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There is no link between smoking during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children, according to a large population-based study in Sweden. Brian Lee, PhD, MPH, assistant professor at Drexel University, in Philadelphia, led the research, which was conducted by a team of international collaborators (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, online, Dec. 16, 2011).Researchers have considered a variety of chemical exposures in the environment during pregnancy and early life as possible ...

Many bodies of water around the globe contain discarded and unexploded munitions, or underwater ordnance (UXOs). These UXOs, most commonly associated with former military training sites or the result of post-war disposal, pose public safety hazards as well as chemical contamination risks. Clean-up requires being able to locate and differentiate engineered objects from natural ones.Because sound is a particularly useful tool for classifying objects either on or embedded in the ocean floor, researchers are ...

Epilepsy is common in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A new study indicates the epilepsy is surprisingly photosensitive as well. Since photosensitive epilepsies can be triggered by flickering lights, the self-stimulatory behavior of children with ASD, such as hand flapping in front of the face, has the potential to dramatically increase the risk of inducing photosensitive seizures. The study is the first report of a marked difference in response to intermittent photic stimulation. The ...

Despite vast differences in the genetic code across individuals and ethnicities, the human brain shows a "consistent molecular architecture," report researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The finding is from a pair of studies that have created databases revealing when and where genes turn on and off in multiple brain regions through development (Nature, 478: 519-23). "Our study shows how 650,000 common genetic variations that make each of us a unique person may influence the ebb ...

The New York State Senate has introduced two bills aimed at expanding entrepreneurship opportunities dramatically for people with disabilities. The measures were sponsored by Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn).The bills (S.6095, S. 6096). reflect the success of the Start-Up NY program and "Inclusive Entrepreneurship," developed by the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University and its partners, including the Whitman School of Management at  the university, the South Side Innovation Center ...

Parents of picky eaters can encourage their children to eat more nutritionally diverse diets by introducing more color to their meals, according to a new study that found colorful food fare is more appealing to children than adults. Specifically, food plates with seven different items and six different colors are particularly appealing to children, while adults tend to prefer only three items and three colors (Acta Paediatrica, January 2012)."What kids find visually appealing is very different than what ...

In his State of the State address on Jan. 4, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for a transformation in the way New York delivers services to its more than 2 million residents with disabilities. Peter Blanck, PhD, JD, chair of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University, is encouraged by the recognition of the governor's administration regarding the importance of providing support for this population."We at BBI look forward to helping inform the administration's policy-making efforts," stated ...

New research links "silent strokes," or small spots of dead brain cells, found in about one out of four older adults to memory loss in the elderly (Neurology, Jan. 3, 2012)."The new aspect of this study of memory loss in the elderly is that it examines silent strokes and hippocampal shrinkage simultaneously," said study author Adam Brickman, PhD, of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University Medical Center in New York.The study involved 658 people, ...

 People with diets high in several vitamins or in omega 3 fatty acids are less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer's disease than people whose diets are not high in those nutrients, according to a new study (Neurology, online, Dec. 28, 2011).Those with diets high in omega 3 fatty acids and in vitamins C, D, E and the B vitamins also had higher scores on cognitive tests than people with diets low in those nutrients. These omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D are primarily found ...

For many people, ringing in the new year brings hope and joyful anticipation. But for those who struggle with stuttering, the old fears of speaking and being teased are the same, according to the Stuttering Foundation.A typical school day can be fraught with painfully embarrassing situations for school-age children who stutter. "I was picked on so much about my stuttering that I wouldn't even go to lunch because I didn't want to sit at a table by myself," recalls Peter, 16. "I don't raise my hand in class ...

Hemispatial neglect is common after a stroke. The current treatment of attention and concentration training using computer and pencil-and-paper tasks is inadequate. A new study shows that magnetic stimulation of the nerve cells in the brain may speed up the recovery from this condition (Neurology, online, Dec. 13, 2011). In transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) a large electromagnetic coil is placed against the scalp, creating electrical currents that stimulate nerve cells."The treatment is based on the ...

Actor Michael J. Fox is calling on people with Parkinson's and those without the disease to join Fox Trial Finder, a new Web tool that connects volunteers with clinical trials that desperately need participants for the testing of new drugs and other treatments. Fox Trial Finder, created by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, was launched in July. It helps people with and without Parkinson's find clinical trials close to where they live that may be a good match for their medical ...

Stabilizing the power-generating center of the cell protects against Parkinson's disease in a rat model, according to a new study led by John Sinclair and Roger Barker, of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom (Journal of Experimental Medicine, online, Dec. 19, 2011). Mitochondria, the energy production center of cells, are damaged in Parkinson's, leading to the loss of dopaminergic neurons and degeneration of brain function. Taking advantage of the fact that viruses often stabilize ...

Recent research has brought new understanding as to why death rates for less educated middle-aged adults are much higher than for their more educated peers despite increased awareness and treatments aimed at reducing health disparities (American Sociological Review, December 2011).For decades data have shown that middle-aged adults with low education levels (high school or less) are twice as likely to die as those with higher education levels. Richard Miech, PhD, of the Department of Health and Behavioral ...

An estimated 9.3 million American adults lost health insurance coverage as a result of increased unemployment during the recession of 2007-2009, according to a newly published study by researchers at three universities.The study, titled "The Impact of the Macroeconomy on Health Insurance Coverage: Evidence from the Great Recession," was published online by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The research (www.nber.org/papers/w17600) was authored by John Cawley, PhD, of Cornell University; Kosali ...