The largest and most rigorous twin study of its kind to date has found that shared environment influences susceptibility to autism more than previously thought.

The study, supported by the National Institutes of Health, found that shared environmental factors — experiences and exposures common to both twin individuals — accounted for 55 percent of strict autism and 58 percent of more broadly defined autism spectrum disorders (ASD) . Genetic heritability accounted for 37 percent of autism and 38 percent of ASD. Random environmental factors not shared among twins play a much smaller role.

Earlier twin studies had estimated the genetic heritability of autism to be as high as 90 percent, due to much lower estimates of concordance — both members of a twin pair having the disorder — in fraternal twins. The new study found such concordance to be four to five times higher.

“High fraternal twin concordance relative to identical twin concordance underscores the importance of both the environment and moderate genetic heritability in predisposing for autism,” explained Joachim Hallmayer, M.D., of Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif. a grantee of the NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health. “Both types of twin pairs are more often concordant than what would be expected from the frequency of autism in the general population. However, the high concordance among individuals who share only half their genes relative to those who share all of their genes implies a bigger role for shared environmental factors.”

Hallmayer, senior co-investigator Neil Risch, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues report on findings of the California Autism Twins Study (CATS) in the July 2011 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

“These new findings are in line with other recent observations supporting both environmental and genetic contributions to ASD, with the environmental factors likely prenatal and the genetic factors highly complex and sometimes not inherited,” said NIMH director Thomas R. Insel, M.D.

Studies are under way to determine if autism may be traceable, in part, to environmental exposures early during pregnancy.

The new study is the first to analyze a large sample of twins drawn from the general population; previous twin studies have been based on more limited samples, such as patients in treatment. It is also the first to employ the latest standard in diagnosing autism, which requires structured clinical assessments based on interviews with the parents as well as direct observation of the child.

Drawing upon state records, the researchers initially identified 1,156 twin pairs, with at least one member affected by an ASD, born to California mothers between 1987 and 2004. The children were all at least 4 years old, an age when autism can be reliably diagnosed. Ultimately, this group was winnowed to 192 twin pairs — 54 identical and 138 fraternal — for genetic analysis. Since autism disproportionately affects males, males outnumbered females by four to five times, with 80 of the pairs including both sexes.

Concordance for ASD was 77 percent among identical male pairs, and 31 percent among fraternal male pairs. In females, concordance for ASD was more closely spaced — 50 percent for identical and 36 percent for fraternal pairs. By contrast, previous studies had found concordance rates for fraternal twins that were much lower, ranging only in the single digits.

“Spectrum disorders traditionally thought to have less genetic loading turn out to stem from a similar mix of environmental and genetic heritability as narrowly defined autism,” noted Thomas Lehner, Ph.D., chief of the NIMH Genomics Research Branch.

Yet, there can also be genetic influences that are not inherited from parents. New evidence emerged last month that rare, spontaneous mutations occur at abnormally high rates in autism.

“Such non-inherited genetic changes were proposed as a major mechanism of autism susceptibility, based on the very low concordance among fraternal twins found in earlier studies and evidence of increased risk associated with older parental age,” explained Risch. “In light of the high fraternal twin concordance observed in our study, such new mutations may play a more limited role, since they would primarily occur in only one member of a fraternal pair, which would not lead to concordance.”

Also participating in the research were investigators at: Autism Genetic Resource Exchange; California Department of Public Health; Kaiser Permanente; University of California, Davis. The research was also funded by Autism Speaks.

Source:NIH

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The best “kid-friendly” recipes and guide to the gluten-free, milk-free diet for ADHD and autism just got better. In addition to updates on new research and findings, this new paperback edition provides recommendations from the authors for packing school lunches and snacks, plus 100 brand new recipes!

One of the challenges that parents face is coping with children who have picky appetites and crave the very foods that affect their behavior, focus, and development. The other challenge is finding ways to get their children to eat healthy foods and improve their nutritional status. The uniqueness of this book is that it not only provides gluten-free milk-free substitutes and recipes, it provides successful suggestions for feeding the picky eater. The authors share details about just how and why the diet works. The specialty ingredients are explained and extensive sources provided. There are also testimonials from the parents and from the children themselves.

Autism blurs the molecular differences that normally distinguish different brain regions, a new study suggests. Among more than 500 genes that are normally expressed at significantly different levels in the front versus the lower middle part of the brain’s outer mantle, or cortex, only 8 showed such differences in brains of people with autism, say researchers funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.

