Join CafeMom Today! Autism Spectrum Disorder: Treatments: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Autism

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Autism

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) May Alleviate Symptoms of Autism

Researcher Says He Has "Found the Pathology of Autism"

Dr. Manuel Casanova holds an endowed chair at the University of Kentucky. He's written dozens of peer-reviewed papers, and receives funding from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Casanova is conducting research on the autistic brain -- and, according to him: "I think we have found the pathology of autism. ...It explains so much, it all makes sense."

Not only does Dr. Casanova believe he has found the pathology of autism, but he is also working on a treatment which may have the ability to lessen autistic symptoms of hypersensitivity without compromising the creativity and savant abilities that make autistic people so extraordinary.

Minicolumns in the Autistic Brain: Good News and Bad News

The outer part of the brain is called the neocortex. Within the neocortex are groups of cells called minicolumns. These minicolumns are the smallest unit of cells capable of processing information. Ordinarily, minicolumns include relatively large cells, called neurons, which allow communication not only within an individual minicolumn but also among different parts of the brain.

Minicolumns in people with autism are smaller and more numerous than normal. In addition, neurons within each minicolumn are reduced in size. This may be both good and bad, says Casanova: "Since the efficiency of connections among neurons is a function of cell size, the presence of smaller neurons in the brains of autistic patients has a dramatic effect on the way that different parts of the brain interact with each other. Brain activities that require longer projections (e.g., language) may be impaired while those that depend on shorter connections (e.g., mathematical manipulations) may be preserved or reinforced."

In other words, people with autism are exceptionally good at anything that can be processed in one area of the brain -- such as math and visual discrimination. They are, however, exceptionally bad at anything that requires coordination among various parts of the brain -- such as social skills, language and face discrimination.

[MORE ...]



Related:

No comments:

