December 05, 2022
- According to a recent review, transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) may be a valuable intervention for treating maladaptive neural plasticity. Several pediatric neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders such as ASD, ADHD, disruptive behavioral disorder, and stress-related disorder could be associated with or have roots in maladaptive neural plasticity. This review concludes that the non-invasive taVNS has the potential for specifically treating social dysfunction, impulsivity and inattention, anxiety and fear, and depression in children.
- Researchers from UCLA have discovered profound differences in the visual cortex area of the brain in individuals with autism compared to those without the disorder. This discovery came from an RNA-sequencing analysis of 725 postmortem brain tissue samples of 112 individuals. Approximately half of these individuals had an autism diagnosis. The samples came from 11 different cortical regions of the brain. The research team found genetic differences in area 17 of the visual cortex, which receives, integrates, and processes visual information, and the parietal cortex, which processes tactile, temperature, and pain sensations.
- A new investigation has concluded that prenatal exposure to benzodiazepines is not associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and ASD. This cohort study included 1,526,846 children and adjusted for possible confounders. The authors suggest that previous research describing adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes associated with prenatal benzodiazepine exposure did not account for potential parental genetic or familiar factors.
- A review featured in Endocrinology and Metabolism could not conclusively establish an association between prenatal PFAS exposure through maternal thyroid dysfunction and/or thyroid autoimmunity to the development of autism in offspring. However, the authors state that three of the seven studies they reviewed demonstrated significant findings that linked prenatal PFAS exposure to child ASD. Therefore, they encourage future research to examine the subject more thoroughly.
- Findings from a new study show that 87% of adults with an autism diagnosis prefer identity-first language (e.g., “I am autistic) when describing their disability. On the other hand, parents and professionals who work in the autism community prefer person-first language, (e.g., “person with autism”).
- ARI is hosting a free webinar focusing on Autism and Pica on Wednesday, December 7, at 1 p.m. EST. Dean Alexander will discuss pica, the ingestion of non-food substances, and ways to approach treatment through behavioral and biological interventions.
