Feature Channels: Autism

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Released: 9-Nov-2011 3:30 PM EST
Diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorders Vary Widely Across Clinics
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center

To diagnose autism spectrum disorders, clinicians typically administer a variety of tests or scales and use information from observations and parent interviews to classify individuals into subcategories listed in standard psychiatric diagnostic manuals. This process of forming "best-estimate clinical diagnoses" has long been considered the gold standard, but a new study demonstrates that these diagnoses are widely variable across centers, suggesting that this may not be the best method for making diagnoses.

3-Nov-2011 1:35 PM EDT
Autism Linked with Excess of Neurons in Prefrontal Cortex
UC San Diego Health

A study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego Autism Center of Excellence shows that brain overgrowth in boys with autism involves an abnormal, excess number of neurons in areas of the brain associated with social, communication and cognitive development.

4-Nov-2011 5:00 PM EDT
Small, Preliminary Study Finds Abnormal Number of Neurons in Brains of Children with Autism
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

In a small, preliminary study that included 13 male children, those with autism had an average 67 percent more prefrontal brain neurons and larger than average brain weight, than children without autism, according to a study in the Nov. 9 issue of JAMA.

4-Nov-2011 4:00 PM EDT
Study Finds Wide Variation in Best-Estimate Clinical Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

In a study conducted at 12 university-based research sites, there was wide variation in how best-estimate clinical diagnoses within the autism spectrum were assigned to individual children, according to a study being published Online First by the Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

4-Nov-2011 4:00 PM EDT
Study Characterizes Epigenetic Signatures of Autism in Brain Tissue
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Neurons in the prefrontal cortex of individuals with autism show changes at numerous sites across the genome, according to a study being published Online First by the Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

30-Oct-2011 8:00 PM EDT
Scientists Must Stop Emphasizing Autistics’ Shortcomings
Universite de Montreal

Research reveals autistic individuals are in fact superior in multiple areas

Released: 24-Oct-2011 4:50 PM EDT
Antidepressant Linked to Developmental Brain Abnormalities in Rodents
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

A study by researchers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and UCSF shows that rats given a popularly prescribed antidepressant during development exhibit brain abnormalities and behaviors characteristic of autism spectrum disorders.

Released: 21-Oct-2011 12:00 PM EDT
Autistic Brains Develop More Slowly than Healthy Brains
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

For the first time, UCLA researchers have shown that the connections between brain regions that are important for language and social skills grow much more slowly in boys with autism than in non-autistic children.

Released: 18-Oct-2011 12:05 AM EDT
National Survey Will Measure How Bullying Impacts Children with Autism
Kennedy Krieger Institute

Interactive Autism Network asks families to report on bullying experiences of children with ASD.

13-Oct-2011 12:30 PM EDT
Low Birthweight Infants Have Five Times Rate of Autism
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

Autism researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing have found a link between low birthweight and children diagnosed with autism, reporting premature infants are five times more likely to have autism than children born at normal weights.

Released: 4-Oct-2011 10:00 AM EDT
New Findings Validate the Accuracy of Autism Diagnosis In Children with Down Syndrome
Kennedy Krieger Institute

Study shows DSM criteria can be used to identify autism in children with Down syndrome.

26-Sep-2011 1:45 PM EDT
Geneticists Develop Promising Mouse Model for Testing New Autism Therapies
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

CLA scientists have created a mouse model for autism that opens a window into the biological mechanisms that underlie the disease and offers a promising way to test new treatment approaches.

Released: 16-Sep-2011 4:05 PM EDT
ASDs, Intellectual Disability Not Related to Family Income
University of Utah Health

New research from the University of Utah in collaboration with the Utah Department of Health (UDOH) shows that the presence or absence of intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is not related to household income.

Released: 15-Sep-2011 11:45 AM EDT
Researchers Develop New Drug-Like Molecule to Treat Fragile X Syndrome, the Most Common Genetic Cause of Autism
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in collaboration with Seaside Therapeutics in Cambridge, Mass., have achieved a milestone in the development of a potential new treatment for fragile X syndrome, the most common genetic cause of autism.

Released: 12-Sep-2011 9:00 AM EDT
New Clues to Molecular Understanding of Autism
University at Buffalo

The first transgenic mouse model of a rare and severe type of autism called Timothy Syndrome is improving the scientific understanding of autism spectrum disorder in general and may help researchers design more targeted interventions and treatments. The research is described in a paper published last week by scientists at the University at Buffalo and Stanford University in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Released: 22-Aug-2011 1:00 PM EDT
Autistic Teens Rely on Schools for Mental Health Services
Washington University in St. Louis

Nearly half of adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) used a mental health service in the past year to address issues such as behavioral problems, anxiety and depression. A new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis reinforces how important school-based services are for this group. The study found 49 percent received the service at schools, and that African-American adolescents and youths from lower income families were more likely to receive school-based services.

