2)-adrenoceptor agonist activity at both spinal and supraspinal levels, which is indicated as a short-acting drug for the management of spasticity. Despite being used in pediatric populations, there is no adequate information or well controlled studies to document the safety and efficacy of tizanidine in this group. To evaluate the safety of tizanidine in the pediatric population. We compared spontaneous adverse event reports in the Acorda Therapeutics worldwide clinical adverse event database for children (</=16 years; n = 99) and adults (>16 years; n = 1153) who had received tizanidine and for whom at least one adverse event was reported, and performed a retrospective chart review of the safety of tizani...

NIH Awards More than 50 Grants to Boost Search for Causes, Improve Treatments for Autism

National Institutes of Health (NIH) News Releases — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:55:00 +0100

The National Institutes of Health has awarded more than 50 autism research grants, totaling more than $65 million, which will be supported with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. These grants are the result of the largest funding opportunity for research on autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to date, announced in March 2009. (Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH) News Releases)

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Psychiatrists debate Asperger's label

CBC | Health — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:04:19 +0100

Some medical authorities are proposing to take Asperger's syndrome out of the next edition of psychiatry's diagnostic manual. (Source: CBC | Health)

NHS staff get employment rights 'Passport'

OnMedica Latest News — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

New guide will help workers faced with transfer to new employersRelated items from OnMedicaBMA concern over Tory NHS computer plansNew GMC regulations won't protect patientsGPs get social entrepreneurship advice'Trapped' migrant fights for NHS careGovernment unveils new autism czar (Source: OnMedica Latest News)

Managers warned off mass redundancies

OnMedica Latest News — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

£20 billion NHS savings must come from smart thinking not staff cullsRelated items from OnMedicaBMA concern over Tory NHS computer plansNew GMC regulations won't protect patientsGPs get social entrepreneurship advice'Trapped' migrant fights for NHS careGovernment unveils new autism czar (Source: OnMedica Latest News)

Gyrification patterns in monozygotic twin pairs varying in discordance for autism

Autism Research — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

In order to disentangle genetic and environmental contributions to cortical anomalies in children with autism, we investigated cortical folding patterns in a cohort of 14 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs who displayed a range of phenotypic discordance for autism, and 14 typically developing community controls. Cortical folding was assessed with the gyrification index, which was calculated on high resolution anatomic MR images. We found that the cortical folding patterns across most lobar regions of the cerebral cortex was highly discordant within MZ twin pairs. In addition, children with autism and their co-twins exhibited increased cortical folding in the right parietal lobe, relative to age- and gender-matched typical developing children. Increased folding in the right parietal lobe was assoc...

Patterns of Time Processing Ability in Children with and without Developmental Disabilities

Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions The level of TPA seems to be a more valid overall base than the type of diagnosis for the planning of interventions in daily time management. (Source: Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities)

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Health News of the Day

Clinical Cases and Images — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:42:00 +0100

is a daily summary made from the selected links I post on Twitter. It is in a bullet points format with links to the original sources which include 350 RSS feeds that produce about 2,500 items per day:How long does hepatitis B vaccine protection last? More than 2 decades http://bit.ly/4lhMlHLarge trials required to clarify whether sodium bicarbonate has value for prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy http://bit.ly/yOE45List of Medical Journal Feeds Arranged by Topic - the University of Wisconsin http://bit.ly/4zxxdgNYT interviews researcher behind Gleevec for CML, "converting a fatal cancer into a manageable chronic condition" http://bit.ly/4cnIzEThe beginning of the end for impact factors and journals - Richard Smith in BMJ http://bit.ly/1KEF7B -- Most popular article ever published...

Autism Treatment Center planning to open new rehab office

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:31:42 +0100

The Autism Treatment Center is working to establish an electronic medical records system to help provide greater care to children and adults in San Antonio with the disorder. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Autism Treatment Center planning to open new rehab office

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:31:42 +0100

Vaccination Safe for Kids With Genetic Disorders

Medscape Today Headlines — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:36:16 +0100

A study shows vaccines in kids with rare disorders do not cause autism or other health problems. WebMD Health News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

IDSA: Vaccination Link to Health Problems Discounted (CME/CE)

MedPage Today Infectious Disease — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:29:18 +0100

PHILADELPHIA (MedPage Today) -- Vaccination does not appear to cause autism or other health problems in children with inborn errors of metabolism, a researcher said here. (Source: MedPage Today Infectious Disease)

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Is autism really on the rise?

Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:21:25 +0100

Photo by Webb Chappell By Ellen Hanson, PhD, Developmental Medicine Center “Has autism increased or hasn’t it?” As a researcher and psychologist with a specialty in developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), this is a question I get all the time. I wish I had a short answer, but I don’t. On the other hand, if you have a few minutes, read on. The question is a really important one. A study just came out in Pediatrics, saying that the prevalence of ASDs is now one in 91 U.S. children – and one in 58 boys. This is much higher than the most recently quoted rate of one in 150. And that is up from one in 1500 in the early 1990s. That jump would scare anyone! But is it real? This should be a “yes” or “no” question, right? But the first thing to remember is...

Smoking in pregnancy increases risk of behavioural problems

OnMedica Latest News — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Behavioural problems signicant by the time children reach threeRelated items from OnMedicaPregnancy complications may increase autism risk Poorest Scottish kids do the least exerciseChanges to health visiting service will put kids at risk Over 50% of premature pupils struggle in schoolDemanding work linked to low-weight and preterm births (Source: OnMedica Latest News)

A comprehensive volumetric analysis of the cerebellum in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Autism Research — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and postmortem neuropathological studies have implicated the cerebellum in the pathophysiology of autism. Controversy remains, however, concerning the nature and the consistency of cerebellar alterations. MRI studies of the cross-sectional area of the vermis have found both decreases and no difference in autism groups. Volumetric analysis of the vermis, which is less prone to "plane of section artifacts" may provide a more reliable assessment of size differences but few such studies exist in the literature. Here we present the results of a volumetric analysis of the structure of the whole cerebellum and its components in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Structural MRI's were acquired from 62 male participants (7.5 to 18.5 years-old) ...

