http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. A New York-based physician-researcher from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, best known for his research into fertility and twinning, has uncovered a potential connection between autism and a specific growth protein that could eventually be used as a way to predict an infant's propensity to later develop the disease. The protein, called insulin-like growth factor (IGF), is especially involved in the normal growth and development of babies' brain cells. Based on findings of prior published studies, Touro researcher Gary Steinman, MD, PhD, proposes that depressed levels of this protein in the blood of newborns could potentially serve as a biomarker for the later development of autism. However, this connection, described below in greater detail, has never been directly studied. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-uncovers-potential-biomarker-autism-theory.html Autism spectrum disorders Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:10:03 EST news278860131 A study based at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) finds that the local functional connectivity of the brain – the extent to which the activity of within a small brain region appears to be coordinated – is reduced in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although it has been recognized for several years that functional connectivity between separate areas of the brain was reduced in ASD, it had been assumed that local functional connectivity was actually higher in the brains of autistic individuals. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-impaired-brain-autism-involves-local.html Autism spectrum disorders Mon, 14 Jan 2013 15:00:05 EST news277380669 Autistic-like behaviors can be partially remedied by normalizing excessive levels of protein synthesis in the brain, a team of researchers has found in a study of laboratory mice. The findings, which appear in the latest issue of Nature, provide a pathway to the creation of pharmaceuticals aimed at treating autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that are associated with diminished social interaction skills, impaired communication ability, and repetitive behaviors. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-neuroscientists-excessive-protein-synthesis-linked.html Autism spectrum disorders Sun, 23 Dec 2012 13:00:35 EST news275488647 The Allen Institute for Brain Science announced today its latest public data release, enhancing online resources available via the Allen Brain Atlas data portal and expanding its application programming interface (API). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-allen-brain-science-online-atlas.html Neuroscience Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:46:35 EST news258302757 Autism has a strong genetic basis, but so far efforts to identify the responsible genes have had mixed results. The reason for this is that autism is influenced by many different genes, and different genes are involved in different individuals, making it hard to find the common genetic ground between patients. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-genetic-disrupted-autistic-brain.html Genetics Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:02 EST news255089144 New research from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) might help explain how a gene mutation found in some autistic individuals leads to difficulties in processing auditory cues and paying spatial attention to sound. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-gene-mutation-autism-hyperconnectivity-brain.html Neuroscience Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:00:13 EST news247239136 The underlying reason autism is often associated with gastrointestinal problems is an unknown, but new results to be published in the online journal mBio on January 10 reveal that the guts of autistic children differ from other children in at least one important way: many children with autism harbor a type of bacteria in their guts that non-autistic children do not. The study was conducted by Brent Williams and colleagues at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-bacteria-gut-autistic-children-non-autistic.html Autism spectrum disorders Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:09:14 EST news245354941 We must stop considering the different brain structure of autistic individuals to be a deficiency, as research reveals that many autistics – not just "savants" – have qualities and abilities that may exceed those of people who do not have the condition, according to a provocative article published today in Nature by Dr. Laurent Mottron at the University of Montreal's Centre for Excellence in Pervasive Development Disorders. "Recent data and my own personal experience suggest it's time to start thinking of autism as an advantage in some spheres, not a cross to bear," Mottron said. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-reveals-autistic-individuals-fact-superior.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:02:38 EST news239461348 Autism is a mysterious developmental disease because it often leaves complex abilities intact while impairing seemingly elementary ones. For example, it is well documented that autistic children often have difficulty correctly using pronouns, sometimes referring to themselves as "you" instead of "I." http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-cmu-brain-imaging-reveals-autistic.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:12:07 EST news231426698