5 (1 votes)
While the causes of autism continue to be debated and bandied about, real families who have children with autism spectrum disorders are left to struggle with expensive health care needs. These costs can be devastating - but they can also be markedly different if the family lives in Massachusetts or Maine.
Advocates in many states have lobbied for legislation to force private insurers to offer autism services at the same levels as other covered services. A new study by Susan Parish, the Nancy Lurie Marks Professor of Disability Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, looks at the effectiveness of these so-called parity laws in reducing families' financial burdens. It was published in the journal Intellectual and Development Disabilities.
According to the National Conference of State Legislators, parity, as it relates to mental health and substance abuse, prohibits insurers or health care service plans from discriminating between coverage offered for mental illness, serious mental illness, substance abuse, and other physical disorders and diseases. In short, parity requires insurers to provide the same level of benefits for mental illness, serious mental illness or substance abuse as for other physical disorders and diseases. These benefits include visit limits, deductibles, copayments, and lifetime and annual limits.
"We found that families who live in states that have passed parity legislation spent considerably less for their children with autism than families living in states without such legislation," Parish says.
The study examined data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, which includes a group of more than 2,000 children with autism living across the United States.
Data revealed that more than one-third of the families reported spending more than three percent of their gross annual incomes on services for their children with autism.
"Families raising children with autism incur exceptionally high out-of-pocket costs. These costs pay for things that insurance doesn't fully cover, like therapies and behavior management interventions," says Parish. "These services are often critically important to the well-being and development of children with autism."
Where families live really matters, Parish concluded. Families living in states that had enacted so-called parity legislation had much lower financial burden than families who lived in states without such legislative protections.
Data found that 60 percent of families in Massachusetts, Missouri, and Utah had out-of-pocket in excess of $500 annually. By comparison, 27 percent of Maine families spent above $500 annually. At the time the survey was collected, in 2005, Massachusetts, Missouri and Utah did not have parity legislation, but Maine did.
Furthermore, these findings were robust. Even after controlling for a host of characteristics including severity of the child's impairment, family income, and state wealth, families' financial burden was much less if they lived in states that had passed parity legislation.
According to the advocacy group Autism Speaks, 30 states currently have enacted some form of legislation.
Monday, 17 September 2012
Sunday, 16 September 2012
Evidence Of Link Discovered Between Immune Irregularities And Autism
5 (2 votes)Article opinions: 1 posts
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) pioneered the study of the link between irregularities in the immune system and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism a decade ago. Since then, studies of postmortem brains and of individuals with autism, as well as epidemiological studies, have supported the correlation between alterations in the immune system and autism spectrum disorder.
What has remained unanswered, however, is whether the immune changes play a causative role in the development of the disease or are merely a side effect. Now a new Caltech study suggests that specific changes in an overactive immune system can indeed contribute to autism-like behaviors in mice, and that in some cases, this activation can be related to what a developing fetus experiences in the womb.
The results appear in a paper this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
"We have long suspected that the immune system plays a role in the development of autism spectrum disorder," says Paul Patterson, the Anne P. and Benjamin F. Biaggini Professor of Biological Sciences at Caltech, who led the work. "In our studies of a mouse model based on an environmental risk factor for autism, we find that the immune system of the mother is a key factor in the eventual abnormal behaviors in the offspring."
The first step in the work was establishing a mouse model that tied the autism-related behaviors together with immune changes. Several large epidemiological studies - including one that involved tracking the medical history of every person born in Denmark between 1980 and 2005 - have found a correlation between viral infection during the first trimester of a mother's pregnancy and a higher risk for autism spectrum disorder in her child. To model this in mice, the researchers injected pregnant mothers with a viral mimic that triggered the same type of immune response a viral infection would.
"In mice, this single insult to the mother translates into autism-related behavioral abnormalities and neuropathologies in the offspring," says Elaine Hsiao, a graduate student in Patterson's lab and lead author of the PNAS paper.
The team found that the offspring exhibit the core behavioral symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder - repetitive or stereotyped behaviors, decreased social interactions, and impaired communication. In mice, this translates to such behaviors as compulsively burying marbles placed in their cage, excessively self grooming, choosing to spend time alone or with a toy rather than interacting with a new mouse, or vocalizing ultrasonically less often or in an altered way compared to typical mice.
Next, the researchers characterized the immune system of the offspring of mothers that had been infected and found that the offspring display a number of immune changes. Some of those changes parallel those seen in people with autism, including decreased levels of regulatory T cells, which play a key role in suppressing the immune response. Taken together, the observed immune alterations add up to an immune system in overdrive - one that promotes inflammation.
