Author Archives: Fredricko

Walk MS held to raise money, awareness of multiple sclerosis

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Posted on: 2:31 pm, May 6, 2012, by Bret Buganski, updated on: 08:34pm, May 6, 2012

MILWAUKEE Multiple sclerosis is a disease thats known for slowing people down, and theres no known cure. Sunday, May 6th thousands took part in the annual Wisconsins Milwaukee Walk MS along Milwaukees lakefront to raise awareness and fight for a cure.

There was a feeling of optimism Sunday at the Summerfest grounds as people joined together to raise money for multiple sclerosis a disease with no known cure, and no known cause. The disease affects the central nervous system.

Sundays walk provides doctors and researchers funding for further research into the disease, and leaves people like Jeffrey Gingold excited about what may come in the near future. It helps people cope. It helps better medical treatments out there. You have to stay active because MS doesnt go away, and it doesnt get better by itself, Gingold said.

Gingold is a former partner at a Brookfield law firm, diagnosed with MS in 1996. His symptoms would come and go, and included no vision in one of his eyes and numbness in his hands and legs. Once he found it difficult to remember things, he knew something was wrong. Just keeping up with work and all of the multi-tasking details physically and mentally, it just didnt work anymore, Gingold said.

Gingold didnt plan on retiring at age 41, but for the last 11 years, hes dedicated his life to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and working to raise awareness of the disease that changed his life forever. I have hope, I really do, Gingold said.

There were 18 multiple sclerosis walks across the state of Wisconsin Sunday, May 6th. The goal is to raise more than $1.5 million for MS research.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Wisconsins Milwaukee Walk MS, or to make a donation.

CLICK HERE to learn more about multiple sclerosis via the National MS Societys website.

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Walk MS held to raise money, awareness of multiple sclerosis

Water Aerobics Benefits for People with Multiple Sclerosis

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Summertime is the hottest time of the year, which is the reason that we love the water so much. A lot of people myself included take full advantage of the pool, and beaches in the summertime to cool off with a good swim. However there are other ways to use a pool other than to swim, which I have been doing since being diagnosed in 2006 with multiple sclerosis.

My neurologist told me about an exercise that I can do in the water, which I had no clue about before. This is kind of funny considering that I grew up in California. My neurologist explained to me that I should be doing water aerobics to keep my muscles strong, and I started to use water aerobics to see if it would work. I have to say that it worked very well indeed.

This is why I proudly give to you the top five benefits of water aerobics for people with multiple sclerosis.

Benefit number one

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating disease that tears your muscles down, but water aerobics builds your muscles back up. By building my muscles up through water aerobics I'm able to still play the other sports that I love such as tennis, basketball, and cycling to name just a few.

Benefit number two

During my hospital stay in 2006 I put on a little bit of weight and I was afraid that I would not be able to lose this weight. Through the use of water aerobics I was able to lose the weight I put on and more. This is one of the biggest reasons I love to do water aerobics. Water aerobics allow me to know that no matter what I can always get in the water and lose any weight I might put on.

Benefit number three

Water aerobics has allowed me to build up my endurance, which in turn allows me to play longer games of tennis with my friends. Water aerobics, has also lead to me being able to enjoy the other sports that I love such as boxing, walking, and cycling because of my improved endurance.

Benefit number four

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Water Aerobics Benefits for People with Multiple Sclerosis

Lifelong depression may increase risk of vascular dementia

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Public release date: 7-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Vincent Staupe vstaupe@golinharris.com 415-318-4386 Kaiser Permanente

OAKLAND, Calif., May 7, 2012 Depressive symptoms that occur in both midlife and late life are associated with an increased risk of developing vascular dementia, while symptoms that occur in late life only are more likely to be early signs of Alzheimer's disease, according to University of California at San Francisco and Kaiser Permanente researchers.

The study, which appears in the current issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, is the first to examine whether midlife or late-life depression is more likely to lead to either Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia in the long term. The researchers explain that vascular dementia, the second most common type of dementia, develops when impaired blood flow to parts of the brain deprives cells of nutrients and oxygen.

"People who had depressive symptoms in both midlife and late life were much more likely to develop vascular dementia, while those who had depressive symptoms in late life only were more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease," said the study's lead author Deborah E. Barnes, PhD, MPH, with the UCSF Departments of Psychiatry and Epidemiology & Biostatistics and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

"The findings have important public health implications because they raise hope that adequate treatment of depression in midlife may reduce dementia risk, particularly vascular dementia, later in life," added Rachel Whitmer, PhD, a research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research and the principal investigator of the study.

UCSF and Kaiser Permanente investigators examined the association between depressive symptoms and dementia over the course of 45 years in a longitudinal study of more than 13,000 long-term members of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California integrated care delivery system. The study population consisted of members who participated in a voluntary health examination called the Multiphasic Health Checkup in San Francisco and Oakland during 1964-1973 when they were 40-55 years old.

Participants were evaluated for depressive symptoms in midlife as part of the Multiphasic Health Checkup and again in late life between 1994-2000. Between 2003-2009, 3,129 participants were diagnosed with dementia.

