http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. 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. In a new study in mice, Brown University researchers highlight a role for a brain region called the thalamus and show that the timing of gene mutation during thalamus development makes a huge difference in the severity of the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-advance-tuberous-sclerosis-brain-science.html Neuroscience Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:20 EST news287306747 Young adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to never see friends, never get called by friends, never be invited to activities and be socially isolated. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-social-isolation-young-adults-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders Thu, 02 May 2013 06:34:55 EST news286695287 UC Irvine neurobiologists have found a novel molecular mechanism that helps trigger the formation of long-term memory. The researchers believe the discovery of this mechanism adds another piece to the puzzle in the ongoing effort to uncover the mysteries of memory and, potentially, certain intellectual disabilities. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-mechanism-long-term-memory-formation.html Neuroscience Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:35:44 EST news283433738 Fetal alcohol syndrome is the leading preventable cause of developmental disorders in developed countries. And fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a range of alcohol-related birth defects that includes fetal alcohol syndrome, is thought to affect as many as 1 in 100 children born in the United States. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-pathway-linked-fetal-alcohol-molecular.html Medical research Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:48:42 EST news280601315 Supplementing children's diets with fish oil, enrolling them in quality preschool, and engaging them in interactive reading all turn out to be effective ways to raise a young child's intelligence, according to a new report published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-diet-parental-behavior-preschool-boost.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:25:57 EST news278331944 Millions of Americans with disabilities have gained innumerable rights and opportunities since Congress passed landmark legislation on their behalf in 1990. And yet advocates say barriers and bias still abound when it comes to one basic human right: To be a parent. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-disabled-parents-bias-loss-kids.html Health Mon, 26 Nov 2012 05:27:42 EST news273130053 It's a popularly held belief that individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) gravitate toward STEM majors in college (science, technology, engineering mathematics). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-youth-autism-gravitate-stem-majors.html Autism spectrum disorders Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:16:37 EST news272207790 (Medical Xpress)—Positive parenting can be particularly effective in helping young children with developmental disabilities become more independent and cooperative, a Brigham Young University study found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-fostering-independence-life-skills-children.html Psychology & Psychiatry Tue, 13 Nov 2012 06:20:01 EST news272009262 Human intelligence and behavior require optimal functioning of a large number of genes, which requires enormous evolutionary pressures to maintain. A provocative hypothesis published in a recent set of Science and Society pieces published in the Cell Press journal Trends in Genetics suggests that we are losing our intellectual and emotional capabilities because the intricate web of genes endowing us with our brain power is particularly susceptible to mutations and that these mutations are not being selected against in our modern society. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-humans-slowly-surely-intellectual-emotional.html Genetics Mon, 12 Nov 2012 12:00:04 EST news271942686 (Medical Xpress)—An experimental drug can improve sociability in patients with fragile X syndrome and may be helpful as a treatment for autism, according to a study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-fragile-drug.html Autism spectrum disorders Mon, 24 Sep 2012 09:46:30 EST news267698775 As a result of extensive research and a robust new classification system conducted by academics at Canterbury Christ Church University, athletes are now eligible to compete again in the London 2012 Paralympics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-re-introduces-athletes-difficulties-paralympic-games.html Other Wed, 22 Aug 2012 08:21:26 EST news264842476 Advanced high-speed gene-sequencing has been used in the clinical setting to find diagnoses for seven children out of a dozen who were experiencing developmental delays and congenital abnormalities for mysterious reasons. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-sequencing-clinical-diagnosis.html Pediatrics Tue, 08 May 2012 00:20:01 EST news255629098 (HealthDay) -- Six longitudinal developmental trajectories have been identified among children with autism, with significant heterogeneity seen in developmental pathways within these trajectories, according to a study published online April 2 in Pediatrics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-developmental-trajectories-idd-children-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:10:01 EST news252589850 Scientists from Seattle Children's Research Institute and the University of Washington, in collaboration with the Genomic Disorders Group Nijmegen in the Netherlands, have identified two new genes that cause Baraitser-Winter syndrome, a rare brain malformation that is characterized by droopy eyelids and intellectual disabilities. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-genes-baraitser-winter-syndrome-brain-malformation.html Genetics Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:14:54 EST news249758046 Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) tend to be fascinated by screen-based technology. A new study by a University of Missouri researcher found that adolescents with autism spend the majority of their free time using non-social media, including television and video-games. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-adolescents-autism-free-solitary-screen-based.html Autism spectrum disorders Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:03:17 EST news246722587 Getting an autism diagnosis could be more difficult in 2013 when a revised diagnostic definition goes into effect. The proposed changes may affect the proportion of individuals who qualify for a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, according to preliminary data presented by Yale School of Medicine researchers at a meeting of the Icelandic Medical Association. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-autism-redefined-yale-impact-diagnostic.html Autism spectrum disorders Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:27:08 EST news246288404 (AP) -- The parents of a 3-year-old New Jersey girl say she's being denied a kidney transplant because of her mental disabilities, but experts caution the situation may be much more complex. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-nj-parents-disabled-girl-denied.html Other Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:54:31 EST news246081262 New findings from a 16-year study confirm that the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the gold-standard for the classification of mental health conditions, can be used to accurately identify autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children with Down syndrome, according to research from Kennedy Krieger Institute. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-validate-accuracy-autism-diagnosis-children.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:02:25 EST news236944933