A longitudinal study of gastrointestinal diseases in individuals diagnosed with infantile autism as children

Child: Care, Health and Development — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusion Overall, no evidence was found that patients with IA were more likely than control persons without IA to have defined GI diseases during the 30.3-year observation period. (Source: Child: Care, Health and Development)

Autism and Sleep: Basics for the Clinician

Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology News — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology News 14(2): 9-11 (Source: Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology News)

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Participation of Children with and without Disabilities in Social, Recreational and Leisure Activities

Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Research concerning activity participation should continue to take into account not only whether children are engaging in activities, but explore more precisely 'with whom' these activities are occurring. (Source: Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities)

Employment Experiences, Perspectives, and Wishes of Mothers of Children with Autism in the People's Republic of China

Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions Mothers in this study make sacrifices in their own lives, including employment, in order to promote and provide intervention for their children with autism. These families had fewer services available to them than in many developed Western countries, and most services are at a cost to the parents. Considerations that Chinese mothers of children with autism make regarding their own employment situation are unique. (Source: Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities)

Impact of the Picture Exchange Communication System: Effects on Communication and Collateral Effects on Maladaptive Behaviors.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study investigated the use of PECS with three young boys with autism to determine the impact of PECS training on use of pictures for requesting, use of intelligible words, and maladaptive behaviors. A multiple baseline-probe design with a staggered start was implemented. Results indicated that all of the participants quickly learned to make requests using pictures and that two used intelligible speech following PECS instruction; maladaptive behaviors were variable throughout baseline and intervention phases. Although all of the participants improved in at least one dependent variable, there remain questions regarding who is best suited for PECS and similar interventions. PMID: 19883285 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Augmentative and Alternative Communication)

Emotion Recognition in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Relations to Eye Gaze and Autonomic State.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Bal E, Harden E, Lamb D, Van Hecke AV, Denver JW, Porges SW Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA), heart rate, and accuracy and latency of emotion recognition were evaluated in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and typically developing children while viewing videos of faces slowly transitioning from a neutral expression to one of six basic emotions (e.g., anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise). Children with ASD were slower in emotion recognition and selectively made more errors in detecting anger. ASD children had lower amplitude RSA and faster heart rate. Within the ASD group, children with higher amplitude RSA recognized emotions faster. Less severe ASD symptoms and increased gaze to the eye region in children with ASD were related to more accurate...

Mediators of the Link Between Autistic Traits and Relationship Satisfaction in a Non-Clinical Sample.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study investigated possible mechanisms to explain whether and how autistic traits, measured with the AQ, influence relationship satisfaction in a non-clinical sample of 195 married couples. More autistic traits were associated with lower relationship satisfaction for husbands but not for wives. Multiple mediation analyses revealed that husbands' responsiveness towards their wives, trust, and intimacy mediated this link between autistic traits and relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that autistic traits may hamper men's relationship satisfaction because they impede relationship-specific feelings and behavior. There was no partner-effect of autistic traits, indicating that more autistic traits do not necessarily influence the partner's perceptions of relationship satisfact...

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Impaired Performance on See-Know Tasks Amongst Children with Autism: Evidence of Specific Difficulties with Theory of Mind or Domain-General Task Factors?

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Lind SE, Bowler DM It is widely assumed that children with autism have a diminished understanding of the perception-knowledge relationship, as a specific manifestation of a theory of mind (ToM) impairment. However, such a conclusion may not be justified on the basis of previous studies, which have suffered from significant methodological weaknesses. The current study aimed to avoid such problems by adopting more stringent participant matching methods, using a larger sample (N = 80), and implementing a new, more rigorous control task in order to ensure that non-ToM task factors were not confounding results. After excluding children who failed the control task, it was found that children with autism were moderately impaired in their understanding of the perception-knowledge rela...

A Powerful Identity, a Vanishing Diagnosis

NYT > Health — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:12:17 +0100

Experts want to remove an autism label from a diagnostic manual, but people with the disorder are divided. (Source: NYT > Health)

Seaside Therapeutics begins testing for autism drug

bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:08:06 +0100

Seaside Therapeutics LLC has begun a Phase 1 clinical trial for a drug target designed to treat Fragile X Syndrome, the most common inherited form of mental impairment and the most common known cause of autism. (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Health Insurance headlines)

Seaside Therapeutics begins testing for autism drug

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:08:06 +0100

Art Therapy Meets Digital Art and Social Multimedia

Psychology Today Depression Center — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:25:56 +0100

Traditional materials of 20th century visual arts--drawing, painting, sculpture, and collage or mixed media--have defined the field of art therapy for the past 50 years. In fact, most educational programs that offer art therapy coursework or related degrees require applicants to demonstrate proficiency in drawing, painting, and sculpture as part of prerequisites. But as digital technology has become more accessible and straight-forward, practitioners of art therapy are gradually including digital media as a method and means for client self-expression. Well, maybe...A decade before the explosion of social multimedia [YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, Skype, and the like] and availability of digital art making programs via one's home computer or Internet, I wrote a short text on the topic of computers...

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Symposium Raises Awareness Of Specialists And Pediatricians About GI Disorders In Autism And Identifies Critical Areas For Further Study

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Autism Speaks, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) will host one of the largest gatherings of researchers, clinicians and pediatric specialists to better understand the gastrointestinal (GI) problems in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Cognition Without Control: When a Little Frontal Lobe Goes a Long Way

Current Directions in Psychological Science — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

ABSTRACT[mdash]The prefrontal cortex is crucial for the ability to regulate thought and control behavior. The development of the human cerebral cortex is characterized by an extended period of maturation during which young children exhibit marked deficits in cognitive control. We contend that prolonged prefrontal immaturity is, on balance, advantageous and that the positive consequences of this developmental trajectory outweigh the negative. Particularly, we argue that cognitive control impedes convention learning and that delayed prefrontal maturation is a necessary adaptation for human learning of social and linguistic conventions. We conclude with a discussion of recent observations that are relevant to this claim of evolutionary trade-offs in a wide range of research areas, including a...

The effect of behavioral skills training with general-case training on staff chaining of child vocalizations within natural language paradigm

Behavioral Interventions — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study used behavioral skills training (BST) and general-case training (GCT) in which the experimenter simulated child performance to teach three staff to conduct NLP and response chaining to increase three-link vocal chains in three children with autism. Staff increased their correct NLP performance during post-training in comparison to baseline. Two of three children emitted more vocal chains following training. This study demonstrated that BST and GCT were effective in training NLP and response chaining. When assessing social validity, both Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and teachers did not indicate an increase in staff members' teaching skills. Future research should develop effective technologies to chain vocal behavior and to teach staff and parents to implement respo...

Perception of basic emotions from speech prosody in adolescents with Asperger's syndrome.

Logopedics, Phoniatrics, Vocology. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study focuses on how adolescents with AS (n=12) and their typically developed controls (n=15) recognize the basic emotions happy, sad, angry, and 'neutral' from speech prosody. Adolescents with AS recognized basic emotions from speech prosody as well as their typically developed controls did. Possibly the recognition of basic emotions develops during the childhood. PMID: 19883170 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Logopedics, Phoniatrics, Vocology.)

CDKL5 and ARX mutations are not responsible for early onset severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy

Epilepsy Research — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Summary: Background: Severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy (SMEI) or Dravet syndrome (DS) is a distinctive epilepsy syndrome often associated with de novo mutations in the SCN1A gene. However, 25–30% patients with SMEI/DS are negative for SCN1A mutation screening, suggesting that other molecular mechanisms may account for these disorders. Given the overlapping and heterogeneous clinical features of CDKL5- and ARX-related epilepsies and SMEI/DS, we postulated that CDKL5 mutations in females and ARX mutations gene in males may be associated with early onset seizures forms of SMEI/DS.Methods: Twenty-eight patients with early onset SMEI/DS before 6 months negative for SCN1A mutational screening were selected and screened for mutations in the ARX gene in males (n=14) or the CDKL5 gene in femal...

