http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/rett-syndrome-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Wed, 22 May 2013 21:12:00 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/14-year-old-boy-with-autism-tipped-to-be-future-nobel-winner-118841-1.htm A 14-year old boy, whose parents were told that he may never be able to read after being diagnosed with autism, is currently working towards a master's degree and has been tipped to be a future Nobel Prize winner. Indiana's Jacob Barnett was diagnosed with moderate to severe autism when he was just 2 years old. Doctors told Jacob's parents that he might never learn to speak, read or even tie his own shoelaces. However today Jacob has been found to have an IQ of 170, higher than even Albert Einstein, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/14-year-old-boy-with-autism-tipped-to-be-future-nobel-winner-118841-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-clue-may-help-reveal-the-cause-of-autism-118784-1.htm The fundamental cause of autism may be found in the fact that children with autism see simple movements twice as quickly as other children, study suggests. Such heightened sensory perception in autism may help explain why some people with the disorder are painfully sensitive to noise and bright lights. It also may be linked to some of the complex social and behavioral deficits associated with autism, says Duje Tadin, one of the lead authors on the study and an assistant professor of brain and ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-clue-may-help-reveal-the-cause-of-autism-118784-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-extreme-abnormal-fetal-growth-linked-to-autism-risk-118528-1.htm A new study has revealed that babies whose growth is at either extreme in the womb, either very small or very large, are at greater risk of developing autism. It is the first time that a clear link has been made between babies who grow to above average size at birth and risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder and follows from a study of more than 40,000 child health records in Sweden. The research, led by The University of Manchester, also confirmed earlier research which reported that premature ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-extreme-abnormal-fetal-growth-linked-to-autism-risk-118528-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/antidepressant-use-during-pregnancy-may-cause-autism-in-the-child-117944-1.htm Use of antidepressant medications during pregnancy may increase the risk of autism in the child, suggests a recent study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). Studies were performed to analyze the bassociation between parental depression, use of antidepressants during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorders./b Researchers identified 4429 cases of autism spectrum disorder among which 1828 were with intellectual disability, while 2601 were without intellectual disability....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/antidepressant-use-during-pregnancy-may-cause-autism-in-the-child-117944-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/first-vaccine-to-help-control-autism-symptoms-developed-117894-1.htm Scientists for the first time have developed a vaccine for gut bacteria common in autistic children that may help control some autism symptoms. Brittany Pequegnat and Guelph chemistry professor Mario Monteiro developed a carbohydrate-based vaccine against the gut bug Clostridium bolteae. C. bolteae is known to play a role in gastrointestinal disorders, and it often shows up in higher numbers in the GI tracts of autistic children than in those of healthy kids. More than 90 percent ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/first-vaccine-to-help-control-autism-symptoms-developed-117894-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/placenta-helps-predict-autism-risk-117888-1.htm An infant's risk of developing autism can be measured by looking for abnormalities in his/her placenta at birth, say researchers. One out of 50 children are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but the diagnosis is usually made when these children are 3 to 4 years of age or older. By then the best opportunities for intervention have been lost because the brain is most responsive to treatment in the first year of life....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/placenta-helps-predict-autism-risk-117888-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-try-to-detect-autism-from-brain-activity-117794-1.htm Neuroscientists have developed an efficient and reliable method of analyzing brain activity to detect autism in children. The scientists are from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the University of Toronto. Their findings appear today in the online journal iPLOS ONE/i. The researchers recorded and analyzed dynamic patterns of brain activity with magnetoencephalography (MEG) to determine the brain's functional connectivity - that is, its communication from one region to another....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-try-to-detect-autism-from-brain-activity-117794-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-in-mice-linked-with-abnormalities-in-genes-associated-with-brain-development-117559-1.htm A new study conducted by American researchers on a group of mice has linked autism with abnormalities in specific regions of their chromosomes in genes associated with aberrant brain development and activity. "These discoveries in mice may eventually pave the way towards understanding autism in human patients and devising new treatments," said co-senior author, Elliott H. Sherr, MD, PhD, a pediatric neurologist at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital and professor of neurology at UC San Francisco (UCSF)....