Hospital infection in pregnancy tied to higher risk of autism - Medical News Today

Hospital infection in pregnancy tied to higher risk of autism - Medical News Today: A new study finds that hospital-diagnosed bacterial infections in pregnancy are associated with a higher risk of autism spectrum disorders.

M-CHATTM Diana L. Robins, Ph.D.

M-CHATTM Diana L. Robins, Ph.D.: M-CHATTM

Diana L. Robins, Ph.D.

New Autism Checklist More Accurate, Says NIH | WebProNews

New Autism Checklist More Accurate, Says NIH | WebProNews: When it comes to autism, diagnostic speed is key. Treatments for the condition rely on early intervention therapies and the sooner in the life of a child with autism they begin, the better.

Revised autism screening tool offers more precise assessment

Revised autism screening tool offers more precise assessment: An updated screening tool that physicians administer to parents to help determine if a very young child has autism has been shown to be much more accurate than earlier versions at identifying children who could benefit from further evaluation, according to researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy Not Linked to Autism – WebMD

Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy Not Linked to Autism – WebMD: Despite some concerns to the contrary, children whose moms used antidepressants during pregnancy do not appear to be at increased risk of autism, a large new Danish study suggests.

The results, published Dec. 19 in the New England Journal of Medicine, offer some reassurance, experts said.

Oxytocin nasal spray may improve brain activity in autistic children | Fox News

Oxytocin nasal spray may improve brain activity in autistic children | Fox News: In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, children who received a single dose of an oxytocin-based nasal spray experienced enhanced activity in regions of the brain regulating social behavior.

Genes and air pollution combine to increase autism risk - Medical News Today

Genes and air pollution combine to increase autism risk - Medical News Today: Drawing on results of previous studies that have shown associations between air pollution and autism, and between autism and the MET gene, the researchers say their new study reveals that the combination of these factors increases the risk of autism.

Oxytocin And Autism: How The ‘Love Hormone’ Temporarily Improves Brain Function In Children

Oxytocin And Autism: How The ‘Love Hormone’ Temporarily Improves Brain Function In Children: A single dose of oxytocin – commonly known as the" love hormone" – delivered via nasal spray, has improved brain function among children with autism who display deficits in processing social information, according to a new Yale University study.

Bacterium can reverse autism-like behaviour in mice : Nature News & Comment

Bacterium can reverse autism-like behaviour in mice : Nature News & Comment: Doses of a human gut microbe helped to reverse behavioural problems in mice with autism-like symptoms, researchers report today in Cell1. The treatment also reduced gastrointestinal problems in the animals that were similar to those that often accompany autism in humans.

Bacterium can reverse autism-like behaviour in mice : Nature News & Comment

Bacterium can reverse autism-like behaviour in mice : Nature News & Comment: Doses of a human gut microbe helped to reverse behavioural problems in mice with autism-like symptoms, researchers report today in Cell1. The treatment also reduced gastrointestinal problems in the animals that were similar to those that often accompany autism in humans.

Probiotics treat autism-like symptoms in mice | Futurity

Probiotics treat autism-like symptoms in mice | Futurity: Mice with symptoms similar to autism improved after they were treated with probiotic therapy.

The results, reported in the journal Cell, offer the first evidence that changes in gut bacteria can influence autism-like behaviors in mice.

Single spray of oxytocin improves brain function in children with autism, study suggests

Single spray of oxytocin improves brain function in children with autism, study suggests: A single dose of the hormone oxytocin, delivered via nasal spray, has been shown to enhance brain activity while processing social information in children with autism spectrum disorders, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a new study published in the Dec. 2 issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Can Synesthesia in Autism Lead to Savantism? | MIND Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network

Can Synesthesia in Autism Lead to Savantism? | MIND Guest Blog, Scientific American Blog Network: Daniel Tammet has memorized Pi to the 22,514th digit. He speaks ten different languages, including one of his own invention, and he can multiply enormous sums in his head within a matter of seconds. However, he is unable to hold down a standard 9-to-5 job, in part due to his obsessive adherence to ritual, down to the precise times he has his tea every day