Healing Thresholds Autism Therapy Topic Feed

Pervasive Developmental Disorders and Psychosis

scottie — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 16:15:11 +0000

Title	Pervasive Developmental Disorders and Psychosis
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Starling J, Dossetor D
Journal Title	Current Psychiatry Reports
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	11
Issue	3
Pages	190-196
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19470280?ordinalpos=145&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Full Text	Several symptoms of autism and psychosis are similar, and diagnosis may affect therapy. Between 25% and 65% of children with autism may also have depression, anxiety, and/or other nervous system disorders. Psychosis was not often diagnosed with autism. The authors talked about "psychosis" as a broad term that included different types of psychosis and schizophrenia. With psychosis, the patientâ??s sense of reality is distorted or lost. Psychosis and autism share many symptoms. Before the 1970s, children with autism symptoms were diagnosed with "childhood psychoses." Physicians now often find it hard to tell the difference between the two disorders in children because they are so similar. The authors think that physicians often have trouble figuring it out because of poor communication skills in the children. They also wonder whether some of the children diagnosed with autism may have a type of psychosis. The authors urge more research to compare children diagnosed with autism to children diagnosed with psychosis. The diagnosis may affect the types of therapy they get.

Safety and Usage of Atypical Antipsychotic Medicines in Children: A Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study

scottie — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:14:22 +0000

Title	Safety and Usage of Atypical Antipsychotic Medicines in Children: A Nationwide Prospective Cohort Study
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Harrison-Woolrych M, Garcia-Quiroga J, Ashton J, Herbison P
Journal Title	Drug Safety
Year of Publication	2007
Volume	30
Issue	7
Pages	569-579
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17604408?ordinalpos=4&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Full Text	Risperidone use in children with autism may result in sadness. This New Zealand study looked at the use of a type of drug therapy (atypical antipsychotics) in children. In 94% of the cases the drug therapy was for risperidone. Risperidone is prescribed for many reasons such as autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders. A total of 131 of the 420 children in the study (31%) had one or more adverse events. The study described one 13-year-old girl with autism who was given risperidone therapy and became sad. An 11-year-old boy with Asperger syndrome received risperidone therapy and became depressed. Another 11-year-old boy with Asperger syndrome had suicidal thoughts after starting risperidone.

Clinical Holistic Medicine (Mindful Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Complimented with Bodywork) in the Treatment of Schizophrenia (ICD10-F20/DSM-IV Code 295) and Other Psychotic Mental Illnesses

scottie — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:10:40 +0000

Title	Clinical Holistic Medicine (Mindful Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Complimented with Bodywork) in the Treatment of Schizophrenia (ICD10-F20/DSM-IV Code 295) and Other Psychotic Mental Illnesses
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Ventegodt S, Kandel I, Merrick J
Journal Title	The Scientific World Journal
Year of Publication	2007
Volume	7
Pages	1987-2008
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18167614?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Full Text	Psychotherapy that works to bring together the different parts of a person's sense of self (clinical holistic medicine) can help patients with schizophrenia and autism. This paper includes a case study of a 30-year-old man with schizophrenia and autism who was cured by three years of clinical holistic medicine. When he first arrived at the clinic he had autism and was not in touch with his emotions. He had been abandoned in early childhood by his mother and father. After three years of therapy he had a social life and his behavior was much improved. The authors believe that psychodynamic treatment/clinical holistic medicine should be the treatment of choice for schizophrenia.

‘All that Glitters is not Gold’: Misdiagnosis of Psychosis in Pervasive Developmental Disorders – A Case Series

scottie — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:22:30 +0000

Title	‘All that Glitters is not Gold’: Misdiagnosis of Psychosis in Pervasive Developmental Disorders – A Case Series
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Dosseters DR
Journal Title	Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Year of Publication	2007
Volume	12
Issue	4
Pages	537-548
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18095536?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Full Text	Some children who may seem psychotic actually have autism and can be helped by autism therapies. This paper describes a series of children (case studies) who had autism instead of psychosis. The author writes about very early onset schizophrenia (VEOS), which is not very common. He has found in his practice that many children who were brought to him because the parents thought they had VEOS actually were acting up from anxiety from autism. The children were young and did not have the verbal skills to describe what they were feeling. The children improved with autism therapies.

