What is Autism?

Home Forums Medical issues in Dentistry What is Autism?

Welcome Dear Guest

To create a new topic please register on the forums. For help contact : discussdentistry@hotmail.com

Currently, there are 0 users and 1 guest visiting this topic.
Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #8947
    sushantpatel_doc
    Offline
    Registered On: 30/11/2009
    Topics: 510
    Replies: 666
    Has thanked: 0 times
    Been thanked: 0 times

    This is a much discussed subject after the release of My Name Is Khan. Lets throw some light on it..

    Purpose of review: Autism is a biologically based disorder of brain development. Genetic factors – mutations, deletions, and copy number variants – are clearly implicated in causation of autism. However, they account for only a small fraction of cases, and do not easily explain key clinical and epidemiological features. This suggests that early environmental exposures also contribute. This review explores this hypothesis.

    Recent findings: Indirect evidence for an environmental contribution to autism comes from studies demonstrating the sensitivity of the developing brain to external exposures such as lead, ethyl alcohol and methyl mercury. But the most powerful proof-of-concept evidence derives from studies specifically linking autism to exposures in early pregnancy – thalidomide, misoprostol, and valproic acid; maternal rubella infection; and the organophosphate insecticide, chlorpyrifos. There is no credible evidence that vaccines cause autism.

    Summary: Expanded research is needed into environmental causation of autism. Children today are surrounded by thousands of synthetic chemicals. Two hundred of them are neurotoxic in adult humans, and 1000 more in laboratory models. Yet fewer than 20% of high-volume chemicals have been tested for neurodevelopmental toxicity. I propose a targeted discovery strategy focused on suspect chemicals, which combines expanded toxicological screening, neurobiological research and prospective epidemiological studies.

    #15730
    Drsumitra
    Offline
    Registered On: 06/10/2011
    Topics: 238
    Replies: 542
    Has thanked: 0 times
    Been thanked: 0 times

    Autism is a heartbreaking problem and it’s on the rise. Now some San Antonio area scientists are studying baby teeth to find out more about what causes this baffling neurological disorder.

    One of the country’s foremost funders of autism research, a group called Autism Speaks, has provided $100,000 for this study. Autism is a complex disorder causing a disruption in people’s ability to communicate and socialize.

    “Autism rates are one in 88 and nobody knows why,” said Ray Palmer, Ph.D., an epidemiologist with the University of Texas Health Science Center.

    Palmer is taking a new approach to studying autism using discarded baby teeth. Donated teeth from children with and without autism are ground up into powder, made into liquid and gas, and put through a process called mass spectrometry. It can reveal compounds like pesticides, plastics, even medicine the child was exposed to in the womb and as they grew.

    “It’s been done by looking at blood or hair analysis,” Palmer explained. "But that’s only a snapshot in time of recent exposure. It doesn’t provide a historical record of exposure like the teeth do.”

    “When the teeth are forming, that’s a record of what you’ve been exposed to in utero,” Palmer added.

    This kind of research is called tooth-fairy studies. Many scientists believe a genetic predisposition combined with environmental exposure triggers autism.

    “This is one of the most severe epidemics affecting children,” Palmer stated. “It’s really a wide open field and it’s way overdue.”

    The U.T. Health Science Center is still taking donations of teeth from children with and without autism

     

Viewing 2 posts - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.