Gut Bacteria May Play a Role in Autism - Scientific American

Gut Bacteria May Play a Role in Autism - Scientific American: "So could autism one day be treated with drugs designed to restore a healthy microbial balance? Perhaps, but autism is the result of a “complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors,” explains Manya Angley, an autism researcher at the University of South Australia, so the solution may not be that simple. "



'via Blog this'

Autism parents being preyed on???

Most certainly autism parents are/have been preyed on, but article does a good job of lumping all alternative therapies together.

BBC News - Autism parents being 'preyed on'

The National Autistic Society said therapies with no supporting evidence were being sold to parents. 

The warning comes after a BBC investigation found the use of dietary supplements and biomedical therapies being widely touted as a treatment. 

There is no cure for autism and current best practice involves the use of behavioural and educational therapies.

... more

Autism gene stunts neurons, Growth can be restored

Autism gene stunts neurons, but growth can be restored

Brown University researchers have traced a genetic deficiency implicated in autism in humans to specific molecular and cellular consequences that cause clear deficits in mice in how well neurons can grow the intricate branches that allow them to connect to brain circuits. The researchers also show in their study (online Sep. 12, 2013, in Neuron) that they could restore proper neuronal growth by compensating for the errant molecular mechanisms they identified.

BBC News - Miniature 'human brain' grown in lab

Only manifests in adults?  Really?

BBC News - Miniature 'human brain' grown in lab
"Ultimately we would like to move towards more common disorders like schizophrenia or autism. They typically manifest themselves only in adults, but it has been shown that the underlying defects occur during the development of the brain."

Full genome sequencing for autism?

First full genome sequencing for autism: Promise for future diagnosis, prevention and treatment: "A collaborative formed by Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, has found full genome sequencing examining the entire DNA code of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their family members to provide the definitive look at the wide ranging genetic variations associated with ASD. The study published online today in American Journal of Human Genetics, reports on full genome sequencing on 32 unrelated Canadian individuals with autism and their families, participants in the Autism Speaks Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE). The results include both inherited as well as spontaneous or de novo, genetic alterations found in one half of the affected families sequenced."

'via Blog this'

Up To 75% Of Americans Functioning In Chronic State Of Dehydration ...

Chronic Dehydration More Common Than You Think « CBS Miami

Most people know that they are supposed to drink water, but up to 75 percent of Americans may be functioning in a chronic state of dehydration, according to new research.

...Water is necessary for the body to digest and absorb vitamins and nutrients. It’s also key to proper digestion, it detoxifies the liver and kidneys, and carries waste away, Webb said.

Medical marijuana halts chronic seizures in 6 year old

Medical marijuana all but halts Colorado 6-year-old’s chronic seizures | KDVR.com

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — For most of her life, 6-year-old Charlotte Figi has suffered from 20 to 60 seizures a day due to an incurable genetic disorder called Dravet Syndrome. After the use of medical marijuana, Charlotte has shown dramatic improvement 

A lengthy feature in an edition of this week’s Colorado Springs Gazette chronicles the youngster’s difficult journey 

Charlotte’s parents, Paige and Matt Figi, said the daily seizures made it impossible for Charlotte to have any kind of normal existence. The family had tried a number of remedies, like a special diet and dozens of prescribed medications, to combat the seizures. But each treatment exhibited negative side effects. 

While the diet appeared to ameliorate the seizures at first, the strict food restrictions prompted bone loss, plunging Charlotte into a preliminary stage of osteoporosis. She also suffered from respiratory, ear and bladder infections. The drugs put stress on her organs and some of the medications caused her to stop breathing. 

Paige and Matt said they had reached a stage of desperation. When the suggestion came to try a less conventional approach to their daughter’s disease, both were willing to overlook the controversial implications of a 6-year-old using medicinal marijuana. 

Because little research on medicinal marijuana usage for children existed at the time, finding doctors to treat Charlotte presented a challenge. But Paige persisted. Eventually, she found two doctors, Dr. Margaret Gedde and Dr. Alan Shackelford, to sign for a medicinal marijuana license and treat Charlotte.

Related:

• Medical Marijuana and Autism

Mendability: Sensory Enrichment Therapy and Brain Plasticity Sensory Enrichment Therapy and Brain Plasticity

Mendability: Home-Based Autism Treatment - Clinically Proven

Until recently, it was believed that the brain could not change after the first few years of life.

But new research has shown that the brain has the ability to change—grow new neural pathways and synapses—at any stage of life. This process is known as brain plasticity.

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine believe that brain plasticity can be triggered by sensory enrichment.

So, we have developed an easily accessible sensory enrichment therapy you can do at home.

As brain plasticity is activated, the brain’s resiliency increases.

With the help of our personalized sensory enrichment therapy, the brain plasticity is then channeled to the areas that have the capacity to compensate for the maladaptive behavior.

Children With Autism and Therapy Dogs

Children With Autism May Benefit From Interaction With Therapy Dogs

Interactions with therapy dogs, or the introduction of an assistance dog into a household with a child who has an ASD, may help the child develop emotional attachments and interaction in a social setting based on simple and predictable patterns, without having to interpret verbal cues. The enhanced capability for social interaction they would achieve may then carry over to interpersonal communication and relationships.  

In the article "Use of Assistance and Therapy Dogs for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Critical Review of the Current Evidence," Alessandra Berry, PhD and coauthors from Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy, describe the body of published study results as encouraging. They emphasize the need for larger, better designed studies in the future to confirm and build on these findings.