New treatment wipes out autism-like symptoms | News - Home: "30% of individuals with fragile X syndrome have full autism. Another 30% have an autism spectrum disorder," says Randi Hagerman, M.D., medical director of the mind institute and professor of pediatrics at University of California Davis Medical Center.
Hagermam says she first met Holly when she was just a few months old. The infant's fragile X syndrome was subtle. But "she was extremely delayed," says Hagerman.
As part of a clinical trial Holly started taking a serotonin medication. Then minocycline, a common antibiotic normally used to treat acne was added to her regimen.
"Her developmental testing just improved remarkably," says Hagerman.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
People with autism possess greater ability to process information, study suggests
People with autism possess greater ability to process information, study suggests: People with autism have a greater than normal capacity for processing information even from rapid presentations and are better able to detect information defined as 'critical', according to a study published March 22 in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. The research may help to explain the apparently higher than average prevalence of people with autism spectrum disorders in the IT industry.
Minocycline to Treat Childhood Regressive Autism - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov
Minocycline to Treat Childhood Regressive Autism - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov: There is a subgroup of children with autism that appears to develop typically for a period of time, and then loses social or language skills, or regresses. A recent study by Vargas and co-workers at Johns Hopkins has demonstrated that this regressive type of autism is associated with chronic brain inflammation as shown by an abnormal production of inflammatory cytokines among other abnormalities.
New treatment wipes out autism-like symptoms | News - Home
New treatment wipes out autism-like symptoms | News - Home: "30% of individuals with fragile X syndrome have full autism. Another 30% have an autism spectrum disorder," says Randi Hagerman, M.D., medical director of the mind institute and professor of pediatrics at University of California Davis Medical Center.
Hagermam says she first met Holly when she was just a few months old. The infant's fragile X syndrome was subtle. But "she was extremely delayed," says Hagerman.
As part of a clinical trial Holly started taking a serotonin medication. Then minocycline, a common antibiotic normally used to treat acne was added to her regimen.
"Her developmental testing just improved remarkably," says Hagerman.
Hagermam says she first met Holly when she was just a few months old. The infant's fragile X syndrome was subtle. But "she was extremely delayed," says Hagerman.
As part of a clinical trial Holly started taking a serotonin medication. Then minocycline, a common antibiotic normally used to treat acne was added to her regimen.
"Her developmental testing just improved remarkably," says Hagerman.
Side effects of minocycline treat... [Am J Intellect Dev Disabil. 2010] - PubMed - NCBI
Side effects of minocycline treat... [Am J Intellect Dev Disabil. 2010] - PubMed - NCBI: Minocycline can rescue the dendritic spine and synaptic structural abnormalities in the fragile X knock-out mouse. This is a review and preliminary survey to document side effects and potential outcome measures for minocycline use in the treatment of individuals with fragile X syndrome. We surveyed 50 patients with fragile X syndrome who received minocycline for at least 2 weeks and found that the most common reported side effect is gastrointestinal difficulty, including loss of appetite.
Parents report a widely prescribed antibiotic is effective for fragile X treatment
Parents report a widely prescribed antibiotic is effective for fragile X treatment: One of the antibiotics most commonly prescribed to treat adolescent acne can increase attention spans and communication and decrease anxiety in patients with fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited cause of mental impairment, according to a new survey study that is the first published on parents' reports of their children's responses to treatment with the medication.
Abstract - SpringerLink
Abstract - SpringerLink: The lack of Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) in FXS causes dysregulation and usually overexpression of a number of its target genes, which can cause imbalances of neurotransmission and deficits in synaptic plasticity. The use of metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) blockers and gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA) agonists have been shown to be efficacious in reversing cellular and behavioral phenotypes, and restoring proper brain connectivity in the mouse and fly models. Proposed new pharmacological treatments and educational interventions are discussed in this chapter.
