SchaferAutismReport: Scientists Identify Gene Mutation In Autism

[Guest guest]

SAR "Healing Autism:Schafer Autism Report No Finer a Cause on the Planet"________________________________________________________________Monday, December 18, 2006 Vol. 10 No. 210>> PROMOTE YOUR 2007 EVENTS NOW - FREE <<Conferences * Presentations * Parent MeetingsDEADLINE FOR JANUARY SAR AUTISM CALENDAR ISDECEMBER 23!Submit listing here:http://www.sarnet.org/frm/cal-frm.htmRESEARCH* Scientists Identify Gene Mutation In Autism* Myelin to Blame for Many Neuropsychiatric DisordersTREATMENT* What If Your Laptop Knew How You Felt?* Many Children Discontinuing Use of ADHD Medication CARE* Parents Blame Police For Son's Coma* Flex Time for the Rest of UsADVOCACY* County Pols in NY Keep Mercury Vaccine BanEDUCATION* Autism

Fuels Call For School VouchersMEDIA* New Book - Strange Son: Two Mothers, Two Sons, and the Quest to Unlock the Hidden World of AutismRESEARCHScientists Identify Gene Mutation In Autismhttp://tinyurl.com/ygtxmxReuters - French scientists have identified genetic mutations in asmall number of children with autism which could provide insight into thebiological basis of the disorder.They sequenced a gene called SHANK3 in more than 200 people withautism spectrum disorders (ASD), which includes autism, and found mutationsin the gene in members of three families.ASD covers a range of problems that affect communication, socialinteraction, verbal skills and behaviour."These mutations concern only a small number of individuals, but theyshed light on one gene ... that is involved in autism spectrum disorders," Bourgeron, of the Pasteur Institute in Paris, said in a report in

thejournal Nature Genetics.ASD, which affect six out of 1,000 children, range from mild to severeforms. The disorders are caused by chromosomal rearrangements in 3 to 6percent of cases.In people with cognitive deficits and with autistic behaviour a partof their chromosome 22 is often affected. That region contains the SHANK3gene.In all three families identified in the study, the researchers foundthey had various types of mutations in the gene. Two brothers in one familyhad small deletions, while another child in a different family hadsignificant deletions.A girl with a deletion of SHANK 3 in the third family suffered fromautism while her brother, who had an additional copy of the gene, had a mildform of autism called Asperger syndrome.The cause of autism is unknown. It usually develops before the age of30 months. A minority of autistic children, who are known as autisticsavants, show remarkable artistic,

musical or mathematical skills.The protein encoded by SHANK3 interacts with other proteins calledneuroligins, which have a role in giving impulses to the brain, spinalcolumn and nerves.Comment: (From RJK) The finding of 3 families with the mutation, outof 200 tested, as described in this article seems not to merit the Reutersheadline, which suggests something a bit more genetically compelling. Thesearch for the elusive "autism gene" continues...-- > DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW < --SUBSCRIBE. . . !. . .Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report.To Subscribe http://www.SARnet.org/ $35 for 1 year - 200 issues, or No Cost Review Sub.!. . .Myelin to Blame for Many Neuropsychiatric Disordershttp://tinyurl.com/ynbovaWhat makes the human brain unique? Of the many explanations that canbe offered, one that doesn't come readily to mind is -

myelin.Conventional wisdom holds that myelin, the sheet of fat that coats aneuron's axon - a long fiber that conducts the neuron's electrical impulses- is akin to the wrapping around an electrical wire, protecting andfostering efficient signaling. But the research of UCLA neurology professor Bartzokis, M.D., has already shown that myelin problems areimplicated in diseases that afflict both young and old - from schizophreniato Alzheimer's.Now, in a report published in the journal Biological Psychiatry andavailable online, Bartzokis argues that the miles of myelin coating in ourbrain are the key "evolutionary change that defines our uniqueness as aspecies" and, further, may also be the cause of "our unique vulnerability tohighly prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders." The paper argues that viewingthe brain as a myelin-dependent "Internet" may be key to developing new andnovel treatments against disease and aid in