Released: 10-Aug-2011 1:35 PM EDT
Scared of the Wrong Things: Lack of Major Enzyme Causes Poor Threat-Assessment in Mice
University of Southern California (USC)

Do you run when you should stay? Are you afraid of all the wrong things? An enzyme deficiency might be to blame, reveals new research in mice by scientists at the University of Southern California.

Released: 25-Jul-2011 1:50 PM EDT
Weak Synchronization in Brain May Be a Marker for Autism
Weizmann Institute of Science

Weizmann Institute scientists find that the brains of autistic toddlers reveal significantly weaker synchronization between areas tied to language and communication; this could serve as a biological marker for autism and lead to tools for early diagnosis.

Released: 12-Jul-2011 12:45 PM EDT
UIC to Study Medication for Autism Spectrum Disorders
University of Illinois Chicago

An experimental drug to treat social withdrawal in children and young adults with autism is being studied in a clinical trial at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Juvenile Research.

Released: 28-Jun-2011 12:25 PM EDT
The Autism Defense
IEEE Spectrum Magazine

Gary McKinnon hacked thousands of government computers, and his lawyers say his autism is to blame.

17-Jun-2011 2:20 PM EDT
Weaker Brain “Sync” May Be Early Sign of Autism
UC San Diego Health

In a novel imaging study of sleeping toddlers, scientists at the University of California, San Diego Autism Center of Excellence report that a diminished ability of a young brain’s hemispheres to “sync” with one another could be a powerful, new biological marker of autism, one that might enable an autism diagnosis at a very young age.

Released: 20-Jun-2011 9:45 AM EDT
Researchers Create New Mouse Model of Autism
Johns Hopkins Medicine

In an effort to unravel the tangled biology of autism, Johns Hopkins scientists have created a mouse model that mimics a human mutation of a gene known to be associated with autism spectrum disorders.

8-Jun-2011 11:50 AM EDT
Routine Screening for Autism Not Needed
McMaster University

Contrary to McMaster researchers' findings, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently recommended that screening for autism be incorporated into routine practice, such as a child’s regular physician check-up, regardless of whether a concern has been raised by the parents. In a study in the online edition of the journal Pediatrics, McMaster researchers say there is “not enough sound evidence to support the implementation of a routine population-based screening program for autism.”

23-May-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Autism Changes Molecular Structure of the Brain
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

A UCLA study is the first to reveal how autism makes its mark at the molecular level, resulting in an autistic brain that differs dramatically in structure from a healthy one. The findings provide new insight into how genes and proteins go awry in autism to alter the mind.

Released: 12-May-2011 10:00 AM EDT
EMTs Need Special Training for Treating Autistic Patients
Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Dealing with autistic patients has to be significantly different than from traditional styles. These videos offer training to first responders on how to deal with autistic individuals.

5-May-2011 5:00 PM EDT
Approach to Autism May Increase Autism Spectrum Disorder Prevalence Estimates in Children Worldwide
George Washington University

American, Canadian, and Korean Research by George Washington University and Yale University Reveals Autism Prevalence May be Higher Than Current Estimates

29-Apr-2011 11:45 AM EDT
Brain Enlargement in Autism Due to Brain Changes Occurring Before Age 2
University of North Carolina Health Care System

A study by UNC researchers finds that children with autism who had enlarged brains at age 2 continued to have enlarged brains at ages 4 and 5. However, this increased brain growth did not continue beyond age 2, and the changes detected at age 2 were due to overgrowth prior to that time point.

29-Apr-2011 1:30 PM EDT
Study Estimates Rate of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults in England
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

In England, the prevalence of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was estimated to be 9.8 per 1,000 population, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

29-Apr-2011 1:35 PM EDT
Study Finds Autism-Related Early Brain Overgrowth Slows by Age 2 Years
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Scientists using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) observed that the brains of children with autism spectrum disorder are larger than those without autism, but this difference appears related to increased rates of brain growth before 2 years of age, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

21-Apr-2011 12:00 PM EDT
Catching Signs of Autism Early
UC San Diego Health

A 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.

Released: 27-Apr-2011 2:30 PM EDT
Seattle Children’s Autism Center Launches Blog to Offer Perspective on Raising a Child with Autism
Seattle Children's Hospital

Seattle Children’s Autism Center today announced the launch of “The Autism Blog,” a new blog for parents and caregivers of children with autism. Authored by physicians, nurses, psychologists and other staff, the blog offers a practitioner’s perspective on topics relevant to parenting a child with autism.

Released: 20-Apr-2011 2:25 PM EDT
New Data Shows Half of All Children with Autism Wander and Bolt from Safe Places
Kennedy Krieger Institute

Interactive Autism Network releases findings on critical safety issue, launches new research survey on pregnancy.

11-Apr-2011 11:30 AM EDT
Scientists Discover “Thunder” Protein That Regulates Memory Formation
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered in mice a molecular wrecking ball that powers the demolition phase of a cycle that occurs at synapses — those specialized connections between nerve cells in the brain — and whose activity appears critical for both limiting and enhancing learning and memory. The newly revealed protein, which the researchers named thorase after Thor, the Norse god of thunder, belongs to a large family of enzymes that energize not only neurological construction jobs but also deconstruction projects.

