Irish Wedding News
27/03/2014
A study has claimed there is new evidence to suggest that autism begins in the womb.
The findings, which have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that "patchy" changes in the developing brain in an unborn baby can cause symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study provides some hope that a better understanding of the human brain can improve the lives of those children living with autism.
The team behind the study, from the University of California, San Diego and the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, said the findings support the need to identify and treat the disorder early.
For the study, US scientists looked at the post-mortem brain tissue of 22 children with and without autism. The children were all between two and 15 years of age.
Using genetic markers, they looked at how the outermost area of the brain – the cortex – formed layers.
In the children with autism, abnormalities were found in 90% of the cases, compared to around 10% of those children without the disorder. The experts said the changes in the brain were dotted around the brain regions which are involved in social and emotional communication, and language, long before birth. As a result, the "patchy" nature of the changes could therefore explain why some children with autism show signs of improvement if they are treated early, as the child's young brain can "rewire" itself to compensate.
Professor Eric Courchesne, neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego, explained: "The finding that these defects occur in patches rather than across the entirety of cortex gives hope as well as insight about the nature of autism."
Responding to the report, Carol Povey, Director of the National Autistic Society Centre for Autism, is quoted by the BBC as saying: "Better understanding of the early brain development of children with autism could help us find new and more effective ways to support the estimated 700,000 people living with the condition across the UK.
"Autism can have a profound and devastating impact but the right support can make a huge difference."
(JP/MH)
20/03/2020
LeToya Luckett-Walker Is Pregnant
Charlotte Crosby Finds New Romance
Lydia Bright Gets Candid About Giving Birth
Lana Del Ray Splits From Boyfriend
Angelica Ross Learns Of Boyfriend's Secret Life
Ashley Graham's Breastfeeding Struggle
Susanna Reid's Mother's Day Plans
Lin-Manuel Miranda Homeschooling Kids
Kristen Bell Speaks Of Pride For Daughters
Prince George & Princess Charlotte Now Homeschooled
Autism Begins Before Birth – Study
A study has claimed there is new evidence to suggest that autism begins in the womb.
The findings, which have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that "patchy" changes in the developing brain in an unborn baby can cause symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study provides some hope that a better understanding of the human brain can improve the lives of those children living with autism.
The team behind the study, from the University of California, San Diego and the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle, said the findings support the need to identify and treat the disorder early.
For the study, US scientists looked at the post-mortem brain tissue of 22 children with and without autism. The children were all between two and 15 years of age.
- - - - - - Advertisement - - - - - -
Using genetic markers, they looked at how the outermost area of the brain – the cortex – formed layers.
In the children with autism, abnormalities were found in 90% of the cases, compared to around 10% of those children without the disorder. The experts said the changes in the brain were dotted around the brain regions which are involved in social and emotional communication, and language, long before birth. As a result, the "patchy" nature of the changes could therefore explain why some children with autism show signs of improvement if they are treated early, as the child's young brain can "rewire" itself to compensate.
Professor Eric Courchesne, neuroscientist at the University of California, San Diego, explained: "The finding that these defects occur in patches rather than across the entirety of cortex gives hope as well as insight about the nature of autism."
Responding to the report, Carol Povey, Director of the National Autistic Society Centre for Autism, is quoted by the BBC as saying: "Better understanding of the early brain development of children with autism could help us find new and more effective ways to support the estimated 700,000 people living with the condition across the UK.
"Autism can have a profound and devastating impact but the right support can make a huge difference."
(JP/MH)
Top stories
20/03/2020
LeToya Luckett-Walker Is Pregnant
Charlotte Crosby Finds New Romance
Lydia Bright Gets Candid About Giving Birth
Lana Del Ray Splits From Boyfriend
Angelica Ross Learns Of Boyfriend's Secret Life
Ashley Graham's Breastfeeding Struggle
Susanna Reid's Mother's Day Plans
Lin-Manuel Miranda Homeschooling Kids
Kristen Bell Speaks Of Pride For Daughters
Prince George & Princess Charlotte Now Homeschooled
