Possible cause for autism found - children with autism have extra brain synapses - Polidicks

[quote]Children with autism have extra synapses in their brain due to a slowdown in the normal brain "pruning" process during development, say US neuroscientists. They found a drug that restores synaptic pruning also reverses autistic-like behaviours in mice, they report in the journal [I][URL="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2014.07.040"]Neuron[/URL][/I]. "We were able to treat mice after the [disorder] had appeared," says study co-author neurobiologist David [/quote] [quote]With too many synapses, a "brain region that should be talking only to a select number of other regions is receiving irrelevant information from many others," explains Mueller, who has done pioneering work in over-connectivity. During brain development, a burst of synapse formation occurs in infancy, particularly in the cortex, a region involved in autistic behaviours; pruning eliminates about half of these cortical synapses by late adolescence.[/quote] [URL]http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2014/08/22/4072456.htm[/URL] Source [URL]http://www.cell.com/neuron/pdfExtended/S0896-6273(14)00651-5[/URL] The full study for those interested

I wonder what the excuse of the anti-vaxxer crowd will be after this one. "Vaccines cause Ebola", perhaps. Thanks for the article - the level of research is a fair bit over my head, and I'll need to do some boning up, but it'll make for an interesting read.

[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;45860464]I wonder what the excuse of the anti-vaxxer crowd will be after this one. "Vaccines cause Ebola", perhaps. Thanks for the article - the level of research is a fair bit over my head, and I'll need to do some boning up, but it'll make for an interesting read.[/QUOTE] They'll just try and link vaccines to causing the synaptic pruning process to go awry.

Just wondering, could you semi-effectively use cannabis to negate some of the effects of autism? I know some of the active ingredients have that synaptic pruning effect, killing off old or damaged brain cells (potentially linked to some emerging evidence of the anti-cancer effects).

It's interesting how deviations on parts of what's considered 'normal' in the body can create such drastic effects.

Informative fo sho' Now I have a rough idea what autism actually is.. in the brain.

So they might be able to cure autism? I could only see this being used for the most severe cases. [QUOTE=Zonesylvania;45860464]I wonder what the excuse of the anti-vaxxer crowd will be after this one. "Vaccines cause Ebola", perhaps. Thanks for the article - the level of research is a fair bit over my head, and I'll need to do some boning up, but it'll make for an interesting read.[/QUOTE] Can peoples first response to Autism stop being LOLAntiVax already?

[QUOTE=Pepsi-cola;45860517]So they might be able to cure autism? I could only see this being used for the most severe cases. Can peoples first response to Autism stop being LOLAntiVax already?[/QUOTE] [quote] A 2011 journal article described the vaccine-autism connection as "the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years"[/quote] In case you haven't noticed, the reason people mention it is because it's done enough damage to the provision of immunization and preventive medicine. The fellow who attempted to link vaccination and autism was stripped of his medical licence after people found that not only did his study suck, he falsified the data in order to prove that there was such a link. Don't forget that he denied any charges and said that it was a pragmatic attempt to "crush valid questions about vaccine safety." [url]http://www.autismsciencefoundation.org/sites/default/files/Thimerosal%20and%20Autism.pdf[/url] [url]http://www.autismsciencefoundation.org/sites/default/files/MMR%20and%20Autism.pdf[/url] Even with evidence like this, if people are still retarded enough to believe that vaccination and autism are somehow related, I pity them. It's been debunked time and again, but if they insist on sticking to their guns, they're only harming themselves and those around them in the long run.

Prune more and you get a whole lot of kids with D- Prune less and you get sperg lords spawning. Darned if I dont, damned if I do

[QUOTE=NorthernFall;45860477]Just wondering, could you semi-effectively use cannabis to negate some of the effects of autism? I know some of the active ingredients have that synaptic pruning effect, killing off old or damaged brain cells (potentially linked to some emerging evidence of the anti-cancer effects).[/QUOTE] There was a study done a couple of years ago where they were experimenting on the effects of mutated cannabinoid receptors in mice, but from what I remember of it they said that it had the potential to go either way - make it worse or improve it, and only time and further research would tell.