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-in-mice-linked-with-abnormalities-in-genes-associated-with-brain-development-117559-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/targeting-components-of-endocannabinoid-signaling-system-may-reverse-autism-symptoms-117404-1.htm In individuals with autism, mutations block the action of molecules made by the brain that act on the same receptors that marijuana's active chemical acts on. This is according to new research reported online April 11 in the Cell Press journal iNeuron/i. The findings implicate specific molecules, called endocannabinoids, in the development of some autism cases and point to potential treatment strategies. "Endocannabinoids are molecules that are critical regulators of normal neuronal activity ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/targeting-components-of-endocannabinoid-signaling-system-may-reverse-autism-symptoms-117404-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/special-children-walk-to-create-awareness-on-autism-117193-1.htm To create awareness about autistic children and highlight that their abilities can be channelised in a productive manner, a group of special children walked. The walk was to increase awareness about the increasing number of children being diagnosed for autism every year and dearth of schools catering to children suffering from the syndrome. The initiative was taken by the AttachAvi Foundation and The Hans Foundation. It was attended by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. "We all have deficiencies in us....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/special-children-walk-to-create-awareness-on-autism-117193-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-diagnosis-depends-on-age-and-specific-symptoms-117160-1.htm New research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison shows that the age at which a child with autism is diagnosed is related to the particular suite of behavioral symptoms he or she exhibits. Certain diagnostic features, including poor nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors, were associated with earlier identification of an autism spectrum disorder, according to a study in the April issue of the iJournal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/i. Displaying ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-diagnosis-depends-on-age-and-specific-symptoms-117160-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/expert-tips-to-parents-for-children-with-autism-qa-with-child-specialist-116672-1.htm Few things in the world are more heart-breaking than the plight of a child with autism struggling to cope with today's fast paced world. Though Autism Spectrum Disorders range from mild to serious disability, many autistic persons display exceptional abilities in visual skills, music and academic skills. As a parent what you need to know is that Autism is not caused by bad parenting but is due to the abnormality with the emotional circuits in the brain. It is like the wires of the circuit board getting wrongly connected....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/expert-tips-to-parents-for-children-with-autism-qa-with-child-specialist-116672-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-delay-in-shifting-gaze-linked-to-early-brain-development-in-autism-116450-1.htm According to researchers, at 7 months of age, children who are later diagnosed with autism take a split second longer to shift their gaze during a task measuring eye movements and visual attention than do typically developing infants of the same age. The researchers are supported by the National Institutes of Health. The difference between the groups' test results was 25 to 50 milliseconds on average, the researchers found, too brief to be detected in social interactions with an infant. However, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-delay-in-shifting-gaze-linked-to-early-brain-development-in-autism-116450-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/difficulty-in-recognizing-faces-in-autism-linked-to-performance-in-a-group-of-neurons-neuroscientists-116126-1.htm A brain anomaly that explains why some people diagnosed with autism cannot easily recognize faces - a deficit linked to the impairments in social interactions considered to be the hallmark of the disorder was discovered by neuroscientists. They also say that the novel neuroimaging analysis technique they developed to arrive at this finding is likely to help link behavioral deficits to differences at the neural level in a range of neurological disorders. The final manuscript published March ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/difficulty-in-recognizing-faces-in-autism-linked-to-performance-in-a-group-of-neurons-neuroscientists-116126-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-linked-to-old-grandfathers-and-abuse-in-women-116115-1.htm Two new studies have found that having an older grandfather or being a mother who was abused in her youth are linked to having a child with autism. The analysis by two separate teams appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Psychiatry, adding to research that suggests hereditary and environmental influences on autism risk likely reach across multiple generations. The study on grandfathers examined national records of nearly 6,000 people with autism and 31,000 healthy controls born in Sweden since 1932....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-linked-to-old-grandfathers-and-abuse-in-women-116115-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/age-related-changes-in-how-autism-affects-the-brain-found-by-bradley-hospital-researchers-115978-1.htm Newly released findings have found that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect the brain activity of children and adults differently. The findings from Bradley Hospital were published in the iJournal of the American Academy of Child (and) Adolescent Psychiatry/i. In the study, titled "Developmental Meta-Analysis of the Functional Neural Correlates of Autism Spectrum Disorders," Daniel Dickstein, M.D., FAAP, director of the Pediatric Mood, Imaging and Neurodevelopment Program at Bradley Hospital, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/age-related-changes-in-how-autism-affects-the-brain-found-by-bradley-hospital-researchers-115978-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/blocking-cell-distress-signals-can-ease-autism-symptoms-study-115888-1.htm Symptoms of autism result from danger signaling by mitochondria, say researchers. The study, which presents a novel theory about the cause and potential treatment of autism, is being supported by one of Autism Speaks' first Suzanne and Bob Wright Trailblazer Awards (Autism Speaks is the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization). It is being conducted by Trailblazer researcher and mitochondrial medicine specialist Robert Naviaux, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of California, San Diego....