Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

IGF1 drug improves nerve cell communication in PMS mouse model

Researchers 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).

21 May 2010

Researchers identify drug that improves communication between nerve cells in Phelan-McDermid Syndrome

Researchers 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. The research will be presented Friday at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) in Philadelphia.

21 May 2010

Top scientists to share latest research on autism at IMFAR 2010

Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization, is a major sponsor and scientific participant in the 2010 International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR).

21 May 2010

GFCF diet shows no significant benefits on the behavior of children with ASD: Study

A popular belief that specific dietary changes can improve the symptoms of children with autism was not supported by a tightly controlled University of Rochester study, which found that eliminating gluten and casein from the diets of children with autism had no impact on their behavior, sleep or bowel patterns.

20 May 2010

Child's autism does not affect family structure

Having a child with autism can put stress on the parents' marriage, and a frequently cited statistic leads to a common perception that the divorce rate among these families is as high as 80 percent. But a study to be released at a news conference today by researchers from Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore found that a child's autism has no effect on the family structure.

20 May 2010

Vaccinations recommended for adults

Yearly vaccinations aren't just for kids any more. You probably heard a lot about a seasonal or H1N1 flu shot last fall, but you should know that a battery of other adult vaccinations might also become part of your health care routine. Pneumonia and shingles vaccines are preventive-care essentials for older adults, and meningitis and tetanus shots are now college rites of passage. Even the vaccines of childhood—measles, mumps and rubella, and whooping cough—are recommended for adults who missed out in their younger years.

19 May 2010

Causes and treatment options of mental disorders need to be reassessed: JAMA commentary

It is time to reassess mental disorders, recognizing that these are disorders of brain circuits likely caused by development processes, according to a commentary in the May 19 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on mental health.

19 May 2010

Sleeping newborns are better learners: Study

Sleeping newborns are better learners than thought, says a University of Florida researcher about a study that is the first of its type. The study could lead to identifying those at risk for developmental disorders such as autism and dyslexia.

18 May 2010

Population Diagnostics receives NINDS grant for identifying genetic causes of Parkinson's Disease

Population Diagnostics, Inc. ("PDx"), a private company with a novel approach to revealing the genetic causes of disease and predicting drug response, announced today it has been awarded a federal grant to identify the genetic causes of Parkinson's Disease. Funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) of the National Institutes of Health, the project is being led by Eli Hatchwell, MD, PhD, an Associate Professor at Stony Brook University Medical Center and a co-founder of PDx.

18 May 2010

HHS announces $1 billion in Recovery Act awards for construction, repair and renovation of research facilities

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced one billion dollars of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds have been awarded to construct, repair and renovate scientific research laboratories and related facilities across the country. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) administered the grants, which are expected to create or sustain jobs nationwide and to help foster scientific advances that may lead to improved human health.

15 May 2010

Report underscores need for additional research on diagnosis and treatment of food allergy

A review published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association and reported in the New York Times underscores the need for additional research on the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment of food allergy. One of the most important points suggested by the JAMA study as well as a New York Times article on the subject is that as many as 1 in 10 people may have food allergy.

14 May 2010

ISCA recommends chromosomal microarray as new standard for genetic evaluation of children

An international consortium of genetics experts has issued a consensus statement recommending chromosomal microarray (CMA) as the new standard practice for genetic evaluation of children with unexplained developmental delay, autism or birth defects.

14 May 2010

Minnesota lawmakers debate budget, Medicaid expansion

More budget talks were expected Thursday as Minnesota's legislative session hurtled toward a midnight Sunday deadline with no deal on a $3 billion deficit. The Democratic-controlled Legislature defied another veto threat from Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty late Wednesday and sent him a health and welfare package he opposes.

14 May 2010

Mutations in STRAD-alpha gene can cause PMSE syndrome in Amish children: Penn researchers

So often the rare informs the common. Penn researchers investigating a regulatory protein involved in a rare genetic disease have shown that it may be related to epileptic and autistic symptoms in other more common neurological disorders.

12 May 2010

Parents of autistic children say health reform should help them

The Dallas Morning News: Parents and families of autistic children and adults are hoping that the federal health law will help them. "The new federal regulations will prohibit spending caps, prevent insurers from excluding pre-existing conditions and behavioral health care, and extend dependent care to age 26.

12 May 2010

Gene variations may increase risk of developing schizophrenia: Study

By analyzing the genomes of patients with schizophrenia, genetics researchers have discovered numerous copy number variations—deletions or duplications of DNA sequences—that increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. Significantly, many of these variations occur in genes that affect signaling among brain cells.

11 May 2010

UT Southwestern researchers uncover core function of gene involved in Fragile X syndrome

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how the genetic mutation that causes Fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited mental retardation, interferes with the "pruning" of nerve connections in the brain. Their findings appear in the April 29 issue of Neuron.

10 May 2010

Iowa researcher uses new technique to verify brain's master switch

The protein that has long been suspected by scientists of being the master switch allowing brains to function has now been verified by an Iowa State University researcher.

10 May 2010

Fragile X syndrome iPS cells and embryonic stem cells behave differently: Study

In the last three years, a new technique for reprogramming adult cells has given scientists an easier and less controversial way to harness the power of embryonic-like stem cells to study human disease from its earliest beginnings in hopes of gleaning new insights into the root causes of disease and developing new therapies.

7 May 2010

Three more people plead guilty in Onward durable medical equipment Medicare fraud scheme

Houston-area residents Basil Kalu and Ju-Ying Qian, and Louisiana resident Darnell Willis pleaded guilty today in connection with their roles in a durable medical equipment Medicare fraud scheme, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.

6 May 2010

Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

IGF1 drug improves nerve cell communication in PMS mouse model

Researchers identify drug that improves communication between nerve cells in Phelan-McDermid Syndrome

Top scientists to share latest research on autism at IMFAR 2010

GFCF diet shows no significant benefits on the behavior of children with ASD: Study

Child's autism does not affect family structure

Vaccinations recommended for adults

Causes and treatment options of mental disorders need to be reassessed: JAMA commentary

Sleeping newborns are better learners: Study

Population Diagnostics receives NINDS grant for identifying genetic causes of Parkinson's Disease

HHS announces $1 billion in Recovery Act awards for construction, repair and renovation of research facilities

Report underscores need for additional research on diagnosis and treatment of food allergy

ISCA recommends chromosomal microarray as new standard for genetic evaluation of children

Minnesota lawmakers debate budget, Medicaid expansion

Mutations in STRAD-alpha gene can cause PMSE syndrome in Amish children: Penn researchers

Parents of autistic children say health reform should help them

Gene variations may increase risk of developing schizophrenia: Study

UT Southwestern researchers uncover core function of gene involved in Fragile X syndrome

Iowa researcher uses new technique to verify brain's master switch

Fragile X syndrome iPS cells and embryonic stem cells behave differently: Study

Three more people plead guilty in Onward durable medical equipment Medicare fraud scheme

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

Exploring the Future of Neuroscience Drug Discovery

Genomic conservation in Thailand's mangroves

Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

Exploring the Future of Neuroscience Drug Discovery

Genomic conservation in Thailand's mangroves

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