Released: 6-Apr-2011 11:40 AM EDT
Gene Linked to Severity of Autism’s Social Dysfunction
Johns Hopkins Medicine

With the help of two sets of brothers with autism, Johns Hopkins scientists have identified a gene associated with autism that appears to be linked very specifically to the severity of social interaction deficits. The gene, GRIP1 (glutamate receptor interacting protein 1), is a blueprint for a traffic-directing protein at synapses — those specialized contact points between brain cells across which chemical signals flow.

4-Apr-2011 10:25 AM EDT
Socioeconomics Playing Reduced Role in Autism Diagnoses
American Sociological Association (ASA)

While there is an increasing equality in terms of the likelihood that children from communities and families across the socioeconomic spectrum will be diagnosed with autism, a new study finds that such factors still influence the chance of an autism diagnosis, though to a much lesser extent than they did at the height of rising prevalence.

Released: 4-Apr-2011 3:30 PM EDT
Treatments Show Promise in Reducing Autism-Related Behaviors
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

Some medical and behavioral treatments may reduce certain behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders, but more research is needed to assess benefits and harms.

Released: 4-Apr-2011 11:25 AM EDT
Review of Autism Treatment Options Shows Need for New Tools to Target Correct Therapy to Specific Children
Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Vanderbilt researchers evaluating existing treatments for children with autism spectrum disorders found although there were positive results in some studies, there is little information to target the right treatments to specific children. Findings from the three review articles, which examined research conducted between 2000 and May 2010 on children ages 12 and younger, were released today by the journal Pediatrics.

28-Mar-2011 5:05 PM EDT
New Research Explains Autistic’s Exceptional Visual Abilities
Universite de Montreal

Researchers directed by Dr. Laurent Mottron at the University of Montreal’s Centre for Excellence in Pervasive Development Disorders (CETEDUM) have determined that people with autism concentrate more brain resources in the areas associated with visual detection and identification, and conversely, have less activity in the areas used to plan and control thoughts and actions.

Released: 31-Mar-2011 3:00 PM EDT
U of S.C. Autism Faculty Experts List
University of South Carolina

April is Autism Awareness Month. To help reporters develop stories about Autism Spectrum Disorders, the University of South Carolina has compiled a list of faculty experts.

Released: 31-Mar-2011 10:35 AM EDT
Researchers Unravel Clues, Develop Interventions for Autism
University of North Carolina Health Care System

As World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, approaches, scientists at the UNC School of Medicine hunt for new treatments and interventions for the disorder.

Released: 31-Mar-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Beyond Research, Autism Community Needs More Unity and Compassion
Saint Joseph's University

No one can argue that autism is getting more attention than it did 10 years ago. But considering that autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the United States, research and services for those who need them most struggle to keep up. Add to that all the mixed messages parents and families dealing with a diagnosis receive.

Released: 30-Mar-2011 2:35 PM EDT
NSU and Immunotec Start Clinical Trial in Autism
Nova Southeastern University

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the dietary supplement company Immunotec announced today that they will conduct a new research study to determine the effects of a supplement to improve behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Released: 30-Mar-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Why Do Children with Autism Wander and Bolt from Safe Places?
Kennedy Krieger Institute

Interactive Autism Network launches first-ever national survey to study critical safety issue in autism community.

Released: 22-Mar-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Interest in Toys Predicts Effectiveness of Autism Treatment in Toddlers
University of Washington

Toddlers who played with a limited number of toys showed more improvement in their communication skills following parent-guided treatment than those receiving other community-based treatments.

17-Mar-2011 6:00 AM EDT
Re-Creating Autism, in Mice
McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Mice with a particular gene mutation avoid interacting with other mice and show compulsive, repetitive behavior.

Released: 4-Mar-2011 11:50 AM EST
Researchers Use Human Cues To Improve Computer User-Friendliness
Binghamton University, State University of New York

Binghamton University researcher, Lijun Yin, wants computers to understand inputs from humans that go beyond the traditional keyboard and mouse.

Released: 2-Mar-2011 9:55 AM EST
Interactive Game Helps Autistic Children Recognize Emotions
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Children with autism spectrum disorders are better able to recognize faces, facial expressions and emotions with the help of an interactive computer program called FaceSay, according to newly published research from psychologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

27-Feb-2011 9:30 AM EST
Gene Variants in Autism Linked to Brain Development
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

New research confirms that the genetic roots of autism are highly complicated, but that common biological themes underlie this complexity. Autism-related genes play key roles in synaptic function and neurotransmission.

Released: 22-Feb-2011 12:20 PM EST
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Joins Autism Treatment Network
Nationwide Children's Hospital

Nationwide Children’s Hospital has been selected to join the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (ATN), connecting Columbus with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Missouri as the nation’s only ATN institutions in the Midwest region.



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