Most people with intellectual disability get help, but many could do with more
( AIHW 12-Nov-08 )
In 2003, 2.5% of Australians under the age of 65 had an intellectual disability (436,000 people), and the vast majority of them (423,000) were living at home, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Risk Of Language Delay In Children Doubled By Diabetes In Pregnancy
( Université Laval 12-Nov-08 )
Children born to mothers with pregnancy-related diabetes run twice the risk of language development problems, according to a research team directed by Professor Ginette Dionne of Université Laval's School of Psychology.
How Children With Down Syndrome Learn
( DU 30-Oct-08 )
Researchers at the University of Denver (DU) Morgridge College of Education are conducting a groundbreaking study that will compare two early literacy intervention approaches to educating young children with Down syndrome.
Looking Through The Broken Mirror
( University of Nottingham 21-Oct-08 )
Researchers at The University of Nottingham are hoping to learn more about the causes of autism and Asperger's Syndrome, by putting a controversial theory to the test.
The More Alcohol Your Drink The Smaller Your Brain Gets
( AMA 20-Oct-08 )
The more alcohol an individual drinks, the smaller his or her total brain volume, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Cognitive Deficits And Sleep-breathing Disorders In Children
( MNT 16-Oct-08 )
Like adults, children can suffer from sleep-disordered breathing such as snoring or obstructive sleep apnea. New research explores the interaction between sleep, breathing, and brain function and find that about two-thirds of children with SDB have some degree of cognitive deficit.
Toddlers' Focus On Mouths Rather Than On Eyes Is A Predictor Of Autism Severity
( Yale 2-Oct-08 )
Scientists at Yale School of Medicine have found that two-year-olds with autism looked significantly more at the mouths of others, and less at their eyes, than typically developing toddlers. This abnormality predicts the level of disability, according to study results published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Program To Educate Teachers About Importance Of Early Intervention For Autism
( Autism Speaks 2-Oct-08 )
Autism Speaks, in partnership with the Ad Council and the CDC, announced today the launch of a new, groundbreaking educational tool kit, Talking to Parents About Autism, designed to promote early intervention and encourage educators to speak to a child's parents if they suspect a developmental delay.
Website Gives Mentally Ill Better Access To Justice
( QUT 1-Oct-08 )
An interactive website to assist criminal lawyers who are representing the mentally ill or impaired in the criminal justice system will be unveiled at QUT on Thursday October 23.
Math 'Dyslexia' Unravelled
( UWO 29-Sep-08 )
Although school has been back for less than a month, it is likely that many children are already experiencing frustration and confusion in math class. Research at The University of Western Ontario in London, Canada could change the way we view math difficulties and how we assist children who face those problems.
Clues To Autism, Epilepsy, Mental Retardation From Rare Genetic Disorder
( CHB 26-Sep-08 )
A rare genetic disorder called tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is yielding insight into a possible cause of some neurodevelopmental disorders: structural abnormalities in neurons, or brain cells.
Cancer Patients Experience Increased Risk Of Learning And Memory Problems
( ASTRO 25-Sep-08 )
Cancer patients with tumors that have spread to the brain (brain metastases) who undergo stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and whole brain radiation have more than double the risk of developing learning and memory problems, compared to those who only have stereotactic radiosurgery, according to randomized study.
NIDA Unveils "Innovations" In Addiction Research
( NIDA 24-Sep-08 )
The first annual NIDA Notes "Innovations" issue, released today, features examples of benchmark National Institute on Drug Abuse research advances that have profound implications for addiction science.
Psychology Therapy Can Build A Better Brain
( QUT 19-Sep-08 )
Getting your head around new things is your brain's favourite activity and it is this stimulation that keeps the brain rewiring itself and changing throughout life, said QUT's Dr Matthew Bambling, who takes part in a panel on the brain's ability to regrow and restructure itself, on Sunday.
Down's Signs Seen In Stem Cells
( BBCNews 9-Sep-08 )
Scientists have revealed the earliest developmental changes that lead to Down's syndrome.
Exercise Tackles Flawed Memory
( BBCNews 4-Sep-08 )
Exercise may help improve mental performance in adults with mild memory problems, research suggests.
Chronic Insomnia Linked To Reversible Cognitive Deficits Without Changes In Behavior
( AASM 3-Sep-08 )
A neuroimaging study in the Sept. 1 issue of the journal Sleep is the first to find that cognitive processes related to verbal fluency are compromised in people with insomnia despite the absence of a behavioral deficit.