Labels

420 (1) AABA (1) AAT (9) ABA (27) Abilify (2) Acamprosate (1) Acupuncture (2) Adeli Suit Therapy (1) AEIOU Early Intervention (1) Afinitor (1) AIT (3) Algae (1) Alzheimer's Drugs (2) Amantadine (1) Amino Acids (1) AMMT (1) Anat Baniel Method (1) Animal Assisted Therapy (15) Anti psychotics (2) Anti-convulsants (2) Anti-fungal therapy (1) Anti-yeast therapy (2) Antibiotics (1) Antidepressants (7) Antioxidants (1) Antipsychotics (2) Applied Affectionate Behavior Analysis (1) Applied Behavioral Analysis (26) Arbaclofen (1) Art Therapy (9) Assistive Technology (18) Athletics (1) Audio-Visual Entrainment (1) Auditory Integration Training (3) Auditory Motor Mapping Training (1) Augmentative Communication (17) Autism (7) Autism Clinical Trials Network (1) Autism Fun (2) Autism Treatments are Expensive (11) Autism360 (1) AVE (1) Baclofen (2) Bacteroides (1) BCAAs (1) BDNF (1) benzodiazepine (1) Better Diagnosis (1) Biofeedback (9) Biomedical Treatments (4) Brain Plasticity (1) Branched Chain Amino Acids (1) Bumetanide (1) Bumex (1) Burinex (1) Buspar (1) Buspirone Hydrochloride (1) Cannabis (7) Cerebral Folate Deficiency (1) Character Therapy (1) Cheerleading (1) Chelation (4) Chewing Gum (1) Chiropractic (1) Cholesterol (1) CLM (1) clonazepam (1) Coffee (1) Communication Devices (16) Competent Learner Model (1) Computers (12) Contrarian (1) Cord Blood (1) Costs of Treatment (17) CranioSacral Therapy (1) Cutting-Edge Therapies (2) Cybertherapy (1) D-Cycloserine (1) DAN (5) Dance (1) DATS (2) DCS (1) DEFEAT AUTISM NOW (6) Detecting Autism (1) Detox (1) Developmental Individual Difference Relationship Model (3) Diagnosing Autism (1) Diet (6) DIR (5) Disco (1) Discrete Affectionate Trials (1) Discrete Trial Training (4) DNA (1) Dolphin Dome (1) Dolphin Therapy (8) Drugs (34) DTT (5) DynaVox (14) Early Intensive Behavioural Intervention (1) ECLIPSE Model (1) Ecstasy (MDMA) (1) EEG Biofeedback (7) EIBI (1) Elephant therapy (1) Enzyme (1) Epigenetics (3) Epilepsy (5) Epsom Salts (2) Equine Therapy (10) Face Recognition (1) Facial Reflexology (1) Fatty Acids (2) Fish Oil (2) Floor Time (8) Floortime (7) Fluoxetine (1) fMRI (1) Folic Acid (2) Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (1) Games (3) Gene Therapy (4) Genome Sequencing (1) Glutathione (1) Grace (1) HBOT (16) Hippotherapy (7) Hormones (1) Horse Therapy (11) Hydration (1) Hyperbaric Oxygen (16) Hyperinsulinemia (1) Hypnosis (1) Hypnotherapy (1) iCommunicate (1) Immunotherapy (1) Insurance Coverage for Autism (20) Intravenous immunoglobulin (1) iontoporation (1) iPad (9) iPhone (7) iPod (9) iPrompts (1) IVIG (1) Law of Attraction (1) LEGOS (2) Leucovorin (1) Leupeptin (1) Lexapro (escitalopram) (2) Life Skills (3) Lovass (1) Lupron (5) Marinol (1) Masgutova method (1) Masgutova Neuro-sensory-motor Reflex Integration (2) Massage (1) MB12 (4) Medical Marijuana (6) Medications (9) Meditation (1) Mendability (1) Methyl-B12 (4) Methylcobalamin (2) Miracle Mineral Supplement (2) Misc (5) Mitochondrial Dysfunction (1) MMS (2) MnemeTherapy™ (1) MNRI (1) Music Therapy (6) N-Acetylcysteine (1) NAC (1) NAET (1) Namenda (1) Nasal Insulin (1) nasal spray (2) NATURAL ENVIRONMENT TRAINING (2) Natural Language Paradigm (1) Naturalistic Learning (2) NET (1) Netbook (1) Neurofeedback (9) Neuroliminal Training (2) NHE6 protein (1) Nicotine Patch (1) Nintendo (1) NLP (1) NT (2) Nutritional therapy (1) Occupational Therapy (1) Omega-3 (3) Online Autism Therapy (3) Optimize Strengthen Rejuvenate (3) OSR (4) Oxidative Stress Release (3) Oxytocin (2) P.L.A.Y. Project (1) Parasitic Worms (1) PECS (8) PEMF (1) Physical Therapy (1) Picture Exchange Communication System (8) Pilates (1) Pivotal Response Therapy (2) Play and Language for Autistic Youngsters (1) Pot (1) Probiotics (3) Proloquo2Go (1) Propranolol (1) Protease Inhibitor (1) Prozac (2) PRT (1) Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (1) Rapamycin (1) Rapid Prompting Method (1) Reducing Oxidative Stress (1) Respen-A (2) Response Interruption/Redirection (1) RIR (1) Risperdal (1) Risperidone (4) Ritalin (1) Robots (3) RPM (1) rTMS (1) SAVE (1) Scams (1) SCERTS (1) Screening for Autism (1) Secretin (1) Seizures (4) Sensori-motor Auditory Visual Education (1) Sensory Enrichment Therapy (1) Sensory Integration Therapy (5) Service Dogs (5) Shank3 Protein (1) Shaping and Chaining (1) Sign Language (1) Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (1) SIT (1) Skateboarding (1) SNP (1) Social Communication Emotional Regulation Transitional Support (1) Software (4) Speaker Immersion (1) Speech-Language Therapy (2) Spirulina (1) Sports (1) SSRIs (1) Stem Cells (6) Stimulants (1) Studies (1) STX209 (2) Supplements (7) Surfing (2) Taekwondo (1) Tangible Time Management (1) TEACCH (5) Telehealth (1) Telemedicine (1) THC (4) The Secret (1) Therapeutic Horseback Riding (9) Therapy Dogs (1) THR (7) Time Timer (2) Timothy Syndrome (1) TMS (2) Toxic (1) Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (2) Transgenic Mouse Model (1) Vanspar (1) VB (3) Verbal Behavior Approach (1) Verbal Behavior Model (3) Video Games (4) Video Modeling (1) Vitamin B6 [Pyridoxine] (1) Vitamins (6) Wii (1) Wrestling (1) Xbox Kinect (2) Yoga (7) Zinc (1)

Add This ...

Bookmark and Share