Interesting how partial destruction of brain cells can potentially stop autistic behaviour. I know it is healthier to deal with the problem specifically. As in just target the synaptic issue. But I do wonder if autism could be mitigated by brain cell destroyers... such as sleeping less, drinking less, staying away from "brain food" like Vit B12, taking antipsychotics, valium, tobacco products.

Is it right to massively alter ones brain structure like this though, I mean we suck at doing any rewiring of the brain and this isn't a lobatomy but still should we really try artificially causing the pruning process [editline]1st September 2014[/editline] Guess this still would lead to a breakthrough (if in fact true) for a definitive ranking scale and test for autism

[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;45860464]I wonder what the excuse of the anti-vaxxer crowd will be after this one. "Vaccines cause Ebola", perhaps. Thanks for the article - the level of research is a fair bit over my head, and I'll need to do some boning up, but it'll make for an interesting read.[/QUOTE] They do the same thing they always have. Find the one study that supports their beliefs from the thousand studies that refute them. Ignoring evidence and logic is not a problem for someone who does it regularly.

[QUOTE=Pepsi-cola;45860517]So they might be able to cure autism? I could only see this being used for the most severe cases.[/QUOTE] Precisely I don't know, I don't believe it could COMPLETELY do, but, if that happens, it would ruin the purpose of so many autism associations around the globe.

[QUOTE]autistic-like behaviours in mice[/QUOTE] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/YptkfEs.png[/IMG]

I didn't even knew that animals can have autism. How do you even diagnose it on them? This possible cure seems like a double-edged sword to me. You destroy synapses and risking some pretty nasty side effect 'just' in order to make someone 'normal'. I think it should be applied only on severe cases.

Minecraft sales will sure take a hit if a cure is ever found

-snip, I'll stay out of it-

[QUOTE=kibble;45862011]Minecraft sales will sure take a hit if a cure is ever found[/QUOTE] That's offensive in more ways than one

[QUOTE=Kardia;45860928]Interesting how partial destruction of brain cells can potentially stop autistic behaviour. I know it is healthier to deal with the problem specifically. As in just target the synaptic issue. But I do wonder if autism could be mitigated by brain cell destroyers... such as sleeping less, drinking less, staying away from "brain food" like Vit B12, taking antipsychotics, valium, tobacco products.[/QUOTE] so you're saying that you want autistic kids to party hardcore to fix their autism

You know, I have, or had Autism. I don't really understand what it is supposed to mean. To me, it's just another word I get called.

[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;45862229]so you're saying that you want autistic kids to party hardcore to fix their autism[/QUOTE] I volunteer to test this theory. Let's set up a Kickstarter.

[QUOTE=TheNerdPest14;45862555]You know, I have, or had Autism.[/QUOTE] ok thanks

Well holy crap, this explains a fair bit...

[QUOTE=TheNerdPest14;45862555]You know, I have, or had Autism. I don't really understand what it is supposed to mean. To me, it's just another word I get called.[/QUOTE] You don't "lose" autism. You have it and will have the effects for the rest of your life.

[QUOTE=NorthernFall;45860477]Just wondering, could you semi-effectively use cannabis to negate some of the effects of autism? I know some of the active ingredients have that synaptic pruning effect, killing off old or damaged brain cells (potentially linked to some emerging evidence of the anti-cancer effects).[/QUOTE] I for one would like to see thousands of autists high as fuck

I never would have thought that excessive connections would cause autism, rather I would have assumed it was excessive neural pruning that would be the cause.

Does this apply to high functioning autism as well? Because some "savant" behavior might be caused by the same thing, and might be destroyed by the treatment.

[QUOTE=Helix Snake;45862798]Does this apply to high functioning autism as well? Because some "savant" behavior might be caused by the same thing, and might be destroyed by the treatment.[/QUOTE] The study doesn't specify anything about savant behavior and high functioning autism like Asperger's, but it stands to reason that these would be the next ports of call for investigation.

So they're newtypes?