Asperger syndrome and neuroscience. Asperger syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental condition. Asperger syndrome, along with other autism spectrum disorders (ASD), is an active field of research. From a biological perspective, it is unclear whether "autism and Asperger's disorder (AD) exist on a symptom continuum or are separate disorders with discrete neurobiological underpinnings. "[1] Early research[edit] Behavioral and cognitive descriptions[edit] Cognition Early onset language, high language skillsNormal or above average VIQ, PIQ < VIQIntense narrow interest"little professors" Hans Asperger coined the phrase "little professors" because of their ability to talk about their favorite subject in great detail. Learning, memory, and savantism Social Social criteriaEye contact / gaze avoidanceFace processing Subjects with AS take longer to respond to face processing in a stroop test. " Repetition Repetitive behaviorResistance to change Other Motor coordination and motor planning Clinical descriptions[edit] Hans Asperger[edit] ICD-10[edit]
Www.utdallas.edu/~tres/neuroII/trautman. Docentes.cs.urjc.es/~odeluis/Docencia/ABP/Articulos/baroncohen.pdf. Transcriptomic Analysis of Autistic Brain Reveals Convergent Molecular Pathology. Autism Therapies: ABA, RDI, and Sensory Therapies. Why do I need to register or sign in for WebMD to save? We will provide you with a dropdown of all your saved articles when you are registered and signed in. What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) training? Many children with autism and related disorders exhibit unwanted behaviors, such as head-banging or slapping others. For parents and other caregivers, trying to reduce these behaviors can be difficult and frustrating. In fact, efforts at discouragement often end up making the behaviors more frequent. One approach for dealing with these issues is applied behavior analysis, or ABA, training. Each child with an autism spectrum disorder will have his or her own individual pattern of autism. Parents are usually the first to notice something is wrong.
Continue reading about types of autism spectrum disorders, such as Asperger's, Rett's, and more. © 2009 WebMD, LLC. How does Applied Behavior Analysis work? ABA training is usually conducted by a trained therapist. Continue reading below... Autism Recovery Possible for Some, Study Suggests. Why do I need to register or sign in for WebMD to save?
We will provide you with a dropdown of all your saved articles when you are registered and signed in. Jan. 15, 2013 -- The idea that some children recover from autism remains controversial, but new research lends credibility to the notion. The National Institutes of Health-funded study included children, teens, and young adults who received a diagnosis of autism early in life but moved off the autism spectrum as they grew older. Recovered or Misdiagnosed? In earlier work, longtime autism researcher Deborah Fein, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Connecticut concluded that as many as 1 in 5 kids on the autism spectrum can recover to the point where they are no longer considered autistic. But skeptics have claimed that the children the researchers identified as "optimal outcome" -- a phrase Fein prefers to "recovered" -- were simply misdiagnosed or had a very mild form of autism early in life.
Continue reading below... What causes Asperger syndrome? - WebMD Answers. Current research points to brain abnormalities as the cause of Asperger syndrome. Using advanced brain imaging techniques, scientists have revealed structural and functional differences in specific regions of the brains of normal vs. Asperger syndrome children. These defects are most likely caused by the abnormal migration of embryonic cells during fetal development that affects brain structure and 'wiring' and then goes on to affect the neural circuits that control thought and behavior.
For example, one study found a reduction of brain activity in the frontal lobe of Asperger syndrome children when they were asked to respond to tasks that required them to use their judgment. Another study found differences in activity when children were asked to respond to facial expressions. A different study investigating brain function in adults with Asperger syndrome revealed abnormal levels of specific proteins that correlate with obsessive and repetitive behaviors. Thanks for your feedback. Autism Treatments Directory: Find News, Features, and Pictures Related to Autism Treatments. Autism cannot be cured, but treatments can help those with autism learn to function better in the world. They can help an autistic person learn to relate to others, do purposeful activities, communicate, take care of himself or herself, and more. It's common for someone with autism to attend individual programs for behavior and skills development that may involve the help of a psychologist, special education teacher, speech therapist, occupational therapist, and more.
Medications may also help control symptoms. Follow the links below to find WebMD's comprehensive coverage about how autism is treated, what to expect from treatment, and much more. Medical Reference Features Hundreds of treatments have been proposed for autism, from dolphin therapy to intense, one-on-one behavioral therapy. Read Full Article Video Slideshows & Images News Archive. Gluten Free/Casein Free Diets for Autism. Why do I need to register or sign in for WebMD to save? We will provide you with a dropdown of all your saved articles when you are registered and signed in. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are developmental disorders that affect children by disrupting their ability to communicate and interact socially. To reduce a child's symptoms of autism, parents often try alternative treatments such as specialized diets.
