Medical News Today

Adults with epilepsy are more likely to have a greater number of characteristics of autism and Asperger syndrome, according to new research by the University of Bath, England. The finding was discovered by Dr. SallyAnn Wakeford, a PhD student from the University's Department of Psychology, and revealed a previously unknown link between epileptic seizures and the signs of autism in adults...

Research into the comparative size of the frontal lobes in humans and other species has determined that they are not - as previously thought - disproportionately enlarged relative to other areas of the brain, according to the most accurate and conclusive study of this area of the brain...

Doctors often diagnose tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) based on the abnormal growths the genetic disease causes in organs around the body. Those overt anatomical structures, however, belie the microscopic and mysterious neurological differences behind the disease's troublesome behavioral symptoms: autism, intellectual disabilities, and seizures...

Children with autism see simple movement twice as quickly as other children their age, and this hypersensitivity to motion may provide clues to a fundamental cause of the developmental disorder, according to a new study. Such heightened sensory perception in autism may help explain why some people with the disorder are painfully sensitive to noise and bright lights...

Medical researchers have manipulated human stem cells into producing types of brain cells known to play important roles in neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy, schizophrenia and autism...

A growing number of college students are abusing the ADHD medication Adderall to give them an academic edge, and they're tweeting about it. Thanks to Twitter, tracking roughly when and where Adderall use happens is now possible. So a group of BYU health science and computer science researchers did just that...

Frontiers in Psychology Inherently analog quantity representations in olive baboons (Papio anubis) Human babies can 'count' up to 3 or 4, but for greater numbers, infants - and adults when distracted from counting precisely - use the analog system for comparing between counts of objects...

The Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), a comprehensive behavioral early intervention program that is appropriate for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as young as 12 months, has been found to reduce the need for ASD therapies and special education services through the school years following their early intervention. These findings were presented by David S. Mandell, Sc.D...

Simply sending children with asthma a text message each day asking about their symptoms and providing knowledge about their condition can lead to improved health outcomes...

Babies who are above average in size when they are born are at a greater risk of autism, as well as those who are born below average in size, according to the biggest study of fetal growth and autism to date. The findings, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, show the first clear link between large babies at birth and the risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder...

Most infants respond to a game of peek-a-boo with smiles at the very least, and, for those who find the activity particularly entertaining, gales of laughter. For infants with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), however, the game can be distressing rather than pleasant, and they'll do their best to tune out all aspects of it - and that includes the people playing with them...

Sand-dwelling and rock-dwelling cichlids living in East Africa's Lake Malawi share a nearly identical genome, but have very different personalities. The territorial rock-dwellers live in communities where social interactions are important, while the sand-dwellers are itinerant and less aggressive...

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine have figured out how to measure an infant's risk of developing autism by looking for abnormalities in his/her placenta at birth, allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment for the developmental disorder. The findings are reported in the online issue of Biological Psychiatry...

Maternal use of valproate (a drug used for the treatment of epilepsy and other neuropsychological disorders) during pregnancy was associated with a significantly increased risk of autism in offspring, according to a study in the April 24 issue of JAMA. The authors caution that these findings must be balanced against the treatment benefits for women who require valproate for epilepsy control...

A first-ever vaccine created by University of Guelph researchers for gut bacteria common in autistic children may also help control some autism symptoms. The groundbreaking study by Brittany Pequegnat and Guelph chemistry professor Mario Monteiro appears this month in the journal Vaccine. They developed a carbohydrate-based vaccine against the gut bug Clostridium bolteae. C...

An Autistica consultation published this month found that 24% of children with autism were non-verbal or minimally verbal, and it is known that these problems can persist into adulthood. Professionals have long attempted to support the development of language in these children but with mixed outcomes...

Examining a newborn's placenta for abnormalities can identify the child's risk for autism, according to a new study by researchers at the Yale School of Medicine...

Scientists from King's College London have identified patterns of epigenetic changes involved in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by studying genetically identical twins who differ in autism traits...

Researchers have found that pregnant women who take the drug valproate (for epilepsy) could be at an increased risk of giving birth to a child with autism, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA...

Next month, the American Psychiatric Association will release its new edition of the psychiatry diagnostic "bible" of mental disorders. The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) will have a strong impact on how clinicians diagnose many mental health conditions, including autism...