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Autism spectrum disorder grown up: a chart review of adult functioning.

Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

CONCLUSION: While co-morbid ID and ASD generally imply a poor outcome, for children and youth with ASD and normal range IQ, adult functioning is more variable and difficult to predict. Because of delays in ongoing social development, some of these individuals may attain educational, independent living and relationship goals, but reach them a decade or more later than typical for the general population. PMID: 19881941 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)

Profit Drive Swine Flu Propaganda - Pump Up the Volume - Part VI

NaturalNews.com — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0100

This article is part five in a six-part series. Be sure to read part five at http://www.naturalnews.com/027363_autism_vaccines_swine_flu.htmlMost American are unaware that flu vaccines still contain thimerosal and that to avoid mercury, they have to ask for mercury-free shots. On November 13, 2007, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran the headline: "Most flu shots contain mercury, but few know it."Thimerosal consists of 49.6% ethyl mercury. The Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration have not set an exposure limit for ethyl mercury."The federal agencies have, however, set exposure limits for another organic and closely related form of mercury, methyl mercury - the type that comes from coal-fired power plants and is found in fish," the Journal said. "They use that sta...

Rare structural variants in schizophrenia: one disorder, multiple mutations; one mutation, multiple disorders.

Trends in Genetics : TIG — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Sebat J, Levy DL, McCarthy SE Recent studies have established an important role for rare genomic deletions and duplications in the etiology of schizophrenia. This research suggests that the genetic architecture of neuropsychiatric disorders includes a constellation of rare mutations in many different genes. Mutations that confer substantial risk for schizophrenia have been identified at several loci, most of which have also been implicated in other neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. Genetic heterogeneity is a characteristic of schizophrenia; conversely, phenotypic heterogeneity is a characteristic of all schizophrenia-associated mutations. Both kinds of heterogeneity probably reflect the complexity of neurodevelopment. Research strategies must account for both gen...

Parent Mealtime Actions that Mediate Associations between Children's Fussy-eating and their Weight and Diet.

Appetite — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Hendy HM, Williams KE, Riegel K, Paul C The present study evaluated parent mealtime actions that mediate associations between children's fussy-eating and their weight and diet. Participants included 236 feeding-clinic children in three diagnostic groups: 50 with autism, 84 with other special needs, 102 without special needs. Children's weight was measured as body mass index percentile (BMI%), with only 26.4% of the present sample found to be underweight (BMI% less than 10). Parents reported children's diet variety as the number of 139 common foods accepted, children's FUSSINESS with the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and their own use of four actions from the Parent Mealtime Action Scale: POSITIVE PERSUASION, INSISTENCE ON EATING, SNACK MODELING, SPECIAL MEALS. Multiple ...

I'll Pay You Ten Dollars to Throw That Apple

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:49:07 +0100

I was observing a Speech Therapist work with an autistic child (I consult with a school system in New York). The teacher was sweetly and diligently trying to help him pronounce the word ‘Green.' The boy, we'll call him Alan, threw the apple he was holding at the teacher. It bounced lightly off her.The Speech teacher laughed, and then, realizing that she might have been sending the wrong message, got a stern look on her face. "Alan , look at me," she said. "I am not happy."Alan then went on to do many more minor defiant acts, including sitting in her chair, knocking objects over, leaving his desk and walking around the room, and ignoring her directions.This kind of thing plays out countless times in classrooms and homes everyday. Adults often get caught up in trying to show misbehaving sp...

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Deregulation of EIF4E: a novel mechanism for autism

Journal of Medical Genetics — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:02:04 +0100

Conclusions: These observations implicate EIF4E, and more specifically control of EIF4E activity, directly in autism. The findings raise the exciting possibility that pharmacological manipulation of EIF4E may provide therapeutic benefit for those with autism caused by disturbance of the converging pathways controlling EIF4E activity. (Source: Journal of Medical Genetics)

A voxel-based morphometry comparison of regional gray matter between fragile X syndrome and autism

Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:25:02 +0100

Abstract: The phenotypic association between fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism is well established, but no studies have directly compared whole-brain anatomy between the two disorders. We performed voxel-based morphometry analyses of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans on 10 individuals with FXS, 10 individuals with autism, and 10 healthy comparison subjects to identify volumetric changes in each disorder. Regional gray matter volumes within frontal, parietal, temporal, and cingulate gyri, as well as in the caudate nuclei and cerebellum, were larger in the FXS group relative to the autism group. In addition, volume increases in FXS were observed in frontal gyri and caudate nuclei compared to controls. The autism group exhibited volume increases in frontal and temporal gyri relative to...

A brief summary of the articles appearing in this issue of Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:24:34 +0100

Abnormalities in synapse formation have been described in post-mortem brain tissue from individuals with autism. Daoud et al. (pages 906–910) provide new evidence that a gene that codes for a protein that plays an important role in synapse formation, NLGN4X, is involved in the genetics of autism. They identified a de novo variation in the promotor region of NLGN4X that may be associated with autism. This mutation increased expression levels of the NLGN4X transcripts in a patient with autism and nonsyndromic profound mental retardation. This result provides further insight about the syndromes that might be associated with NLGN4X mutations and it suggests that analyses of NLGN4X expression might detect new cases. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

Autism: The Ups and Downs of Neuroligin

Biological Psychiatry — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:24:34 +0100

The etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), like many other neurodevelopmental disorders, has a significant contribution from genetic sources. Among the first genetic causes of ASD identified were a number of rare chromosomal disorders (). However, these conditions were not really considered causes of idiopathic, “mainstream” autism by many because most of these nonidiopathic disorders had dysmorphic features or other signs that were distinguishable from idiopathic autism. Also, like most other common medical conditions, ASD was presumed to be caused primarily by common genetic variation, under a model whereby a combination of multiple common polymorphisms interacted to cause the condition. (Source: Biological Psychiatry)

October Is Autism Awareness Month In Canada

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0100

An estimated one in 165 Canadian children under the age of six will be identified as having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to the Autism Society Canada. Children with one of these disorders may exhibit difficulties in one or all of three general areas: verbal and non-verbal communication, social interaction or the presence of repetitive or stereotyped interests or behaviour. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Profit Driven Swine Flu Propaganda - Pump Up the Volume - Part Five

NaturalNews.com — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0100

This article is part five in a six-part series. Be sure to read part four at http://www.naturalnews.com/027336_swine_flu_health_propaganda.htmlIn the video commentary titled, Mild Swine Flu and Over-Hyped Vaccine, on the website for the National Vaccine Information Center, the group's co-founder and president, Barbara Loe Fisher, reports: "We are witnessing a roll-out of the largest, most expensive mass vaccination campaign in the history of our nation. A rollout that is bigger than even the polio vaccine campaigns of the 1950's.""If you or your child are injured from getting a flu swine flu shot, you are on your own," Fisher warns."Because Congress shielded the vaccine manufacturers and any person giving swine flu shots from lawsuits if people get hurt," she says. "There is no funded gove...