Lately, the gluten-free/casein-free diet has grown in popularity. Some parents report improvements in autism symptoms with this dietary regimen. Little research has been done, though, on the gluten-free/casein-free diet for autism. What is a gluten-free/casein-free diet for autism? A gluten-free/casein-free diet is also known as the GFCF diet. Some parents of children with autism believe their children are allergic or sensitive to the components found in these foods. How does a gluten-free/casein-free diet for autism work? Continue reading below...
Autism and Aspergers Slideshow: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments. (1) Vicky Leon/Vetta (2) Nicholas Eveleigh/Iconica (3) Jamie Grill/Blend Images (4) Adam Gault/OJO Images (5) John Lund, Nevada Weir/Blend Images (6) ISM/Phototake (7) Johner Images (8) Steven van Soldt/Vetta (9) Blue Mountain Images/Flickr (10) Annabella Bluesky/Photo Researchers (11) Michael Hitoshi/Riser (12) Victoria Yee/Photographer's Choice (13) Burger, PHAINE/Photo Researchers (14) Steve Pomberg/WebMD (15) Stephen St.
John/National Geographic (16) Ariel Skelly/The Agency Collection (17) Paul Mansfield Photography/Flickr Select (18) Datacraft Co Ltd (19) Tom Grill/Photographer's Choice RF (20) Don Smith/Flickr (21) Aaron C Photography/Flickr (22) BananaStock (23) ImagesBazaar AHEADD: "About Us. " American Family Physician: "Speech and Language Delay: What Does This Mean for My Child?
" Association for Science in Autism Treatment: "Is Autism on the Rise? " Autism Genome Project: "About the AGP. " THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. . © 2012 WebMD, LLC. Can Autism be Cured? TODAY MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE that Autism is a genetic brain disorder. I’m here to tell you that this isn’t true. The real reason we are seeing increasing rates of autism is simply this: Autism is a systemic body disorder that affects the brain.
A toxic environment triggers certain genes in people susceptible to this condition. And research supports this position. Think about it. Dramatic scientific discoveries have taken place during the last 10 to 20 years that reveal the true causes of autism, and turn conventional thinking on its head. Recently I treated a 2 ½ year old boy named Sam. Every child with autism has unique genetics, causes or triggers. When I first saw him, this little boy was deep in the inner wordless world of autism. He had very high level of antibodies to gluten. His amino acids — necessary for normal brain function and detoxification — were depleted. This may all seem complicated, but it really isn’t. Step 1: Fix His Gut and Cool the Inflammation There In Sam’s case we: Aspergers Teens and Sexual Issues. The two most important issues to address with Aspergers teens are sexual safety and social issues related to sexuality.
It comes down to education directed to personal and sexual safety - starting with closing and locking the bathroom door, knowing who can and can't help with menstrual care, and understanding the difference between good touching and bad touching. Very few programs exist to teach young people with Aspergers about sex and sexuality, and because Aspergers teens are often unaware of social cues and peer expectations, clear, direct education is often critical.
For example, they need to know they should lock the bathroom stall, and they need to learn how to do it. Sometimes moms and dads think it's safer if they take their youngster into the bathroom with them, but the challenge with that is that the person most likely to cause abuse is someone the kid knows, not someone he/she doesn't know. How can parents begin to think about this issue? Other misconceptions include: Sex education and children and young people with an ASD. Children learn about sex from a very young age even if we don't talk with them about it. Many of the things they learn are incorrect, confusing and frightening. In a world where sex is used to sell cars and ice creams, and celebrities' private lives become everybody's business, we cannot afford not to talk to our children about sex and relationships if we're going to help them make sense of it all.National Children's Bureau, Sex Education Forum 2003 The quotation above is from a parent support guide that is not autism-specific.
It describes how important it is to speak to any child about sex education so they do not become confused and anxious. The unique difficulties of a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) mean that ordinary, everyday conversation and social interaction can lead to many misunderstandings, confusion or upset. However this is not necessarily an easy discussion to have. When should I start talking to my child about puberty? How do I explain puberty to my child? Fetal programming of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal function: prenatal stress and glucocorticoids.
Scent research could help autism understanding. New research into how animals bond with each other could shed light on the causes of autism and anxiety disorders, according to an Edinburgh scientist. Researchers pinpointed how a key hormone, known as vasopressin, helped animals recognise each other by smell. Edinburgh University experts found animals could no longer recognise each other when the hormone failed to work.