assessing the efficacy ofcurrently available treatments, including the use of nicotine (delivered bya patch, not smoking), which may enhance the growth and maintenance ofmyelin.Myelin, argues Bartzokis, who directs the UCLA Memory Disorders andAlzheimer's Disease Clinic, is "a recent invention of evolution. Vertebrateshave it; invertebrates don't. And humans have more than any other species."Bartzokis studied the reported effects of cholinergic treatments,using drugs that are known to improve a neuron's synaptic signaling inpeople who suffer diseases like Alzheimer's. Furthermore, he notes, someclinical and epidemiological data suggest that such treatments may modify oreven delay these diseases.+ Read more: http://tinyurl.com/ynbova. . .TREATMENTWhat If Your Laptop Knew How You Felt? Researchers train computers to 'read' emotions, which could help withteaching, security, people with autism -

and cranky users.By Cristian Lupsa for The Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1218/p12s01-stct.htmlNot even Dan Brown and his Da Vinci codebreakers dared tackle themystery of Mona 's smile. But Nicu Sebe, a computer vision researcher atthe University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, did. He processed the enigmaticportrait with his "emotion recognition" software and - eureka! - Mona was happy (83 percent) and slightly disgusted (9 percent).Mr. Sebe valiantly pursued other mysteries. He decoded the image ofChe Guevara that adorns T-shirts worldwide and proclaimed that El Comandantewas mostly sad. And the fellow in Munch's "The Scream"? He's muchless frightened than surprised, Sebe declares.Faces reveal emotions, and researchers in fields as disparate aspsychology, computer science, and engineering are joining forces under theumbrella of "affective computing" to teach machines to

read expressions. Ifthey succeed, your computer may one day "read" your mood and play along.Machines equipped with emotional skills could also be used in teaching,robotics, gaming, sales, security, law enforcement, and psychologicaldiagnosis.Sebe doesn't actually spend research time analyzing famous images -that's just for fun. And calling Mona "happy" is not accurate science,but saying she displays a mixture of emotions is, Sebe says. Why? Because toaccurately read an emotional state, a computer needs to analyze changes inexpression against a neutral face, which Da Vinci did not provide.If that's the case, are computers even close to reading emotions? Youbet.Computers can now analyze a face from video or a still image and inferalmost as accurately as humans (or better) the emotion it displays. Itgenerally works like this: 1. The computer isolates the face and extractsrigid features (movements of the head)

and nonrigid features (expressionsand changes in the face, including texture); 2. The information isclassified using codes that catalog changes in features; 3. Then, using adatabase of images exemplifying particular patterns of motions, the computercan say a person looks as if they are feeling one of a series of basicemotions - happiness, surprise, fear - or simply describe the movements andinfer meaning.lind Picard is a contagious bundle of excitement when she talksabout "Mind Reader," a system developed by her team in the AffectiveComputing Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge,Mass."Mind Reader" uses input from a video camera to perform real-timeanalysis of facial expressions. Using color-coded graphics, it reportswhether you seem "interested" or "agreeing" or if you're "confused" aboutwhat you've just heard.The system was developed to help people with autism read emotions,

asthey have difficulty decoding when others are bored, angry, or flirting.Their lack of responsiveness makes them seem insensitive to others. Ms.Picard's team uses cameras worn around the neck or on baseball caps torecord faces, which the software can then decode.Picard, a pioneer in the field, says she learned a broader lesson fromthis research: If you can teach a person when to be sensitive to others, youprobably could teach a machine to do so as well. Cohn, a psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh, used hisknowledge of the human face in behavior research. Mr. Cohn is among therelatively few experts who are certified to use the Facial Action CodingSystem, which classifies more than 40 action units (AUs) of the face. He isa man who can spot the inner corners of your eyebrows inching mediallytoward each other and then rising slightly, and call out: "That's AU oneplus four," a combination of action units

