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Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that seem to be involved in perceiving the intentions—the mental state—of another person. Mirror neurons are activated or “fire” both when we perform an action and also when we see that action being performed by someone else and it’s been hypothesized that there might be a dysfunction […]
So why are you hearing more about autism? According to Huliq News in a June 29th piece mentioning The Boy in the Window, a book by 66-year-old Barbara Coppo, whose autistic son, Kenny, is 29 years old, this is why:
Perhaps we are hearing more about autism in the news because there are more autistic […]
About one-third of those with Fragile X also have autism. My son was tested for Fragile X around the time that he was being evaluated for autism, and Charlie does not have Fragile X (go here to read about a new gene that was found for Fragile X earlier this year). A recent study in […]
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, researchers affiliated with the University of Washington’s Autism Center have found an “abnormal pattern of connectivity” in the brains of autistic adults; this different neurological “wiring” may be responsible for social impairments that are one feature of autism. The study, which is published in the journal Brain, focused on the […]
Panic disorder and the inability to express emotions (alexithymia) may be related, according to a new study:
In patients with panic disorder (PD), the difficulty to identify and manage emotional experience might contribute to the enduring vulnerability to panic attacks. Such a difficulty might reflect a dysfunction of fronto-temporo-limbic circuits.
Moments of extreme panic—catastrophic thinking, anxiety—-in Charlie […]
More genetics news today: Researchers have identified the mutated gene that causes childhood absence epilepsy (CAE).
The seizures of childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) are usually staring spells during which the child is not aware or responsive. The child’s eyes may roll up briefly. Each spell lasts about 10 seconds and ends abruptly. The child often is […]
Dr. Keith Shafritz, an assistant professor of psychology at Hofstra University, is using a form of functional magnetic imaging to study why autistic children engage in repetitive behavior such as hand-flapping, rocking, and lining up objects. From today’s Newsday:
In children with autism, Shafritz found deficits in specific regions of the cerebral cortex, the outer […]
A new study has found that burning incense—as in frankincense, the resin from the Boswellia plant—
“activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses anxiety and causes other antidepressant activity in the […]
According to Dr. Fernando Miranda of the Bright Mind Institute, maybe not. A report in the May 19th Good Morning America/ABC News describes some children who were initially diagnosed with autism, and later found to have Landau-Kleffner Syndrome. For some of the children, anti-seizure medication has produced dramatic results and Dr. Miranda is said […]
My son Charlie does not simply like music. It’s simply an essential, and natural, mode that he expresses himself with and just something that he enjoys. He did music therapy when he was 2 1/2 years old and enjoyed hearing someone sing and play the piano to him and try to get him to play […]
Autism mother gets on her soapbox.
Written by Kristina Chew, PhD [email] for b5media.
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