Autism
Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder characterized by severe deficits in social interaction and communication, by an extremely limited range of activities and interests, and often by the presence of repetitive, stereotyped behaviors.
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Meditation may help brain to recover from diseases
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Autism children better at problem solving
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Lack of evidence for antidepressants in Autism
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Citalopram ineffective for children with autism
Autism - most related articles:
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Pediatricians call for cancellation of ABC's ELI STONE premiere - 4.9
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Genetic variants may make people susceptible to autism disorder - 4.9
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Environment factors important than genetic in autism - 4.4
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Autism tied to genes that influence brain cell connections - 4.4
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Children with autism lack visual skills required for independence - 4.4
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Autism linked to brain abnormalities in toddlers - 4.3
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Brain cell channel defect may cause autism like syndrome - 4.2
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Autism distorts developing brain in children - 4.2
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Thimerosal in vaccine cannot cause autism - vaccine court, US - 4.2
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First biological test can detect autism with 94% accuracy - 4.1
Autism articles
Earlier sign of autism can be noticed in 6 months old infantsIn their first year of life, babies who will go on to develop autism already show different brain responses when someone looks at or away from them. Although the researchers are careful to say that the study, reported in the Cell Press journal Current Biology, is only a first step toward earlier diagnosis, the findings do suggest that direct brain measures might help to predict the future development of autism symptoms in infants as young as six months.
Brain cell channel defect may cause autism like syndromeWhat goes wrong in the brain when an individual suffers from autism. Autism is a spectrum of developmental disorders of impaired social and verbal interaction. Currently, no medication exists to treat its underlying causes, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Meditation may help brain to recover from diseasesBrain imaging study reveals that experienced meditators seem to be able switch off areas of the brain associated with daydreaming as well as psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.
Autism linked to gene mutation on chromosome 16Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have discovered that one of the most common genetic alterations in autism -- deletion of a 27-gene cluster on chromosome 16 -- causes autism-like features.
Environment factors important than genetic in autismShared environmental factors – experiences and exposures common to both twin individuals – accounted for 55% of strict autism and 58% of more broadly defined autism spectrum disorders (ASD), revealed by researchers. Genetic heritability accounted for 37% of autism and 38% of ASD.
Autism linked to hundreds of genetic changesInvestigating 1,000 families reveals hundreds of small genetic variations are associated with autism spectrum disorders, according to a multi-site collaborative study led by researchers at Yale University. These genetic findings can be used to begin unraveling the underlying biology of autism.
Autism changes molecular structure of brainA new UCLA study is the first to reveal how the autism disorder makes its mark at the molecular level, resulting in an autistic brain that differs dramatically in structure from a healthy one.
1 year well baby check up approach - catching signs of autism earlyA novel strategy developed by autism researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, called "The One-Year Well-Baby Check Up Approach," shows promise as a simple way for physicians to detect cases of Autism Syndrome Disorder (ASD), language or developmental delays in babies at an early age.
Half of all children with autism wander and bolt from safe placesThe Interactive Autism Network (IAN), reveals the preliminary results of the first major survey on wandering and elopement among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and announces the launch of a new research survey on the association between pregnancy factors and ASD.
EEG can diagnose autism spectrum disorders in infantsA computational physicist and a cognitive neuroscientist at Children's Hospital Boston have come up with the beginnings of a noninvasive test to evaluate an infant's autism risk.
Relatively few young adults with autism receive assistance after high schoolUse of medical, mental health and case management services for young adults with an autism spectrum disorder appears to decline after high school, revealed by researchers.
Children with autism lack visual skills required for independenceThe ability to find shoes in the bedroom, apples in a supermarket, or a favourite animal at the zoo is impaired among children with autism, according to new research from the University of Bristol. Contrary to previous studies, which show that children with autism often demonstrate outstanding visual search skills, this new research indicates that children with autism are unable to search effectively for objects in real-life situations – a skill that is essential for achieving independence in adulthood.
First biological test can detect autism with 94% accuracyResearchers at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital and the University of Utah have developed the best biologically based test for autism to date. The test was able to detect the disorder in individuals with high-functioning autism with 94 percent accuracy.
Lack of evidence for antidepressants in AutismAntidepressants commonly prescribed to people with autistic spectrum disorders cannot be recommended based on current evidence, revealed by Cochrane Researchers.
Genetic variants may make people susceptible to autism disorderAutism is caused in part by rare genetic changes called copy number variants (CNVs), revealed by an international consortium of researchers from more than 70 universities, including the University of Utah.
Gene mutations lead to autism and mental retardationResearchers working with Professor Gudrun Rappold, Director of the Department of Molecular Human Genetics at Heidelberg University Hospital, have discovered previously unknown mutations in autistic and mentally impaired patients in what is known as the SHANK2 gene, a gene that is partially responsible for linking nerve cells. However, a single gene mutation is not always enough to trigger the illness.
New drug improves symptoms in autism disorderResearchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have identified a drug that improves communication between nerve cells in a mouse model of Phelan McDermid Syndrome (PMS). Behavioral symptoms of PMS fall under the autism spectrum disorder category.