Jobs

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:55:35 +0000

Avatars Help Asperger Syndrome Patients Learn to Play the Game of Life At the UT Dallas Center for BrainHealth, Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism Practice Their Social Skills in Virtual Worlds Richardson, Texas (Nov. 16, 2007) — A technology associated with fantasy worlds is helping young adults with autism in the hard reality of life. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas Center for BrainHealth are working with patients diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome using virtual reality training. People with the disorder have normal intelligence, but they suffer from a variety of social cognitive defects, including an inability to read nonverbal clues and adapt well to change. These young adults -- considered to have a form of autism -- face many obstacles in life. Interviewing for a job or asking somebody for a date can be monumentally difficult. To help them succeed, researchers from the center have created a virtual world for them to practice their social skills. Each person creates an avatar/character in his or her likeness, who then navigates through a virtual world, interacting with real people represented by their own avatars. The virtual world includes settings commonly encountered in everyday life such as restaurants, shops, offices, apartment living and parks, where they can meet “new” people in a safe, controlled environment. For example, if the goal is applying for a job, their avatars substitute for them as they practice their interviewing skills with real people on-line until the fear and anxiety of a real encounter with a potential supervisor diminishes. This method is distinct from role-playing, which is a widely used method, in that they feel the same emotions as they would in direct encounters. Virtual reality provides a therapy tool to rewire the brain through practical experiences that can be manipulated in ways the real world cannot, says Dr. Sandra Chapman, director of the Center for BrainHealth. “The clinicians can change the virtual world to increase the complexity of the exercise, control for sensory overload, provide motivation, and record feedback,” said Chapman. “Unlike other models of intervention, virtual world experiences provide a powerful way to learn new and more appropriate ways to respond to people in scenarios similar to those faced everyday,” she said. “Our research in brain discoveries tells us that the brain can rewire its pathways with intensive practice grounded in experience – not by learning rules of how to interact – which has been the most common therapy practice heretofore,” said Chapman. “These young adults have the advantage of an intensive, interactive therapy to deal with problems they encounter everyday but in a safe setting to practice their social skills.” Before entering the program, the participants undergo a series of brain imaging measures and neurocognitive tests. At first, they practice with their avatars with a clinician by their sides. Quickly, new persons/avatars are introduced to the client and they begin to interact with family members and trusted friends. In addition to the virtual-world therapy, the young adults receive plenty of one-on-one coaching as they are trained to develop the insight to assess their own responses. At first, they watch recordings of their interactions, and gradually they are expected to modify their behaviors to fit the context in real time. The idea is to train their brains in new ways of thinking in contexts that closely mimic real life. That goal is to stop unhelpful responses before they can start. “There are almost no treatment programs for older children or young adults with autism-related disorders,” said Chapman. “And yet this is a very good time to intervene because it is during adolescence that rapid brain development takes place – particularly in the areas supporting social-skill development.” Although still in the early stages, the BrainHealth researchers say they can detect dramatic improvements with many of the participants in terms of simple awareness of their social problems, which they say is the first step to improvement. Virtual-reality therapy has become a new tool in brain rehabilitation. Therapists are using the gaming technology for people who suffer from autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, addictions, strokes and brain injuries. About UT Dallas

The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls more than 14,500 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The University offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UT Dallas, please visit the University’s Web site at www.utdallas.edu.

video of Dr who specializes in completly curing autism with diet and probiotics

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:54:17 +0000

Have you seen this video by a Doctor in England that has a book out now on how she cured her son's severe autism with a special diet and probiotics. She says that one of the main causes of autism is taking antibiotics and that one needs to replace the good bacteria in the digestive system in order to heal the digestive system and that will cure the autism. Here the free you tube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpe4kcvaesw
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gut-Psychology-Syndrome-Depression-Schizophrenia/dp/0954852001