Though more research is needed, the findings suggest that depression that begins in late life may be an early symptom of Alzheimer's disease, while chronic depression over the life course may reflect a long-term process of changes to blood flow in the brain associated with increased risk of vascular dementia.

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Lifelong depression may increase risk of vascular dementia

Midlife and Late-Life Depressive Symptoms Associated with Dementia

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ScienceDaily (May 7, 2012) Depressive symptoms that are present in midlife or in late life are associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, a JAMA Network publication.

Nearly 5.3 million individuals in the United States have Alzheimer disease (AD) and the resulting health care costs in 2010 were roughly $172 billion, the authors write as background information in the study. "Prevalence and costs of AD and other dementias are projected to rise dramatically during the next 40 years unless a prevention or a cure can be found. Therefore, it is critical to gain a greater understanding of the key risk factors and etiologic underpinnings of dementia from a population-based perspective," the authors write.

Deborah E. Barnes, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the University of California, San Francisco and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and colleagues evaluated data from 13,535 long-term Kaiser Permanente members and examined depressive symptoms assessed in midlife (1964-1973) and in late life (1994-2000) and risks of developing dementia, Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD; dementia resulting from brain damage from impaired blood flow to the brain).

Depressive symptoms were present in 14.1 percent of study participants in midlife only, 9.2 percent in late life only and 4.2 percent in both. During six years of follow-up, 22.5 percent of patients were diagnosed with dementia; 5.5 percent with Alzheimer disease and 2.3 percent with VaD.

When examining AD and VaD separately, patients with late-life depressive symptoms had a two-fold increase in AD risk, and patients with midlife and late-life symptoms had more than a three-fold increase in VaD risk.

"Our findings suggest that chronic depression during the life course may be etiologically associated with an increased risk of dementia, particularly VaD, whereas depression that occurs for the first time in late life is likely to reflect a prodromal stage of dementia, in particular AD," the authors conclude.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Medical Association (AMA), via Newswise.

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Midlife and Late-Life Depressive Symptoms Associated with Dementia

The Post published Dementia support role for porters and cleaners

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PORTERS and cleaners at Bristol hospitals are helping to ensure patients with dementia get the best possible care.

Dozens of staff at the city's major hospitals have been encouraged to become dementia champions to help lead the care of dementia patients across the trusts.

Deputy director of nursing Gareth Howells and nurse manager Nirma Phillips are improving dementia care Picture: Barbara Evripidou

But it is not just clinical staff who have volunteered for the challenge of improving the standards of care for people with Alzheimer's and other similar illnesses.

It is part of a series of projects that have been brought in at the trust to ensure the rising numbers of patients with dementia receive the most appropriate care when they are in hospital.

North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT), which runs Frenchay and Southmead hospitals is working with volunteers and charity work organisation WRVS to learn more about how it could use volunteers to support the care of people with dementia. The trust is looking to use them to befriend and talk to patients.

The trust has lowered the number of times patients with dementia are moved between wards to help prevent them getting more confused. And some staff are writing the date and time on a whiteboard when they speak to people with dementia to help them understand where they are.

All staff joining North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT), which runs Frenchay and Southmead hospitals, also now have to undergo training in dealing with dementia, regardless of whether the deal with patients

NBT, in partnership with the city centre hospital trust started focusing on dementia last year, concentrating on setting up a training programme for staff across the city.

The training has been set up to give staff an overview of good practice for caring for people with dementia and has become mandatory for all new employees starting at the trust, even if they don't work in clinical roles.

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The Post published Dementia support role for porters and cleaners

Depression in middle age linked to dementia

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(Health.com) -- People who have symptoms of depression in middle age may be at increased risk of dementia decades later, a new study suggests.

Using medical records, researchers tracked more than 13,000 people in a large northern California health plan from roughly their 40s and 50s into their 80s. Compared to people who had never been depressed, those who experienced symptoms of depression in middle age -- but not later in life -- were about 20% more likely to go on to develop dementia.

Those who received a depression diagnosis later in life only were at even greater risk. That group had about a 70% increased risk of dementia compared to their depression-free peers, according to the study, which was published this week in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Health.com: 25 signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

In a first, the researchers also found that the timing of the depression seemed to predict which type of dementia an individual would develop. Late-life depression was linked with Alzheimer's disease, while mid-life depression was mostly connected with a related condition known as vascular dementia.

Although Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia share many of the same outward symptoms, they're associated with different processes in the brain. In Alzheimer's, memory loss and other symptoms are believed to be caused by protein deposits that interfere with brain function. Vascular dementia, on the other hand, appears to occur when blood flow to certain areas of the brain is interrupted, such as during strokes and so-called mini-strokes.

The study participants were 3.5 times more likely to develop vascular dementia if they'd experienced depression symptoms in both middle age and later in life, which suggests that "recurring depression over the life course seems to be triggering vascular changes that puts [people] at risk for vascular dementia," says lead author Deborah E. Barnes, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.

