Autism

There exists a small subset of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) characterized by fluctuating behavioral symptoms and cognitive skills following immune insults. Some of these children also exhibit specific polysaccharide antibody deficiency (SPAD), resulting in frequent infection caused by encapsulated organisms, and they often require supplemental intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) (ASD/SPAD). This study assessed whether these ASD/SPAD children have distinct immunological findings in compari

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a monthly professional medical journal published by the American Medical Association, publishes original, peer-reviewed clinical and basic research articles

Lab Reports. JAMA. 2012; 307( 1): 24.doi: 10.1001/jama.2011.1908. Autism Clues? ... In persons with Timothy syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disease with autism-like features caused by a mutation that leads to overactivation of a particular calcium channel,

Archives of General Psychiatry, a monthly professional medical journal published by the American Medical Association, publishes original, peer-reviewed articles about psychiatry and related fields

Autism is a biological disorder with clearly defined phenomenology. Studies from the Middle East on this topic have been particularly rare. Little is known about the influence of culture on clinical features, presentations and management of autism. The current study was done to compare characteristics of autism in two groups of Egyptian as well as Saudi children.|Autism is a biological disorder with clearly defined phenomenology. Studies from the Middle East on this topic have been particularly rare. Littl

Autism often involves early brain overgrowth, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Although prefrontal abnormality has been theorized to underlie some autistic symptoms, the cellular defects that cause abnormal overgrowth remain unknown.|To investigate whether early brain overgrowth in children with autism involves excess neuron numbers in the PFC. DESIGN, SETTING, AND CASES: Postmortem prefrontal tissue from 7 autistic and 6 control male children aged 2 to 16 years was examined by expert anatomists who were blinded to diagnostic status. Number and size of neurons were quantified using stereological methods within the dorsolateral (DL-PFC) and mesial (M-PFC) subdivisions of the PFC. Cases were from the eastern and southeastern United States and died between 2000 and 2006.|Mean neuron number and size in the DL-PFC and M-PFC were compared between autistic and control postmortem cases. Correlations of neuron number with deviation in brain weight from normative values for age were also

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and epilepsy are very common neurological disorders of childhood, with an estimated incidence of about 0.5 - 1 % in worldwide population. ASD and epilepsy are often associated, suggesting that common neurodevelopmental bases may exist for these two disorders. The neurodevelopmental bases of both ASD and epilepsy have been clearly showed by a number of genetic, neuroimaging and neuropathological studies. In recent years, dysfunction of inhibitory GABAergic circuits has been proposed as a cause for both disorders. Several studies performed on both animal models and postmortem human samples indicate that GABAergic neurons and circuits are altered in both ASD and epilepsy, suggesting that the excitation/inhibition imbalance resulting from neurodevelopmental defects in GABAergic circuitry might represent a common pathogenetic mechanism for these disorders. Here, we will review the most significant studies supporting this hypothesis.

For the past 5 years, a 30-year-old woman has had boils on her groin. She has tried at least 3 different antibiotics over the years, but none of them have been effective. She is otherwise healthy; the only medication she takes regularly is an oral contraceptive.

For the past 5 years, a 30-year-old woman has had boils on her groin. She has tried at least 3 different antibiotics over the years, but none of them have been effective. She is otherwise healthy; the only medication she takes regularly is an oral contraceptive.

A 49-year-old man has had intermittent eruptions of itchy blisters on both of his palms for the past 15 years. The lesions heal after 2 to 3 weeks and then occur again after 6 months. He suspects that they are caused by poison ivy, but he is unsure of where he would have been exposed to the plant.