Vaccination Safe for Kids With Genetic Disorders

WebMD Health — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Vaccination does not appear to cause autism or other health problems -- even in children with certain genetic disorders, a new study suggests. (Source: WebMD Health)

'Gastrointestinal Conditions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders'

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Autism Speaks) A major symposium on gastrointestinal conditions in children with autism will be held Nov. 15, 2009 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, Md., with nationally and internationally known speakers addressing intestinal permeability, inflammatory processes, motility, nutrition, epidemiology, clinical phenotypes and management. It is spearheaded by Autism Speaks' Autism Treatment Network, a network of medical centers dedicated to improving health and health care of individuals with autism. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Wiltshire's Rare Ability

Health News: CBSNews.com — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:04:09 +0100

Expert on Autistic Savants Discusses Various Degees of It People Can Have, and Their Special Talents (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

Trial To Test Whether Behavioral Therapy Can Reduce Anxiety In Young Adolescents With Autism

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0100

The USF Health Rothman Center for Neuropsychiatry in St. Petersburg, FL, is conducting a two-year federal trial testing the effectiveness of behavioral psychotherapy in treating anxiety among young adolescents with autism. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Provost George Grubb highlights autism support

Scotsman.com News - Health — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

LORD Provost George Grubb has held a special lunch to highlight the issues faced by people with autism. (Source: Scotsman.com News - Health)

Identification of chromosome 7 inversion breakpoints in an autistic family narrows candidate region for autism susceptibility

Autism Research — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Chromosomal breaks and rearrangements have been observed in conjunction with autism and autistic spectrum disorders. A chromosomal inversion has been previously reported in autistic siblings, spanning the region from approximately 7q22.1 to 7q31. This family is distinguished by having multiple individuals with autism and associated disabilities. The region containing the inversion has been strongly implicated in autism by multiple linkage studies, and has been particularly associated with language defects in autism as well as in other disorders with language components. Mapping of the inversion breakpoints by FISH has localized the inversion to the region spanning approximately 99-108.75 Mb of chromosome 7. The proximal breakpoint has the potential to disrupt either the coding sequence or ...

Treatment Outcomes for Severe Feeding Problems in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Behavior Modification — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:23:00 +0100

There is abundant research to support that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit challenging feeding behaviors. Despite increase in empirical evidence supporting the role of behavior analysis in treating severe feeding problems, evaluation of the short- and long-term effects of these treatments for a large group of children with ASD is warranted. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate treatment outcomes of an interdisciplinary feeding program for 46 children with ASD. A retrospective chart analysis indicated these children were treated successfully overall and follow-up data suggest gains were maintained following discharge from the program. (Source: Behavior Modification)

Identifying Stimuli that Alter Immediate and Subsequent Levels of Vocal Stereotypy: A Further Analysis of Functionally Matched Stimulation

Behavior Modification — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:23:00 +0100

We used a three-component multiple-schedule with a brief reversal design to evaluate the effects of structurally unmatched and matched stimuli on immediate and subsequent vocal stereotypy that was displayed by three children with autism spectrum disorders. For 2 of the 3 participants, access to matched stimuli, unmatched stimuli, and music decreased immediate levels of vocal stereotypy; however, with the exception of matched stimuli for one participant, none of the stimuli produced a clear abolishing operation for subsequent vocal stereotypy. That is, vocal stereotypy typically increased to baseline levels shortly after alternative stimulation was removed. Detection of motivating operations for each participant’s vocal stereotypy was aided by the analysis of component distributions. ...

Disturbed Energy Metabolism May Be a Factor in Some Autism Spectrum Disorders

Medscape Neurology & Neurosurgery Headlines — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:33:28 +0100

A new study shows autistic features in more than 6.5% of patients with suspected mitochondrial dysfunction. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Neurology & Neurosurgery Headlines)

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Prototype formation in autism: Can individuals with autism abstract facial prototypes?

Autism Research — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This study used a natural category, faces, to further examine prototype formation in high-functioning individuals with autism. High-functioning children (age 8-13 years) and adults with autism (age 17-53 years) and matched controls were tested in a facial prototype formation task that has been used to test prototype formation abilities in typically developing infants and adults [Strauss, ]. Participants were familiarized to a series of faces depicting subtle variations in the spatial distance of facial features, and were then given a forced choice familiarity test between the mean prototype and the mode prototype. Overall, individuals in the autism group were significantly less likely to select the mean prototype face. Even though the children with autism showed this difference in prototyp...

Oxytocin: From milk ejection to maladaptation in stress response and psychiatric disorders. A psychoneuroendocrine perspective.

Annales d'Endocrinologie — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Scantamburlo G, Ansseau M, Geenen V, Legros JJ Oxytocin (OT) is implicated in stress reduction as well as in social behavior. It inhibits the stress-induced activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal axis responsiveness. OT is involved in social affiliation, sexual and maternal-infant binding, anxiety, mood, feeding control and memory. Several lines of evidence suggest a role of OT in psychiatric disorders. Various psychiatric disorders are strongly influenced by social variables, such as panic attacks, depression and early childhood autism, and seem to exhibit a particularly close connection with the brain dynamics that underlie social emotions. This paper proposes an overview of OT in psychiatric disorders through the links with the stress response and prosocial behavior...

Look who is weaving the neural web: glial control of synapse formation.

Current Opinion in Neurobiology — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Bolton MM, Eroglu C Historically, our understanding of synapse formation has been shaped by studies focusing on neurons. However, with advancements in live imaging techniques and molecular and genetic tools we are rapidly uncovering new roles for glia in synapse formation and function. Contact-mediated signals from glia instruct dendrites to become receptive to synaptic partners. Glia-secreted factors coordinate the assembly and apposition of pre-synaptic and post-synaptic specializations. Glial cells also provide cues that are required for synaptic maturation and remodeling of spines both during development and in the adult. As we continue to learn about glial contributions to synapse formation and maintenance, it is likely that glia-derived signals will emerge as potential t...