By contrast, depression that appears for the first time in old age may simply be an early symptom of Alzheimer's rather than a stand-alone condition, Barnes says.

Health.com: Depression in the elderly: 7 ways to help

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Depression in middle age linked to dementia

Piecing the puzzle: April marks National Autism Awareness Month

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As Monday marked World Autism Awareness Day and April serves as Autism Awareness Month, staggering new statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which were released on March 29, said that 1 in 88 U.S. children, have been "identified with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)."

Suzanne Bonifert, who is the head of Speech Language Pathology and Clinical Lecturer at the UT Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, said that medical professionals currently do not know the cause for the increase in autism; however she said the testing for the disorder has changed.

"There is better diagnosis available and pediatricians are much more aware because there's just been so much news and information," she said. "The American Academy of Pediatrics has put out a statement to mandate screens in pediatrician's offices for children for signs of autism, so children are getting referred to professionals at earlier ages, which is good. So we're recognizing children and seeing them, and just the evaluation process has been proved to be able to better recognize those signs and symptoms because of the improvement in the diagnostic process -- that is likely a part of the reason why -- it's not fully, it doesn't fully account for it."

"That is something researchers are looking at in terms of environmental pollutants, also processed foods, just all kinds of things, we don't really know -- there's no science behind that right now," Bonifert said. "We know ... the cause of autism is multifactoral, it's a neurobiological disorder: children are born with it, but there are a number of factors. There is a genetic component, but we don't fully understand that, and not all children that have it have that genetic component, so the environment could be a part of it, we just don't know."

Bonifert also added that families that have a child with autism have a higher chance of having a second child with the disorder.

"There is research going on, on sibling phenotypes where you have ... a family and they have two children ... they evaluate the child that has autism but also evaluate the 'typical sibling' and sometimes they find certain characteristics or there's certain phenotypes that are noted in siblings of autism they may have some subclinical symptoms or they may have some other related symptoms," Bonifert said. "Some of the phenotypes, they can be at risk for higher anxiety, eating disorders, some other mental health issues ... but they're just beginning to show some of the research on that and studying the siblings dealing with autism."

According to the CDC website, www. cdc.gov, "The largest increases over time were among Hispanic children (110 percent) and black children (91 percent). We suspect that some of this increase is due to greater awareness and better identification among these groups."

Associate Professor-Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas, Dr. Shahla Ala'i- Rosales said one possible reason for the change in autism statistics for minorities is due to minorities being "under diagnosed" or being diagnosed at a later age in their childhood.

"Part of my research looks at ways that clinicians or behavior analysis's working with children and families can be more culturally responsive to families of many different backgrounds," Rosales said. "I don't know if the incidents have increased or if the disparities and diagnosis have been addressed. There's fairly strong literature that suggests that children from minority groups are diagnosed at a later age and they're not detected as easily, not because of the children, but because of the way our societies are structured, and that's actually true in many different areas in healthcare and behavioral health. There are disparities in access to services and it seems to be no different for children with autism."

Boys are more likely to be diagnosed with autism, the CDC said. Statistics show one in 54 boys will be diagnosed compared to one in 252 girls.

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Piecing the puzzle: April marks National Autism Awareness Month

Schoolyard designed for children with autism

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ScienceDaily (May 7, 2012) A Kansas State University graduate student is creating a schoolyard that can become a therapeutic landscape for children with autism.

Chelsey King, master's student in landscape architecture, St. Peters, Mo., is working with Katie Kingery-Page, assistant professor of landscape architecture, to envision a place where elementary school children with autism could feel comfortable and included.

"My main goal was to provide different opportunities for children with autism to be able to interact in their environment without being segregated from the rest of the school," King said. "I didn't want that separation to occur."

The schoolyard can be an inviting place for children with autism, King said, if it provides several aspects: clear boundaries, a variety of activities and activity level spaces, places where the child can go when overstimulated, opportunities for a variety of sensory input without being overwhelming and a variety of ways to foster communication between peers.

"The biggest issue with traditional schoolyards is that they are completely open but also busy and crowded in specific areas," King said. "This can be too overstimulating for a person with autism."

King researched ways that she could create an environment where children with autism would be able to interact with their surroundings and their peers, but where they could also get away from overstimulation until they felt more comfortable and could re-enter the activities.

"Through this research, I was able to determine that therapies and activities geared toward sensory stimulation, cognitive development, communication skills, and fine and gross motor skills -- which traditionally occur in a classroom setting -- could be integrated into the schoolyard," King said.

King designed her schoolyard with both traditional aspects -- such as a central play area -- and additional elements that would appeal to children with autism, including:

* A music garden where children can play with outdoor musical instruments to help with sensory aspects.

* An edible garden/greenhouse that allows hands-on interaction with nature and opportunities for horticulture therapy.

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Schoolyard designed for children with autism

Autism Day draws hundreds

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HERNANDO Hundreds turned out on the historic Hernando court square for the first annual celebration of "World Autism Awareness Day."

City buildings were bathed in blue light and blue ribbons were tied around the courthouse columns in the event christened "Light It Up Blue."

