The behavior of children with autism may improve during a fever, according to a first-of-kind study.
Researchers hypothesize that fever may restore nerve cell communications in regions of the autistic brain. The restoration may help children improve socialization skills during a fever.
The study was based on 30 autistic children between ages 2 and 18 who were observed during and after a fever of at least 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. More than 80 percent of the children showed some improvement in behavior during a fever and 30 percent showed significant improvement, researchers said. Behavior changes included longer concentration span, increased amount of talking and improved eye contact.
The study was written by Craig J. Newschaffer, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Drexel University, and Laura K. Curran, Ph.D., an epidemiology doctoral degree graduate who Newschaffer advised before he joined Drexel from Johns Hopkins University.
“Any leads that suggest new biologic mechanisms that could be acted on through treatment are welcomed,” Newschaffer said.
Study data suggest that behavior changes may not solely be the byproduct of sickness and, consequently, could be the byproduct of a biologic response to fever. More research, however, is needed to prove fever-specific effects, researchers say.
Autism can limit social interactions and disable verbal and nonverbal communication. About 1.5 million Americans have some form of autism, according to the Autism Society of America. The cause of autism is unknown.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Researchers create first-ever genetic animal model of autism
Washington, Dec 9 :
US researchers have created what might be an accurate model of autism not associated with a broader neuropsychiatric syndrome, which includes conditions like - Fragile X, the most common cause of inherited mental impairment, and Rett Syndrome, a childhood neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by normal early development followed by slowed brain and head growth, seizures, and mental retardation.
Autism is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by repetitive behaviours and by impairment in social interactions and communication skills.
The animal -model finding was based on a study, led by Thomas Sudhof, M.D., professor and chairman of neuroscience at UT Southwestern, which might help researchers better understand abnormal brain function in autistic humans, which could help them identify and improve treatment strategies.
"Prior to this study we knew next to nothing about the mechanisms of autism in the brain," said Craig M. Powell, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwesters Medical Centre at Dallas and a co-researcher in the study.
"With this research, we can study changes in the brain that lead to autistic behaviours and symptoms, which may help us understand more about progression and treatment of the disorder," Powell added.
The research team replaced the normal mouse neurologin-3 gene with a mutated neuroligin-3 gene associated with autism in humans.
By doing so, the researchers were able to create a gene in the mice that was similar to the human autism disease gene.
While the result amounted to a very small change in their genetic makeup, it perfectly mimicked the same small change occurring in some patients with human autism.
Dr. Powell studied the genetically altered mice and found that, when examined in behavioural tests that might reflect key signs of autism, they showed decreased social interaction with other mice; other traits, such as anxiety, coordination and pain sensitivity, were unaffected.
Powell said that these social interaction deficits were hallmark features of human autism. In addition, the mice showed enhanced spatial learning abilities, which might resemble the enhanced cognitive abilities in autistic savants, people who have a severe developmental or mental handicap as well as extraordinary mental abilities.
"These findings could be especially helpful in identifying novel treatment approaches. We already know that inhibitory chemical synaptic transmission from one neuron to the next is increased in this mouse model. Now we can test drugs that decrease this effect directly in the mice and ask whether this reverses their social interaction deficits," Powell said.
The research was presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting.
US researchers have created what might be an accurate model of autism not associated with a broader neuropsychiatric syndrome, which includes conditions like - Fragile X, the most common cause of inherited mental impairment, and Rett Syndrome, a childhood neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by normal early development followed by slowed brain and head growth, seizures, and mental retardation.
Autism is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by repetitive behaviours and by impairment in social interactions and communication skills.
The animal -model finding was based on a study, led by Thomas Sudhof, M.D., professor and chairman of neuroscience at UT Southwestern, which might help researchers better understand abnormal brain function in autistic humans, which could help them identify and improve treatment strategies.
"Prior to this study we knew next to nothing about the mechanisms of autism in the brain," said Craig M. Powell, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwesters Medical Centre at Dallas and a co-researcher in the study.
"With this research, we can study changes in the brain that lead to autistic behaviours and symptoms, which may help us understand more about progression and treatment of the disorder," Powell added.
The research team replaced the normal mouse neurologin-3 gene with a mutated neuroligin-3 gene associated with autism in humans.
By doing so, the researchers were able to create a gene in the mice that was similar to the human autism disease gene.
While the result amounted to a very small change in their genetic makeup, it perfectly mimicked the same small change occurring in some patients with human autism.
Dr. Powell studied the genetically altered mice and found that, when examined in behavioural tests that might reflect key signs of autism, they showed decreased social interaction with other mice; other traits, such as anxiety, coordination and pain sensitivity, were unaffected.
Powell said that these social interaction deficits were hallmark features of human autism. In addition, the mice showed enhanced spatial learning abilities, which might resemble the enhanced cognitive abilities in autistic savants, people who have a severe developmental or mental handicap as well as extraordinary mental abilities.