"Remarkably, we saw these immune abnormalities in both young and adult offspring of immune-activated mothers," Hsiao says. "This tells us that a prenatal challenge can result in long-term consequences for health and development."
With the mouse model established, the group was then able to test whether the offspring's immune problems contribute to their autism-related behaviors. In a revealing test of this hypothesis, the researchers were able to correct many of the autism-like behaviors in the offspring of immune-activated mothers by giving the offspring a bone-marrow transplant from typical mice. The normal stem cells in the transplanted bone marrow not only replenished the immune system of the host animals but altered their autism-like behavioral impairments.
The researchers emphasize that because the work was conducted in mice, the results cannot be readily extrapolated to humans, and they certainly do not suggest that bone-marrow transplants should be considered as a treatment for autism. They also have yet to establish whether it was the infusion of stem cells or the bone-marrow transplant procedure itself - complete with irradiation - that corrected the behaviors.
However, Patterson says, the results do suggest that immune irregularities in children could be an important target for innovative immune manipulations in addressing the behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder. By correcting these immune problems, he says, it might be possible to ameliorate some of the classic developmental delays seen in autism.
In future studies, the researchers plan to examine the effects of highly targeted anti-inflammatory treatments on mice that display autism-related behaviors and immune changes. They are also interested in considering the gastrointestinal (GI) bacteria, or microbiota, of such mice. Coauthor Sarkis Mazmanian, a professor of biology at Caltech, has shown that gut bacteria are intimately tied to the function of the immune system. He and Patterson are investigating whether changes to the microbiota of these mice might also influence their autism-related behaviors.
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) pioneered the study of the link between irregularities in the immune system and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism a decade ago. Since then, studies of postmortem brains and of individuals with autism, as well as epidemiological studies, have supported the correlation between alterations in the immune system and autism spectrum disorder.
What has remained unanswered, however, is whether the immune changes play a causative role in the development of the disease or are merely a side effect. Now a new Caltech study suggests that specific changes in an overactive immune system can indeed contribute to autism-like behaviors in mice, and that in some cases, this activation can be related to what a developing fetus experiences in the womb.
The results appear in a paper this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
"We have long suspected that the immune system plays a role in the development of autism spectrum disorder," says Paul Patterson, the Anne P. and Benjamin F. Biaggini Professor of Biological Sciences at Caltech, who led the work. "In our studies of a mouse model based on an environmental risk factor for autism, we find that the immune system of the mother is a key factor in the eventual abnormal behaviors in the offspring."
The first step in the work was establishing a mouse model that tied the autism-related behaviors together with immune changes. Several large epidemiological studies - including one that involved tracking the medical history of every person born in Denmark between 1980 and 2005 - have found a correlation between viral infection during the first trimester of a mother's pregnancy and a higher risk for autism spectrum disorder in her child. To model this in mice, the researchers injected pregnant mothers with a viral mimic that triggered the same type of immune response a viral infection would.
"In mice, this single insult to the mother translates into autism-related behavioral abnormalities and neuropathologies in the offspring," says Elaine Hsiao, a graduate student in Patterson's lab and lead author of the PNAS paper.
The team found that the offspring exhibit the core behavioral symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder - repetitive or stereotyped behaviors, decreased social interactions, and impaired communication. In mice, this translates to such behaviors as compulsively burying marbles placed in their cage, excessively self grooming, choosing to spend time alone or with a toy rather than interacting with a new mouse, or vocalizing ultrasonically less often or in an altered way compared to typical mice.
Next, the researchers characterized the immune system of the offspring of mothers that had been infected and found that the offspring display a number of immune changes. Some of those changes parallel those seen in people with autism, including decreased levels of regulatory T cells, which play a key role in suppressing the immune response. Taken together, the observed immune alterations add up to an immune system in overdrive - one that promotes inflammation.
"Remarkably, we saw these immune abnormalities in both young and adult offspring of immune-activated mothers," Hsiao says. "This tells us that a prenatal challenge can result in long-term consequences for health and development."
With the mouse model established, the group was then able to test whether the offspring's immune problems contribute to their autism-related behaviors. In a revealing test of this hypothesis, the researchers were able to correct many of the autism-like behaviors in the offspring of immune-activated mothers by giving the offspring a bone-marrow transplant from typical mice. The normal stem cells in the transplanted bone marrow not only replenished the immune system of the host animals but altered their autism-like behavioral impairments.
The researchers emphasize that because the work was conducted in mice, the results cannot be readily extrapolated to humans, and they certainly do not suggest that bone-marrow transplants should be considered as a treatment for autism. They also have yet to establish whether it was the infusion of stem cells or the bone-marrow transplant procedure itself - complete with irradiation - that corrected the behaviors.