Approximately one in 110 children and young adults will be diagnosed with the behavioral condition known as "autism."

Face painting, informational booths and other activities called attention to the disorder for which there is no known cause.

Children with autism often have difficulty emotionally connecting with peers and family members.

However, many autistic children do well in mathematics and other disciplines and function well in certain settings.

DeSoto County has one of the most highly touted autism early intervention programs in the country.

Each year, Wayne Bartley and others help stage the "Let A Kid Be A Kid" fund raiser for autism research and educational programs.

The annual benefit has amassed more than $100,000 over the past decade and counting.

"As far as anyone knows, this was the first Light It Up Blue event in the State of Mississippi," Bartley said. "The real heroes of the event were Holly Neel and the Hernando High School Interact Club. The kids did all the work. They set up a Facebook page and let people know. It was amazing. They really embraced it."

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Autism Day draws hundreds

AUTISM PROJECT: New Program Helps Kids

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Posted on: 10:58 am, May 7, 2012, by Megan Reuther, updated on: 11:40pm, May 7, 2012

The need for autism services has grown as the number of kids diagnosed with the developmental disorder continues to climb. Autism affects the way people communicate and interact with others. This year, the Centers for Disease Control announced the spectrum of disorders affects one in eighty-eight kids.

A new program in the metro is helping kids overcome the challenges autism presents. Six year-old Alivia Ronesburg likes to swing, likes to play connect four and will let you know when shes ready to move on. She uses a tablet like device to say, Im done when she presses a picture of the phrase. She has trouble communicating and interacting with others.

Mom Alyssan Fitzgerald says, I saw the signs. Fitzgerald says doctors diagnosed Alivia with autism two years ago. She says her daughter wasnt saying many words and had trouble playing with others. She says, We finally had her diagnosed and started looking for resources or places to take her and things that would help us address that.

She brought Alivia to The Homestead in Altoona last fall. She comes for two and a half hours in the morning five days a week. Its part of the new Childrens Autism Project. Director of The Homesteads Youth Community Services Evelyn Horton says, Were the only one of our kind in the state. Although were hoping this is a pilot and we can replicate and have other sites.

Horton says the Childrens Autism Project in an intensive intervention using an approach called Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA. It uses techniques like positive reinforcement to bring about a change in behavior. She says, Applied Behavior Analysis is the most evidence based, research based approach for treating individuals with autism. Its a learning system.

The clinic room may look like a preschool with kids playing board games and working with teachers, but Horton says its specially designed to teach social interaction. She says, The fact that they can sit close to each other, respond to each other, used shared materials, sometimes let somebody else decide which way were going to put something together or play because rigidity can be a problem.

The Childrens Autism Project also works with the childs teachers, other providers and parents to coordinate care. Fitzgerald says shes already noticed a difference in her daughter. She says, She has gained so many skills. Most important, her eye contact. When you talk to her, shes giving you eye contact. She now says hi and bye to people.

Horton says private insurance and Iowa Medicaid cover the costs. The project started 15 months ago, and Horton says theyre already over capacity for the small clinic. Horton says may add sites in Cedar Rapids and West Des Moines in the future.

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AUTISM PROJECT: New Program Helps Kids

Carino's Italian Raises $50,000 for Autism Speaks and Autism Society With Dollar Donation From Every Kid's Meal …

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AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire -05/07/12)- Carino's Italian today announced that it successfully reached its goal to raise $50,000 for Autism Speaks and Autism Society by selling 50,000 kid's meals at participating restaurants in April, National Autism Awareness Month. Both organizations will split the charitable contribution 50-50, which will be made through the Carino's Foundation, the restaurant's charitable giving arm.

"We are thankful to all our guests for making our fundraising effort for autism a success," said Creed Ford III, CEO of Carino's Italian. "For the third consecutive year, the Carino's Foundation has made it a mission to raise money for autism. Our financial contribution is able to support two organizations that are fighting this growing epidemic in our country, which now affects 1 in 88 children, according to the latest CDC figures that were released."

The Austin, Texas-based restaurant chain will continue to shine a light on autism by having a presence at all of the Walk Now for Autism Speaks events in Texas throughout the year. The Carino's Foundation blog at http://carinos.com/cares posted a series of touching stories about the Autism Society's Autism Champions throughout April.

"Carino's commitment to raising funds and awareness for autism is an example of what businesses can do to make a difference in people's lives," said Pat Robbins, Texas Areas Director for Autism Speaks. "We are honored to be one of the beneficiaries of its continued generosity."

"The Autism Society was honored to work with Carino's to highlight the people who make a difference in the communities we serve nationwide," said Scott Badesch, Autism Society President and COO. "Thanks to Carino's, not only will the national office have more funds for programs, but Autism Society chapters in Carino's communities will also benefit from the foundation's generosity."

Carino's Italian's kid's meals are all less than 500 calories. It was the first casual Italian dining restaurant chain to offer healthy kid's meals.