“Such blurring of normally differentiated brain tissue suggests strikingly less specialization across these brain areas in people with autism,” explained Daniel Geschwind, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of California, Los Angeles, a grantee of the NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health. “It likely reflects a defect in the pattern of early brain development.”

He and his colleagues published their study online May 26, 2011 in the journal Nature. The research was based on postmortem comparisons of brains of people with the disorder and healthy controls.

In fetal development, different mixes of genes turn on in different parts of the brain to create distinct tissues that perform specialized functions. The new study suggests that the pattern regulating this gene expression goes awry in the cortex in autism, impairing key brain functions.

“This study provides the first evidence of a common signature for the seemingly disparate molecular abnormalities seen in autism,” said NIMH director Thomas R. Insel, M.D. “It also points to a pathway-based framework for understanding causes of other brain disorders stemming from similar molecular roots, such as schizophrenia and ADHD.”

In an earlier study, the researchers showed that genes that turn on and off together at the same time hold clues to the brain’s molecular instructions. These modules of co-expressed genes can reveal genetic co-conspirators in human illness, through what Geschwind and colleagues call “guilt by association.” A gene is suspect if its expression waxes and wanes in sync with others in an illness-linked module.

Using this strategy, the researchers first looked for gene expression abnormalities in brain areas implicated in autism – genes expressed at levels different than in brains of healthy people. They found 444 such differently expressed genes in the cortexes of postmortem brains of people with autism.

Most of the same genes turned out to be abnormally expressed in the frontal cortex as in the temporal cortex (lower middle) of autistic brains. Of these, genes involved in synapses, the connections between neurons, tended to be under-expressed when compared with healthy brains. Genes involved in immune and inflammatory responses tended to be over-expressed. Significantly, the same pattern held in a separate sample of autistic and control brains examined as part of the study.

Autistic and healthy control brains were similarly organized — modules of co-expressed genes correlated with specific cell types and biological functions.

Yet normal differences in gene expression levels between the frontal and temporal cortex were missing in the modules of autistic brains. This suggests that the normal molecular distinctions — the tissue differences — between these regions are nearly erased in autism, likely affecting how the brain works. Strikingly, among 174 genes expressed at different levels between the two regions in two healthy control brains, none were expressed at different levels in brains of people with autism.
An analysis of gene networks revealed two key modules of co-expressed genes highly correlated with autism.

One module was made up of genes in a brain pathway involved in neuron and synapse development, which were under-expressed in autism. Many of these genes were also implicated in autism in previous, genome-wide studies. So, several different lines of evidence now converge, pointing to genes in this M12 module (see picture below) as genetic causes of autism.

A second module of co-expressed genes, involved in development of other types of brain cells, was over-expressed in autism. These were determined not to be genetic causes of the illness, but likely gene expression changes related to secondary inflammatory, immune, or possible environmental factors involved in autism.

This newfound ability to see genes in the context of their positions in these modules, or pathways, provides hints about how they might work to produce illness, according to Geschwind and colleagues. For example, from its prominent position in the M12 module, the researchers traced a potential role in creating defective synapses to a gene previously implicated in autism.

Follow-up studies should explore whether the observed abnormalities in the patterning of gene expression might also extend to other parts of the brain in autism, say the researchers.

Source: NIH

All children with ASD demonstrate deficits in 1) social interaction, 2) verbal and nonverbal communication, and 3) repetitive behaviors or interests. In addition, they will often have unusual responses to sensory experiences, such as certain sounds or the way objects look. Each of these symptoms runs the gamut from mild to severe. They will present in each individual child differently. For instance, a child may have little trouble learning to read but exhibit extremely poor social interaction. Each child will display communication, social, and behavioral patterns that are individual but fit into the overall diagnosis of ASD.

Children with ASD do not follow the typical patterns of child development. In some children, hints of future problems may be apparent from birth. In most cases, the problems in communication and social skills become more noticeable as the child lags further behind other children the same age. Some other children start off well enough. Oftentimes between 12 and 36 months old, the differences in the way they react to people and other unusual behaviors become apparent. Some parents report the change as being sudden, and that their children start to reject people, act strangely, and lose language and social skills they had previously acquired. In other cases, there is a plateau, or leveling, of progress so that the difference between the child with autism and other children the same age becomes more noticeable.

ASD is defined by a certain set of behaviors that can range from the very mild to the severe. The following possible indicators of ASD were identified on the Public Health Training Network Webcast, Autism Among Us.