However, Patterson says, the results do suggest that immune irregularities in children could be an important target for innovative immune manipulations in addressing the behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder. By correcting these immune problems, he says, it might be possible to ameliorate some of the classic developmental delays seen in autism.
In future studies, the researchers plan to examine the effects of highly targeted anti-inflammatory treatments on mice that display autism-related behaviors and immune changes. They are also interested in considering the gastrointestinal (GI) bacteria, or microbiota, of such mice. Coauthor Sarkis Mazmanian, a professor of biology at Caltech, has shown that gut bacteria are intimately tied to the function of the immune system. He and Patterson are investigating whether changes to the microbiota of these mice might also influence their autism-related behaviors.
Stroke, Tinnitus, Autism And Other Disorders May In Future Be Treated With Nerve Stimulation
Main Category: Stroke
Also Included In: Autism; Neurology / Neuroscience; Ear, Nose and Throat
Article Date: 23 Jul 2012 - 0:00 PDT
Also Included In: Autism; Neurology / Neuroscience; Ear, Nose and Throat
Article Date: 23 Jul 2012 - 0:00 PDT
Nerve Stimulation May Be Able To Treat Autism, Stroke, Tinnitus And More
4 (3 votes)
Researchers from UT Dallas explained how specific experiences, like sounds or movements, paired with nerve stimulation can reorganize the brain. This new technology could be the beginning of new treatments for tinnitus, autism, stroke, and other disorders.
The speed, at which the brain works in laboratory animals, could be altered by pairing stimulation of the vagus nerve with fast or slow sounds, according to UT Dallas neuroscientists in a related paper.
Dr. Robert Rennaker and Dr. Michael Kilgard led a group of researchers to examine if neural activity within the laboratory rats' primary motor cortex would change if it were repeatedly paired with vagus nerve stimulation with a specific movement. They used two groups of rats, pairing the vagus nerve stimulation with movements of the forelimb. The team published their findings in Cerebral Cortex.
The team analyzed the brain activity in response to the stimulation after 5 days of stimulation and movement pairing. They found that the rats that received the stimulation and the training displayed large changes in the organization of the brain's movement control system. Those that received identical motor training without stimulation pairing did not experience any brain changes, or plasticity.
Attempting to regain motor skills, people who suffer brain trauma or strokes may undergo rehabilitation that involves repeated movement of the affected limb. Experts believe that frequent use of the affected limb leads to reorganization of the brain vital to recovery.
This new research implies that pairing standard therapy with vagus nerve stimulation could result in a faster and more extensive reorganization of the brain. According to Rennaker, associate professor in The University of Texas at Dallas' School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, this finding offers the potential to improve and speed up the recovery of a stroke victim.
He said:
"Our goal is to use the brain's natural neuromodulatory systems to enhance treatments for neurological conditions ranging from chronic pain to motor disorders. Future studies will investigate its effectiveness in treating cognitive impairments."
Vagus nerve stimulation is known to have an outstanding safety record in epilepsy patients. Knowing this, the technique can provide a new method to treat brain conditions in which the timing of brain responses is abnormal, such as dyslexia and schizophrenia.
Kilgard led another team that paired vagus nerve stimulation with audio tones of speeds at different variations in order to alter the rate of activity within the rats' brains. Their research, published in the journal Experimental Neurology, showed that this technique induced neural plasticity within the auditory cortex (controls hearing).
MicroTransponder, a biotechnology firm associated with the University, developed a device that the UT Dallas research team is currently working with. MicroTransponder has been testing people in Europe with a vagus nerve stimulation therapy. They hope to eliminate, or reduce, the symptoms of tinnitus, the incapacitated disorder that is often described as "ringing in the ears."
Kilgard explained:
"Understanding how brain networks self-organize themselves is vitally important to developing new ways to rehabilitate patients diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, stroke, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease."
Researchers from UT Dallas explained how specific experiences, like sounds or movements, paired with nerve stimulation can reorganize the brain. This new technology could be the beginning of new treatments for tinnitus, autism, stroke, and other disorders.
The speed, at which the brain works in laboratory animals, could be altered by pairing stimulation of the vagus nerve with fast or slow sounds, according to UT Dallas neuroscientists in a related paper.
Dr. Robert Rennaker and Dr. Michael Kilgard led a group of researchers to examine if neural activity within the laboratory rats' primary motor cortex would change if it were repeatedly paired with vagus nerve stimulation with a specific movement. They used two groups of rats, pairing the vagus nerve stimulation with movements of the forelimb. The team published their findings in Cerebral Cortex.
