A Common Risk Factor For Asd
Accounting for up to 1 percent of autism cases, deletions in 16p11.2 which includes 29 genes occur in people who are missing a small amount of DNA on one copy of chromosome 16.
To better understand what happens in the brain cells of people with either deletions or additions of part of the 16p11.2 gene region, the researchers focused on a specific type called dopaminergic neurons. Defects in the dopaminergic system have been implicated in people with autism. Two drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat irritability associated with autism act on the dopaminergic system.
New Treatment For Autism Life
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – An FDA-approved treatment for depression is now being used to treat autism – and with promising results.
It’s a non-drug treatment called Magnetic e-Resonance Therapy – or MeRT – for short, and for one Elizabeth City family, its been life-changing.
Seven-year-old Jagger Jordan is on the autism spectrum.
Hes impulsive, which creates a lot of challenges, said Jaggers mom.
This is Jagger’s first day receiving MeRT, and Neucoa Clinic in Virginia Beach is the only place offering this treatment in Hampton Roads.
Physician’s Assistant David Day comes up with a treatment plan after an EEG is done.
“The device itself is a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation device, said Day.
It sends electrical pulses two inches into the brain, and each treatment takes about 35 minutes. I had them test it on my hand to see what it was like. It feels like faint light tapping.
“We can see that there are certain brain patterns and electrical activity where there’s a disruption, Day explained.
He’s treated several other kids with autism who have come here from all over the East Coast.
“We have seen a child who was non-verbal actually start talking within two days to a week.”
Day says the mask helps Jagger relax, so he’s not processing a lot of information during the session.
There were no guarantees that the treatment would have any effect, but Jagger’s mom tells me the results were life changing for him and their family.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatment Market Size Worth Usd 317 Billion
The global autism spectrum disorder treatment market size was USD 1.85 billion in 2021. The market is projected to grow from USD 1.93 billion in 2022 to USD 3.17 billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period.
Pune, India, April 05, 2022 — The global autism spectrum disorder treatment market size was USD 1.85 billion in 2021. The market is projected to grow from USD 1.93 billion in 2022 to USD 3.17 billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period.
This information is provided by Fortune Business Insights, in its report, titled, Autism Spectrum Disorder Treatment Market, 2022-2029.
The rising occurrence of ASD across the world, pooled with growing consciousness regarding the ailment and the accessible choices for numerous treatment options of several ASD diseases are the prime aspects anticipated to drive the autism spectrum disorder treatment market growth during the forecast period.
Industry Development
: The Saskatchewan Government declared that families with children detected with Autism Spectrum Disorder will get help from extended funding. From 27th July 2021, Autism Individualized finance was made accessible for children of age 11. Children born on or before March 31, 2021, were qualified to make an application for the final payment.
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When Can We Expect An Autism Cure
If cures were available, families wouldnt search social media for DIY solutions. Unfortunately, its not clear when an autism cure, verified by medical experts, will become clear.
When researchers kick off studies, they disclose when the work will be done. Often, they miss deadlines. Experts say just 20% of autism studies have on-time results published.
Its hard to wait for answers to autism questions. For now, thats exactly what we must do. Invest in therapies proven to help, like applied behavior analysis . Support your loved one as best you can. And hope that the cure were looking for emerges soon.
Experimental Drug May Help With ‘noisy Brain’ In Some With Autism
Researchers have identified a mechanism in the brains of some people with autism spectrum disorder that may explain “noisy brain, in which those with ASD are unable to sift out important information in social settings or visual information becomes overwhelming.
The study, published in the journal Science Translational, looked at the GABA receptors in the brain, which control nerve cells. Some believe there is an imbalance in the brains ability to regulate signals in those with ASD, and that perhaps a medication could help even those signals out.
Prof. Grainne McAlonan, a neuroscientist at King’s College London, U.K., and her team measured levels of GABA in the brains of 44 adults — 19 with autism and 25 without it.
Researchers gave some test subjects a 30 mg single dose of the experimental drug arbaclofen — a drug that modifies levels of GABA in the brain. Others received a placebo.
The test subjects were then shown a computer-generated image involving vertical lines, four large dots and a small one that would flicker almost imperceptibly, while scientists measured brain levels of GABA with EEG and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.