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/blocking-cell-distress-signals-can-ease-autism-symptoms-study-115888-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/testing-phase-to-begin-on-new-autism-drug-115757-1.htm A drug which claims to reverse autism is in the testing phase and will soon be verified for its efficacy, scientists have revealed. Earlier testing has shown that the drug which is used to treat sleeping sickness is able to rectify autism like symptoms in mice. The drug is known to rectify the aberrant brain connections, cell-to-cell signalling and metabolic effects which are behind this disorder. The drug, Suramin, focuses on a cell messaging system which produces a metabolic response to stress....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/testing-phase-to-begin-on-new-autism-drug-115757-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/pregnant-mums-can-lower-their-infants-autism-risk-by-starting-folic-acid-supplement-early-115709-1.htm A new study carried out at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health found women taking a folic acid supplement before and during pregnancy can halve the risk of having a child being diagnosed with autism later. But the supplement has no effect if it is started more than 8 weeks into the pregnancy. In the study, women who took folic acid supplements from four weeks before conception to eight weeks into pregnancy had a 40 per cent lower risk of giving birth to children with childhood autism (classic autism)....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/pregnant-mums-can-lower-their-infants-autism-risk-by-starting-folic-acid-supplement-early-115709-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/network-analysis-of-brain-may-explain-features-of-autism-spectrum-disorders-115122-1.htm By looking at how the brain processes information, researchers finds a distinct pattern in children with autism spectrum disorders. Using EEGs to track the brain's electrical cross-talk, researchers from Boston Children's Hospital have found a structural difference in brain connections. Compared with neurotypical children, those with autism have multiple redundant connections between neighboring brain areas at the expense of long-distance links. The study, using a "network analysis" like ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/network-analysis-of-brain-may-explain-features-of-autism-spectrum-disorders-115122-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/behavioral-therapy-for-children-with-autism-can-bring-in-positive-changes-114436-1.htm A team of researchers including a UC Santa Barbara graduate student discovered positive changes in brain activity in children with autism who received a particular type of behavioral therapy. They used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for before-and-after analysis. Work completed at Yale University's Child Study Center used fMRI as the tool for measuring the impact of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) -- therapy pioneered at UCSB by Lynn Koegel, clinical director of the Koegel ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/behavioral-therapy-for-children-with-autism-can-bring-in-positive-changes-114436-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/genes-for-autism-and-schizophrenia-only-active-in-developing-brains-study-114280-1.htm According to a study in mice led by researchers at the University of Oxford, genes linked to autism and schizophrenia are only switched on during the early stages of brain development. This new study adds to the evidence that autism and schizophrenia are neurodevelopmental disorders, a term describing conditions that originate during early brain development. The researchers studied gene expression in the brains of mice throughout their development, from 15-day old embryos to adults, and ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/genes-for-autism-and-schizophrenia-only-active-in-developing-brains-study-114280-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/ghulam-nabi-azad-include-autism-in-medical-curriculum-114267-1.htm Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that the central government will ask the Medical Council of India (MCI) to ensure that under-graduate and post-graduate medical curriculum includes autism, a development disorder in children. During a discussion at a conference of the South Asian Autism Network here, Azad said he would also try to ensure that there is increased collaboration between ministries and different departments of the ministries in compiling data and training practices for professionals....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/ghulam-nabi-azad-include-autism-in-medical-curriculum-114267-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/folic-acid-supplementation-linked-to-lower-autism-risk-114234-1.htm Mothers who took folic acid supplements in early pregnancy had a lower risk of having children with autistic disorder, finds study. Pal Suren of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and colleagues looked into the use of folic acid supplements before and during early pregnancy, and any impact on the later risk of various disorders on the autism spectrum. "Our main finding was that maternal use of folic acid supplements around the time of conception was associated with a lower risk ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/folic-acid-supplementation-linked-to-lower-autism-risk-114234-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-identify-genetic-mutation-involved-in-some-autism-behaviors-114232-1.htm A genetic mutation that may be responsible for common behaviors seen in some people with autism, such as difficulty in communicating and resistance to change has been identified by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. An error in the gene, CELF6, leads to disturbances in serotonin, a chemical that relays messages in the brain and has long been suspected to be involved in autism. The researchers identified the error in a child with autism and then, working ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-identify-genetic-mutation-involved-in-some-autism-behaviors-114232-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/south-asian-autism-network-to-hold-conference-in-new-delhi-114075-1.htm UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will inaugurate a conference of South Asian Autism Network (SAAN) in New Delhi on February 11. Experts from India, Bangladesh, Thailand and eight other southeast Asian countries will deliberate at a day-long conference to identify common challenges. Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by communication difficulties, social and behavioral challenges and repetitive behaviors. Diagnosis is difficult due to use of different criteria. World Health ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/south-asian-autism-network-to-hold-conference-in-new-delhi-114075-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/attention-deficits-in-babies-who-later-develop-autism-detected-by-yale-researchers-113983-1.htm Deficits in social attention in infants as young as six months of age who later develop Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) have been detected by researchers at Yale School of Medicine. Published in the current issue of iBiological Psychiatry/i, the results showed that these infants paid less attention to people and their activities than typically developing babies. Katarzyna Chawarska, associate professor at the Yale Child Study Center, and her colleagues investigated whether six-month-old ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/attention-deficits-in-babies-who-later-develop-autism-detected-by-yale-researchers-113983-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/biomarker-for-autism-uncovered-by-researchers-113877-1.htm A researcher has uncovered a potential connection between autism and a specific growth protein that could eventually be used as a way to predict an infant's propensity to later develop the disease. He is a New York-based physician-researcher from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, best known for his research into fertility and twinning. The protein, called insulin-like growth factor (IGF), is especially involved in the normal growth and development of babies' brain cells. Based on findings ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/biomarker-for-autism-uncovered-by-researchers-113877-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/genetic-screening-may-help-understand-autism-better-113784-1.htm A study by an Indian-origin researcher have suggested that genetic screening of at-risk patients may lead to better diagnosis or treatment of autism. As autism spectrum disorders affect nearly 1 in 88 kids, understanding the altered genetic pathways is critical for diagnosis and treatment. "Autism is the most inheritable of neurodevelopmental disorders, but identifying the underlying genes is difficult since no single gene contributes more than a tiny fraction of autism cases," Rajini Rao of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/genetic-screening-may-help-understand-autism-better-113784-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/exposure-to-antiepileptic-drug-in-womb-linked-to-autism-risk-study-113765-1.htm A small study published online in the iJournal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry/i suggests that children whose mothers take the antiepileptic drug sodium valproate while pregnant are at significantly increased risk of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. The authors base their findings on children born to 528 pregnant women between 2000 and 2004 in the North West of England. Just fewer than half the mums (243) had epilepsy, all but 34 of whom took antiepileptic drugs during their pregnancy....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/exposure-to-antiepileptic-drug-in-womb-linked-to-autism-risk-study-113765-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-suppresses-the-development-of-inhibitory-synapses-113591-1.htm A variety of cell adhesion molecules that connect neurons and organize synaptic proteins promotes synapse development. Many of these adhesion molecules are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders; mutations in neuroligin and neurexin proteins, for example, are associated with autism and schizophrenia. According to a study in emThe Journal of Cell Biology/em, another family of proteins linked to these disorders regulates the function of neuroligins and neurexins in order to suppress the development of inhibitory synapses....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-suppresses-the-development-of-inhibitory-synapses-113591-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/inflammation-during-early-pregnancy-raises-autism-risk-in-kids-113445-1.htm A new study has linked inflammation during early pregnancy to autism risk in kids. Researchers found this in children of mothers with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), a well-established marker of systemic inflammation. The risk of autism among children in the study was increased by 43 percent among mothers with CRP levels in the top 20th percentile, and by 80 percent for maternal CRP in the top 10th percentile. The findings add to mounting evidence that an overactive immune response ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/inflammation-during-early-pregnancy-raises-autism-risk-in-kids-113445-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/inherited-causes-of-autism-elaborated-in-new-studies-113377-1.htm Previous research into the autism spectrum disorders has revealed that the disorders are incredibly complex. Two new studies in the January 23 issue of the Cell Press journal iNeuron/i that add to the growing appreciation of this complexity focus on identifying inherited genetic mutations linked with autism spectrum disorders. The mutations-which are distinct from the spontaneous mutations that have been the focus of previous studies-may provide valuable insights into the causes of autism....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/inherited-causes-of-autism-elaborated-in-new-studies-113377-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/some-children-with-autism-lose-symptoms-that-supported-the-diagnosis-112990-1.htm A National Institutes of Health supported study has found that some of the children who are diagnosed with autism early in their childhood manage to lose the symptoms that supported the diagnosis as they grow older. The research team made the finding by carefully documenting a prior diagnosis of autism in a small group of school-age children and young adults with no current symptoms of the disorder. The report is the first of a series that will probe more deeply into the nature of the change in these children's status....