Aripiprazole Treatment of Asperger’s Syndrome in the Acute Psychiatric Setting: Case Report

scottie — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:41:32 +0000

Title	Aripiprazole Treatment of Asperger’s Syndrome in the Acute Psychiatric Setting: Case Report
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Dratcu L, McKay G, Singaravelu V, Krishnamurthy V
Journal Title	Neuropsychiatry Disease and Treatment
Year of Publication	2007
Volume	3
Issue	1
Pages	173-176
URL for Abstract	http://dovepress.com/articles.php?content_id=824
Full Text	Treatment with the antipsychotic aripiprazole may help with some of the symptoms of Asperger's syndrome. This is a case report of a 41-year-old male who had an original diagnosis of schizophrenia, which was changed to a diagnosis of Asperger's. The authors note that Asperger's may present with symptoms very much like those seen in schizophrenia, depressive disorders, and some personality disorders. This patient had many symptoms of Asperger's such as repetitive behavior, clumsiness, and poor social skills. While drug therapy cannot cure Asperger's, it can help to manage some of the symptoms of Asperger's. The authors urge doctors to think about a diagnosis of Asperger's when treating patients who have these symptoms.

Neuroprotection and Enhancement of Neurite Outgrowth with Small Molecular Weight Compounds from Screens of Chemical Libraries

scottie — Thu, 24 May 2007 13:51:21 +0000

Title	Neuroprotection and Enhancement of Neurite Outgrowth with Small Molecular Weight Compounds from Screens of Chemical Libraries
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Dwyer DS, Dickson A
Journal Title	International Review of Neurobiology
Year of Publication	2007
Volume	77
Pages	247-289
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17178477&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum
Full Text	New drugs for autism will likely focus on helping the brains of people with autism to use energy better. The brains of people with autism tend to grow and mature differently than other people. Scientists so far know of only a few drugs that may be able to help correct these differences. The drug therapies that do exist now, however, only seem to be able to help a little bit. The authors of this review focus on neurodevelopmental disorders (schizophrenia, Rett syndrome, and autism) and neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer'??s, Parkinson's, and Huntington'??s). They report that as scientists work to find new drug treatments for both of these types of brain problems, research will focus on finding drugs that can protect the brain and cause the brain to grow.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation in Children with Autism: A Double-blind Randomized, Placebo-controlled Pilot Study

scottie — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 19:13:16 +0000

Title	Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation in Children with Autism: A Double-blind Randomized, Placebo-controlled Pilot Study
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Amminger GP, Berger GE, Schafer MR, Klier C, Friedrich MH, Feucht M
Journal Title	Biol Psychiatry
Year of Publication	2007
Volume	61
Issue	4
Pages	551-553
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16920077&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum
Full Text	Fish oil has been shown to be a helpful therapy for schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder, and many other disorders. Studies have also found that fish oil can help with behavior, reading, and spelling in children with developmental disorders. This current study was designed to see if fish oil capsules (1.5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day) could help children with autism. The study had only 13 children who were about 11 years old. All children showed fewer signs of autism when taking fish oil and the only side effects were some mild stomach upset and diarrhea.

Pharmacology of Autism

scottie — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 20:09:09 +0000

Title	Pharmacology of Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	McDougle CJ, Stigler KA, Erickson CA, Posey DJ
Journal Title	Clinical Neuroscience Research
Year of Publication	2006
Volume	6
Pages	179-188
URL for Abstract	http://www.sciencedirect.com/
Full Text	This article reviews the available studies describing the use of drugs to treat autism and describes ongoing research in combining drugs to treat autism. The authors found that most drug treatment studies have focused on the use of one drug to improve one group of symptoms of autism. This means that there have been very few studies that examined the role of multiple drugs, working together, to improve different types of symptoms. The authors are currently researching whether the antipsychotic aripiprazole can be effectively combined with the antibiotic D-cycloserine. D-cycloserine is primarily used to treat tuberculosis, but has also been shown to have neuropsychiatric effects that have been useful in the treatment of schizophrenia. The authors suggest that the negative symptoms of schizophrenia may be similar to the social impairment seen in autism.