Source: NIMH

A five-minute checklist that parents can fill out in pediatrician waiting rooms may someday help in the early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Published today in the Journal of Pediatrics, the study’s design also provides a model for developing a network of pediatricians to adopt such a change to their practice.

“Beyond this exciting proof of concept, such a screening program would answer parents’ concerns about their child’s possible ASD symptoms earlier and with more confidence than has ever been done before,” noted Thomas R. Insel, M.D., director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of NIH.

Identifying autism at an early age allows children to start treatment sooner, which can greatly improve their later development and learning. However, many studies show a significant delay between the time parents first report concerns about their child’s behavior and the eventual ASD diagnosis, with some children not receiving a diagnosis until well after they’ve started school.

Recognizing the need to improve early ASD screening, Karen Pierce, Ph.D., of the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues established a network of 137 pediatricians across San Diego County. Following an hour-long educational seminar, the pediatricians screened all infants at their 1-year, well-baby check-up using the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales Developmental Profile Infant-Toddler Checklist, a brief questionnaire that detects ASD, language delay, and developmental delay. The questionnaire asks caregivers about a child’s use of eye gaze, sounds, words, gestures, objects and other forms of age-appropriate communication. Any child who failed the screen was referred for further testing and was re-evaluated every six months until age 3.

Out of 10,479 infants screened, 32 were identified as having ASD. After excluding for late onset and regression cases, this is consistent with current rates that would be expected at 12 months, according to the researchers. When including those identified as having language delay, developmental delay, or some other form of delay, the brief screen provided an accurate diagnosis 75 percent of the time.

Following the screen, all toddlers diagnosed with ASD or developmental delay and 89 percent of those with language delay were referred for behavioral therapy. On average, these children were referred for treatment around age 17 months. For comparison, a 2009 study using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that, on average, children currently receive an ASD diagnosis around 5.7 years (68.4 months) of age, with treatment beginning sometime later.

In addition to tracking infant outcomes, the researchers also surveyed the participating pediatricians. Prior to the study, few of the doctors had been screening infants systematically for ASD. After the study, 96 percent of the pediatricians rated the program positively, and 100 percent of the practices have continued using the screening tool.

“In the context of a virtual lack of universal screening at 12 months, this program is one that could be adopted by any pediatric office, at virtually no cost, and can aid in the identification of children with true developmental delays,” said Dr. Pierce.

The researchers note that future studies should seek to further validate and refine this screening tool, track children until a much older age, and assess barriers to treatment follow up.

This study was also supported by an NIMH Autism Center of Excellence grant as well as Autism Speaks and the Organization for Autism Research.

The mission of the NIMH is to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention, recovery and cure. For more information, visit www.nimh.nih.gov.

Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The content in this program is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for emergency treatment, formal first-aid training, or professional medical advice.

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There has been a lot of prolonged research on ASD and attempts have been made to simply the syndrome for better understanding. It is observed that children suspected of being autistic can be diagnosed at a very early age. This diagnosis is made on the basis of certain behavior patterns. Children showing the presence of five chief behavior troubles are sure to suffer from ASD. This analysis is developed by researchers at the International Conference on Infant Studies.

Rather than arriving at clinical conclusions, behavior studies provide a better diagnosis. Problems associated with communication, motor movements and social habits are mostly in sync with psychiatric criteria for autism identification. In 15 out of 16 children, the presence of these 5 behaviors at 14 months of age leads to autism.

Doctors believe that at this young age they can detect tell tale signs of ASD. Such children do not react or respond to those calling out to them, do not attempt to join social goings-on, cannot express themselves verbally with ease and indulge in repetitive activities.

The importance of correctly identifying and treating these symptoms as soon as they appear is that there is remarked improvement in such children. Infants who are vulnerable to ASD and show all 5 symptoms will probably develop the syndrome fully by the time they are 3. In such a scenario, early detection can result in a positive response with improved communication and better social interaction. Autism is a genetic disease and can therefore be hereditary. In case of autistic siblings, infants are more prone to the syndrome and it is vital to catch hold of the symptoms before it’s too late.

ASD typically makes a child socially challenged and communication becomes a huge barrier. Researchers feel that the motor system of a child gives an insight about ASD and whether or not the child is likely to develop the syndrome. Along with social difficulties, physical and posture related problems might also plague an infant with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Minor deformities and faulty limb positioning can occur in most cases.

A majority of doctors also have contrary opinions regarding ASD and its onset in infants. According to their research, a vast majority of children do not show any symptoms by the age of 14 months. Such studies reveal that slow learning and poor linguistic development turns into autism over a period of time and there are no early symptoms as predicted by other researchers.