The team analyzed the brain activity in response to the stimulation after 5 days of stimulation and movement pairing. They found that the rats that received the stimulation and the training displayed large changes in the organization of the brain's movement control system. Those that received identical motor training without stimulation pairing did not experience any brain changes, or plasticity.
Attempting to regain motor skills, people who suffer brain trauma or strokes may undergo rehabilitation that involves repeated movement of the affected limb. Experts believe that frequent use of the affected limb leads to reorganization of the brain vital to recovery.
This new research implies that pairing standard therapy with vagus nerve stimulation could result in a faster and more extensive reorganization of the brain. According to Rennaker, associate professor in The University of Texas at Dallas' School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, this finding offers the potential to improve and speed up the recovery of a stroke victim.
He said:
"Our goal is to use the brain's natural neuromodulatory systems to enhance treatments for neurological conditions ranging from chronic pain to motor disorders. Future studies will investigate its effectiveness in treating cognitive impairments."
Vagus nerve stimulation is known to have an outstanding safety record in epilepsy patients. Knowing this, the technique can provide a new method to treat brain conditions in which the timing of brain responses is abnormal, such as dyslexia and schizophrenia.
Kilgard led another team that paired vagus nerve stimulation with audio tones of speeds at different variations in order to alter the rate of activity within the rats' brains. Their research, published in the journal Experimental Neurology, showed that this technique induced neural plasticity within the auditory cortex (controls hearing).
MicroTransponder, a biotechnology firm associated with the University, developed a device that the UT Dallas research team is currently working with. MicroTransponder has been testing people in Europe with a vagus nerve stimulation therapy. They hope to eliminate, or reduce, the symptoms of tinnitus, the incapacitated disorder that is often described as "ringing in the ears."
Kilgard explained:
"Understanding how brain networks self-organize themselves is vitally important to developing new ways to rehabilitate patients diagnosed with autism, dyslexia, stroke, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease."
Saturday, 15 September 2012
Children With Autism May Benefit From The Introduction Of A Pet Into The Family
4 (1 votes)
The introduction of a pet can have a positive effect on autistic children's behavior, as reported in research published in the open access journal PLOS ONE.
The authors of the study, led by Marine Grandgeorge of the Hospital Research Center of Brest in France, found that participants who received a pet scored higher in two categories, "offering to share" and "offering comfort," a few years after the pet arrived than they did before having a pet. Participants who had lived with pets since birth, on the other hand, showed generally weaker relationships with their pets.
Both of these categories reflect prosocial behaviors, suggesting that individuals with autism can develop these types of behaviors in the appropriate context, the authors write.
The introduction of a pet can have a positive effect on autistic children's behavior, as reported in research published in the open access journal PLOS ONE.
The authors of the study, led by Marine Grandgeorge of the Hospital Research Center of Brest in France, found that participants who received a pet scored higher in two categories, "offering to share" and "offering comfort," a few years after the pet arrived than they did before having a pet. Participants who had lived with pets since birth, on the other hand, showed generally weaker relationships with their pets.
Both of these categories reflect prosocial behaviors, suggesting that individuals with autism can develop these types of behaviors in the appropriate context, the authors write.
Focusing On Strengths Improves Social Skills Of Adolescents With Autism
4 (5 votes)Article opinions: 2 posts
The junior high and high school years are emotionally challenging even under the best of circumstances, but for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), that time can be particularly painful. Lacking the social skills that enable them to interact successfully with their peers, these students are often ostracized and even bullied by their classmates.
However, a new study conducted by researchers at the Koegel Autism Center at UC Santa Barbara has found that by playing on their strengths - high intelligence and very specific interests - these adolescents are as capable as anyone else of forging strong friendships. In addition, the research findings demonstrate that the area of the brain that controls such social behavior is not as damaged in adolescents with ASD as was previously believed. The findings appear in a recent issue of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions.
"The problem is that their restricted interests can dominate their lives and further push away people they'd like to get to know," said Robert Koegel, director of the Koegel Autism Center and the study's lead author. He is also a professor of counseling, clinical, and school psychology and of education in UCSB's Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. "They're so highly focused on that interest, people think they're weird. But by involving themselves in an activity around the interest, they not only make friends but also become valued members of the group. Their specialized skill becomes a strength."
The research team, which also includes Lynn Koegel, the center's clinical director, and Sunny Kim, a graduate student in education at UCSB, took a creative approach to helping three boys with ASD to interact with their peers. Rather than discourage their sometimes-obsessive interests, the researchers helped set up social clubs around them and invited students who do not have ASD to join. The clubs provided a venue for the ASD students to display their special interests and abilities, and helped them engage with their peers in a more meaningful way.