About Carino's ItalianHeadquartered in Austin, Texas, Carino's Italian owns and operates 67 restaurants nationwide in conjunction with over 70 franchise partner locations. Carino's Italian offers a wide selection of original, fresh, delectable dishes at superior value that every family can afford to enjoy. For more information about Carino's Italian, please visit http://carinos.com. To receive the latest updates, please "Like" Carino's Italian on Facebook at http://facebook.com/carinositalian and follow Carino's Italian on Twitter at http://twitter.com/carinositalian.

About Carino's FoundationCarino's Foundation is giving arm of Carino's Italian. Through the years, Carino's Foundation has supported many charitable organizations that focus on the needs of children from hunger relief to medical care to research. It has raised more than $2 million for various nonprofits since 1997. For more information about Carino's Foundation, please visit: http://carinos.com/cares.

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Carino's Italian Raises $50,000 for Autism Speaks and Autism Society With Dollar Donation From Every Kid's Meal ...

Carino’s Italian Raises $50,000 for Autism Speaks and Autism Society With Dollar Donation From Every Kid’s Meal …

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AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire -05/07/12)- Carino's Italian today announced that it successfully reached its goal to raise $50,000 for Autism Speaks and Autism Society by selling 50,000 kid's meals at participating restaurants in April, National Autism Awareness Month. Both organizations will split the charitable contribution 50-50, which will be made through the Carino's Foundation, the restaurant's charitable giving arm.

"We are thankful to all our guests for making our fundraising effort for autism a success," said Creed Ford III, CEO of Carino's Italian. "For the third consecutive year, the Carino's Foundation has made it a mission to raise money for autism. Our financial contribution is able to support two organizations that are fighting this growing epidemic in our country, which now affects 1 in 88 children, according to the latest CDC figures that were released."

The Austin, Texas-based restaurant chain will continue to shine a light on autism by having a presence at all of the Walk Now for Autism Speaks events in Texas throughout the year. The Carino's Foundation blog at http://carinos.com/cares posted a series of touching stories about the Autism Society's Autism Champions throughout April.

"Carino's commitment to raising funds and awareness for autism is an example of what businesses can do to make a difference in people's lives," said Pat Robbins, Texas Areas Director for Autism Speaks. "We are honored to be one of the beneficiaries of its continued generosity."

"The Autism Society was honored to work with Carino's to highlight the people who make a difference in the communities we serve nationwide," said Scott Badesch, Autism Society President and COO. "Thanks to Carino's, not only will the national office have more funds for programs, but Autism Society chapters in Carino's communities will also benefit from the foundation's generosity."

Carino's Italian's kid's meals are all less than 500 calories. It was the first casual Italian dining restaurant chain to offer healthy kid's meals.

About Carino's ItalianHeadquartered in Austin, Texas, Carino's Italian owns and operates 67 restaurants nationwide in conjunction with over 70 franchise partner locations. Carino's Italian offers a wide selection of original, fresh, delectable dishes at superior value that every family can afford to enjoy. For more information about Carino's Italian, please visit http://carinos.com. To receive the latest updates, please "Like" Carino's Italian on Facebook at http://facebook.com/carinositalian and follow Carino's Italian on Twitter at http://twitter.com/carinositalian.

About Carino's FoundationCarino's Foundation is giving arm of Carino's Italian. Through the years, Carino's Foundation has supported many charitable organizations that focus on the needs of children from hunger relief to medical care to research. It has raised more than $2 million for various nonprofits since 1997. For more information about Carino's Foundation, please visit: http://carinos.com/cares.

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Carino's Italian Raises $50,000 for Autism Speaks and Autism Society With Dollar Donation From Every Kid's Meal ...

Prenatal Smoking Linked to High-Functioning Autism in Kids

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By Jenifer Goodwin HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- If a woman smokes during pregnancy, it may increase her child's risk of high-functioning autism, a new study suggests.

But the raised risk was slight, experts said. And researchers found no association between maternal smoking and more severe forms of autism.

What the findings suggest is that although autism spectrum disorders share many of the same symptoms, subtypes of the disorder likely have many different genetic and environmental causes that vary from person to person and by type of autism, explained study author Amy Kalkbrenner, an assistant professor in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Zilber School of Public Health.

"We know 'autism spectrum disorders' is an umbrella term. What we're showing is the response to a environmental toxin may differ by the subtype of autism a child has," Kalkbrenner said.

The study was published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Kalkbrenner and her colleagues examined data on maternal smoking from birth certificates of nearly 634,000 U.S. children born in 11 states in 1992, 1994, 1996 and 1998. That data was compared with information on 3,315 children aged 8 and under diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network.

About 13 percent of the mothers smoked during pregnancy, and 11 percent of the mothers of kids with an autism spectrum disorder smoked during pregnancy, the investigators found.

According to the study, kids born to moms who smoked during pregnancy had about a 25 percent increased risk of having high-functioning autism, such as Asperger's syndrome. However, the results did not reach statistical significance.

Nor was smoking a clear risk factor for autistic disorder (a more severe form of autism).