These two opposing schools of thought might not be completely sure on their ground but if ASD is caught early and can be diagnosed during infancy, it can be a boon. This is because such children can be given assistance and necessary treatment which makes them function with a semblance of as much normalcy as is possible.

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Usually 20 in a population of 10,000 people suffer from autism or have autistic symptoms. 80% of people affected by autism are boys. Autism is found throughout the world in families of all economic, social and racial groups.

What are the Causes of Autism?

Autism affects about 1 child in every 150 children, but nobody knows what the real cause of Autism is. Knowing the exact cause of autism is difficult because the human brain is very complex.

The brain contains over hundred billion nerve cells called neurons. Neuron can carry hundreds or thousands of connections that send messages to other neurons in the brain and body. This neurons will help you see, feel, move, remember, and to cooperate as they should.

For some reason, some brain cells and connections in a kid with autism, particularly those that affect communication, senses and emotion that does not develop properly and get damaged. Scientists are still now trying to understand why and how autism happens.

What are some common signs of autism?

Children with ASD may not react to their names and also avoid eye contact with others. Having problems with the interpretation of what others think or feel because they do not realize social cues such as facial expression or tone of voice, and do not see other people’s faces about appropriate behavior. They lack empathy.

Children with autism, suggests a higher risk than normal for certain conditions, including fragile X syndrome have, tuberous sclerosis (in which tumors develop in the brain), seizures, Tourette syndrome, learning disabilities and problems with attention deficit.

How Is Autism Cured?

There is no treatment for autism, but doctors, therapists and special teachers helps the children to overcome form autism or help them to adjust too many difficulties.

Different children need different types of support, but learning how to communicate, which is always an important first step. The language of children with autism can be difficult to learn. Most understand words better to see for therapists to teach them to communicate with the labeling or the use of pictures or sign language.

This makes learning other things easier, and finally, many children with autism learn to speak.

Therapists also help children learn social talent such as how to welcome people, wait a turn, and follow the instructions. Some children need extra help in daily living skills (like brushing your teeth). Some children take medication to help moods and behavior, but there’s no medicine that will make a kid’s autism go away.

Students with mild autism can sometimes go to school for studies. You need qualified teachers who understand the problems of communication and learning. They can study at home or in special classes at public or private schools.

Jonny Michaels is a writer for Trends About Health, a one stop shop for real time information & trends on popular topics. The information & trends are based on vertical news websites as well as generated content in blogs, forums, etc. Along with Health topics, you can also browse Trends About Football and Trends About Finance.

Occupational therapy takes a somewhat different approach in treating patients in that it uses both the educational, and philosophical, when working with an individual. In fact, the mission of this therapy is to help each patient overcome their obstacles by discovering what experiences, interests, and needs motivate each to want to take action to get better.

What is discovered is then incorporated into the individual’s treatment plan, and used to help him meet his goals – in the hopes of the patient’s eventual return, or significant improvement to, his best level of function – thereby improving his quality of life. This protocol has proven effective in helping those afflicted with certain types of neurological disorders, including autism.

In regards to the child with autism, the goal of this rehabilitative team is to help the child in mastering as many skills as possible, in ways as stress-free as possible – so he can experience the highest quality of life in an independent manner.

In every individualized case, the occupational therapist bases his particular findings on what he observes during the evaluation period. This is where the child is observed in relation to how well he performs tasks – and how he acts, and copes with stressors – when participating in age-appropriate activities in common situations.

Daily living skills such as dressing himself, brushing his teeth, or playing a game – are things studied and considered by the therapist in his evaluation. Also included are findings on interactions with other children, his attention span, and his stamina while involved in them. When the information has been gathered, a structured, specialized program is then designed for the child to encourage him in using better strategies and coping mechanisms for the situations in his daily life – including those that are especially challenging for him. As such, hiring a travel nurse for physical assistance and emotional support may be preferred.

His treatment plan for improvement may include involvement in activities such as bead stringing, or working with puzzles for coordination development – and special types of game-playing for an increase in communication and social interaction. Every day activities – like cleansing himself, using the toilet and tying his shoes – are stressed to improve his overall general development, and he is taught ways to cope with transitions and changes to his routine.

Benefits to the autistic child from a successful therapy intervention can mean a marked improvement in his relationships with other peers and adults. And he may learn to focus better on the completion of tasks, along with learning to express himself more appropriately in social situations.

