Children who are firstborn or breech or whose mothers are 35 or older when giving birth are at significantly greater risk for developing an autism spectrum disorder, University of Utah School of Medicine researchers have reported in a new study with Utah children.
In the April 27, 2009, online issue of the journal Pediatrics, the researchers showed that women who give birth at 35 or older are 1.7 times more likely to have a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), compared with women between the ages of 20-34. Children diagnosed with ASD also were nearly 1.8 times more likely to be the firstborn child, the researchers found. [continue reading…]
The Interactive Autism Network (IAN) is an innovative online project bringing together tens of thousands of people affected by autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and hundreds of researchers in a search for answers. Every day thousands of people from across the country are coming together through IAN Research, an innovative online initiative connecting researchers with individuals and families affected by autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The information being shared by those living with an ASD is already helping researchers discover new insights about the disorder and is assisting community leaders advocating for improved services. This dynamic exchange is the nation’s largest online autism research study and is making remarkable strides to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by ASDs. This collaborative effort strives to accelerate important breakthroughs about causes, diagnosis, and treatments which may lead to the discovery of a possible cure. Link to participate in IAN Research
In the first study of its kind researchers will use video clips of spontaneously produced facial expressions in a real life social context to explore emotion recognition in autism.
This research, carried out at The University of Nottingham, will go beyond the more artificial emotion recognition tasks that have previously been used. The eye movements of volunteers will also be tracked to find out which areas of the face were looked at while volunteers make spontaneous judgements. [continue reading…]
Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have proposed a sweeping new theory of autism that suggests that the brains of people with autism are structurally normal but dysregulated, meaning symptoms of the disorder might be reversible.
The central tenet of the theory, published in the March issue of Brain Research Reviews, is that autism is a developmental disorder caused by impaired regulation of the locus coeruleus, a bundle of neurons in the brain stem that processes sensory signals from all areas of the body. [continue reading…]
In the first study of its kind researchers will use video clips of spontaneously produced facial expressions in a real life social context to explore emotion recognition in autism.