Those with autism who received arbaclofen showed brain activity that closely matched people without a diagnosis of the disorder.
The study clearly points to a reason why some people with autism may experience distressing symptoms, and
Her team is part of a trial of daily doses of arbaclofen in 90 children with ASD in Canada.
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Current Research On Genes
Other avenues of research on autism include investigations into gene variants that could play a role in the development of ASD.
A recent study analyzed the DNA of more than 35,584 people worldwide, including 11,986 autistic individuals. The scientists identified variants in 102 genes linked with an increased probability of developing ASD.
The researchers also discovered that 53 of the genes identified were mostly associated with autism and not other developmental conditions.
Expanding the research further, the team found that autistic people who carried the ASD-specific gene variants showed increased intellectual function compared with autistic individuals who did not have the variants.
The gene variants the scientists identified mainly reside in the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for complex behaviors.
These variants may play a role in how the brain neurons connect and also help turn other genes on or off a possible factor that may contribute to autism.
What Are Some New Treatments For Autism
Research by Medavarapu, et al. , provides a comprehensive insight into biological therapies that have been proven to be effective and those that dont have proven benefits. Treatments with proven benefits include symptomatic treatments such as psychopharmacology agents risperidone and aripiprazole. Non-biological treatments with promising results include Applied Behavioral Analysis which includes discrete trial training , early intensive behavioral intervention , verbal behavioral intervention , pivotal response training . Other non biological treatments with benefits include the TEACCH method, picture exchange communication system , responsive teaching .
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Could The Gut Hold Clues
Most autism symptoms are behavioral. People speak or act differently than their peers. But many people with autism have gastrointestinal symptoms, including constipation or chronic diarrhea. That led some researchers to examine the guts role in ASD development.
In a 2019 study, researchers performed fecal transplants on people with autism. That involves:
- Samples. Healthy people provide stool for the research team.
- Preparation. The samples are prepared in a laboratory, so theyre safe to use.
- Injection. Doctors place the samples inside the intestines of people with autism.
Fecal transplants move bacteria from one persons body to another, and in theory, movement like this changes the way the brain works and the gut feels.
Two years after the transplants, researchers spotted a 45% reduction in core ASD symptoms. That suggests the therapy both works and persists.
But there are problems with this study, including:
- Sample size. Only 18 people were included.
- Diet changes. Some people in the study ate differently at follow-up than they did when they started in the study.
- Observation. Researchers cant say why the treatment works. They only know that people seemed to get better as they observed them.
Other researchers are using mice to understand the link between autism and the gut. They take bacteria from humans, apply it to mice, and watch how the mice react. These studies are small, and the results are slightly controversial.
Communicate With Your Team
Communicating with the doctor, therapist, teachers, and other healthcare providers can help make your daily tasks a lot easier.
For parents, this can mean asking for suggestions to continue practicing the skills your child is learning in therapy, which makes it easier for them to be more successful.
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A New Therapy For Children Who May Have Autism Risks Carrying A Hidden Cost
Support that boosts toddlers social development can lead to them missing out on a diagnosis that secures ongoing help
- James Cusack is chief executive of Autistica, a British autism research charity
Being autistic, for me and the 700,000 other autistic people in the UK, often means spending a lot of time inhabiting a world that doesnt work well for you. This is why its vital that the needs and preferences of autistic people are better understood. A trial of a therapy whose findings were published this week attempts to address this issue by trying to ensure the needs of toddlers who may be autistic are recognised.
On one hand, the results are exciting, but they are also complex. Complexity is always hard to communicate. The international research study, led by Prof Andrew Whitehouse at the University of Western Australia in Perth, is technically well designed. It partly replicates a previous trial, and has promising results. Of its two main findings, one is exciting for child development. The second is thornier in how it relates to autism diagnoses.
The therapy used in the trial was an adapted version of one used among children who are not autistic. It focuses on working with parents to understand how a child prefers to play, and supports them to adapt their own behaviour to match their toddlers natural way of interacting. Play is one of the fundamental building blocks of how children begin to learn how to interact with people and the world around them.