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Prenatal Smoking Linked to High-Functioning Autism in Kids

Automated autism screening tool available on Autism Speaks website

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Public release date: 7-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jane E. Rubinstein jrubinstein@rubenstein.com 212-843-8287 Autism Speaks

NEW YORK, N.Y. (May 7, 2012) Autism Speaks is pleased to announce the launch of an automated version of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, or M-CHAT. The M-CHAT is a scientifically validated tool for screening children between 16 and 30 months of age to assess their risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It was developed by neuropsychologists Diana Robins, Ph.D. and Deborah Fein, Ph.D. and clinical psychologist Marianne Barton, Ph.D. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all children receive autism screening at 18 and 24 months of age, and the M-CHAT is one of the AAP's recommended tools.

Dr. Robins worked closely with Autism Speaks' science staff and web team to ensure this online automated version of the M-CHAT is a useful tool that parents can use if they are concerned about their toddler's development and whether their child should be evaluated by a healthcare provider or developmental specialist. It is not intended to take the place of screening and diagnosis by a trained professional.

The M-CHAT's primary goal is to detect as many cases of ASD as possible. Therefore, a significant number of children whose results show increased risk for ASD will not be diagnosed with ASD after receiving a more comprehensive evaluation by a specialist. However, a high M-CHAT score suggests that a toddler is at risk for a range of developmental disorders and delays and, therefore, should receive further assessment and, when appropriate, the earliest possible intervention to improve outcomes.

The automated M-CHAT now available on the Autism Speaks website offers free online scoring and recommendations. Parents can review, print and save the results to share with their child's doctor or other developmental specialist.

Autism Speaks urges parents to know the signs of autism, and offers information about treatments for ASD. The Autism Speaks video glossary offers a view of behaviors associated with autism and treatments often used in early intervention. The Autism Speaks 100 Day Kit and the Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Tool Kit were created specifically for newly diagnosed families to make the best possible use of the 100 days following their child's diagnosis of autism or ASD/HFA and the Tools You Can Use webpage offers additional resources which can be downloaded for free. Families in need of personalized supports can reach out to the Autism Response Team which is specially trained to connect families with information, resources and opportunities. The ART can be reached at 888-288-4762 or en Espaol 888-772-9050 or via email at familyservices@autismspeaks.org.

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About Autism

Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders autism spectrum disorders caused by a combination of genes and environmental influences. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by social and behavioral challenges, as well as repetitive behaviors. An estimated 1 in 110 children in the U.S. is on the autism spectrum a 600 percent increase in the past two decades that is only partly explained by improved diagnosis.

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Automated autism screening tool available on Autism Speaks website

Radical Life Extension at the Melbourne Humanity+ Conference

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This weekend sees the Humanity+ 2012 conference in Melbourne, Australia, and you'll find good press on the topic of radical life extension at the Age:

When British gerontologist Aubrey de Grey talks about radical life extension for humans - decades, even centuries more of existence - he is not imagining us slogging by with brain plaque, loose dentures and walking frames. Rather, we would be in rude health, with all the hallmarks of age in abeyance, even retreat. No wrinkles, fraying organs, leaky bladders or aching joints. And not much need for aged care or pensions. ... In a world where life expectancy has already dramatically increased over the past century or two, we now face the likelihood of being able to custom-order fresh organs and body parts on 3D-printers, and to treating the basic causes of ageing with the likes of stem-cell therapy and nanotechnology.

De Grey and [Natasha] Vita-More, in Melbourne for this weekend's Humanity+ conference, are in the vanguard of futurists who believe that looking great or designing our bodies to suit (blue skin and magenta eyes anyone?) will be fringe benefits. That is because, in a fast-approaching era of living longer, healthier lives, it is expected we will have time to enjoy the wisdom and opportunities of getting older - we won't be so focused on all the medical appointments, decrepitude and fragility associated with old age. ... de Grey, who once said some of today's infants might live to 1000 years old, and who not so long ago was viewed sceptically by other scientists for his insistence that ageing is a preventable, treatable medical condition, now sees much broader acceptance of his ideas among scientists.

''Attitudes have changed enormously,'' he says. ''The feasibility of what I have been proposing is now generally accepted. It took a long time, because essentially ... people who were expert in regenerative medicine didn't know about ageing; and people expert in ageing didn't know about regenerative medicine.''

A bigger battle has been with the attitudes of the general population, who view ageing as natural and inevitable and who, asked if they would like to have much longer lifespans, deliver predictable objections, often saying they would get bored (so much for the human imagination). De Grey says these responses are because people don't think of ageing in the same category as other diseases: if they understood they could live much longer without medical problems or signs of ageing, they would be enthusiastic. ''They just don't think of [ageing] as a plausible target for medicine.''

Convincing at least a sizable minority of the public is absolutely necessary for the future growth of funding and the research community. On the large scale and over decades of time, the goals that are accomplished are generally those that are talked about, desired, debated, and looked forward to - the possibilities that are present in the great ongoing cultural conversation to a significant degree, in other words. That has a lot to do with the ease of raising funds and the influence upon career choices for up-and-coming scientists and technologists, amongst other factors. The first phase of producing working rejuvenation medicine by following the SENS approach - to fully rejuvenate mice in the laboratory - is a billion dollar program, something that will require a supportive and vocal community of at least tens of millions of supporters in the wider public.