Koegel offered the example of a student with ASD who has a keen interest in computer graphics. The team created a graphic design club in which students would design logos for various companies and businesses. Because most of the students lacked the necessary expertise, they depended on their classmate with ASD to make the venture a success. "When he was able to interact on a topic in which he was interested, he was able to demonstrate more normal social behavior," Koegel said. "He not only made friends with his fellow members, he was elected club president."
According to Koegel, the findings are also significant because they indicate a higher degree of brain functionality than researchers had previously associated with ASD adolescents. "It has been commonly believed that the part of the brain related to social skills is so damaged that adolescents with ASD are incapable of normal social interaction," he said. "We demonstrated that not to be the case. Once you can motivate kids to try things, they make dramatic and rapid improvement, which shows the brain is not as damaged as first thought."
Conducted through the Koegel Center's Eli & Edythe L. Broad Asperger Center, the study sheds important light on a period of growth and development that is presenting new issues as children who were diagnosed with ASD reach adolescence and young adulthood. "This study is so important because it suggests so much optimism," Koegel said. "It shows the brain isn't as damaged as people thought. And it shows that otherwise unhappy individuals can lead more fulfilling lives."
He added that the research team was pleasantly surprised to see that the students with ASD became highly valued members of their groups, and were given a great deal of dignity and respect. They also noted that, without any instructions or encouragement from any of the researchers, many school peers enthusiastically joined in these club activities and had a great deal of enjoyment throughout and beyond the time frame of the study. "In short, this was a lot of fun for everyone," Koegel said.
The junior high and high school years are emotionally challenging even under the best of circumstances, but for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), that time can be particularly painful. Lacking the social skills that enable them to interact successfully with their peers, these students are often ostracized and even bullied by their classmates.
However, a new study conducted by researchers at the Koegel Autism Center at UC Santa Barbara has found that by playing on their strengths - high intelligence and very specific interests - these adolescents are as capable as anyone else of forging strong friendships. In addition, the research findings demonstrate that the area of the brain that controls such social behavior is not as damaged in adolescents with ASD as was previously believed. The findings appear in a recent issue of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions.
"The problem is that their restricted interests can dominate their lives and further push away people they'd like to get to know," said Robert Koegel, director of the Koegel Autism Center and the study's lead author. He is also a professor of counseling, clinical, and school psychology and of education in UCSB's Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. "They're so highly focused on that interest, people think they're weird. But by involving themselves in an activity around the interest, they not only make friends but also become valued members of the group. Their specialized skill becomes a strength."
The research team, which also includes Lynn Koegel, the center's clinical director, and Sunny Kim, a graduate student in education at UCSB, took a creative approach to helping three boys with ASD to interact with their peers. Rather than discourage their sometimes-obsessive interests, the researchers helped set up social clubs around them and invited students who do not have ASD to join. The clubs provided a venue for the ASD students to display their special interests and abilities, and helped them engage with their peers in a more meaningful way.
Koegel offered the example of a student with ASD who has a keen interest in computer graphics. The team created a graphic design club in which students would design logos for various companies and businesses. Because most of the students lacked the necessary expertise, they depended on their classmate with ASD to make the venture a success. "When he was able to interact on a topic in which he was interested, he was able to demonstrate more normal social behavior," Koegel said. "He not only made friends with his fellow members, he was elected club president."
According to Koegel, the findings are also significant because they indicate a higher degree of brain functionality than researchers had previously associated with ASD adolescents. "It has been commonly believed that the part of the brain related to social skills is so damaged that adolescents with ASD are incapable of normal social interaction," he said. "We demonstrated that not to be the case. Once you can motivate kids to try things, they make dramatic and rapid improvement, which shows the brain is not as damaged as first thought."
Conducted through the Koegel Center's Eli & Edythe L. Broad Asperger Center, the study sheds important light on a period of growth and development that is presenting new issues as children who were diagnosed with ASD reach adolescence and young adulthood. "This study is so important because it suggests so much optimism," Koegel said. "It shows the brain isn't as damaged as people thought. And it shows that otherwise unhappy individuals can lead more fulfilling lives."
He added that the research team was pleasantly surprised to see that the students with ASD became highly valued members of their groups, and were given a great deal of dignity and respect. They also noted that, without any instructions or encouragement from any of the researchers, many school peers enthusiastically joined in these club activities and had a great deal of enjoyment throughout and beyond the time frame of the study. "In short, this was a lot of fun for everyone," Koegel said.
