Thursday, August 15, 2013

Autism Risk And Labor Induction: Is There A Link? - Forbes

Autism Risk And Labor Induction: Is There A Link? - Forbes: The headlines linking labor induction and autism risk are splashy–aren’t they always with “autism linked to” stories? My favorite misstatement of the research is in this headline from Bloomberg: “Autism risk for children may be raised when labor induced,” as though the cause-and-effect association is established and inducing labor is The Factor that leads to the risk.

Autism’s Unexpected Link to Cancer Genes - NYTimes.com

Autism’s Unexpected Link to Cancer Genes - NYTimes.com: Ten percent of children with mutations in a gene called PTEN, which cause cancers of the breast, colon, thyroid and other organs, have autism. So do about half of children with gene mutations that can lead to some kinds of brain and kidney cancer and large tumors in several organs, including the brain. That is many times the rate of autism in the general population.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Using Movement to Diagnose and Treat Autism | TIME.com

Using Movement to Diagnose and Treat Autism | TIME.com: By taking advantage of disrupted motor connections in the brains of autistic children, researchers say it may be possible for affected kids to guide their own therapy.



Scientists from Rutgers University and Indiana University have developed a novel and objective way to both diagnose and treat children with autism, by focusing on the unique ways that autistic brains process movement.

What parents of boys of ADHD or autism should know about video games - MD Mama - Boston.com

What parents of boys of ADHD or autism should know about video games - MD Mama - Boston.com: A new study published in the journal Pediatrics found that boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) spent more time playing video games and were more likely to get addicted to them than boys with "typical development." It seemed to be most linked to attention problems: boys who had particular trouble paying attention, whether they had ADHD or ASD, were the ones most likely to get addicted.

Autism: 'different developmental brain chemistry'

Autism: 'different developmental brain chemistry': The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, reveals that gray matter chemical changes that occur between the ages of 3 and 10 years differentiate children with autism spectrum disorder from those with idiopathic (an unknown cause) developmental disorder.

Autism symptoms not explained by impaired attention

Autism symptoms not explained by impaired attention: Now, a new study suggests that two key attentional abilities -- moving attention fluidly and orienting to social information -- can be checked off the list, as neither seems to account for the diversity of symptoms we find in people with autism.

"This is not to say that every aspect of attention is fine in all children with autism -- children with autism very often have attentional disorders as well," explain psychological scientists and lead researchers Jason Fischer and Kami Koldewyn of MIT. "However, our study suggests that attention impairments are not a key component of autism itself."

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Brain differences found between Asperger's and autism | Fox News

Brain differences found between Asperger's and autism | Fox News: Children with Asperger's syndrome show patterns of brain connectivity distinct from those of children with autism, according to a new study. The findings suggest the two conditions, which are now in one category in the new psychiatry diagnostic manual, may be biologically different.