Stroke And Parkinson's Patients Aided By New Sensory Devices
( QUB 3-Sep-08 )
People who have suffered a stroke or who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, could benefit from new research at Queen's University Belfast.
Parkinson Disease Support Group Brings World Class Conference To Rome, Georgia
( NGPDA 2-Sep-08 )
The 3rd Annual Southeastern Parkinson Disease Conference will be held at Berry College in Rome, Georgia on November 6 - 8, 2008. Nationally and Internationally recognized experts in their fields will present programs on various aspects of living with Parkinson Disease.
UQ Business School Supports Social Innovation
( UQ 1-Sep-08 )
The University of Queensland Business School will work with Youngcare - a charity supporting young people with high care needs ? to research social innovation.
Even Without Dementia, Mental Skills Decline Years Before Death
( AAN 29-Aug-08 )
A new study shows that older people's mental skills start declining years before death, even if they don't have dementia. The study is published in the August 27, 2008, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Pregnancy Situations Have Impact On Brain Development In Preterm Infants
( Academy of Finland 28-Aug-08 )
Brain development in infants who are born very prematurely is still incomplete. Factors that cause premature birth may have an impact on the development of the premature infant's brain both during pregnancy and later on after birth.
Drug May Slow Down Parkinson's
( BBCNews 28-Aug-08 )
Early use of medication may be able to slow down progression of Parkinson's disease, preliminary research suggests.
Pre-school Age Exercises Can Prevent Dyslexia
( NMI 27-Aug-08 )
Atypical characteristics of children's linguistic development are early signs of the risk of developing reading and writing disabilities, or dyslexia. New research points to preventive exercises as an effective means to tackle the challenges children face when learning to read.
Department Of Defense Awards $35M To Support Local Brain Injury Research
( UTHSCH 26-Aug-08 )
Of the more than 1.5 million people who suffer a traumatic brain injury each year in the United States, as many as 75 percent sustain a concussion, a brain injury that is classified as mild yet can lead to long-term or permanent impairments and disabilities.
Mild Cognitive Impairment Associated With Longer And More Severe Diabetes
( MNT 21-Aug-08 )
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) with earlier onset, longer duration, and greater severity, according to an article released on August 11, 2008 in the Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Cocoa Flavanols Linked To Improved Brain Blood Flow
( Weber Shandwick Worldwide 20-Aug-08 )
Cocoa flavanols, the unique compounds found naturally in cocoa, may increase blood flow to the brain, according to new research published in the Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment journal.
Reading And Rhythm Relationship Explored
( BPS 14-Aug-08 )
A study published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology adds weight to the theory that a child's reading ability is linked to their sensitivity to the rhythm of speech.
Researchers Study Diet In Autistic Children
( UTHSC 12-Aug-08 )
Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have embarked on one of the first double-blind, clinical studies to determine whether gluten and dairy products play a role in autistic behavior as parents have anecdotally claimed.
Eating Fish May Prevent Memory Loss And Stroke In Old Age
( AAN 7-Aug-08 )
Eating tuna and other types of fish may help lower the risk of cognitive decline and stroke in healthy older adults, according to a study published in the August 5, 2008, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Results From Survey Of Professionals Working In Learning Disability
( FPA 6-Aug-08 )
Today, fpa launches It's My Right! - a groundbreaking campaign for Sexual Health Week, about the rights of people with learning disabilities to have sex and relationships. As part of the week fpa are releasing the results of surveys for professionals working with people with learning disabilities and people with learning disabilities.
Expanding Parkinson Disease Assessment To Psychosocial Functioning
( ISPOR 4-Aug-08 )
A cross-national project on Parkinson disease assessment calls the attention for the role of behavioral factors in Parkinson disease. The study points to new trends in Parkinson's disease assessment, which eventually would expand to social functioning ascertainment.
Chairman Of National Association Of UK Karate And Martial Art Schools Has Asperger's
( NAKMAS 1-Aug-08 )
Joe Ellis, Chairman of NAKMAS, the national governing body of all forms of martial arts in the UK, has announced that he has the neurobiological condition known as Asperger Syndrome. The announcement coincides with the introduction of the NAKMAS Asperger Syndrome training programme, aimed at educating martial arts coaches about the condition.