Aubrey de Grey is right in saying that attitudes have changed enormously over the past decade - it's a whole different world in the scientific community when it comes to talking about aging and longevity, and more importantly when it comes to the respectability of doing something about extending healthy human life. We can hope that over the next decade much the same happens for the public at large, as the newfound respect and interest for longevity science spreads from researchers to be absorbed into the common wisdom.

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm

Making Old Stem Cells Functionally Young

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More rejuvenation of stem cell function demonstrated in mice: "Researchers have rejuvenated aged hematopoietic stem cells to be functionally younger, offering intriguing clues into how medicine might one day fend off some ailments of old age. ... The paper brings new perspective to what has been a life science controversy - countering what used to be broad consensus that the aging of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) was locked in by nature and not reversible by therapeutic intervention. HSCs are stem cells that originate in the bone marrow and generate all of the body's red and white blood cells and platelets. They are an essential support mechanism of blood cells and the immune system. As humans and other species age, HSCs become more numerous but less effective at regenerating blood cells and immune cells. ... Researchers in the current study determined a protein that regulates cell signaling - Cdc42 - also controls a molecular process that causes HSCs from mice to age. Pharmacologic inhibition of Cdc42 reversed HSC aging and restored function similar to that of younger stem cells. ... We know the aging of HSCs reduces in part the response of the immune system response in older people, which contributes to diseases such as anemia, and may be the cause of tissue attrition in certain systems of the body. ... One reason the research team focused on Cdc42 is that previous studies have reported elevated activity of the protein in various tissue types of older mice - which have a natural life span of around two years. Also, elevated expression of Cdc42 has been found in immune system white blood cells in older humans. In the current study, researchers found elevated activity of Cdc42 in the HSCs of older mice. They also were able to induce premature aging of HSCs in mice by genetically increasing Cdc42 activity in the cells. ... To test the rejuvenated cells, the researchers used a process known as serial competitive transplantation. This included extracting HSCs from young (2-4 months) and aged (20-26 months) mice and processing them in laboratory cultures. Young and rejuvenated cells were then engrafted into recipient mice. This allowed scientists to compare how well young and rejuvenated aged HSCs started to repopulate and transform into different types of blood cells. It also confirmed that HSCs rejuvenated by targeting Cdc42 do function similarly to young stem cells."

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120503125808.htm

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm

Self-Assembling Nanoparticles to Target Unwanted Cells

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An example of ongoing work to make targeted cell-killing technologies economically practical: "For more than a decade, researchers have been trying to develop nanoparticles that would deliver drugs more effectively and safely. The idea is that a nanoparticle containing a drug compound could selectively target tumor cells or otherwise diseased cells, and avoid healthy ones. Antibodies or other molecules can be attached to the nanoparticle and used to precisely identify target cells. ... [Researchers] devised a method by which the building blocks of the nanoparticle and the drug self-assemble into a final product. Two types of polymer combine to form the tangled mesh of [a] drug-laden spherical nanoparticle. One of these polymers has two chemically and structurally distinct regions, or 'blocks': a water-insoluble block that forms part of the mesh that encapsulates the drug, and a water-soluble block that gives the final product a stealthy corona to evade the immune system. The other type of polymer has three blocks: the same two as the first, as well as a third region that contains a targeting molecule - the signal that will ensure the final particles attach to the desired cell types. The drug-carrying nanoparticles are formed by simply mixing these polymers together with the drug in the appropriate conditions. The self-assembling polymers can be produced in a repeatable and scalable fashion. But the method has an additional benefit ... The method by which the nanoparticles are built - from individual preparations of the two-block and three-block polymers - would also let researchers use high-throughput screening approaches, akin to how medicinal chemists design and test new drug compounds. Each block could be tweaked - extend one block, change the charge on another - and the relative amounts of each polymer could be varied. With so many parameters for tinkering, [scientists] can screen many combinations."

Link: http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/40347/

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm

Plausible, Possible, Expensive, Prohibited

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As an idle line of thought, what could you have done to yourself today in the field of cutting edge medicine and biotechnology at a moderate to high cost, setting aside the oppressive prohibition of medical regulation? Absent entities like the FDA - and a million other government employee busybodies who itch to regiment and enforce every aspect of our lives - it would be perfectly possible to get out there and solicit deals with researchers and clinics to try new things. To take your own estimate of risk and benefit, rather than being forced to wait for years or decades longer for medical technologies that might in the end be blocked entirely thanks to regulatory costs.