Complementary And Alternative Treatments
Some individuals and parents use treatments that do not fit into any of the other categories. These treatments are known as Complementary and Alternative treatments. Complementary and alternative treatments are often used to supplement more traditional approaches. They might include special diets, herbal supplements, chiropractic care, animal therapy, arts therapy, mindfulness, or relaxation therapies. Individuals and families should always talk to their doctor before starting a complementary and alternative treatment.
There may be other treatments available for individuals with ASD. Talk to a doctor or healthcare provider to learn more.
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Multicenter Study Finds That Oxytocin Was Safe But Ineffective At Boosting Social Skills Among Children With Autism
- Date:
- Duke University Medical Center
- Summary:
- Oxytocin, a naturally occurring hormone that acts as a chemical messenger in the brain, showed no evidence of helping children with autism gain social skills, according to a large national study.
Oxytocin, a naturally occurring hormone that acts as a chemical messenger in the brain, showed no evidence of helping children with autism gain social skills, according to a large national study appearing Oct. 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
While disappointing for those holding hope that oxytocin could benefit children with autism, the long-awaited finding provides clarity for a drug that has shown mixed outcomes in smaller, less robust studies.
“There was a great deal of hope this drug would be effective,” said the study’s principal investigator and lead author, Linmarie Sikich, M.D., associate consulting professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine. “All of us on the study team were hugely disappointed, but oxytocin does not appear to change social function of people with autism.”
Oxytocin is typically used to induce labor, but because of its activity in the brain, it has been investigated as a treatment for autism. Evidence has been conflicting, with several smaller studies suggesting it improved social and cognitive function among some children with autism, while other studies showed no benefit.
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New Autism Treatment Findings
Research has uncovered a link at the 16p11.2 chromosomal region related to autism. Genetics studies have discovered that deletion at this region has been found to be related to autism spectrum disorder . The Boston Childrens Hospital research team have developed a new way to study the effects of this deletion in human neurons which could potentially unlock new data on the cause of some autism-related symptoms.
The chromosomal region encompasses 29 genes, and according to the Bostons Childrens Hospital researchers, its been discovered that deletion in the 16p11.2 region occurs among people who lack a small amount of DNA on copy of chromosome 16 . In short, in an effort to understand what happens in the brain cells of individuals with deletions or additions at the 16p11.2 gene region, researchers have focused their studies on the dopaminergic neurons which are found to be implicated in autistic individuals. The study is said to use two drugs that are FDA approved believed to treat the symptom of irritability in autism and act on the dopaminergic system.
Fun fact: the dopaminergic neurons are the neurons that use the neurotransmitter dopamine to transmit information between nerve cells. Dopamine is what makes us feel pleasure.
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Promising Autism Treatment Falls Short Study Finds
In what’s believed to be the largest study of its kind, researchers found no evidence to support the use of a nasal spray of oxytocin in children with autism.
A naturally occurring hormone thats been prescribed to many children with autism under the thinking that it could boost sociability does not in fact make any difference, according to a large new government-funded study.
There have long been high hopes that using a nasal spray of oxytocin, a hormone often used to induce labor, could treat socialization difficulties associated with autism. The theory gained traction over the last decade or so with some small studies showing promising results.
But now researchers behind the largest study of its kind on the issue say that while the hormone is safe, it does not provide benefits.
There was a great deal of hope this drug would be effective, said Dr. Linmarie Sikich, an associate consulting professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the Duke University School of Medicine and the studys principal investigator and lead author. All of us on the study team were hugely disappointed, but oxytocin does not appear to change social function of people with autism.
Overall, the researchers found that oxytocin was well tolerated and there were few side effects, but there were no significant differences between the kids who received the hormone and those who did not.
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Treatment And Intervention Services For Autism Spectrum Disorder
Current treatments for autism spectrum disorder seek to reduce symptoms that interfere with daily functioning and quality of life.1 ASD affects each person differently, meaning that people with ASD have unique strengths and challenges and different treatment needs.1 Therefore, treatment plans usually involve multiple professionals and are catered toward the individual.
Treatments can be given in education, health, community, or home settings, or a combination of settings. It is important that providers communicate with each other and the person with ASD and their family to ensure that treatment goals and progress are meeting expectations.
As individuals with ASD exit from high school and grow into adulthood, additional services can help improve health and daily functioning, and facilitate social and community engagement. For some, supports to continue education, complete job training, find employment, and secure housing and transportation may be needed.