Alzheimer's Curbed By Promising New Drug
( MNT 1-Aug-08 )
A new drug that has completed phase 2 trials in the UK and Singapore is being hailed as a major breakthrough in the treatment of Alzheimer's, as it appeared to slow the progress of the disease by as much as 81 per cent over a year, compared to placebo.
Cerebral Malaria May Be A Major Cause Of Brain Injury In African Children
( University of Minnesota 1-Aug-08 )
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have found that cerebral malaria is related to long-term cognitive impairment in one of four child survivors. The research is published in the current issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Disrupted Communication Networks In Brain Lead To Autism's Social Struggles
( CMU 29-Jul-08 )
Picking up on innuendo and social cues is a central component of engaging in conversation, but people with autism often struggle to determine another person's intentions in a social interaction. New research from Carnegie Mellon University sheds light on the neural mechanisms that are responsible for such social difficulties in autism.
New International Alzheimer's Disease Research Network Announced
( WUSM 28-Jul-08 )
The Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis will lead a six-year, $16 million international research collaboration dedicated to understanding inherited forms of Alzheimer's disease.
Possible Geographical Ties To ALS Cases Among 1991 Gulf War Vets
( Duke University 25-Jul-08 )
Researchers from Duke University, the University of Cincinnati (UC) and the Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center are hoping to find a geographical pattern to help explain why 1991 Gulf War veterans contracted the fatal neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at twice the normal rate during the decade after the conflict.
Woman Left Brain Damaged By Detox
( BBCNews 24-Jul-08 )
A woman has been awarded more than £800,000 after she suffered permanent brain damage while on a detox diet.
Huntington's Disease: Catching It Early
( JEM 22-Jul-08 )
Huntington's disease normally only begins to cause its tell-tale memory and physical coordination impairments after affected individuals reach the age of 30. The nerve damage that creates these impairments is thought to be partly due to a destructive immune response in the brain.
Common Mechanisms May Underlie Autism's Diverse Mutations
( NIH/NIMH 18-Jul-08 )
Many of the seemingly disparate mutations recently discovered in autism may share common underlying mechanisms, say researchers supported in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Middle Eastern Families Yield Intriguing Clues To Autism
( CHB 14-Jul-08 )
Research involving large Middle Eastern families, sophisticated genetic analysis and groundbreaking neuroscience has implicated a half-dozen new genes in autism.
Japanese Encephalitis Virus Causes Double Trouble To Brain
( Wiley-Blackwell 10-Jul-08 )
Japanese encephalitis (JE), commonly known as brain fever, is one of the prevalent mosquito-borne encephalitis in India and entire South East (SE) Asia. Besides resulting in thousand fatalities each year, JE virus infection causes prominent neurological sequelae in approximately one-third of the survivors.
Lack Of Fragile X And Related Gene Fractures Sleep
( BCM 2-Jul-08 )
Lack of both the fragile X syndrome gene and one that is related could account for sleep problems associated with the disorder, which is the common cause of inherited mental impairment, said a consortium of researchers led by scientists at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
2008 Brain Injury Australia National Conference
( BIA 26-Jun-08 )
Your chance to save $80.00 on the cost of registration for INSIGHTS and SOLUTIONS, Brain Injury Australia's second National Conference, ends next Friday July 4. The conference will be held in conjunction with Alcohol and other drug Related Brain Injury Australian Services 2nd international conference, at Melbourne's Sofitel Hotel from Monday 1 - Wednesday 3 September, 2008.
Mental And Physical Exercise Improves Genetic Mental Impairment
( Research Australia 24-Jun-08 )
Australian scientists have shown that mental and physical exercise can improve coordination and movement problems in Rett syndrome, a devastating genetic brain development disorder that primarily affects females.
Drug Reverses Mental Retardation in Mice
( UCLA 24-Jun-08 )
UCLA researchers discovered that an FDA-approved drug reverses the brain dysfunction inflicted by a genetic disease called tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Because half of TSC patients also suffer from autism, the findings offer new hope for addressing learning disorders due to autism.
The Future Of UK Adult Learning Disability Care Provision
( Carechoices 23-Jun-08 )
A new report from Care Management Matters, due for publication late June 2008, will present an overview and analysis of the future of learning disability care for adults in the UK.