Thimerosal in vaccine cannot cause autism - vaccine court, USUS 'vaccine court' ruled in three separate cases that the mercury containing preservative thiomersal does not cause autism. This ruling supports the broad scientific consensus.
Autism's earliest symptoms not in infants under 6 monthsA study of the development of autism in infants, comparing the behavior of the siblings of children diagnosed with autism to that of babies developing normally, has found that the nascent symptoms of the condition - a lack of shared eye contact, smiling and communicative babbling - are not present at 6 months, but emerge gradually and only become apparent during the latter part of the first year of life.
Autistic people don't want hugsWhy do people with fragile X syndrome, a genetic defect that is the best-known cause of autism and inherited mental retardation, recoil from hugs and physical touch – even from their parents?
Brain imaging may help diagnose autism disorderChildren with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) process sound and language a fraction of a second slower than children without ASDs, and measuring magnetic signals that mark this delay may become a standardized way to diagnose autism.
Educated parents may have autistic childrenResearchers at UC Davis have identified 10 locations in California where the incidence of autism is higher than surrounding areas in the same region. Most of the areas, or clusters, are in locations where parents have higher-than-average levels of educational attainment.
Autism children better at problem solvingAutistics, children with autism, are up to 40% faster at problem solving than non autistics, according to a new Université de Montréal and Harvard University study published in the journal Human Brain Mapping.
Citalopram ineffective for children with autismCitalopram, a medication commonly prescribed to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), was no more effective than a placebo at reducing repetitive behaviors, according to researchers.
Gene defect can cause sever mental retardation as Angelman syndromeResearchers at Duke University Medical Center and the University of North Carolina have discovered in mice how a single disrupted gene can cause a form of severe mental retardation known as Angelman syndrome.
Autism linked to brain abnormalities in toddlersToddlers with autism appear more likely to have an enlarged amygdala, a brain area associated with numerous functions, including the processing of faces and emotion, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Autism tied to genes that influence brain cell connectionsResearchers have identified a new gene variant that is highly common in autistic children. Gene, known as CDH10, is most active in key regions that support language, speech and interpreting social behavior.
Autism linked to being firstborn, breech births or older momsChildren who are firstborn or breech or whose mothers are 35 or older when giving birth are at significantly greater risk for developing an autism spectrum disorder, University of Utah School of Medicine researchers have reported in a new study with Utah children.
Asperger Syndrome linked with stress hormone cortisol levelsSome of the symptoms of the autistic condition Asperger Syndrome, such as a need for routine and resistance to change, could be linked to levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggests new research led by the University of Bath.
Autism distorts developing brain in childrenIndividuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) tend to stare at people's mouths rather than their eyes.
Lower IQ in children of older fathersChildren of older fathers perform less well in a range of cognitive tests during infancy and early childhood, according to a study published this week in the open-access journal PLoS Medicine.
Autism spectrum disorder linked to preterm birthResearchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC), in collaboration with other medical centers, have found that children born more than three months premature, are at three times the risk for screening positive on the modified checklist for autism in toddlers (M-CHAT).
Rainfall linked to autismChildren living in counties with higher levels of annual precipitation appear more likely to have higher prevalence rates of autism, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The results raise the possibility that an environmental trigger for autism may be associated with precipitation and may affect genetically vulnerable children.
Chromosomal changes increase schizophrenia riskPeople with schizophrenia (mental illness variously affecting behavior, thinking, and emotion) have an increased number of unusual chromosomal changes, particularly structural changes that have the potential to alter the function of the genes.
Do animals think like autistic savants?When Temple Grandin argued that animals and autistic savants share cognitive similarities in her best-selling book Animals in Translation (2005), the idea gained steam outside the community of cognitive neuroscientists.
Babies excrete vaccine-mercury quickerFebruary's issue of Pediatrics offers another reason to rethink blaming the spike in autism diagnoses on thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative routinely used in several childhood vaccines until the late ‘90s.
Pediatricians call for cancellation of ABC's ELI STONE premiereThe American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is demanding ABC cancel the opening episode of "Eli Stone" scheduled for Thursday, January 31. As reported in The New York Times, the episode features a lawyer who argues in court that a vaccine caused a child's autism.
Chromosomal abnormalities play substantial role in autismGenome-wide scans of families affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have revealed new evidence that previously unknown chromosomal abnormalities have a substantial role in the prevalent developmental disorder, according to a report published online Jan. 17th in the American Journal of Human Genetics, a publication of Cell Press.
Fragile X syndrome affecting brain cellsResearchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are uncovering how brain cells are affected in Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of inherited mental retardation and the most common genetic cause of autism.
Potential drugs for mental retardation and autism treatmentResearchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory have corrected key symptoms of mental retardation and autism in mice. The work, which will be reported in the Dec. 20 issue of Neuron, indicates that a certain class of drugs could have the same effect in humans. These drugs are not yet approved by the FDA, but will soon be entering into clinical trials.
40 Autism articles listed above.