The Psychiatric Presentation of Fragile X: Evolution of the Diagnosis and Treatment of the Psychiatric Comorbidities of Fragile X Syndrome
The Psychiatric Presentation of Fragile X: Evolution of the Diagnosis and Treatment of the Psychiatric Comorbidities of Fragile X Syndrome: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading inherited cause of mental retardation and autism spectrum disorders worldwide. It presents with a distinct behavioral phenotype which overlaps significantly with that of autism. Unlike autism and most common psychiatric disorders, the neurobiology of fragile X is relatively well understood. Lack of the fragile X mental retardation protein causes dysregulation of synaptically driven protein synthesis, which in turn causes global disruption of synaptic plasticity. Thus, FXS can be considered a disorder of synaptic plasticity, and a developmental disorder in the purest sense: mutation of the FMR1 (fragile X mental retardation 1) gene results in abnormal synaptic development in response to experience.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Autism: Doctors reverse rare autism disorder in mice that robs girls of their speech and movement | Mail Online
Autism: Doctors reverse rare autism disorder in mice that robs girls of their speech and movement | Mail Online: Doctors reverse rare autism disorder in mice that robs girls of their speech and movement
Rett Syndrome affects one in 10,000 girls. They typically show symptoms after their first birthday
It is the most physically disabling form of autism, but scientists believe they are close to finding a cure
Rett Syndrome affects one in 10,000 girls. They typically show symptoms after their first birthday
It is the most physically disabling form of autism, but scientists believe they are close to finding a cure
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Parent training: A review of methods for children with autism spectrum disorders 10.1016/j.rasd.2009.02.003 : Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders | ScienceDirect.com
Parent training: A review of methods for children with autism spectrum disorders 10.1016/j.rasd.2009.02.003 : Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders | ScienceDirect.com
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are common in the general childhood population, and are both serious and lifelong. Tremendous strides have been made in the treatment of these ASD in recent years, particularly with respect to psychological interventions. Given the considerable amount of time and cost involved in providing these interventions, parent training and involvement is a particularly appealing intervention option. This paper is a review and status report on evidence based methods that are available for training parents of children with ASD as therapists. Current trends and future directions are discussed.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are common in the general childhood population, and are both serious and lifelong. Tremendous strides have been made in the treatment of these ASD in recent years, particularly with respect to psychological interventions. Given the considerable amount of time and cost involved in providing these interventions, parent training and involvement is a particularly appealing intervention option. This paper is a review and status report on evidence based methods that are available for training parents of children with ASD as therapists. Current trends and future directions are discussed.
Optimizing Parent Coaches’ Ability to Facilitate Mastery Experiences of Parents of Children with Autism
Optimizing Parent Coaches’ Ability to Facilitate Mastery Experiences of Parents of Children with Autism: The outcomes of this study reinforce the benefits of sensitizing the core practices of coaching to enhance the capacity of the coaches to influence mastery experiences of parents of children with autism. Since mastery experiences have the most powerful influence on self-efficacy and since self-efficacy can influence the quality of care that parents provide to their children as well as the degree of enjoyment they derive from the parenting experience (Coleman and Karraker, 1997), the practice of sensitizing traditional coaching models could have far-reaching benefits for families of children with autism. However, it is necessary to apply the model to a large sample size of coaches across different programs for children with autism to better understand its strengths and weaknesses. In addition, this model needs to be compared with other models of parent coaching in existence for parents of children with autism.
Abstract - SpringerLink
Abstract - SpringerLink: A number of parent training programs for parents of children with ASD have been developed. An overview and rationale for why parent training for ASD differs from other childhood groups will be described. An overview of the major parent training methods used for ASD, the research to support them, and the effects achieved will be discussed.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Neurofeedback Helps Those With Autistic Disorders, Study Finds
Neurofeedback Helps Those With Autistic Disorders, Study Finds: Research on autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) shows that neurofeedback (EEG biofeedback) can remediate anomalies in brain activation, leading to symptom reduction and functional improvement. This evidence raises the hopes for a behavioral, psychophysiological intervention moderating the severity of ASD.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Service Animals: Fact Sheet -- Highlights of the Final Rule to Amend the Department of Justice's Regulation Implementing Title II of the ADA
Fact Sheet -- Highlights of the Final Rule to Amend the Department of Justice's Regulation Implementing Title II of the ADA: Service Animals. The rule defines "service animal" as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The rule states that other animals, whether wild or domestic, do not qualify as service animals. Dogs that are not trained to perform tasks that mitigate the effects of a disability, including dogs that are used purely for emotional support, are not service animals. The final rule also clarifies that individuals with mental disabilities who use service animals that are trained to perform a specific task are protected by the ADA. The rule permits the use of trained miniature horses as alternatives to dogs, subject to certain limitations. To allow flexibility in situations where using a horse would not be appropriate, the final rule does not include miniature horses in the definition of "service animal."
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