New 'Schizophrenia Gene' Prompts Researchers To Test Potential Drug Target

ScienceDaily Headlines — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:00:00 +0100

Scientists report having used a commercially available drug to successfully "rescue" animal brain cells that they had intentionally damaged by manipulating a newly discovered gene that links susceptibility genes for schizophrenia and autism. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Living with Asperger's syndrome

Wash Post Health — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0100

Tim Page, author of "Parallel Play: Growing Up with Undiagnosed Asperger's," will discuss the effects of Asperger's syndrome on his life and coping mechanisms he uses to treat it. (Source: Wash Post Health)

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Living with asperger syndrome

Wash Post Health — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:04:03 +0100

Tim Page, author of "Parallel Play: Growing Up with Undiagnosed Asperger's," will discuss the affects of asperger syndrome on his life and coping mechanisms he uses to treat it. (Source: Wash Post Health)

New “Schizophrenia Gene” Prompts Researchers to Test Potential Drug Target-10/26/09

Johns Hopkins Medicine News — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:26:30 +0100

Johns Hopkins scientists report having used a commercially available drug to successfully “rescue” animal brain cells that they had intentionally damaged by manipulating a newly discovered gene that links susceptibility genes for schizophrenia and autism. (Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine News)

Video: In the Mind of an Autistic Artist

Health News: CBSNews.com — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:15:57 +0100

The daily life of Autistic artist Stephen Wiltshire has a rigid order which translates to his detail-oriented drawings. Mark Phillips reports. (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

Artist draws Manhattan from memory

Scientific American - Official RSS Feed — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:29:04 +0100

Autistic artist Stephen Wiltshire draws a detailed 20-foot panorama of the Manhattan skyline, all from memory. (Source: Scientific American - Official RSS Feed)

New "Schizophrenia Gene" Prompts Researchers To Test Potential Drug Target

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:00:00 +0100

Johns Hopkins scientists report having used a commercially available drug to successfully "rescue" animal brain cells that they had intentionally damaged by manipulating a newly discovered gene that links susceptibility genes for schizophrenia and autism. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Profit Driven Swine Flu Propaganda - Pump Up the Volume - Part Four

NaturalNews.com — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0100

This article is part four in a six-part series. Be sure to read part three at http://www.naturalnews.com/027310_swine_flu_health_Tamiflu.htmlThose in control of the mainstream media have joined together with public health officials to provide the pharmaceutical industry with the best swine flu promotional campaign that money can buy.In an October 7, 2009, OpEd News article titled, "The Centers for Disease Control: The Best Vaccination PR Firm Taxes Can Buy," the makers of the documentaries, "Vaccine Nation," and "Autism: Made in the USA," Richard Gale and Dr Gary Null wrote: "If the flu season goes according to schedule, the vaccine industrial complex will be poised to join Wall Street for record year rip-off profits. We will also likely witness huge Pharma executive bonuses and perhaps go...

Trial to test whether behavioral therapy can reduce anxiety in young adolescents with autism

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(University of South Florida Health) The USF Health Rothman Center for Neuropsychiatry in St. Petersburg, Fla., is conducting a two-year federal trial testing the effectiveness of behavioral psychotherapy in treating anxiety among young adolescents with autism. The University of South Florida is one three sites for the $1-million study, sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Mercury exposure, nutritional deficiencies and metabolic disruptions may affect learning in children

BioMed Central — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Among dietary factors, learning and behavior are influenced not only by nutrients, but also by exposure to toxic food contaminants such as mercury that can disrupt metabolic processes and alter neuronal plasticity. Neurons lacking in plasticity are a factor in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and mental retardation. Essential nutrients help maintain normal neuronal plasticity. Nutritional deficiencies, including deficiencies in the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, the amino acid methionine, and the trace minerals zinc and selenium, have been shown to influence neuronal function and produce defects in neuronal plasticity, as well as impact behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Nutritional deficien...

Stimulus Characteristics Affect Humor Processing in Individuals with Asperger Syndrome.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Samson AC, Hegenloh M The present paper aims to investigate whether individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) show global humor processing deficits or whether humor comprehension and appreciation depends on stimulus characteristics. Non-verbal visual puns, semantic and Theory of Mind cartoons were rated on comprehension, funniness and the punchlines were explained. AS individuals did not differ to the control group in humor appreciation of visual puns. However, they had difficulty understanding and appreciating Theory of Mind cartoons and provided mentalistic explanations less frequently than controls suggesting that humor processing is strongly related to the cognitive requirements that the stimuli pose on the perceiver. Furthermore, AS individuals referred in all conditions mo...

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

Videocast - All Events — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:55:00 +0100

Presented by: IACCCategory: ConferencesAired date: 10/23/2009 (Source: Videocast - All Events)

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2009 National Autism Conference

Disabled World — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:00:59 +0100

NAA is the leading autism membership organization for breaking through the myths of autism as a mysterious and incurable disorder. (Source: Disabled World)

Vital Signs: Childhood: New Research on Autism and Mercury

NYT > Health — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:29:20 +0100

Contrary to research suggesting a possible link, a study found that children with autism actually had lower blood levels of mercury. (Source: NYT > Health)

Can Association Between Preterm Birth and Autism be Explained by Maternal or Neonatal Morbidity?

PEDIATRICS — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:02:04 +0100

CONCLUSION: The increased risk of autistic disorders related to preterm birth is mediated primarily by prenatal and neonatal complications that occur more commonly among preterm infants. (Source: PEDIATRICS)

Prevalence of Parent-Reported Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children in the US, 2007

PEDIATRICS — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:02:04 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: The observed point-prevalence is higher than previous US estimates. More inclusive survey questions, increased population awareness, and improved screening and identification by providers may partly explain this finding. (Source: PEDIATRICS)

Rare Mutation Linked To Autism Now Also Linked To Schizophrenia Risk

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0100

An international team of researchers led by geneticist Jonathan Sebat, Ph.D., of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), has identified a mutation on human chromosome 16 that substantially increases risk for schizophrenia. The mutation in question is what scientists call a copy number variant (CNV). CNVs are areas of the genome where the number of copies of genes differs between individuals. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Revealed: why children of older men are more likely to have health problems

The Independent - Science — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:48:21 +0100

Scientists may have discovered the reason why older men are at greater risk than younger men of fathering a child who develops serious health problems such as congenital deformities, autism, or schizophrenia. (Source: The Independent - Science)

New 'schizophrenia gene' prompts researchers to test potential drug target

EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0100

(Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions) Johns Hopkins scientists report having used a commercially available drug to successfully "rescue" animal brain cells that they had intentionally damaged by manipulating a newly discovered gene that links susceptibility genes for schizophrenia and autism. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)

What research questions matter to Australian paediatricians? National Delphi Study

Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Australian paediatricians are interested in research, and their ideas can provide direction for APRN and potentially other networks in Australia. Many of the questions generated could not be easily answered by traditional biomedical and clinical research methods, highlighting the potential benefit of practice-based research networks. (Source: Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health)

Social cognition in children with Down's syndrome: challenges to research and theory building

Journal of Intellectual Disability Research — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Characterising how socio-cognitive abilities develop has been crucial to understanding the wider development of typically developing children. It is equally central to understanding developmental pathways in children with intellectual disabilities such as Down's syndrome. While the process of acquisition of socio-cognitive abilities in typical development and in autism has received considerable attention, socio-cognitive development in Down's syndrome has received far less scrutiny. Initial work in the 1970s and 1980s provided important insights into the emergence of socio-cognitive abilities in the children's early years, and recently there has been a marked revival of interest in this area, with research focusing both on a broader range of abilities and on a wider age range. This annotat...

