This Week’s Top Posts
Monday. The The Archives of General Psychiatry publishes Continuing Increases in Autism Reported to California’s Developmental Services System: Mercury in Retrograde. The trial of Karen McCarron begins.
Tuesday. A new documentary, Today’s Man is shown and discussion ensues.
Wednesday. Three articles about CNTNAP2 as an autism-susceptibility gene are published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday. A lot of discussion ensues.
- Today’s Man: A Documentary about Nicky Gottlieb
A new documentary about 28-year-old Nicky Gottlieb, who has Asperger’s syndrome; the film was made by his sister, New York director Lizzie Gottlieb. - Thimerosal Exposure Declines, Autism Rates Increase
From a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry: Exposure to thimerosal, a preservative that contains ethylmercury, during childhood is not a primary cause of autism. - Trial of Karen McCarron:Day 1
Former pathologist is accused of killing her 3-year-old daughter, Katherine, by suffocating her with a plastic bag on Mother’s Day weekend on May 13, 2006. - Thimerosal Exposure Declines, Autism Rates Increase, and a Note About Myself
In response to Anonymous, who wrote on the WSJ Health blog that “From my own observation: Moms of autistic kids are party goers or ex-party goers. Leaves me to think that birth control or drugs is the cause.” - A New Jersey Mother Responds to Katie Wright
I am not sure how Wright has determined that the “vast majority of parents believe that vaccines played a role in triggering the disorder in their children.” - Like Father, Like Son: Chromosome 16 and susceptibility to autism
Either a deletion or a duplication of a section of chromosome 16 seems to contribute strongly to susceptibility to autism, a study published in the January 9th New England Journal of Medicine for the Autism Consortium. - Trial of Karen McCarron: Day 3
Karen McCarron’s mother-in-law, Gail McCarron, and her sister-in-law, Jennifer McCarron, testified on the third day of her trial. - CNTNAP2, an Autism Susceptibility Gene
CNTNAP2 is contactin-associated proteinlike 2; it is like a blueprint “for an important protein involved in the ability of brain cells to communicate with each other properly” (ABC News). In early brain tissue, CNTNAP2 is the gene that is the “most active in developing brain structures involved in language and thought.” - Race, Immigrants, and Autism Rates
Autism occurs in individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, family income and educational levels. But how might race, ethnicity, and other cultural factors affect whether or not a child is identified as autistic? - Trial of Karen McCarron: Day 5—McCarron blames herself for letting her child be vaccinated
On the fifth day of her trial, former pathologist Karen McCarron testified that she blamed herself for her daughter’s autism.
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POSTED IN: Adulthood, Crime, Diagnosis, Environment, Genetics, Latino/a, Legal Issues, Movies, Neuroscience, New Jersey, Psychiatry, Race & Ethnicity, Statistics, Stereotypes, Vaccines
2 opinions for This Week’s Top Posts
kyra
Jan 13, 2008 at 10:55 am
i’m sure it’s been said, but has the irony of karren mccarron’s being a pathologist been adequately observed?
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jan 13, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I read something about that (can’t remember the context) some time ago. When Katie’s death was first reported, I remember some comments puzzling over her being a doctor and what happened.
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