Research Highlights
►Allergic problems are common in autistic individuals. ►Perinatal mast cell activation may contribute to brain inflammation. ►The peptide neurotensin is increased in serum of autistic individuals.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
ScienceDirect - Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease : Mast cell activation and autism
ScienceDirect - Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease : Mast cell activation and autism
Ecstasy (MDMA) Autism Treatment?
Can Ecstasy Treat Autism? | Drugs | AlterNet
A team of scientists at a California non-profit organization just announced a pilot study to determine if Ecstasy might help fight the effects of autism. This isn’t the first time that MAPS, or the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, has researched the psychiatric benefits of MDMA. A 2010 study of twenty Iraq veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder found that a combination of Ecstasy and therapy resulted in an 80-percent success rate, high enough to convince the Food and Drug Administration to greenlight further studies of the drug.
Lexapro for Pervasive Developmental Disorders
An open-label trial of es... [J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2005] - PubMed - NCBI
OBJECTIVE:
To assess the effect of escitalopram in the treatment of pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs).
METHOD:
This 10-week study had a forced titration, open-label design. Twenty-eight subjects (mean age 125.1 +/- 33.5 months) with a PDD received escitalopram at a dose that increased weekly to a maximum dose of 20 mg as tolerated. The Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community Version (ABC-CV) and the Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI) were used to assess outcome.
Lexapro for Autism?
A pharmacogenetic study of escitalopram in autism... [Autism Res. 2010] - PubMed - NCBI
OBJECTIVE:
To determine the effect of serotonin transporter polymorphism promoter region (5-HTTPLR) genotypic variation (low, intermediate, and high expression groups) on response to escitalopram treatment of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
Monday, December 5, 2011
‘Sensitive Santa’ Meets Kids With Autism - ABC News
‘Sensitive Santa’ Meets Kids With Autism - ABC News
A trip to the mall to sit on Santa’s knee is a special event for families, but the holiday hustle and bustle can be overwhelming for kids with autism. That’s why Northtown Mall in Blaine, Minn., opened its doors early Sunday morning for some low-key “sensitive Santa” time.“A lot of children with autism aren’t able to have the experience of seeing Santa,” said Northtown’s marketing director Linda Sell, describing the typical bright lights, loud music and long line. “This is our way of helping.”The mall dimmed the lights and lowered the music volume to make autistic children more comfortable. And instead of waiting in line, kids colored or walked around with their families.“It’s something very small on our end but it means so much to families, ” said Sell.An illustrated pamphlet showed families what to expect during their visit — a helpful aid for kids with autism who often rely on routines. And a form filled out by parents in advance gave Sensitive Santa the scoop on their wish lists.“Its’ such a wonderful event,” said Sell. “It’s heartwarming to see the joy in the kids’ faces, and in the parents.”The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in 10 children is on the autism spectrum.The event is emotional for parents, some of whom thought they’d never see their kids on Santa’s knee.“You have things you look forward to with your child,” mom Gena Elverhoytold ABC News affiliate KSTP with a shaky voice. “It’s different, this way, to be able to still have these experiences that you want to have.”
Afinitor for Autism?
Autism May Involve Disordered White Matter in The Brain | Medindia
BOSTON,Dec. 5, 2011/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- It's still unclear what's different in the brains of people withautismspectrum disorders (ASDs), but evidence from genetic and cell studies points to abnormalities in how brain cells (neurons) connect to each other. A study at Children's HospitalBostonnow provides visual evidence associating autism with a disorganized structure of brain connections, as well as defects in myelin -- the fatty, insulating coating that helps nerve fibers conduct signals and that makes up the brain's white matter.
Researchers led byMustafa Sahin, MD, PhD, of the Department of Neurology,Simon Warfield, PhD, director of the Computational Radiology Laboratory, and first authorJurriaan Peters, MD, of both departments atChildren's, used advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to image the brains of 40 patients (infants to age 25) with tuberous sclerosis complex and 29 age-matched,healthycontrols. Tuberous sclerosis is a rare genetic condition often associated with cognitive and behavioral deficits, including ASDs about 50 percent of the time.
...Armed with thesedata, Sahin has launched a Phase II clinical trial of a rapamycin-like drug called Afinitor® (everolimus; formerly RAD001), sponsored byNovartis, the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance and Autism Speaks. The trial will enroll 50 patients with TSC to test whether Afinitor improves neurocognition, autism, seizures and sleep disorders. "Specifically modulating neurocognition with a small molecule is only starting to be done," says Sahin. (For more on this trend, seethis related blog post.)
Read more:Autism May Involve Disordered White Matter in The Brain | Medindiahttp://www.medindia.net/health-press-release/Autism-May-Involve-Disordered-White-Matter-in-The-Brain-123572-1.htm#ixzz1fgxcOj9a
Face Recognition Research May Aid Therapies For Prosopagnosia And Autism
Face Recognition Research May Aid Therapies For Prosopagnosia And Autism
"Face recognition is an important social skill, but not all of us are equally good at it," says Beijing Normal University cognitive psychologist Jia Liu. But what accounts for the difference? A new study by Liu and colleagues Ruosi Wang, Jingguang Li, Huizhen Fang, and Moqian Tian provides the first experimental evidence that the inequality of abilities is rooted in the unique way in which the mind perceives faces. "Individuals who process faces more holistically" - that is, as an integrated whole - "are better at face recognition," says Liu. The findings will appear in an upcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal published by the Association for Psychological Science
Friday, December 2, 2011
Prozac for Autism?
Prozac May Lessen Autism Symptom in Adults
Dec. 2, 2011 -- The antidepressant Prozac appears to be useful for treating a defining symptom of autism spectrum disorder -- repetitive, compulsive behavior.
In a newly published study involving autistic adults, half of those who took Prozac (fluoxetine) experienced meaningful declines in repetitive behaviors.
More @ http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20111202/prozac-lessens-autism-symptom-adults
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Trained Peers Better at Aiding Autistic Kids with Social Skills
Trained Peers Better at Aiding Autistic Kids with Social Skills | Psych Central News
A new study suggests training peers can help children with autism spectrum disorder improve their social skills, even more than a direct adult-led intervention.
Researchers led by Connie Kasari, Ph.D., discovered children with ASD who attend regular education classes are more likely to improve their social skills if their typically developing peers are taught how to interact with them.
Notably, the indirect educational method appears to improve skills better than if the ASD children are directly taught such skills. The National Institutes of Health-funded study suggests a shift away from more commonly used interventions that focus on training children with ASD directly may provide greater social benefits for children with ASD.
The study was published online ahead of print in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
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