Children's Brains Change As They Learn To Think About Others
Featured Article
Academic Journal
Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health; Autism
Article Date: 10 Aug 2012 - 2:00 PDT
Academic Journal
Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health; Autism
Article Date: 10 Aug 2012 - 2:00 PDT
Friday, 14 September 2012
Circuits In The Brain Reveal Why Neurological Disorders Occur
Editor's Choice
Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Autism; Schizophrenia
Article Date: 10 Aug 2012 - 12:00 PDT
Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Autism; Schizophrenia
Article Date: 10 Aug 2012 - 12:00 PDT
Discovery Of How Some Neurons Inhibit Others Could Shed Light On Autism, Other Neurological Disorders
Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Autism; Schizophrenia; Bipolar
Article Date: 11 Aug 2012 - 0:00 PDT
Also Included In: Autism; Schizophrenia; Bipolar
Article Date: 11 Aug 2012 - 0:00 PDT
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Father's Age Linked To Risk Of Autism In Children
Editor's Choice
Academic Journal
Main Category: Autism
Also Included In: Schizophrenia; Genetics
Article Date: 26 Aug 2012 - 0:00 PDT
Academic Journal
Main Category: Autism
Also Included In: Schizophrenia; Genetics
Article Date: 26 Aug 2012 - 0:00 PDT
Sharper View Of Brain's Neural Network Offered By Novel Microscopy Method
Main Category: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience; Autism; Stroke
Article Date: 27 Aug 2012 - 0:00 PDT
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience; Autism; Stroke
Article Date: 27 Aug 2012 - 0:00 PDT
Autism Treatment Options For Adolescents Are Not Supported By Evidence
According to a recent report, Vanderbilt University researchers say that current therapies used to treat adolescents with autism are not supported by evidence proving they are effective methods.
Melissa McPheeters, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of Vanderbilt's Evidence-Based Practice Center and senior author of the report published by the Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) commented: "Overall, there is very little evidence in all areas of care for adolescents and young adults with autism, and it is urgent that more rigorous studies be developed and conducted."
Zachary Warren, Ph.D., director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center's Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders added:
"There are growing numbers of adolescents and adults with autism in need of substantial support. Without a stronger evidence base, it is very hard to know which interventions will yield the most meaningful outcomes for individuals with autism and their families."
The researchers analyzed over 4,500 studies and re-evaluated 32 on methods of treatment for autism patients aged 13 to 30 - they were all published between January 1980 and December 2011.
Results of the study showed some evidence supporting the effectiveness of treatments in improving social skills and how the patients performed educationally in areas such as reading and vocabulary. However, these investigations were small and were not followed up.
Medical interventions were found to have a lack of supporting evidence in terms of effectiveness in treating young adults with a autism spectrum disorder. However, outcomes of treatment with antipsychotic medications for reducing aggressive and irritable behaviors were the most consistent. Side effects included weight gain and sedation.
Of the articles analyzed, only 5 of them tested vocational interventions, which all stated that this type of treatment may be beneficial for some patients, but all 5 studies showed flaws that made the researchers doubt the effectiveness of vocational interventions.
Pediatrics journal will publish the outcomes of the study on vocational interventions in their August 27 issue.
In the 1970s it was believed that autism only affected 1 in every 2000 kids, but now, in 2012, it is estimated to affect 1 in every 88 kids. The boy to girl ratio of autism is 5:1, which lowers their number to 1 in every 54 boys in the U.S. living with autism.
Julie Lounds Taylor, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pediatrics and Special Education and lead author commented: "With more and more youth with autism leaving high school and entering the adult world, there is urgent need for evidence-based interventions that can improve their quality of life and functioning."
Written by Christine Kearney
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Diagnosis Often Missed For Hispanic Children With Developmental Delay
Broader outreach on developmental milestones needed
Hispanic children often have undiagnosed developmental delays and large numbers of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic children who first were thought to have developmental delay actually had autism, researchers affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute have found.
The study, one of the largest to date to compare development in Hispanic and non-Hispanic children, is published in the journal Autism. The results lead the study authors to recommend increased public health efforts to improve awareness, especially among Hispanics, about the indicators of developmental delay and autism.
"Our study raises concerns about access to accurate, culturally relevant information regarding developmental milestones and the importance of early detection and treatment," said Virginia Chaidez, the lead author and a postdoctoral researcher in the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences when the study was conducted. "Autism and developmental delay tend to go undiagnosed when parents are not aware of the signs to look for, and the conditions are often misdiagnosed when parents don't have access to adequate developmental surveillance and screening."