associated with sadness."The face is almost always visible," Cohn says. "People communicate alot about feelings and thoughts through changes in facial expression."Together with computer scientists, Cohn is working to get machines toread AUs and then describe which muscles moved and how. Such applicationscould do what Cohn did when he studied a videotape of a criminal whoprofessed to be distraught about the murder of several family members andtried to pin the blame on someone else. Cohn watched attentively and saw nogenuine sadness reflected in the woman's face. Sadness is a combination ofAUs that is difficult to perform voluntarily: pulling down the corners ofyour lips while bringing your eyebrows together and raising them. What thesubject did was raise her cheeks to simulate the lip curl. Her brows stayedsmooth.Researchers interviewed for this story concur that emotion recognitionappeals to the security industry,

which could use it in lie detection,identification, and expression reading. The best results are still obtainedin controlled settings with proper lighting and a good positioning of theface. An image from a security camera wouldn't give the software much towork with.+ Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1218/p12s01-stct.html. . .Many Children Discontinuing Use of ADHD Medication New Study Reveals Reasons Why, Offers Solution for Better Treatmenthttp://www.blackwellpublishing.com/press/pressitem.asp?ref=1027 Social stigma and feeling lifeless and/or alienated from one's peersare some of the reasons why children and adolescents stop takingprescription stimulant medications used to treat attentiondeficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a new study published inthe Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing.ADHD is a common neurobehavioral disorder, affecting 4.4 millionchildren in

the United States between the ages of 4 and 17. Followingdiagnosis, 56% are treated with prescription stimulant medications.According to the study, many stop using these medications even while theyare still exhibiting symptoms of the disorder, despite research indicatingthese medications are effectively reducing hyperactivity, impulsivity andinattention.The study also found that while ADHD is a chronic disorder, none ofthe adolescents interviewed had received ongoing education about theircondition. As college students, many used the medications irregularly,sometimes in doses exceeding the prescribed amount, and often at night -factors that may exacerbate the side effects B. Meaux, PhD, RNC, leadauthor of the study, suggests that "dialogue between the child, parents andhealthcare provider about the general effects, side effects and potentialabuse of prescribed stimulant medications is essential," adding

"carefuladministration of dosages, based on input from the child, is exceedinglyimportant."EVIDENCE OF HARM DISCUSSION LIST HEATS UPAS MERCURY LINK TO AUTISM QUESTION SPREADS>> PAPERBACK BOOK NOW OUT - CHECK AMAZON.COMAn Evidence of Harm email discussion list hasbeen created in response to the growing interestin the book and the issues it chronicles. Now over1,470 subscribers. Here is how to subscribe(no cost): EOHarm-subscribe . . .CAREParents Blame Police For Son's ComaBy Carol Marbin http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/nation/16252073.htmIt wasn't the first time the Colindres family had to call policebecause their severely autistic son, , had become aggressive.Twice before, Miami police took the 18-year-old to a psychiatrichospital for treatment.But Tuesday night, the family says, officers

especially trained tocalm people with mental illness "hogtied" , sat on him until he stoppedbreathing, then resisted the family's entreaties to call an ambulance. Colindres is now in a coma, in intensive care at Coral GablesHospital."He is considered brain dead," said the family's attorney, StuartGrossman. "All this as a result of asking for help." Colindres' threesiblings watched the confrontation, said Melvin Colindres, the teen'sfather. The siblings have been unable to work or go to school. The familyhas held a round-the-clock vigil in 's hospital room."They saw everything," said Melvin Colindres, 37. "We were shocked. .. . I hope this will never happen again to a normal child, much less to achild with a disability." Angel Calzadilla, executive assistant to MiamiPolice Chief Timoney, said the actions of the Crisis Intervention Team-- officers trained to deal with the mentally ill -- are

underinvestigation.The department declined Friday to make public a the incident report.Calzadilla also declined to name the officers involved.Calzadilla said Miami police interviewed 's parents and siblingswho were present and added: "There were no allegations at any point ofwrongdoing by the officers." "At no time was it alleged that [Colindres] was thrown down," Calzadilla said. "Officers used great care tobring him to the ground." Calzadilla said officers did not hogtie Colindres.A hogtie is a method of restraining a suspect by binding hands to feetbehind the back.Calzadilla said Colindres was restrained with a leather deviceofficers call a "hobble." He said it allows a greater distance between thehands and feet than a hogtie.In the early and mid-1990s, several large departments, including SanDiego and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office, banned hog-tying becauseof concerns of "positional