It is the goal of the occupational therapy profession to help a child with autism improve his overall functions and coping skills to reach his greatest potential – in every area of his life. It is the hope that he will eventually be able to live a life functioning at his highest level, as stress-free as possible. And in every case, the earlier a detailed, structured program is started and followed, the better his chances will be.

The best occupational therapy jobs can provide rewarding experience and exciting career opportunities in the medical field. Alternatively, your transferable skills are also applicable to diverse positions, such as a nurse practitioner or a travel nurse.

The average adult uses 9 personal products a day with more than 100 chemicals spread among them, many of them incompletely tested for toxicity. From toilet paper to toothpaste and moisturizer to makeup, these seemingly innocuous products are exposing you to hazardous toxins – and for what good reason? You can still be clean and beautiful without all the chemicals.

Sunscreen

It’s been pounded into your head that you need to wear sunscreen to protect your body from the damaging effects of the sun. Nobody wants to get skin cancer (never mind wrinkles) so we lather ourselves and our kids with sun block and head to the beach feeling confident we’re doing the right thing. Ironically, some sunblocks contain suspected carcinogens including including diethanolamine and related ingredients (DEA, TEA), padimate-o, and titanium dioxide. Another ingredient commonly found in sunscreen, oxybenzone, has been linked to allergies, hormone disruptions and cell damage.

The best solution for staying safe in the sun is good, old fashioned zinc oxide like lifeguards wear on their noses and a good hat and cover up. If you do wear sunscreen, look for ones that don’t contain harmful chemicals.

Antiperspirant/Deodorant

Most of us wouldn’t consider leaving the house in the morning without a one-two swipe of deodorant but you might be shocked to find out how many toxins you’re putting under your arms and near your lymph glands each day. Chemicals to watch out for include parabens, aluminum, triclosan, propelyn glycol, and talc. Parabens are preservatives linked to breast cancer. Triclosan is thought to be a carcinogenic and propelyn glycol may cause kidney or liver damage. Talc is often contaminated with asbestos and aluminum may cause Alzheimer’s disease and other brain disorders as well as cancer.

Luckily there are natural alternatives out there without harsh chemicals as well as home remedies including baking soda and apple cider vinegar.

Toothpaste

For years decades dentists have recommended fluoride to help prevent cavities, but now there’s a growing controversy over its safety. There’s a reason for the warning label not to swallow toothpaste; sodium fluoride is more toxic than lead! In fact, there’s enough fluoride in an entire tube of toothpaste to kill a 25-lb toddler.

Try a tooth powder or a natural toothpaste without fluoride to keep teeth clean and breath fresh.

Makeup

For many women, their makeup bag is their tool kit. But the products we put directly on our faces are full of chemicals that have been proven to have health risks. Many cosmetics contain chemical preservatives called parabens to extend the shelf life of the product. Toxic metals can be found in everything from foundation, and blush to mascara and eye shadow. Lipsticks can be especially toxic and may contain lead as well as D4 and D5 siloxanes. Canada recently banned the chemicals which are linked to uterine tumors and other female reproductive problems.

Think mineral makeup is safer? Check labels for talc, bismuth oxychloride, parabens and synthetic dyes. Also an issue is titanium dioxide, which is the primary ingredient in most mineral brands. While the ingredient itself isn’t harmful, if it’s in nano-sized or micronized particles, it has an effect similar to asbestos and could cause lung cancer if inhaled.

And that’s just the beginning of the list of chemicals you put on your body each day. Dandruff shampoos may contain coal tar, a known human carcinogen, and even regular shampoo is likely to have sodium lauryl sulfate or its cousin sodium laureth sulfate added to increase lather. Both substances can cause severe skin irritations and hormone issues.

Even toilet paper can be hazardous to your health. Many common brands of tissue are bleached which creates dioxin, one of the most toxic, human made chemicals. Do you really need soft, white toilet paper or sudsy shampoo?

Nobody’s more susceptible to the damaging effects of the environment than children. The number of kids suffering asthma has skyrocketed in the past few decades and scientists continue to look for environmental links to Autism and ADHD. And it’s not just kids getting sick, more adults suffer unexplainable immune disorders that many suspect have links to environmental factors.

Check the labels on your personal care products to see what’s really in them. You may be surprised by what you find.

For more information about toxic toiletries and how to find non-toxic alternatives along with resources on autism go to http://www.foxinwithouttoxins.com. Kim Authier Quinn is an author and mother of 3 children diagnosed with autism.