November 21, 2022
- Research from Australia recently investigated how maternal autoimmune disease during pregnancy and early childhood infections influence a child’s brain development. The study discovered that having a mother with an autoimmune disease during pregnancy or being admitted to the hospital with an infection before age two increases a child’s odds of developing ASD. Surprisingly, children exposed to both maternal autoimmune disease during gestation and infection before age two did not experience an increased risk of developing autism.
- Blastocystis is a microscopic parasite that can live inside the digestive tract and is capable of asymptomatic long-term host colonization. A new study has found that the presence of Blastocystis in the gut microbiota could be a marker for poor cognition and deficits in executive functioning. These findings were most pronounced in subjects aged 50 to 65 years.
- Disability advocates are pressuring federal lawmakers to include the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act in a comprehensive legislative package expected to pass before the year’s end. Currently, SSI beneficiaries can only have up to $2,000 in assets to retain their monthly benefits. Married couples are limited to $3000. Under this new bill, these limits would increase to $10,000 for individuals and $20,000 for married couples. Furthermore, SSI’s asset limits would be linked to inflation to ensure that these amounts keep pace with future cost-of-living increases.
- Results from a cross-sectional study suggest that genetic testing of individuals with epilepsy can assist in the clinical management of their condition. Specifically, the study demonstrated that receiving a definitive genetic diagnosis was associated with changes in clinical management in approximately half the patients included in this research. Most patients that received management changes (i.e., precision medicine-based therapies) due to their genetic etiology saw reduced or eliminated seizures.
- According to new research, raising the body temperature in mice with two autism-linked genetic mutations seems to alleviate seizures and other autistic-like traits in the rodents. These findings suggest a mechanism that could be associated with reports that a small percentage of children with autism have temporary improvements in sociability and other behaviors during or after fever episodes. A 2017 study based on parent reports demonstrated that only 17% of children with autism showed this improved “fever effect.”
- The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) has announced the dates of its 2023 Inspire Conference and Expo. The conference will take place April 20-23, 2023, in Kansas City, MO. It will feature over 2200 speakers in over 1200 sessions including a keynote presentation and a presidential address.