Developmental delay is diagnosed in children who lag behind others in reaching important mental or physical milestones, while autism is characterized by deficits in social interactions and communication behaviors. The symptoms of both disorders can be improved with targeted interventions, with the greatest improvements seen when interventions begin early in life.
In conducting the study, the researchers used data from the Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) Study, a population-based study of factors that increase risk for autism or developmental delay. The current study included 1,061 children living in California who were between 24 and 60 months of age. They were divided into three groups: children with autism, children with developmental delay but not autism, and children with typical development. All diagnoses were confirmed or changed based on evaluations by MIND Institute clinicians.
The evaluations of Hispanic children were conducted by bicultural and bilingual clinicians in Spanish or English, depending on the primary language used at home. The results for children with at least one Hispanic parent of any race were compared to the results for children of non-Hispanic white parents.
"Our goal was to use the CHARGE Study to help fill the gaps in research on autism for Hispanics so we can better understand what autism is like for this growing U.S. population," said Irva Hertz-Picciotto, professor of public health sciences, researcher with the UC Davis MIND Institute and principal investigator of CHARGE. "No other study of autism has included such a large proportion of Hispanic children."
When the outcomes for Hispanic children were compared to non-Hispanic children, the results revealed more similarities than differences in terms of autism profiles, including diagnostic scores, language function, whether or not children lost acquired skills and overall intellectual, social and physical functioning.
A striking outcome, however, was that 6.3 percent of Hispanic children enrolled in the study who were selected randomly out of the general population met criteria for developmental delay, compared with only 2.4 percent of non-Hispanic participants, which is the expected percentage. This raised concerns among the researchers that many Hispanic children with developmental delays may not be getting the services they need.
For both Hispanic and non-Hispanic children, there was a high percentage (about 19 percent overall) of Hispanic and non-Hispanic children recruited for the study with developmental delay who actually met criteria for autism, raising concerns about adequate access to accurate developmental assessment.
When the analysis was restricted to bilingual children, a significant relationship also emerged between secondary language exposure (when a child was spoken to 25 to 50 percent of the time in a language other than English) and lower scores on standardized tests of receptive and expressive language. This resulted in lower overall cognitive scores for this group.
"Our results emphasize the importance of considering cultural and other family factors such as multiple language exposure that can affect development when interpreting clinical tests, even when they are conducted in the child's preferred language," said Robin Hansen, chief of developmental-behavioral pediatrics at UC Davis, director of clinical programs with the MIND Institute and a study co-author.
Hansen, the MIND Institute clinical team and the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the MIND Institute have worked hard to provide accurate, current and evidence-based information about developmental disabilities to parents, educators, therapists and health-care specialists through an annual conference, website resources and community outreach.
"That so many children are slipping through the cracks is disheartening," Hansen said. "The differences between developmental disabilities can be subtle but important and involve distinct treatment pathways. We need to make sure that all children are getting routine developmental screening, early diagnosis and intervention so they can achieve their fullest potential."
For information on developmental milestones, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Learn the Signs" website , which is available in English and Spanish at. Parents with concerns about their child's development should work with their health-care provider, school district and California Department of Developmental Services regional center to identify appropriate services.
The research was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (grants R01-ES015359 and P01-ES11269), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's STAR program (grants R-829388 and R-833292) and the UC Davis MIND Institute.
Learning Disabilities In Kids May Be Preventable With Cancer Drug
Editor's Choice
Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Genetics; Autism
Article Date: 29 Aug 2012 - 13:00 PDT
Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Genetics; Autism
Article Date: 29 Aug 2012 - 13:00 PDT
Routine Developmental Screening Essential To Identify Hispanic Children With Developmental Delay, Autism
Hispanic children often have undiagnosed developmental delays and large numbers of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic children who first were thought to have developmental delay actually had autism, researchers affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute have found.
The study, one of the largest to date to compare development in Hispanic and non-Hispanic children, is published in the journal Autism. The results lead the study authors to recommend increased public health efforts to improve awareness, especially among Hispanics, about the indicators of developmental delay and autism.
"Our study raises concerns about access to accurate, culturally relevant information regarding developmental milestones and the importance of early detection and treatment," said Virginia Chaidez, the lead author and a postdoctoral researcher in the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences when the study was conducted. "Autism and developmental delay tend to go undiagnosed when parents are not aware of the signs to look for, and the conditions are often misdiagnosed when parents don't have access to adequate developmental surveillance and screening."
Developmental delay is diagnosed in children who lag behind others in reaching important mental or physical milestones, while autism is characterized by deficits in social interactions and communication behaviors. The symptoms of both disorders can be improved with targeted interventions, with the greatest improvements seen when interventions begin early in life.