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/some-children-with-autism-lose-symptoms-that-supported-the-diagnosis-112990-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/traffic-related-air-pollution-causes-autism-in-infants-112402-1.htm Autism is a behavioral and cognitive disorder generally seen in children. Both genetic and environmental factors are likely to contribute to the development of autism. But, little research has been done to examine the association of autism with residence-specific exposure to air pollution. Heather Volk, an Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California, conducted a study for determining the susceptibility of autistic children to be affected by air pollution ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/traffic-related-air-pollution-causes-autism-in-infants-112402-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/ohio-will-cover-autism-treatment-under-insurance-plans-112019-1.htm Governor John Kasich gave approval to plans for insurance companies to cover autism treatments, according to The Plain Dealer. He made an announcement on 21supst/sup December and the coverage will commence from 2014, which will cover treatments like Applied Behavior Analysis, along with occupational therapy and Psychiatric care. It will cost thousands of dollars yearly. It will apply to state healthcare programs, private insurance sold in the state, and the federally mandated insurance exchange known as "Obamacare....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/ohio-will-cover-autism-treatment-under-insurance-plans-112019-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/global-view-of-mutability-on-human-diseases-available-via-findings-between-dnms-and-autism-111942-1.htm The latest investigation of de novo germline mutation by whole genome sequencing in autism patients is reported in a study published online in iCell/i. This study provides a global view of the landscape of mutability and its influence on genetic diversity and susceptibility in autism, and its implications on other human diseases. The work was a collaborative effort led by international teams comprised of the University of California, San Diego, BGI, and other institutes. The results are ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/global-view-of-mutability-on-human-diseases-available-via-findings-between-dnms-and-autism-111942-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/genomic-technology-helps-discover-hundreds-of-gene-mutations-tied-to-autism-111832-1.htm Genomic technology called high-throughput sequencing (HTS) has revolutionized gene discovery and disease understanding in autism. The technology has helped to discover hundreds of new genes linked with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). "These new discoveries using HTS confirm that the genetic origins of autism are far more complex than previously believed," said Joseph D. Buxbaum, PhD, Director of the Seaver Autism Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and lead author of the article in iNeuron/i....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/genomic-technology-helps-discover-hundreds-of-gene-mutations-tied-to-autism-111832-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/vitamin-d-may-reduce-autism-risk-in-kids-111604-1.htm In children, vitamin D reduces the risk of developing autism, states study. The study examined the variation of autism prevalence by state for those aged 6-17 years in 2010. It found that states with higher solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) doses in summer or autumn had half the rate of autism as states with the lowest doses. The study also found that in the states with the least solar UVB, black-Americans had a 40 percent higher rate of autism than white-Americans. Black-Americans ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/vitamin-d-may-reduce-autism-risk-in-kids-111604-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/fragile-x-syndrome-linked-to-autism-111514-1.htm For many years, doctors have known that patients with fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited intellectual disability, are often also diagnosed with autism. But little has been known about how the two diagnoses are related. Now a collaborative research effort at Duke University Medical Center and Rockefeller University has pinpointed the precise genetic footprint that links the two. The findings, published online in the journal iNature/i on Dec. 12, 2012, point the way ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/fragile-x-syndrome-linked-to-autism-111514-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/reductions-in-the-level-of-cellular-adhesion-molecules-leads-to-autism-111410-1.htm Autism is associated with reductions in the level of cellular adhesion molecules in the blood, where they play a role in immune function, suggests a new study published in iBiological Psychiatry/i. Cell adhesion molecules are the glue that binds cells together in the body. Deficits in adhesion molecules would be expected to compromise processes at the interfaces between cells, influencing tissue integrity and cell-to-cell signaling. In the brain, deficits in adhesion molecules could compromise ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/reductions-in-the-level-of-cellular-adhesion-molecules-leads-to-autism-111410-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/immune-system-contribution-to-autism-supported-by-combining-two-genome-analysis-approaches-111272-1.htm Researchers have found evidence that disturbances in several immune-system-related pathways contribute to development of autism spectrum disorders. They have used novel approaches and methodologies for identifying genes that contribute to the development of autism. The report published December 4 in the open-access journal iPLOS ONE/i powerfully supports a role for the immune function in autism by integrating analysis of autism-associated DNA sequence