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Friday, 13 August 2010 |
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Oxytocin is the hormone involved in labour and lactation (
breastfeeding). It plays a crucial role in the bonding process
bewteen mother and baby and as such is thought to have a role in social
and emotional behaviour. Levels of this hormone have been found
to be reduced in autistic subjects.
A team of reserachers at the
Centre de Neuroscience Cognitive in France, took a group of individuals
with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome and measured their
social behaviour ( ball tossing game and looking at photos of faces )
before and after taking oxytocin via inhalation. They found that
patients responded more strongly to others and exhibited more approriate
social behaviour after receiving the oxytocin, suggesting a possible
therapeutic strategy.
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences February 2010 www.pnas.org e-publication
Posted: August 2010
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Friday, 13 August 2010 |
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Researchers have found more evidence that there is some kind of
problem with mitochondria ( the power plants of cells ) in individuals
with autism. Plasma samples of children with autism, non-autistic
siblings and controls ( no family history of ASD) were analysed and
found to show' universal and unambiguous alterations in lipid
metabolism' as well as reduced levels of glutathione, methionine and
cysteine.
Lab tests on normal liver, neuronal and astrocyte ( cells that attach
neurones to blood vessels ) cells showed that when exposed to
high levels of glutamate ( a biochemical that excites nerve cells )
there was a decrease in levels of glutathione, methionine and cysteine
similar to the abnormalities seen with the autistic subjects.
Source:
'Novel plasma phospholipid biomarkers of autism: mitochondrial
dysfunction as a putative causative mechanism' Prostaglandins
Leukotrienes & Essential Fatty Acids October 2009 81(4)
P253-264
Posted: August 2010
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Monday, 14 June 2010 |
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The newly launched ESPA ( Eduaction and Services for People with
Autism ) is running a conference on 'Diet Intervention in Autism
Spectrum Conditions' on Wednesday 6th October in Sunderland and parents
are welcome to attend.
Experts on dietary
interventions, including my colleague from the Dietitians in Autism
'group' David Rex, will be speaking and it promises to be a
particularly useful event.
Please go to www.espa-research.org.uk for more details and to download the flyer and booking form.
Posted: 14th June 2010
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Thursday, 21 January 2010 |
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The Autism Research Unit has re-launched as ESPA -
Education and Services for People with Autism. ESPA Research is
committed to continuing with research into autism alongside the
University of Sunderland. For more information , please go to
their website www.espa-research.org.uk.
Posted: January 2010
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Tuesday, 07 July 2009 |
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Parents and carers of children with autism are requested to complete
an on-line questionnaire that will help researchers target where future
trials about diet and ASD. The Parents' and Professionals'
Attitudes to Dietary Interventions in ASD (PADIA) needs as many
submissions as possible, so if you can spare a few minutes please go to
www.ncl.ac.uk/cargo-ne/PADIA.html . The survey results will be
collated later this year and will be used to inform a future grant
application to evaluate the gluten and casein-free diet in autism.
For more information please e-mail
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
.
Posted: July 2009
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