Watch 60 Minutes tonight

Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0100

Don’t forget to watch 60 Minutes tonight, featuring the epilepsy research of Children’s Frances Jensen, MD. You can watch a preview here. If you use Twitter, please help us promote the episode by tweeting “http://bit.ly/1t2wdK – tune in to 60 Minutes to see Children’s Hospital docs talk about epilepsy.” Related posts:60 Minutes will feature Children’s epilepsy researchWatch NOVA special tonight featuring Children’s autism researchCatching the lightning (Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston)

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New Pfizer unit to take on autism

OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Diane Stephenson of Groton has three tangible reasons for wanting to know as much as possible about autism. Stephenson, associate research fellow at Pfizer Inc.'s Groton laboratories who helped start an autism research unit there earlier this year,... (Source: OrlandoSentinel: Medical Research)

Neurofeedback for Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Review of the Literature.

Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

We present a review of the literature on the application of Neurofeedback to the multiple problems associated with ASD. Directions for future research are discussed. PMID: 19856096 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback)

Docs May Dump Parents Who Won't Vaccinate

ABC News: Health — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:57:05 +0100

Some parents fear autism, but doctors say disease outbreak is worse. (Source: ABC News: Health)

Fired... By Your Doctor? Doctors May Dump Parents Who Won't Vaccinate Kids

ABC News: Health — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:43:28 +0100

Some parents fear autism, but doctors say disease outbreak is worse. (Source: ABC News: Health)

Cross-cutting issues and future directions for the OCD spectrum

Psychiatry Research — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:49:39 +0100

Abstract: The research planning agenda for DSM-V examined possible similarities in phenomenology, comorbidity, familial and genetic features, brain circuitry, and treatment response between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and several related disorders that are characterized by repetitive thoughts or behaviors. Such data support a re-examination of the DSM-IV-TR classification of OCD and the anxiety disorders, with possible inclusion of a group of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs) in DSM-V. Various disorders were systematically examined for inclusion in such a grouping, and later a smaller number were determined to meet threshold criteria for inclusion in the OCSDs. The disorders that were originally examined included OCD, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), ...

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Neurological considerations: Autism and Parkinson's disease

Psychiatry Research — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:49:39 +0100

Abstract: Within the spectrum of disorders that manifest obsessive–compulsive (OC) features lies a sub-cluster of neurological conditions. Autism and Parkinson's disease (PD) are examples of two such neurological disorders that seem quite dissimilar on the surface. Yet, both conditions can include repetitive behaviors of a compulsive–impulsive nature. Furthermore, while autism and PD differ in other associated symptom domains that shape the course of each disorder, both disorders share some phenomenology in the core domain of repetitive behaviors and involve basal ganglia and frontal lobe dysfunction, similar to OC disorder (OCD). Accordingly, examination of the similarities and differences between autism and PD may provide insight into the pathophysiology and treatment of OC spectrum ...

Families with autistic children: international literature

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:40:00 +0100

This article reviewed the 39 papers published in the last five years in three journals (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disorders and Autism) about families with autistic children. It points out to five main issues that were studied: stress and emotional disorders, support groups and quality of life, characteristics of the families, family's perspectives about the autistic child, and intervention results. (Source: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia)

Feeding and eating behaviors in children with autism and typically developing children

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:40:00 +0100

Negative synergy: hearing loss and aging

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:40:00 +0100

Educação escolar e letramento de surdos: reflexões a partir da visão de pais e professores

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:40:00 +0100

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Análise do conhecimento de professores acerca da conceituação de letramento

Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Fonoaudiologia — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:40:00 +0100

Just Listen - Maybe He's Just Not That Into Anyone

Psychology Today Relationships Center — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:24:04 +0100

Jason Calacanis: "So are hard driving founders narcissists?" Dr. Mark Goulston: "If anything they're more like people with features of Asperger's Syndrome." - from "This Week in Startups" and Twist episode 21 Both narcissists and high functioning people with Asperger like features are goal minded to a fault, and both can view other people more as functions or vehicles to achieve that goal instead of as people with feelings. However a critical difference between the two is that a narcissist doesn't care if they hurt you or your feelings (and the truly malignant ones may even take delight in doing so), whereas someone with Asperger's like features would prefer not to. My advice to people who live with malignant narcissists is to get out and to those who live with narcissists to demand they g...

The ELGAN study of the brain and related disorders in extremely low gestational age newborns

Early Human Development — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:19:14 +0100

Conclusions: In addition to supporting a potential role for many previously identified antecedents of brain damage in ELGANs, our study is the first to provide strong evidence that brain damage in extremely preterm infants is associated with microorganisms in placenta parenchyma. (Source: Early Human Development)

Do terbutaline- and mold-associated impairments of the brain and lung relate to autism?

Toxicology and Industrial Health current issue — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:12:00 +0100

Increased prevalence of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and the failure to find genetic explanations has pushed the hunt for environmental causes. These disorders are defined clinically but lack objective characterization. To meet this need, we measured neurobehavioral and pulmonary functions in eight ASD boys aged 8 to 19 years diagnosed clinically and compared them to 145 unaffected children from a community with no known chemical exposures. As 6 of 35 consecutive mold/mycotoxin (mold)-exposed children aged 5 to 13 years had ASD, we compared them to the 29 non-ASD mold-exposed children, and to the eight ASD boys. Comparisons were adjusted for age, height, weight, and grade attained in school. The eight ASD boys averaged 6.8 abnormalities compared to 1.0 in community control boys. The...

Perspectives: Asperger's and Empathy

Psychology Today Personality Center — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:19:29 +0100

Some time ago, in my post Empathy, Mindblindness and Theory of Mind, I wrote about Asperger's and empathy. In a new feature, here on the Asperger's Diary blog, I thought I'd share another Aspergian perspective on this hot button topic. This video was created by Bev at Asperger Square 8. Being a visual thinker myself, I really enjoy how she is able to convey her point simply, clearly and visually - with only a few words (and a little whimsy thrown in). What do you think about what she has to say?From time to time I'll be featuring videos, profiles and stories highlighting different Perspectives on Asperger's and autism. Have one you want to share? E-mail me. (Source: Psychology Today Personality Center)

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Study: No Link Between Autism and Mercury Levels

Medical Headlines From Ivanhoe.com — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Researchers at the University of California (UC) Davis MIND Institute report that typically developing children and children with autism have similar levels of mercury in their blood streams. (Source: Medical Headlines From Ivanhoe.com)

Comorbidity study of ADHD: Applying association rule mining (ARM) to National Health Insurance Database of Taiwan

International Journal of Medical Informatics — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: The finding of this study, an important role of DD between ADHD and other psychiatric comorbidity, supports neurological findings in developmental delay of ADHD children's front cortex, as well as some epidemiology findings. This study also demonstrated the practicality of ARM in comorbidity studies using enormous clinic databases like NHIRD. (Source: International Journal of Medical Informatics)

Safety and Efficacy of Oral DMSA Therapy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Part B - Behavioral Results

BMC Clinical Pharmacology — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

This study investigated the effects of oral dimercapto succinic acid (DMSA) therapy on the behavioural symptoms of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) ages 3-8 years. Methods: Phase 1 involved 65 children with ASD who received one round of DMSA (3 days). Participants who had high urinary excretion of toxic metals were selected to continue on to phase 2. In phase 2, 49 participants were randomly assigned in a double-blind design to receive an additional 6 rounds of either DMSA or placebo. Results: The groups receiving one round and seven rounds of DMSA had significant improvements on all the assessment measures. The degree of improvement on the assessment measures could be partially explained by a regression analysis based on excretion of toxic metals and changes in glutathione (a...

