Allergies, Asthma May Play Role in Autism
Allergies or asthma during pregnancy may increase the risk of giving birth to a child who develops autism. Investigators caution that the association must be confirmed, and that the increase in risk observed in a study was quite small. The findings are reported in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
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Study: Childhood Rise in Autism Cases Real
Since the 1990s, there's been a dramatic increase in autismautism among school-age children. The data are from the U.S. Department of Education, and the report hints that the increases seen with time are real.
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Research Offers Hope for Autism Blood Test
Autism researchers say they are closer than ever to developing a simple blood test that will identify the developmental disorder in newborns. While acknowledging that a diagnostic blood test for autism is still years away, the researchers say their new study offers "a proof of principle" that such a test is possible.
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On the Cutting Edge of Autism Treatment
The Joker has stolen the world's biggest diamond, and it's up to Batman and Robin to get it back. On a video monitor, hands move toy action figures through the paces of the story, as an off-camera voice speaks the dialogue.
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Antipsychotic Drug May Help Kids With Autism
The antipsychotic drug Risperdal may cut aggressive behavior in children with autism. That effect was reported in The American Journal of Psychiatry. Researchers including James McCracken, MD, of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), studied Risperdal and autism. However, Risperdal doesn't cure autism, and it may not be right for all autistic children.
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New Intensity to Debate Over Autism Cause
Sallie Bernard and Morton Ann Gernsbacher, PhD, have something in common. Each is the mother of a child with autism. Both of these mothers care deeply about their children. They care deeply about other children, too -- especially those with autism. But they could not differ more on what they think needs to be done for them.
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Secretin Questioned as Autism Treatment
Secretin, a digestive system hormone, may not be the hoped-for answer to autism, researchers report in The Cochrane Library. The finding doesn't come from a new test. Instead, it's based on a review of 14 past studies.
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Gene Interaction Linked to Autism Risk
It has long been believed that complex genetic interactions are at play in autism, and new research offers some of the first concrete evidence that this is the case. For the first time, researchers have identified an interaction between two specific genes that increases the risk that a child will develop autism. Both of the genes are associated with a chemical in the brain that has been a target of autism research for the past decade
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Is Autism Linked to the 'Extreme Male Brain'?
An old theory about autism and the brain is getting a fresh look from autism experts in the U.K. The theory of the "extreme male brain" was first mentioned more than 60 years ago, write Simon Baron-Cohen, PhD, and colleagues in Science.
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U.S. in Midst of an Autism Epidemic?
The flood of kids with autism pouring into special education classes doesn't mean we're in the middle of an autism epidemic, a new study suggests. Experts hotly debate the issue of whether there really are more autistic kidsmore autistic kids than there used to be. Many parents worry that there may be something out there that's causing autism. Fueling their fears is a huge explosion in the number of autism cases pouring into state-funded programs.
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Debate Flares Over Vaccines and Autism
Debate over a possible tie between mercury-containing vaccines and autism flared up this week as activist groups launched a campaign accusing federal health agencies and prominent researchers of manipulating scientific findings on the link.
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Gene May Be Involved in Autism
A new study shows that a certain gene may be involved in autismautism. The study, published in Neuron, doesn't prove that that particular gene -- which is called the Pten gene -- causes autism. Many other genetic factors have also been linked to autism, the study also notes.
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CDC Releases New Statistics on Autism
At least 300,000 school-aged U.S. children had ever been diagnosed with autismautism as of 2003-2004, the CDC estimates. That estimate is based on two national health surveys conducted by the CDC in 2003-2004. The results appear in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Daydream Brain Activity: Autism Clue?
People with autismautism may not daydream like most people do. A new study suggests that the brain activity found in most people while at rest or "daydreaming" is absent in people with autism. Researchers say the brain regions normally active while at rest or daydreaming are important for processing emotional and social issues. The lack of this activity in the brains of people with autism may help explain some of the antisocial behavior and emotional problems found in people with the disorder.
Measuring Brain Activity
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