asphyxiation" -- the position of the body makesit impossible to breathe.A federal court ruled in 2001 that police cannot use hogties on people"with diminished capacity," ruling in the death of a Laramie, Wyo., man incustody, but the case is not binding in Florida.In April, the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin advised: "Officers shouldconsider restraining methods, such as hog-tying, as a last resort.""Certainly, hog-tying is not permitted at most police departments," Dr. Baden, a New York State Corrections Commission's Medical ReviewBoard member and ex-chief New York City medical examiner, told The MiamiHerald. "I would have thought the city of Miami would frown upon hog-tyingbecause it is so dangerous, and it causes people either to die or becomebrain-damaged." has autism, an often-debilitating neurologicaldisorder that can leave children and adults socially isolated and extremelydifficult to manage. His

family says the teen has the intellectual capacityof a 4-year-old.The incident Tuesday night began when 's mother tried to get himand three siblings ready to attend a Jehovah's Witness Bible study andmeeting. did not want to go, Grossman said, and ended up in analtercation with his mother, Alma Colindres, 40. One of his sisters calledpolice.Police records show the call was logged in as an "emergency" requestfor help, with the family reporting an autistic 18-year-old "was having aviolent episode and hitting everyone in the home," Calzadilla said.Dispatched at 6:47 p.m., officers arrived 15 minutes later, he said.+ Read more:http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/nation/16252073.htm. . .Flex Time for the Rest of Us"When the girls were 2, their parents learned that onehad autism. One of the first things Ms. Himmelfarb did wasleave the public sector for a higher-paying law firm,

allowingher husband to leave his marketing job to care for both girls."By Belkin in the NYTimes http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/17/jobs/17wcol.html?_r=1 & oref=sloginP. J. Himmelfarb has achieved a milestone at the law firm of Weil,Gotshal & Manges: she was just promoted to partner in the Washington office.This is important to her for all the usual reasons - money, prestige, power,more job security. It is important to the rest of us because she is one oftwo lawyers at the firm to be given a brand new title: flex-time partner."I knew if I were ever going to make partner I would have to do it assort of a trendsetter," she said. "My life didn't allow for me to do it theusual way."The future of the workplace will be determined by the feasibility offlexibility. Workers have been clear that they want it. A recent survey bythe Association of Executive Search Consultants, a professional group basedin

New York, found that more than half of senior executives polled would goso far as to turn down a promotion if it meant losing more control overtheir schedule.Employers, for their part, have talked the talk, but in spite of theirpromises, work-life balance has worsened for employees, according to thesurvey's authors. Flexibility in more than name only is still a long wayoff. Each example of a flexible program that works, therefore, takes us onestep farther on the path from a perk to a norm.Not surprisingly, Ms. Himmelfarb has a story. Workers without stories- without extreme value to their employers, a compelling need to work fromhome, or a job at a company that is seeking to make its name as a life-workleader - are rarely offered creative and flexible arrangements. The averageJoe (or, more accurately, the average Jane, since most of the workers askingfor this are still women) cannot do what Ms. Himmelfarb has done. But

thefact that she has done it begins to pave the way for others.Her story begins when her twin daughters were born six years ago. Shewas working for the government then, as a lawyer with the Securities andExchange Commission. When the girls were 2, their parents learned that oneof them, Rhiannon, had autism. One of the first things Ms. Himmelfarb didwas leave the public sector for a higher-paying law firm, allowing herhusband, Adam, to leave his marketing job to care for both girls.From the start, Ms. Himmelfarb says, Weil Gotshal understood that shewould leave the office whenever necessary to be involved in Rhiannon's care,and that she could not keep the typical lawyer's hours. "If you do an autismtherapy program eight hours a day but you don't follow through in theevening, if you don't follow through in the middle of the night, you won'tget anywhere," she said.That meant a different work pattern almost every day.

Some days sheworked from the office, some from home. For several months she moved with=== message truncated === __________________________________________________