September 20, 2012 in Features Anthony L. Komaroff Universal Uclick DEAR DOCTOR K: My child stutters. Why does he do this? What can we do to helphim? DEAR READER: I remember the first time I met someone who stuttered. He was a playmate when I was in grade school, whose parents knew my parents. I never heard him say the words mother or father. It was always m-m-m-mother orf-f-f-father. When I asked my mom about him, she explained that he was probably having emotionalproblems. My moms diagnosis reflected common beliefs. For a long time, stuttering was believed to be a psychological problem. But recent research suggests that stuttering has a strong biological basis, even though it may also be affected byemotions. In fact, recent studies indicate that genetic factors probably play a larger role than scientists once thought. A study published in 2010 in the New England Journal of Medicine identified specific changes in genes (short sequences of genetic material) that may increase the risk of stuttering. At least one of these genes is particularly active in parts of the brain linked to motor function and emotion. Speech involves tremendous motorcoordination. There also is evidence that strong emotions and anxiety … Continue reading →

Albert Martinez claims stem cell therapy cleared wife Liezl Martinez of breast cancer Dineklarang cancer-free ang nakita at tinanggal na tumor sa kidney ni Zsa Zsa Padilla kamakailan. Malaking pasasalamat naman ngayon ni Albert Martinez at ang kanyang pamilya na cleared na sa breast cancer din ang asawa niyang si Liezl Martinez. Kuwento ni Albert sa PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), sa tulong daw ng stem cell therapy ay naging cancer-free ang asawa. Ok naman, so far with Gods blessing,. Its all cleared. So, were very, very happy. Dealing with cancer is a struggle from day one, and Im really thankful that theres such a thing as stem cell na naging solusyon sa recovery ni Liezl. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH. Ayon kay Albert ay pinag-aralan niya ang lahat ng puwedeng maging solusyon sa sakit ng asawa. Pero sa huli, ang stem cell pa rin ang naging solusyon. Marami akong pinagdaanan kasi ni-research ko lahat yan. Kailangang alamin mo kung ano ba ang mga dapat gawin. Lahat pinag-aralan natin Original post: Albert Martinez claims stem cell therapy cleared wife Liezl Martinez of breast cancer - Posted on: 2012-09-19 13:59:01 … Continue reading →

19-09-2012 07:43 Encouraging our children to look at us is a fundamental of The Son-Rise Program. When our children look at us they get to see our love and the warmth of social interaction. The more a child on the autism spectrum looks at us , the more possibilities that child has to learn and grow their social skills which in turn opens up all other areas of learning and devolpment. Click on the video below to see different ways we can celebrate our childrens eye contact. See the article here: Celebrating Eye Contact - A Son-Rise Program Technique - Video … Continue reading →

Public release date: 19-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: John Pontarelli john_m_pontarelli@rush.edu 312-942-5949 Rush University Medical Center (CHICAGO) An investigational compound that targets the core symptoms of fragile X syndrome is effective for addressing the social withdrawal and challenging behaviors characteristic of the condition, making it the first such discovery for fragile X syndrome and, potentially, the first for autism spectrum disorder, a study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center and the University of California, Davis MIND Institute has found. The finding is the result of a clinical trial in adult and pediatric subjects with fragile X syndrome. It suggests, however, that the compound may have treatment implications for at least a portion of the growing population of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, as well as for those with other conditions defined by social deficits. The study is published online today in the journal Science Translational Medicine. "There are no FDA-approved treatments for fragile X syndrome, and the available options help secondary symptoms but do not effectively address the core impairments in fragile X syndrome," said Dr. Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, the lead author of the article. "This is the first large-scale study that is based on the molecular … Continue reading →

Public release date: 19-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Phyllis Brown phyllis.brown@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu 916-734-9023 University of California - Davis Health System An investigational compound that targets the core symptoms of fragile X syndrome is effective for addressing the social withdrawal and challenging behaviors characteristic of the condition, making it the first such discovery for fragile X syndrome and, potentially, the first for autism spectrum disorder, a study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute and Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, has found. The finding is the result of a clinical trial in adult and pediatric subjects with fragile X syndrome. It suggests, however, that the compound may have treatment implications for at least a portion of the growing population of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, as well as for those with other conditions defined by social deficits. The study is published online today in the journal Science Translational Medicine. A second study by the manufacturer of the compound is included in the same issue. The "first-in-patient" drug trial was led by internationally recognized fragile X researchers Elizabeth Berry-Kravis of Rush University Medical Center and Randi Hagerman of the UC Davis MIND Institute. It examined the effects of the … Continue reading →

Seaside Vice President of Research Aileen Healy says the causes many autism cases are not known, but that patients with fragile X syndrome have a high prevalence of autism. Wednesday, September 19, 2012 Seaside Therapeutics Inc. in Cambridge Wednesday published its latest research results for its disease-modifying drug candidate STX209 that shows promise as a treatment for fragile X syndrome and autism, the most prevalent form of intellectual disability. In two papers published online today in Science Translational Medicine, STX209, also called arbaclofen, shows potential for modifying the disease known as fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common known genetic cause for autism, resulting in impaired social function, cognition and speech, as well as attention deficits and low functional independence. To date, the only treatment for FXS and autism has been anti-psychotic drugs which calm the patient but do not address the underlying disease nor the social and communication problems patients experience with FXS. Fragile X syndrome is caused by the mutation of a single gene known as FMR1, which codes for a protein called fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) that is necessary for normal brain development. Without FMRP, patients exhibit several changes in their brains that underlie the … Continue reading →

Seaside Vice President of Research Aileen Healy says the causes many autism cases are not known, but that patients with fragile X syndrome have a high prevalence of autism. Wednesday, September 19, 2012 Seaside Therapeutics Inc. in Cambridge Wednesday published its latest research results for its disease-modifying drug candidate STX209 that shows promise as a treatment for fragile X syndrome and autism, the most prevalent form of intellectual disability. In two papers published online today in Science Translational Medicine, STX209, also called arbaclofen, shows potential for modifying the disease known as fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common known genetic cause for autism, resulting in impaired social function, cognition and speech, as well as attention deficits and low functional independence. To date, the only treatment for FXS and autism has been anti-psychotic drugs which calm the patient but do not address the underlying disease nor the social and communication problems patients experience with FXS. Fragile X syndrome is caused by the mutation of a single gene known as FMR1, which codes for a protein called fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) that is necessary for normal brain development. Without FMRP, patients exhibit several changes in their brains that underlie the … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Sep. 19, 2012) The results from a new study by neurological researchers from the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center suggest that people who were emotionally neglected as children may have a higher risk of stroke in later adulthood. "Studies have shown that children who were neglected emotionally in childhood are at an increased risk of a slew of psychiatric disorders. However, our study is one of few that looked at an association between emotional neglect and stroke," said study author Robert S. Wilson, PhD, a neuropsychologist at Rush. The findings are published in the September 19, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. For the study, 1,040 participants in the Memory and Aging Project who did not have dementia and were 55 years of age or older took a survey measuring physical and emotional abuse before the age of 18. The retrospective survey questions focused on whether the participant felt loved by their parents or caregiver when they were younger, were made to feel afraid or intimidated and whether they were punished with a belt or other object. Questions about parental divorce and the family's financial needs were also … Continue reading →