Safety and Efficacy of Oral DMSA Therapy for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Part A - Medical Results

BMC Clinical Pharmacology — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Overall, DMSA therapy seems to be reasonably safe, effective in removing several toxic metals (especially lead), dramatically effective in normalizing RBC glutathione, and effective in normalizing platelet counts. Only 1 round (3 days) was sufficient to improve glutathione and platelets. Additional rounds increased excretion of toxic metals. (Source: BMC Clinical Pharmacology)

Twin study underscores role of genes in autism

Reuters: Health — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:32:09 +0100

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When one identical twin develops the developmental disorder autism, the risk of the other developing it is high -- substantially higher than it is for fraternal twins, a new study confirms. (Source: Reuters: Health)

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Obituary: Sula Wolff

Guardian Unlimited Science — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:26:11 +0100

It is rare for psychiatrists to make their mark by carrying out original research on groups of children not hitherto recognised as sharing particular characteristics. However, Sula Wolff, who has died aged 85, studied over a 20-year period, from childhood to adult life, people she called "loners" or who, in psychiatric parlance, showed "schizoid personality".In a book called Loners published in 1995, she described the children she had seen. Lacking empathy with other children, they were either completely or almost friendless. Although usually of at least average intelligence, they often showed language or other developmental delays. Usually, well beyond an age when this might be regarded as normal, they were completely absorbed in their fantasy lives. These children were similar to those d...

Twin Study Underscores Role of Genes in Autism

MedlinePlus Health News — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:32:09 +0100

When one identical twin develops the developmental disorder autism, the risk of the other developing it is high -- substantially higher than it is for fraternal twins, a new study confirms. Source: Reuters Health Related MedlinePlus Topics: Autism, Genes and Gene Therapy (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

Mercury levels no higher in kids with autism, study finds

CTV Health — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:04:52 +0100

Kids with autism have mercury levels in their blood at similar levels as other kids, researchers have found -- levels that are in line with standards for normal levels. (Source: CTV Health)

Supporting people with autism through adulthood. 50th Report...

PCCAS: Full newsfeed — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:47:57 +0100

The Public Accounts Select Committee has published a report... (Source: PCCAS: Full newsfeed)

Possible Link Between Autism And Oxytocin Gene Via Non-DNA Sequence Mutation

ScienceDaily Headlines — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:55:02 +0100

Researchers have uncovered a new genetic signature that correlates strongly with autism and which doesn't involve changes to DNA sequence. The changes are to the way the genes are turned on and off. The finding may suggest new approaches to diagnosis and treatment of autism. The researchers found higher-than-usual numbers of gene-regulating molecules called methyl groups in a region of the genome that regulates oxytocin receptor expression in people with autism. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

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Supporting people with autism through adulthood. 50th Report...

Parliamentary — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:32:03 +0100

The Public Accounts Select Committee has published a report... (Source: Parliamentary)

New Target For Assessing Genes Linked To Autism

Health News from Medical News Today — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0100

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have uncovered a new genetic signature that correlates strongly with autism and which doesn't involve changes to the DNA sequence itself. Rather, the changes are in the way the genes are turned on and off. The finding may suggest new approaches to diagnosis and treatment of autism. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

Videocast - All Events — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:59:00 +0100

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) coordinates all efforts within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Through its inclusion of both Federal and public members, the IACC helps to ensure that a wide range of ideas and perspectives are represented and discussed in a public forum. The IACC mission is to: Facilitate the efficient and effective exchange of information on ASD activities among the member agencies Coordinate ASD-related activities Increase public understanding of the member agencies' activities, programs, policies, and research by providing a public forum for discussions related to ASD research, screening, education, and interventions IACC meetings are open to the public and include presentations and di...

Less Sensitivity to Hormone May Play Role in Autism

MedicineNet Kids Health General — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Title: Less Sensitivity to Hormone May Play Role in AutismCategory: Health NewsCreated: 10/21/2009 6:10:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 10/22/2009 (Source: MedicineNet Kids Health General)

Editors should not be propagandists

Archives of Disease in Childhood — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:11:51 +0100

(Source: Archives of Disease in Childhood)

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Less Sensitivity to Hormone May Play Role in Autism

MedlinePlus Health News — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Treatment with oxytocin might improve social interaction, researchers say Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Topics: Autism, Genes and Gene Therapy, Hormones (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)

Defective oxytocin function: a clue to understanding the cause of autism?

BMC Medicine — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The autism spectrum disorders are a group of conditions with neurobehavioral impairment affecting approximately 0.6% of children. The clinical presentation is complex and the etiology is largely unknown, although a major role of genetic factors is widely accepted. A number of genetic studies led to the identification of genes and/or copy number variants whose alterations are associated with autism, but no specific factor has been found so far to be responsible for a substantial proportion of cases. Epigenetic modifications may also play a role, as demonstrated by the occurrence of autism in genetic conditions caused by mutations in imprinted genes or regions.The article by Gregory et al. published this month in BMC Medicine, reports on genomic and epigenetic alterations of OXTR, the gene e...

Genomic and epigenetic evidence for oxytocin receptor deficiency in autism

BMC Medicine — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: Together, these data provide further evidence for the role of OXTR and the oxytocin signaling pathway in the etiology of autism and, for the first time, implicate the epigenetic regulation of OXTR in the development of the disorder.See the related commentary by Gurrieri and Neri: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/7/63 (Source: BMC Medicine)

Blood Mercury Levels in Children With Autism Similar to Those in Typically Developing Kids

Medscape Medical News Headlines — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:08:59 +0100

The most rigorous investigation of differences in circulating blood mercury levels to date shows there is no difference between children with autism and typically developing children. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Medical News Headlines)

Businesses Open Doors for Autism Families

ABC News: Health — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:41:14 +0100

Some go a surprising extra mile for families of autism kids. (Source: ABC News: Health)

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The Mission Of New Jersey Institute Of Technology Researcher Is To Improve Schools For Disabled Students

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0100

NJIT Research Architect B. Lynn Hutchings believes that by making a few practical, effective and relatively inexpensive changes to school buildings, they can become better environments for students with severe physical, intellectual, and sensory disabilities. She will spread her word to school social workers at the Nov. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Computer Scientists Working Towards A Portable Facial Expression Recognizer To Help Autistic Children Recognize Emotions

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Computer scientists from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore are working on the development of an efficient and intelligent facial expression recognition system. The system is capable of locating the face region using derivative-based filtering and recognizing facial expressions using boosting classifier. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Same mercury for kids with/without autism

Health News - UPI.com — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:46:11 +0100

DAVIS, Calif., Oct. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers compared children developing typically and children with autism and found they had similar levels of mercury in their blood streams. (Source: Health News - UPI.com)

Friends and Allies

Psychology Today Personality Center — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:33:42 +0100

In the second or third grade, I remember being asked about friends. "Oh, I have lots of friends," I said, reciting a list that included all my teachers, day care providers, school janitors, and most of the kids I knew. Everyone was nice...at least I thought. I didn't understand the true nature of friendship - until I was bullied. When I was in fourth grade, we moved to a new town. Having always felt different, I was always drawn to other outsiders. Which is why, on my first day of school, I was drawn to a girl who stood alone, off to the side, watching everything with big, soft, brown eyes. I liked her immediately. But, I was soon to find out, others did not. One day, while I was playing alone on the merry go round, one of the popular gir...