'Faulty' Brain Connections May Be Responsible For Social Impairments In Autism
( UW 19-Jun-08 )
New evidence shows that the brains of adults with autism are "wired" differently from people without the disorder, and this abnormal pattern of connectivity may be responsible for the social impairments that are characteristic of autism.
Response To The Carers Strategy By The National Autistic Society
( NAS 19-Jun-08 )
Whilst The National Autistic Society (NAS) welcomes increased funding for vital support services, such as shortbreak schemes, much more needs to be done to tackle the financial hardship faced by thousands of carers.
UK Initiative For People With Profound And Multiple Learning Disabilities
( OIA 19-Jun-08 )
National charity for people with learning disabilities, HFT, has teamed up with charity and voluntary agency, Onside Independent Advocacy, to launch a new initiative which will enhance support for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.
Barkuma Employees Get Healthy and Get Active
( Barkuma 6-Jun-08 )
Leading disability service provider, Barkuma Incorporated, will this month begin a pilot program encouraging more than 140 employees who have an intellectual disability to get healthy and get active.
Alzheimer's Society Comment On The Government's Dignity Campaign
( AS 30-May-08 )
People with dementia are entitled to the same dignity and quality of care as any other patient, but the symptoms of this devastating condition can make this a real challenge.
Making Your Mind Up
( GMC 30-May-08 )
New GMC guidance urges doctors to rethink their approach to discussing medical issues with their patients. Doctors should actively engage patients in discussions, allowing them to make decisions based on their individual needs and circumstances.
Autism Detected At 9 Months Of Age Using Research Tool
( McU 27-May-08 )
The ability to detect autism in children as young as nine months of age is on the horizon, according to researchers at McMaster University.
Speech Pathologists Urge Language Tests For Poor Behaviour
( SPA 26-May-08 )
Children who display challenging behaviour and learning difficulties should be tested for language impairment, according to a leading Australian researcher, Monash University senior lecturer, Dr Pamela Snow.
Music Used To Explore The Autistic Brain's Emotion Processing
( UCLA 16-May-08 )
Music has a universal ability to tap into our deepest emotions. Unfortunately, for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), understanding emotions is a very difficult task. Can music help them?
Green Tea Compounds Beat OSA-Related Brain Deficits
( ATS 16-May-08 )
Chemicals found in green tea may be able to stave off the cognitive deficits that occur with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a new study published in the second issue for May of the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Having Less Power Impairs The Mind And Ability To Get Ahead
( APS 16-May-08 )
New research appearing in the May issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, suggests that being put in a low-power role may impair a person's basic cognitive functioning and thus, their ability to get ahead.
UK Autism Campaign Urges Debate On Social Care And The Elderly
( AACUK 16-May-08 )
The Autism Awareness Campaign UK is urging the Minister Ivan Lewis to launch a debate on Social Care and the Elderly with Autism in the wake of his recent announcement.
More Vaccine-Autism Link Cases Heard By US Court
( MNT 14-May-08 )
Parents claiming that the vaccine preservative thimerosal damaged their children's brains and led them to show symptoms of autism, brought their case before the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington yesterday.
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Do Not Improve Cognitive Function In Older Adults
( JAMA 13-May-08 )
The anti-inflammatory drugs naproxen and celecoxib do not appear to improve cognitive function in older adults with a family history of Alzheimer's disease, and naproxen may have a slightly detrimental effect, according to an article posted online that will appear in the July 2008 print issue of Archives of Neurology.
Promoting Dignity And Independence For Sufferers Of Dementia
( SEPT 13-May-08 )
Two projects by South Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT) to promote dignity and independence for people who suffer from dementia were highly commended at this year's East of England Health and Social Care Awards.
Early Detection Can Make Speech Problems Correctable
( Rutgers University 14-Apr-08 )
Uncover how the brains of infants distinguish differences in sounds and it may become possible to correct language problems even before children start to speak, sparing them the difficulties that come from struggling with language.
Better Communication And Support Has Led To Restraint Reduction
( BPL 8-Feb-08 )
A new study in the journal Perspectives in Psychiatric Care reveals that when an outside professional consultation team worked closely with the staff, providing better staff training and teaching specific interventions to be used with patients diagnosed with both a mental illness and a developmental disability, the use of restraints was eliminated for these patients over a two-year period.