But what could you do today in world that was more free, and with enough money to pay for a major medical procedure? Here are a few examples with varying risk-reward profiles, pulled from the air:

  • Have your aging immune system wiped out with chemotherapy and replaced from your stem cells. Your wager here would be that undergoing chemotherapy (not a wonderful experience under the best of circumstances) will cause you less harm in the long term than keeping your original, increasingly misconfigured immune system. Alternately, you could wait a decade for targeted cell-killer therapies demonstrated in mice to become a practical concern in humans.
  • Undergo any one of a number of potential enhancing gene therapies. For example, why not pay your way into possessing a myostatin mutation? That boosts muscle mass, increases resistance to a range of age-related conditions, and otherwise seems to be beneficial all-round in mammals.
  • Purchase stem cell infusions of the sort that seem to be at least modestly helpful for any number of degenerative conditions - a better option than traditional pharmaceutical medicines. But of course you can't do that in the US, just like you can't benefit from near all of the most recent advances, locked away in trials for years yet. You'd have to head overseas as a medical tourist to become a customer of the more reliable clinics in Asia or the Middle East.
  • Decide in your healthy old age that the possible benefits outweigh the risks for infusion-based biphosphonate therapy. Of course you can't obtain that legally as a healthy person - those regulators again, deciding that they know better and anyone who disagrees with them will ultimately wind up in jail.
  • Choose to end your own long-lived life in a safe and painless way at the time of your choosing, while attended by cryonics professionals who can provide an immediate and expert preservation - offering absolutely the best chance of later restoration with minimal damage, while keeping the cost to a sensible minimum thanks to scheduling.

I could go on - that just scratches the surface. But of course any group that gathered in the US to try these things, or offer services, or make the process as safe and transparent as possible would quickly find themselves prosecuted and jailed. The land of the free long ago ceased to have much to do with liberty or personal freedom. Freedom is the freedom to take your own risks and pay the costs if you pull a bad card from the deck - and that freedom is exactly what drives progress. Take it away and what results is the regulatory stagnation you see in medicine today.

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm

Replacing Damaged DJ-1 in Parkinson's Disease

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It has been a number of years since researchers started to investigate the role of DJ-1 in Parkinson's disease. Here, the work has made it to the stage of a possible therapy: "As we age, we naturally lose dopamine-producing neurons. Parkinson's patients experience a rapid loss of these neurons from the onset of the disease, leading to much more drastic deficiencies in dopamine than the average person. ... Mutations in the gene known as DJ-1 lead to accelerated loss of dopaminergic neurons and result in the onset of Parkinson's symptoms at a young age. The ability to modify the activity of DJ-1 could change the progress of the disease. [Researchers have] now developed a peptide which mimics DJ-1's normal function, thereby protecting dopamine- producing neurons. What's more, the peptide can be easily delivered by daily injections or absorbed into the skin through an adhesive patch. Based on a short protein derived from DJ-1 itself, the peptide has been shown to freeze neurodegeneration in its tracks, reducing problems with mobility and leading to greater protection of neurons and higher dopamine levels in the brain. ... We attached the DJ-1-related peptide to another peptide that would allow it to enter the cells, and be carried to the brain. ... In pre-clinical trials, the treatment was tested on mice ... From both a behavioral and biochemical standpoint, the mice that received the peptide treatment showed remarkable improvement. Symptoms such as mobility dysfunctions were reduced significantly, and researchers noted the preservation of dopamine-producing neurons and higher dopamine levels in the brain. Preliminary tests indicate that the peptide is a viable treatment option. Though many peptides have a short life span and degrade quickly, this peptide does not."

Link: http://www.aftau.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=16503

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm

Replacing Damaged DJ-1 in Parkinson’s Disease

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It has been a number of years since researchers started to investigate the role of DJ-1 in Parkinson's disease. Here, the work has made it to the stage of a possible therapy: "As we age, we naturally lose dopamine-producing neurons. Parkinson's patients experience a rapid loss of these neurons from the onset of the disease, leading to much more drastic deficiencies in dopamine than the average person. ... Mutations in the gene known as DJ-1 lead to accelerated loss of dopaminergic neurons and result in the onset of Parkinson's symptoms at a young age. The ability to modify the activity of DJ-1 could change the progress of the disease. [Researchers have] now developed a peptide which mimics DJ-1's normal function, thereby protecting dopamine- producing neurons. What's more, the peptide can be easily delivered by daily injections or absorbed into the skin through an adhesive patch. Based on a short protein derived from DJ-1 itself, the peptide has been shown to freeze neurodegeneration in its tracks, reducing problems with mobility and leading to greater protection of neurons and higher dopamine levels in the brain. ... We attached the DJ-1-related peptide to another peptide that would allow it to enter the cells, and be carried to the brain. ... In pre-clinical trials, the treatment was tested on mice ... From both a behavioral and biochemical standpoint, the mice that received the peptide treatment showed remarkable improvement. Symptoms such as mobility dysfunctions were reduced significantly, and researchers noted the preservation of dopamine-producing neurons and higher dopamine levels in the brain. Preliminary tests indicate that the peptide is a viable treatment option. Though many peptides have a short life span and degrade quickly, this peptide does not."

Link: http://www.aftau.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=16503

Source:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/newsletter/latest_rss_feed.cfm