In conducting the study, the researchers used data from the Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) Study, a population-based study of factors that increase risk for autism or developmental delay. The current study included 1,061 children living in California who were between 24 and 60 months of age. They were divided into three groups: children with autism, children with developmental delay but not autism, and children with typical development. All diagnoses were confirmed or changed based on evaluations by MIND Institute clinicians.
The evaluations of Hispanic children were conducted by bicultural and bilingual clinicians in Spanish or English, depending on the primary language used at home. The results for children with at least one Hispanic parent of any race were compared to the results for children of non-Hispanic white parents.
"Our goal was to use the CHARGE Study to help fill the gaps in research on autism for Hispanics so we can better understand what autism is like for this growing U.S. population," said Irva Hertz-Picciotto, professor of public health sciences, researcher with the UC Davis MIND Institute and principal investigator of CHARGE. "No other study of autism has included such a large proportion of Hispanic children."
When the outcomes for Hispanic children were compared to non-Hispanic children, the results revealed more similarities than differences in terms of autism profiles, including diagnostic scores, language function, whether or not children lost acquired skills and overall intellectual, social and physical functioning.
A striking outcome, however, was that 6.3 percent of Hispanic children enrolled in the study who were selected randomly out of the general population met criteria for developmental delay, compared with only 2.4 percent of non-Hispanic participants, which is the expected percentage. This raised concerns among the researchers that many Hispanic children with developmental delays may not be getting the services they need.
For both Hispanic and non-Hispanic children, there was a high percentage (about 19 percent overall) of Hispanic and non-Hispanic children recruited for the study with developmental delay who actually met criteria for autism, raising concerns about adequate access to accurate developmental assessment.
When the analysis was restricted to bilingual children, a significant relationship also emerged between secondary language exposure (when a child was spoken to 25 to 50 percent of the time in a language other than English) and lower scores on standardized tests of receptive and expressive language. This resulted in lower overall cognitive scores for this group.
"Our results emphasize the importance of considering cultural and other family factors such as multiple language exposure that can affect development when interpreting clinical tests, even when they are conducted in the child's preferred language," said Robin Hansen, chief of developmental-behavioral pediatrics at UC Davis, director of clinical programs with the MIND Institute and a study co-author.
Hansen, the MIND Institute clinical team and the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the MIND Institute have worked hard to provide accurate, current and evidence-based information about developmental disabilities to parents, educators, therapists and health-care specialists through an annual conference, website resources and community outreach.
"That so many children are slipping through the cracks is disheartening," Hansen said. "The differences between developmental disabilities can be subtle but important and involve distinct treatment pathways. We need to make sure that all children are getting routine developmental screening, early diagnosis and intervention so they can achieve their fullest potential."
Monday, 10 September 2012
App On iPod Touch Helps Autistic Adults Work More Efficiently
Editor's Choice
Main Category: Autism
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics; IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 04 Sep 2012 - 8:00 PDT
Main Category: Autism
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics; IT / Internet / E-mail
Article Date: 04 Sep 2012 - 8:00 PDT
Youths With Autism Are Targets For Bullying
Editor's Choice
Main Category: Autism
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health; Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 08 Sep 2012 - 0:00 PDT
Main Category: Autism
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health; Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 08 Sep 2012 - 0:00 PDT
Can Videogaming Benefit Young People With Autism Spectrum Disorder?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 88 children in the U.S. has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a broad group of neurodevelopmental disorders. Children and adolescents with ASD are typically fascinated by screen-based technology such as videogames and these can be used for educational and treatment purposes as described in an insightful Roundtable Discussion published in Games for Health Journal: Research Development, and Clinical Applications, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.. The article is available free on the Games for Health Journal website.
Individuals with ASD have difficulty with communication and social interaction, but they often have particularly good visual perceptual skills and respond well to visual stimuli. Videogames offer opportunities for successful learning, motivation to improve skills such as planning, organization, and self-monitoring, and reinforcement of desired behaviors without the need for direct human-to-human interaction.
Autism is a growing area of interest for the gamification community, and Games for Health Journal continues to explore various aspects of how videogame technology can be beneficial in treating this complex spectrum of disorders. In a previous issue of the Journal, the article "Comparing Energy Expenditure in Adolescents with and without Autism while Playing Nintendo® Wii™ Games" described how gaming might help individuals with ASD increase their daily physical activity to prevent obesity.
"Children and young adults with ASD have unique opportunities to capitalize on their interest and aptitude in videogames as a resource to develop desired social behaviors and life skills and to increase their physical activity," says Games for Health Journal Editor-in-Chief Bill Ferguson, PhD, who moderated the Roundtable.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)