variations with that of markers identified ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/immune-system-contribution-to-autism-supported-by-combining-two-genome-analysis-approaches-111272-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/immune-system-as-well-as-brain-development-are-affected-by-mecp2-duplication-111192-1.htm MECP2 mutation is the genetic cause of Rett syndrome, which is a neurological disorder that begins after birth, Dr. Huda Zoghbi and colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine have revealed. Too little of the MeCP2 protein associated with the gene causes the girls whom it affects to regress, gradually losing their speech, the use of their hands and many cognitive functions. In 2005, other researchers identified the other side of the coin - MECP2 duplication syndrome. Too much of that critical ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/immune-system-as-well-as-brain-development-are-affected-by-mecp2-duplication-111192-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/children-with-autism-are-9-times-more-likely-to-arrive-at-emergency-room-111001-1.htm The likelihood of a psychiatric emergency department visit was higher if a child carried private health insurance rather than medical assistance. In the first study to compare mental health-related emergency department (ED) visits between children with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD), researchers found that ED visits are nine times more likely to be for psychiatric reasons if a child has an ASD diagnosis. Published in the journal iPediatric Emergency Care/i (Epub ahead of print), ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/children-with-autism-are-9-times-more-likely-to-arrive-at-emergency-room-111001-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/most-parents-interested-in-genetic-testing-for-siblings-of-children-with-autism-110881-1.htm 80 percent of parents with at least one child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) would pursue genetic testing. If a test were available that could identify risk in a younger sibling, citing the desire for earlier identification of children at risk, earlier evaluation and intervention, closer monitoring and lessened anxiety. The findings were reported in "Parental Interest in a Genetic Risk Assessment Test for Autism Spectrum Disorders," a survey published online today in the journal Clinical Pediatrics....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/most-parents-interested-in-genetic-testing-for-siblings-of-children-with-autism-110881-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/research-explosion-paralleled-by-dramatic-rise-in-autism-prevalence-110625-1.htm The dramatic progress in autism research has paralleled increased recognition of autism's prevalence and financial impact describes Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D. in the December issue of the iArchives of General Psychiatry/i published on line today. "This issue of the journal features three articles on autism," she writes in her editorial. "A decade ago, the journal published about the same number of autism articles per year." Dr. Dawson also notes that, while ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/research-explosion-paralleled-by-dramatic-rise-in-autism-prevalence-110625-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-linked-to-dysregulated-protein-synthesis-110608-1.htm Researchers have identified a crucial link between protein synthesis and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Regulation of protein synthesis, also termed mRNA translation, is the process by which cells manufacture proteins. This mechanism is involved in all aspects of cell and organism function. A new study in mice by researchers from McGill University and the University of Montreal has found that abnormally high synthesis of a group of neuronal proteins called neuroligins results in symptoms similar to those diagnosed in ASD....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-linked-to-dysregulated-protein-synthesis-110608-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-explore-link-between-air-pollution-and-autism-risk-110569-1.htm Polluted air either from regional pollution or from local traffic sources is associated with autism, states research. The study titled "Traffic Related Air Pollution, Particulate Matter, and Autism," shows that exposure to traffic-related air pollution during pregnancy and the first year of life is associated with a more than two-fold risk of autism. In addition, exposure to regional pollution consisting of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and small particles (and) #8211; particulate matter less than 2....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-explore-link-between-air-pollution-and-autism-risk-110569-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/crucial-link-identified-in-understanding-autism-spectrum-disorders-110502-1.htm Researchers have identified a crucial link between protein synthesis and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which can bolster new therapeutic avenues. Regulation of protein synthesis, also termed mRNA translation, is the process by which cells manufacture proteins. This mechanism is involved in all aspects of cell and organism function. A new study in mice has found that abnormally high synthesis of a group of neuronal proteins called neuroligins results in symptoms similar to those diagnosed in ASD....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/crucial-link-identified-in-understanding-autism-spectrum-disorders-110502-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-linked-to-schizophrenia-genetic-networks-identified-110035-1.htm The genes involved in schizophrenia have been difficult to identify although it is highly genetic in origin. Researchers have implicated several genes, but it is unclear how they act to produce the disorder, in the past few years. A new study by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center identifies affected gene networks and provides insight into the molecular causes of the disease. The paper was published today in the online edition of the journal iNature Neuroscience/i. Using ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/autism-linked-to-schizophrenia-genetic-networks-identified-110035-1.htm