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CBT and ADDM – two acronyms in the autism news

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Two studies missed last year (sorry) but are of importance to the autism community include a modified version of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to treat anxiety, which was adapted and updated for people with ASD.  It also works better than traditional CBT, which is good news for  the 80% of people with ASD that also suffer from anxiety.  Also, in recognition of MLK day today, the CDC released information last year that shows that 1/4 of those that they counted in their prevalence numbers were missed by schools or other health care providers.  Unfortunately, those who were black or hispanic were more likely to be those that were missed but still met criteria.  This just shows that educators have to do better in helping those with ASD from all racial and ethnic backgrounds.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31868321

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31755906

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Environmental factors: the forgotten stepchild of autism spectrum disorders

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When people hear the word “heritability” in mathematical estimates, they automatically think “just genetics”.  That isn’t true, and this week epidemiologist Brian Lee from Drexel talks us through his SpectrumNews viewpoint about what heritability actually is and why there is room for environment.  Also this week, twin studies, which have traditionally used the word heritability to distinguish genetic vs. environmental interactions, are studied in a new light.  This one shows that severity and differences of autism across the spectrum in identical twins are caused by environmental differences – not just genetics.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31853901

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What sperm tells scientists about the origins of ASD

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Does autism begin at a diagnosis, or before a diagnosis?  How early do genetics influence outcome?  This podcast explores a new angle to this question using studies in sperm.  One type of major ASD relevant mutation is de-novo mutations, meaning they are seen in the person with ASD but neither biological parent.  So where do they come from?  They may come from germ cells of the embryo of the parent, which forms the sperm and the egg.  Researchers from UCSD looked at mutations in sperm vs. blood in fathers of those with de-novo mutations and found an enrichment of genetic mutations in sperm.  This means the window of susceptibility can include not just things that happen at conception, but before conception.  Below is a graphic taken from a commentary of this study in Nature by Eric Morrow which may be helpful.

 

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The 2019 Year End Summary

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What more appropriate podcast to end 2019 with than the summary of advances of scientific research of autism spectrum disorders?   The SAB of ASF and the CSO categorized the highlights in science into 8 categories which are outlined in this 30 minute podcast.  You can also read them on the ASF website here.  Thank you for listening to the ASF Weekly Science Podcast in 2019, and talk to you in 2020!

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The AAP Empowers Pediatricians to Help Kids with ASDs

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Thank you to the American Academy of Pediatrics for publishing an updated guide for their 67,000 members about identification, evaluation and management of children on the autism spectrum.  Pediatricians have a lot of things going on every day and could use a primer, or a condensed guide, on what the basic level of care should be for kids and families affected by ASD.  Here, thanks to Drs. Susan Hyman, Susan Levy and Scott Myers, from the council of the AAP on children with disabilities, they have one.  This podcast will summarize the main points of what the guidance document says.  Please download it and share it by clicking here:  https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2019/12/15/peds.2019-3447.full.pdf 

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Investigating inequality in autism spectrum disorder

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While autism organizations might not always agree on everything, there is something that we all feel is unacceptable and is priority for research:  racial, ethnic, and poverty – induced inequities in access to services for ASD.  This podcast covers what scientists know about these disparities, and highlights new research that is doing something about them.  There is much more that needs to be done in this area, and while some of this is not new news, its information we all need to hear.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31132161

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31342443

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The newest on using genes to predict later diagnosis and those immune blebs in the brain

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Hot off the press:  new data from a collaboration between the BSRC and geneticists in Canada demonstrate the utility of genetics to predict either ASD or atypical development in infant siblings of children already with a diagnosis.  Researchers have been trying to develop more precise biological mechanisms to make predictions in these infants, because they have a 15x greater chance of having a diagnosis, they can’t afford a “wait and see” approach.  Also, while genetics had originally been thought to be irrelevant to some brain pathology in ASD, it’s now been shown possible that it contributes to the immune hyper activation in the brain.  This week, Dr. Matt Anderson from the Autism BrainNet describes “blebs” in the cells of the brain caused by t-lymphocytes.  What causes them?  Genes?  something else?  Thank you to Dr. Anderson for joining in this podcast to explain.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31801954

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31591744

 

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The latest on marijuana and autism across the globe

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Since the ASF policy statement on marijuana for the treatment of ASD was published this summer, there have been some new scientific studies that may be of interest to families.  As it turns out CBD has opposite effects in the brains of people with autism compared to those without autism, meaning that it is absolutely essential that more research is done specifically in people across the spectrum in ASD.  Also, early studies in Israel and Brazil are showing some positive effects on behavior, but they are open label non controlled compassionate use basis studies, which in encouraging, but the science needs to be more rigorous and more studies need to be done in people with autism using standardized autism assessments if any progress is to be made.  Luckily a new study at NYU is enrolling for just that approach.  Please contact Latoya.King@nyulangone.edu if you want to learn more about that.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6732821/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6784992/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31736860

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30382443

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6336869/

 

 

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Seizures and the after-effects depends on genetics

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In recognition of epilepsy awareness month, this week we are interviewing Jill Silverman and Nycole Copping from UC Davis who published a paper looking at the causes and consequences of seizures across 3 different strains of mice, which are identical all but their background genetics.  This is important because new animal models of autism are built upon these different background strains, but very little work has been done to really understand how these different tiny changes in genetic background influences response to an environmental factor.  In this study the environmental factor was a drug that produces seizures.  Two out of the three strains showed seizures and all three showed some behavioral after-effects of the seizure – inducing drug.  Therefore, differences in background genetics influenced the outcome of the mice, an effect that is rarely studied.  The authors point out what these behaviors are, what they mean, and why animal models are important for understanding ASD and seizures.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31698263

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Is It Too Good To Be True?

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There are small signs that an exciting finding may actually be “too good to be true”.  Are the differences so big it seems impossible to believe?  Is it hard to replicate?  In a new paper, Dr. Thomas Frazier and colleagues outline what these warning signs are are, and how scientists should critically read scientific findings that might be overreaching.  This week, Dr. Frazier answers some questions about what these flags are, and how families can think critically about scientific findings.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31618104