ADHD Drugs Ineffective Over The Long Term
( MNT 11-Dec-07 )
Apart from being ineffective over the long term, ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) drugs may also undermine your child's physical growth, a BBC television program, Panorama, has revealed. Scientists seem to be saying that claims made about ADHD drugs some years ago were overstated.
Family Enrollment Begins In Largest Study To Investigate Risk Factors Of Autism
( KP 19-Nov-07 )
Researchers from Kaiser Permanente and the California Department of Public Health, as well as from five other sites nationwide, are now enrolling families in the largest study to date investigating the genetic and environmental factors that may cause autism and other developmental disabilities.
People With Schizophrenia Are More Logical
( RCP 17-Nov-07 )
Under conditions where common sense and logic conflict, people with schizophrenia reason more logically than healthy individuals, a new study has found.
Research Links Diet To Cognitive Decline And Dementia
( W-B 9-Nov-07 )
Research has shown convincing evidence that dietary patterns practiced during adulthood are important contributors to age-related cognitive decline and dementia risk.
Parkinson's Disease And Deep Brain Stimulation
( UA 4-Nov-07 )
For those who suffer with the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease, Deep Brain Stimulation offers relief from the tremors and rigidity that can't be controlled by medicine.
Language Impairments In Children Study
( UA 3-Oct-07 )
For the first time, a new study has looked into how language impairments affect a child's ability to understand and retell a script-based story.
Child Disability Screening Shows Promise
( UQ 3-Oct-07 )
A new system to identify developmental problems including disability in premature infants has shown promise.
Autism Symptoms Shown To Improve Into Adulthood
( UW-M 2-Oct-07 )
In a new study, published in the September Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, researchers have found that symptoms can improve with age.
Half Of Children With Autism Can Be Accurately Diagnosed At Close To One Year Of Age
( Kennedy Krieger Institute 23-Jul-07 )
In a study published today in the Archives of General Psychiatry, researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland found that autism can be diagnosed at close to one year of age, which is the earliest the disorder has ever been diagnosed.
Children With Autism Can't Discern Between A Frown And A Smile
( UCLA 13-Jun-07 )
Researchers show that children with autism can't respond to visual cues.
Imaging Study Provides Further Clues About Autism
( UCLA 10-May-07 )
New imaging research at UCLA shows that impairments in autistic children's ability to imitate and empathize can be linked to dysfunction in the brain's mirror-neuron system.
Combination Of Early Detection, Timely Treatment Hold Promise For Autism
( APAM 25-Apr-07 )
Emerging genetic research may help scientists recognize children with autism at a younger and potentially treatable age.
Stem Cells Decrease Ischemic Injury And Restore Brain Function
( PLoS 21-Apr-07 )
This is the impressive result of a study carried out by a group of researchers in Milan, Italy.
Huge Momentum After Major Parliamentary Debate On Autism
( AAC UK 21-Mar-07 )
A huge momentum is building up as a result of the landmark debate on autism held in Westminster Hall on 7th March.
Future Developmental Delays In Premature Infants Predicted By MRI Scans
( New England Journal of Medicine 3-Mar-07 )
Washington University pediatrician has found that performing MRI scans on pre-term infants' brains assists dramatically in predicting the babies' future developmental outcomes.
DDT In Mothers Linked To Developmental Delays In Children
( UC-Berkeley 3-Mar-07 )
Study led by a team of UC researchers has found that in utero exposure is associated with developmental delays in the young child.
New Scale Predicts Recovery Of Consciousness From Coma After Brain Injury
( Northwestern University 2-Mar-07 )
Researcher has developed the first truly reliable measure of neurobehavioral functioning during coma from severe brain injury that predicts recovery of consciousness up to one year after injury.
Public Welcomes Workers With Intellectual Disabilities
( Queen's University 1-Mar-07 )
People with ID should be included in the workplace, and supported in their efforts to get there, say a majority of respondents in poll on public attitudes toward employing people with ID.
Viral Infection At Birth Linked To Cerebral Palsy
( British Medical Journal 21-Feb-07 )
Exposure to certain viral infections shortly before and after birth (the perinatal period) is associated with cerebral palsy.
Moderate hypothermia a safe treatment for traumatic brain injury in kids
( Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh 21-Feb-07 )
A first-of-its-kind multi-center trial has shown that cooling the body can have positive affects on children who suffered traumatic brain injury.