The U.S. National Institutes of Health is spearheading a multi-billion dollar collaborative project to map the billions of neurons in the human brain. The goal is to discover the mysterious inner workings of the brain to better understand mental illnesses and brain disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and autism.

Scientists hope that the effort will have the same wide-reaching effect on brain research and knowledge that the Human Genome Project had on genetics. Completed in 2003, the 13-year Human Genome Project mapped all of the genes in human DNA. The project cost $3.8 billion, but had an $800 billion return on investment by 2010—more than paying for itself in terms of dollars and lives saved.

The brain mapping project is estimated to take about 10 years and cost at least as much as the Human Genome Project.

Big Buzz

Experts believe the Brain Activity Map project holds great promise and is critical to making greater advances in neuroscience.

"This initiative has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of neural circuits, providing the fundamental knowledge that is critical for developing treatments for a host of neurological and psychiatric disorders," said Dr. David Fitzpatrick, scientific director and chief executive officer of the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience.

"Unbiased approaches such as this and such as the Human Genome Project are most useful in revealing 'unknown unknowns' -- information that we would never learn through standard logic and hypothesis-testing because these connections would never cross our minds," said Dr. Sam Gandy, associate director at the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in New York City.

Protecting Your Brain

While new research continues to give us hope, you may be asking, what can I do to support a healthy brain right now? In honor of Brain Awareness Week, we hope you find these recent posts helpful:

• Monitor Blood Pressure to Protect Your Brain
• Key Nutrients Linked to Brain Health
• Physical Exercise My Trump Mental Exercise for Brain Health
• How Green Tea Supports Brain Function
• Berries: A Brain’s Best Friend
• Thinking Your Way to a Better Brain
• Bad Fats are Bad for Your Brain Too

Source:

Health Finder

According to recent estimates provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in every 88 children in the U.S. has autism. That is up from the last estimate which was one in 110. While there is no agreement whether the increase is due to better diagnosis or a true increase in cases of the disorder, there is a greater urgency to raise awareness and address the issues important to those living with autism today.

As part of National Autism Awareness Month, CNCA is joining the Autism Society in its efforts to share important information and resources about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Puzzling Disorder

Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others.  It is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees.

There is no known single cause of autism, but it is generally accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in brain structure or function. Brain scans show differences in the shape and structure of the brain in children with autism versus neuro-typical children. Researchers are investigating a number of theories, including the link between heredity, genetics and medical problems. Other experts believe that other factors such as environmental toxins (e.g., heavy metals such as mercury), which are more prevalent in our current environment than in the past may also be contributing to increasing occurrences of ASD.

Symptoms and Screening

The characteristic behaviors of autism spectrum disorders may or may not be apparent in infancy (18 to 24 months), but usually become obvious during early childhood (24 months to 6 years).

As part regular well baby exams, your child's doctor should conduct a "developmental screening," that asks specific questions about your baby's progress. There are  five behaviors that signal further evaluation is warranted:

• Does not babble or coo by 12 months
• Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12 months
• Does not say single words by 16 months
• Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months
• Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age

Having any of these five behaviors does not mean your child has autism. It only means that your child should have further evaluations by a multidisciplinary team which might include: a neurologist, psychologist, developmental pediatrician, speech/language therapist, learning consultant, or other professionals knowledgeable about autism.

Individualized Treatment

While there is no known cure for autism, there are treatment and education approaches that may reduce some of the challenges associated with the condition. Intervention may help to lessen disruptive behaviors, and education can teach self-help skills that allow for greater independence. But just as there is no one symptom or behavior that identifies individuals with ASD, there is no single treatment that will be effective for all people on the spectrum.

Support for Families

The uniqueness of each individual with autism makes the experience of living with autism different for each family. But there are some consistent themes or issues that most families will want to be aware of to be able to provide the best support to the individual and to family members.

The Autism Society has developed in-depth information on a variety of topics related to living with autism. This information may give families the basic tools they need to provide the best outcomes for their loved ones on the autism spectrum. These publications are available as free downloads. 

The Society offers many other resources including a national autism-related directory of services and support groups.

