Re: Neuroplasticity can help people with autism

[Guest guest]

Anoush,

A fascinating article. Please note, however, that the research focused on individuals diagnosed with chronic but medically stabile schizophrenia. No other diagnoses were involved. It's important when reviewing research articles in the field of neuroscience to read the article carefully. Nothing is said about autism. The summary article also does not go into what's undoubedtedly in the professional journal article: the cost and carefully controlled conditions under which what amounts to well-designed brain training. The intensity of intervention and the cost for treatment is most likely to be completely unaffordable to the average adult on the spectrum unless that person has oodles of money. The process is still considered experiemental, and as such wouldn't be covered by private medical insurance or even by Medicare or Medicaid or long-term supplemental medical health insurance.

With children whose neural pathways are still undergoing rapid and substantial change, this type of intensive neurofeedback intervention has been shown to have some effect, although research clinicians haven't so far made extravagent claims about the long-term effects of intensive experimental intervention beyond that age cohort. When intensive experimental training and research research is confined to persons in the age groups experiencing three discernable major brain periods of expansion and functional growth, research results are often clouded by the effect of natural neuronal development, and pruning away of older, less efficient pathway connections. The one thing that does seem common in much brain research for folks on the spectrum is that the complex pathways and multiple routes to the same measured "outcome" are NOT naturally pruned or reduced. This differentiates "our" brains from individuals not diagnosed as somewhere on the autistic spectrum. Researchers are understandably called to account by their colleagues who carefully vet and edit research reports before they're published in professional journals, and so far, we have yet to see research replicated, repeatedly validated, and widely acknowledged within brain science that makes such claims about autism in children, adolescents, and young adults.

But...one can always hope that breakthroughs and discoveries in one area of neuroscience can be picked up by researchers in other parts of the field.

N. Meyer

Neuroplasticity can help people with autism

For those who don't receive USAA newsletter:Computerized Brain Training Aids Cognition in Schizophreniahttp://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsArticle.aspx?journalid=61 & articleid=181071

[Guest guest]

Hi, - welcome back!

rogernmeyer@... wrote:

> Anoush,

>

> A fascinating article. Please note, however, that the research focused on

> individuals diagnosed with chronic but medically stabile schizophrenia. No

other

> diagnoses were involved. It's important when reviewing research articles in

the

> field of neuroscience to read the article carefully. Nothing is said about

> autism.

[ snip ]

Yes. Good advice to be borne in mind constantly, and applied to *all*

information of whatever kind from *any* source.

Yet the broader concept of neural plasticity must apply in *any*

cognitive and behavioral manipulation - including autism. At root, any

successes of ABA e.g. for autistics must depend on it.

> But...one can always hope that breakthroughs and discoveries in one area of

> neuroscience can be picked up by researchers in other parts of the field.

I suppose they already have been, though maybe unwittingly for the most

part.

Some psychiatrists are beginning to pay serious attention to some

psychologists, and vice versa. Holding each other at arm's length

continues, but less strongly. Neurobiology as a unified clinical and

academic discipline finally may be coming of age.

- Bill AS, ...retired clinical/academic

> Neuroplasticity can help people with

autism

>

> For those who don't receive USAA newsletter:

>

> Computerized Brain Training Aids Cognition in Schizophrenia

>

http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsArticle.aspx?journalid=61 & articleid=18\

1071

>

<http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsArticle.aspx?journalid=61 & articleid=1\

81071>

--

WD " Bill " Loughman - Berkeley, California USA

http://home.earthlink.net/~wdloughman/wdl.htm

[Guest guest]

and Bill,

 

Sorry for the

late reply!  We just reconnected after some time off-line.

 

Thanks for your

detailed comments.

 “Neuroplasticity can help people with

autism” was

the subject line of that weeks’ USAAA newsletter, referring to the

article “Computerized Brain Training Aids

Cognition in Schizophrenia” and indeed, one should read very carefully.

 

 ‘Hope’ is the drive to search for better understanding.

 

The USAAA website : http://www.usautism.org/

There is

always ‘food for thought’ in their weekly newsletter: newsletter@...

 

, nice

to ‘meet’ you. Your reputation precedes you we have heard so much good about

you. Welcome (back). Happy Holidays and all the best for 2012 to every one.

 

Anoush

(61, married 37y)

Sharing

life with two undiagnosed adults on the Spectrum (husband and eldest/adult son) I call our family “folks with a dash of autism”.

We move better

forward using an “AS approach” than mainstream methods.

 

..