"These findings could be especially helpful in identifying novel treatment approaches. We already know that inhibitory chemical synaptic transmission from one neuron to the next is increased in this mouse model. Now we can test drugs that decrease this effect directly in the mice and ask whether this reverses their social interaction deficits," Powell said.
The research was presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Doctors group calls for universal autism screening
All U.S. children should be formally screened for autism twice by the age of 2, the nation's top pediatrician group recommended on Monday.
The new guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics focus on early intervention, which can improve a child's chances for effective treatment.
"If you recognize it earlier, you get them into treatment earlier," said Dr. Scott Myers, a pediatrician who specializes in neurodevelopment and who helped write two clinical reports designed to help pediatricians identify and manage autism.
"Kids who start (treatment) earlier do better in the long run," Myers said in a telephone interview.
The guidelines for the first time call for universal screening of babies at the regular 18- and 24-month check-ups, regardless of whether there are warning signs. They will be published in the journal Pediatrics and on the group's Web site at http://www.aap.org.
No one knows what causes autism, a complex developmental disorder that includes problems with social interaction and communication.
Symptoms range from mild awkwardness to severe disability and mental retardation. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about one in every 150 U.S. children has autism or an autism spectrum disorder, such as Asperger's syndrome.
Delays in communication often are an early warning sign.
The guidelines urge pediatricians to watch for subtle signs, such as a lack of babbling, late smiling and failure to make eye contact. Picking up on these cues could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment.
"Young children and infants between 9 and 12 months should turn and respond when their name is called," said Myers, of Janet Weis Children's Hospital/Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania.
"If you say look at something across the room and you point, they ought to follow that with their eyes," he said.
Warnings signs needing immediate evaluation include: no babbling or pointing or other gestures by 12 months, no single words by 16 months, no two-word phrases by 24 months and regression or loss of language or social skills at any age.
If autism is suspected, the guidelines urge parents not to wait for a specialist to confirm the diagnosis before seeking treatment for the specific symptoms.
"You can begin with therapy geared toward the impairments that are there," Myers said.
The reports also review educational therapies and advises that children be engaged in intensive intervention of at least 25 hours per week, 12 months a year, with a low student-to-teacher ratio. Parents should be included in this treatment.
Pediatricians treating patients with autism should make themselves aware of various alternative therapies and to help parents make treatment decisions based on scientific evidence.
But the report suggests doctors should maintain open communication, even when families are pursuing unproven alternative treatments.
While the guidelines stress early intervention, Myers said many children benefit from therapy even if their autism was not detected until later.
"In the milder forms, it may not be possible to diagnose early," Myers said. "It is not hopeless by any means if it is diagnosed later but there does seem to be an advantage to getting intervention going as early as we can."
The new guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics focus on early intervention, which can improve a child's chances for effective treatment.
"If you recognize it earlier, you get them into treatment earlier," said Dr. Scott Myers, a pediatrician who specializes in neurodevelopment and who helped write two clinical reports designed to help pediatricians identify and manage autism.
"Kids who start (treatment) earlier do better in the long run," Myers said in a telephone interview.
The guidelines for the first time call for universal screening of babies at the regular 18- and 24-month check-ups, regardless of whether there are warning signs. They will be published in the journal Pediatrics and on the group's Web site at http://www.aap.org.
No one knows what causes autism, a complex developmental disorder that includes problems with social interaction and communication.
Symptoms range from mild awkwardness to severe disability and mental retardation. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about one in every 150 U.S. children has autism or an autism spectrum disorder, such as Asperger's syndrome.
Delays in communication often are an early warning sign.
The guidelines urge pediatricians to watch for subtle signs, such as a lack of babbling, late smiling and failure to make eye contact. Picking up on these cues could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment.
"Young children and infants between 9 and 12 months should turn and respond when their name is called," said Myers, of Janet Weis Children's Hospital/Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania.
"If you say look at something across the room and you point, they ought to follow that with their eyes," he said.
Warnings signs needing immediate evaluation include: no babbling or pointing or other gestures by 12 months, no single words by 16 months, no two-word phrases by 24 months and regression or loss of language or social skills at any age.
If autism is suspected, the guidelines urge parents not to wait for a specialist to confirm the diagnosis before seeking treatment for the specific symptoms.
"You can begin with therapy geared toward the impairments that are there," Myers said.
The reports also review educational therapies and advises that children be engaged in intensive intervention of at least 25 hours per week, 12 months a year, with a low student-to-teacher ratio. Parents should be included in this treatment.
Pediatricians treating patients with autism should make themselves aware of various alternative therapies and to help parents make treatment decisions based on scientific evidence.
But the report suggests doctors should maintain open communication, even when families are pursuing unproven alternative treatments.
While the guidelines stress early intervention, Myers said many children benefit from therapy even if their autism was not detected until later.
"In the milder forms, it may not be possible to diagnose early," Myers said. "It is not hopeless by any means if it is diagnosed later but there does seem to be an advantage to getting intervention going as early as we can."
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