A Symbol of Hope

The Autism Awareness Ribbon reflects the mystery and complexity of autism spectrum disorders. The different colors and shapes represent the diversity of the people and families living with the condition. The brightness of the ribbon signals hope—hope that through increased awareness of autism, and through early intervention and appropriate treatments, people with autism will lead fuller, more complete lives.

Source:

Autism Society

What if we could “think” our way to better brain health? New research involving meditation suggests that this might be possible.

A Yale University study found that people skilled at meditation are able to “turn off” areas of the brain associated with psychiatric disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.

The researchers used functional MRI to assess brain activity in experienced and novice meditators.

The more skilled meditators had decreased activity in the brain's “default mode” network, which has been linked to attention lapses and disorders such as anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and the buildup of beta amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease. The default mode is associated with daydreaming and “self” centered thoughts.

The researchers also found that when the default mode network was active, brain regions associated with self-monitoring and cognitive control were also activated in experienced meditators, but not novices.

This suggests that skilled meditators constantly monitor and suppress the emergence of "me" thoughts and mind wandering. If these two states of mind become too strong, they are associated with diseases such as autism and schizophrenia.

Experienced meditators were able to co-activate the two brain regions both during meditation and while resting. In this way they developed a "new" default mode that's more present-centered and less self-centered, the researchers said.

"Meditation's ability to help people stay in the moment has been part of philosophical and contemplative practices for thousands of years," Brewer said in a Yale news release. "Conversely, the hallmark of many forms of mental illness is a preoccupation with one's own thoughts, a condition meditation seems to affect. This gives us some nice cues as to the neural mechanisms of how it might be working clinically."

Source:

Health Finder

When Apple CEO Steve Jobs first launched the iPad, he called it a "magical device." Over a year later, many autism experts and parents of autistic children agree. Through the devices, many children with autism have been able to communicate their thoughts and feelings for the first time. Others have learned life skills that had eluded them for years.

"I just couldn't imagine not introducing this to a parent of a child who has autism," says Tammy Mastropietro, a speech pathologist based outside Boston who uses the iPad with numerous clients. She sees it as a game changer for those with autism, particularly those most severely affected.

Shannon Rosa, mother of a 10-year old autistic son agrees. "I don't usually dabble in miracle-speak," she says, "but I may erect a tiny altar to Steve Jobs in the corner of our living room."

Scientists know little about autism which affects nearly 1 out of every 110 children born in the United States. But they agree that the developmental brain disorder manifests in three ways: communication deficits, social isolation, and obsessive behaviors. Whether they are high- or low-functioning, children with autism tend to be visual learners who gravitate toward technology and screens. They are less adept at recognizing human faces and expressions.

Though there are other computers designed for children with autism, a growing number of experts say that the iPad is better. It's cheaper, faster, more versatile, more user-friendly, more portable, more engaging and infinitely “cooler” for young people. A large number of iPad applications or “apps” have been created that address the most common disabilities found in autistic children: attention span, communication, and organization or sequencing.

The first major study concerning autism and the iPad (titled Touch Technologies in the Classroom) is currently underway in Toronto. iPads and iPod touches were installed in six classrooms where they could be used by autistic children.The study is in phase two and early results indicate that the use of these devices can extend short attention spans and improve communication, social interaction and learning.

In this video, see how the iPad is truly magical for those with autism.

Sources:

Fox News

Riverfront Times

News 1130

Despite controversial media reports to the contrary, autism may not be linked to a child's diet, according to a Mayo Clinic study that compared the incidence of gastrointestinal problems of some 240 healthy children to those of about 120 autistic kids over an 18-year period.

Although young autistic patients had more problems with constipation and were far pickier eaters (making it difficult to gain weight) than healthy kids, scientists discovered no difference between both groups in the number of gastrointestinal issues: Seventy-two percent of healthy kids and 77 percent of autistic children experienced at least one compliant over the course of the study.

More autistic children were affected by their picky eating habits and constipation than the healthy control group, but only a handful of them suffered from Chron's disease, lactose intolerance, milk allergies or intestinal disaccharidase (enzyme) deficiencies.

One variable researchers suspect that may have affected the nutritional health of autistic children in the study: About half of the autistic patients monitored were taking a stimulant medication.

Yahoo News July 27, 2009

New York Times July 27, 2009

Chicago Tribune July 27, 2009