They said the study may offer clues about the way humans make emotional connections with each other. The ability to recognise other individuals by smell is said to be crucial in helping animals establish strong bonds with other animals. The researchers, working with scientists in Germany and Japan, studied the way rats familiarised themselves with other rats using their sense of smell. They put an adult rat in an enclosure with a baby rat and left them to sniff and interact with each other. After a short separation, they placed the baby back in the adult's enclosure, together with an unknown baby. 'Social memories'
Plasma Oxytocin in Children with Recurrent Abdominal Pain : Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Oxytocin is a phylogenetically ancient hypothalamic hormone with diverse influences on the brain and body (1,2). There is an ever increasing understanding of oxytocin as a hormone of importance for the well-being of the organism, both psychologically where it promotes tranquillity, attachment, concentration and memory, and physically where it promotes tissue healing and decreases pain, blood pressure and heart rate (3). Many of these effects can be characterised as anti-stress effects and some consider oxytocin an anti-stress hormone (3). In clinical practice, the main foci of oxytocin research have been female reproduction and mother - infant bonding. Little is known of the importance of oxytocin in health and disease in children. It has been shown that children with recurrent abdominal pain of psychosomatic origin have low concentrations of plasma oxytocin in samples obtained after an overnight fast (4).
Oxytocin has both peripheral and central effects. Consulting group. Controls. 1. Www.dr-charlton.com/ADHDandPerinatalPtocinInductionLisaKurth.pdf. Problems of Oxytocin & Autism. Research Autism | Treatments and Therapies | Oxytocin and Autism | Advanced version | Print. Touch May Alleviate Existential Fears for People With Low Self-Esteem. As human beings, we all know that we are going to die some day. Most of us deal with this knowledge by trying to live meaningful lives, but people with low self-esteem tend not to see their lives as particularly meaningful.
Now, research suggests that touch may help people with low self-esteem in confronting their own mortality. “Even fleeting and seemingly trivial instances of interpersonal touch may help people to deal more effectively with existential concern,” explains psychological scientist and lead researcher Sander Koole of VU University Amsterdam.
“This is important because we all have to deal with existential concerns and we all have times at which we struggle to find meaning in life,” says Koole. In a series of studies published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, Koole and colleagues tested the hypothesis that people with low self-esteem deal with existential concerns by connecting with others. Oxytocin promotes human ethnocentrism. Author Affiliations Edited by Douglas S. Massey, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved December 21, 2010 (received for review October 12, 2010) Abstract Human ethnocentrism—the tendency to view one's group as centrally important and superior to other groups—creates intergroup bias that fuels prejudice, xenophobia, and intergroup violence.
Grounded in the idea that ethnocentrism also facilitates within-group trust, cooperation, and coordination, we conjecture that ethnocentrism may be modulated by brain oxytocin, a peptide shown to promote cooperation among in-group members. Footnotes 1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture.[1][page needed] Ethnocentric individuals judge other groups relative to their own ethnic group or culture, especially with concern for language, behavior, customs, and religion. These ethnic distinctions and subdivisions serve to define each ethnicity's unique cultural identity.[2] Ethnocentrism may be overt or subtle, and while it is considered a natural proclivity of human psychology, it has developed a generally negative connotation.[3] Origins of the concept and its study[edit] William G.
Sumner created the term "ethnocentrism" upon observing the tendency for people to differentiate between the in-group and others. He defined it as "the technical name for the view of things in which one's own group is the center of everything, and all others are scaled and rated with reference to it. Anthropology[edit] Biology and evolutionary theory[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] Jump up ^ John T. Ethnocentrism. Reward system. Do Vaccines Cause Autism? Pair bond. Dopamine. Oxytocin. Www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/009262300278641. Alcohol and Drug Effects on Sexual Response: Human Experimental and Clinical Studies - Annual Review of Sex Research - Volume 2. PsycNET - Display Record. Alcohol sexual response. Skank reflex meaning. Human secual response pdf. Autism prevalence in China. Breastfeeding possible deterrent to autism.
What is known about autism: genes, bra... [Am J Pharmacogenomics. 2005. The genetics of autism. [Pediatrics. 2004. What is known about autism: genes, bra... [Am J Pharmacogenomics. 2005. The concept of entero-colonic encephalopathy, autism and opioid receptor ligands - Wakefield - 2002 - Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Autism and vaccination-the current evide... [J Spec Pediatr Nurs. 2009. Measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and autistic spectr... [Pediatrics. 2001. A comparative evaluation of the effects of MMR... [Med Sci Monit. 2004. Immunizations and autism: a review of the l... [Can J Neurol Sci. 2006. Environmental factors in autism. [Front Psychiatry. 2013. Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses.
Mercury, Vaccines, and Autism. Www.sphne.org.uk/uploads/doc/vid_11646_IHAL 2011-07 How Rates of Learning Disabilities and Autism in Children Vary Between Areas.pdf. Depression makes us biologically age 'by several years' say scientists - Science - News. Reading Literature Makes Us Smarter and Nicer.