Where are the autism economists?

Autism Research — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

No Abstract (Source: Autism Research)

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Factors Contributing to Autism in Preterm Children Assessed

Modern Medicine — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

The higher risk of autistic disorders related to premature birth may be largely due to higher rates of prenatal and neonatal complications, according to research completed in Sweden and published online Oct. 19 in Pediatrics. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Autism flap

The Scientist — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

What does the resignation of the NIH's head of neurological research from an autism research committee say about the autism community? (Source: The Scientist)

Mercury levels no higher in autistic children

CBC | Health — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:27:31 +0100

Mercury levels in the blood of children with autism are similar to those of other children, a U.S. study suggests. (Source: CBC | Health)

Interagency on Autism Coordinating Committee Scientific Workshop (Day 2)

Videocast - All Events — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:50:00 +0100

Presented by: IACCCategory: ConferencesAired date: 10/01/2009 (Source: Videocast - All Events)

Mouse neurexin-1{alpha} deletion causes correlated electrophysiological and behavioral changes consistent with cognitive impairments [Neuroscience]

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:48:13 +0100

Deletions in the neurexin-1 gene were identified in large-scale unbiased screens for copy-number variations in patients with autism or schizophrenia.... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)

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Health Buzz: AIDS Vaccine Results Deemed Modest and Other Health News

U.S. News - Health — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:34:00 +0100

New options for HPV vaccination; mercury levels in autistic and nonautistic kids are the same. (Source: U.S. News - Health)

From Hate to Love

Psychology Today Personality Center — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:31:09 +0100

Let's stop hurting each other. You go first. -- AltaIt should be obvious by now that the call for people to love one another--whether in church or in song--carries little weight. Evidently, something keeps us from entering the house of love through the front door. Perhaps we should try the back.When someone insults our dignity, or does something we find unacceptable, it is anger that we experience, not hatred. The key to whether anger transmutes into hate lies in agency--our capacity for acting. If fear of retaliation persuades us to hold our tongue, then anger congeals into hate as we stifle our protest to spare ourselves further indignity or limit damage already done. But if, instead of submitting to the indignity, we are able to right or repel it, then anger is discharged before it can ...

Mercury Levels In Children With Autism And Those Developing Typically Are The Same, Study Finds

ScienceDaily Headlines — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:59:52 +0100

In a large population-based study, researchers report that after adjusting for a number of factors, typically developing children and children with autism have similar levels of mercury in their blood streams. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Validation of French-Canadian versions of the Empathy Quotient and Autism Spectrum Quotient.

Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:13:19 +0100

The primary objective of this study was to validate French-Canadian versions of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-F) and the Empathy Quotient (EQ-F) in normal and pathological samples. These versions of the scales were administered to 100 undergraduate university students in the hard science or humanities fields and to 23 individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For both scales, obtained data were partially consistent with English versions. The EQ-F and AQ-F scores were negatively correlated, and the ASD group differed significantly from both control groups, scoring lower on the EQ-F and higher on the AQ-F. These preliminary results support the validity of the AQ-F and EQ-F as screening tools in French-speaking populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all right...

Mercury Levels In Children With Autism And Those Developing Typically Are The Same

Health News from Medical News Today — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0100

In a large population-based study published online, researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute report that after adjusting for a number of factors, typically developing children and children with autism have similar levels of mercury in their blood streams. Mercury is a heavy metal found in other studies to adversely affect the developing nervous system. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Mercury Levels Same in Autistic, Other Children

eMedicineHealth.com — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0100

(Source: eMedicineHealth.com)

Mercury Levels Same in Autistic, Other Children

MedicineNet Kids Health General — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0100

Title: Mercury Levels Same in Autistic, Other ChildrenCategory: Health NewsCreated: 10/20/2009 10:53:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 10/20/2009 10:53:20 AM (Source: MedicineNet Kids Health General)

Training Program for Special Needs Life Coaches

Disabled World — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:32:56 +0100

Continuing to be at the forefront of innovative research, education and services for individuals with developmental disabilities such as autism, the Training, Education and Research Institute (TERI), Inc. today launched a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive online training program aimed at creating a pool of Life Coaches to assist this special population and their families. (Source: Disabled World)

Just Listen - It's Enough to Make a Grown Man Cry

Psychology Today Relationships Center — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:30:22 +0100

I like to consider myself a fairly empathic guy, but on a recent appearance on "This Week in Startups" I told Jason Calacanis that I am viewing people more as modems than as human beings. Nearly everyone who is connected to the Internet is connected through a modem and everyone who uses a modem has had on multiple occasions had to unplug it, power down, unbundle it, rest it, power up, reconnect and then reboot it. That occurs when the modem is filled beyond its capacity to receive and transfer information between your computer and the Internet. And when your modem is overloaded, there is no other alternative than to follow the steps above. Well what if as people you function as modems that are constantly trying to receive and transfer information between your customers and clients and your...

Mercury Levels Same in Autistic, Other Children

WebMD Health — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:15:05 +0100

Blood levels of mercury are similar in children with autism, those with other developmental problems, and those who are developing typically, according to a new study. (Source: WebMD Health)

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Blood Mercury Not Found to Be Elevated in Autism

Modern Medicine — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100

Blood mercury levels are similar in children with autism or autism spectrum disorder, non-autism developmental delays or typically developing controls, according to the Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment study published online Oct. 19 in Environmental Health Perspectives. (Source: Modern Medicine)

Interagency on Autism Coordinating Committee Scientific Workshop (Day 1)

Videocast - All Events — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:41:00 +0100

Presented by: IACCCategory: ConferencesAired date: 09/30/2009 (Source: Videocast - All Events)

Why are preemies more likely to develop autism?

Reuters: Health — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:31:56 +0100

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Researchers have long seen signs of autism in children born prematurely, and some studies have suggested that such signs can develop into full-blown autism in childhood. A study out Monday suggests that complications during pregnancy and early life may be responsible for this early risk. (Source: Reuters: Health)

Mercury Levels Not Abnormal in Autistic Children

MedlinePlus Health News — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:00:00 +0100

Study finds no differences when compared to kids without disorder Source: HealthDay Related MedlinePlus Topics: Autism, Mercury (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)