tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33052404.post4539003868066717304..comments2024-02-13T21:31:57.980-04:00Comments on Facing Autism in New Brunswick: Autism Earthquake? The MRI Adult Autism Brain Scan BiomarkerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05838571980003579163noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33052404.post-33754077219922250962011-01-27T10:51:39.522-04:002011-01-27T10:51:39.522-04:00I find this fascinating, and confusing, all at the...I find this fascinating, and confusing, all at the same time. I stumbled upon your blog when I was busy google-ing "non-specific changes on mri, autism". So happy to have found you! We recently had an mri scan done on my four year old son, because the diagnosis of autism did not cover all of what he experiences. It has taken almost 2 and a half years to get the pediatrician to agree to refer us for this scan, and where we live in Ontario (not unlike the situation in New Brunswick I am told) we now have to wait upwards of 18 months to see a neurologist to interpret the "non-specific" changes found on the scan. This should not so difficult. I feel as though we have been written off in almost every specialists eyes as soon as we mention the provisional diagnosis of autism. Can anyone else concur?Jennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12795013215115658011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33052404.post-58181825329705936902010-08-11T16:27:09.103-03:002010-08-11T16:27:09.103-03:00This is so very exciting. Thanks for posting! I wo...This is so very exciting. Thanks for posting! I would love to get my kids tested for this.Suzannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15038275826830875246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33052404.post-56848197115686433262010-08-11T13:52:06.867-03:002010-08-11T13:52:06.867-03:00Dude, I just want to thank you, which I have never...Dude, I just want to thank you, which I have never done, for finding all these great pieces of information. I'd give you a very manly high five if I ever saw you on the street.<br /><br />Thanks...blogzillyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08268388544631653375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33052404.post-79363655123675332792010-08-11T13:13:30.563-03:002010-08-11T13:13:30.563-03:00"So far, Ecker's team has only looked at ..."<i>So far, Ecker's team has only looked at men but there are plans to extend the work to women and children.<br /><br />"We think this approach will work even better with kids because the brain abnormalities you see in autism develop over the life span and they're most prominent during childhood,"<br /><br />"If we can get up to 90% accuracy in adults, we think it'll be even better in kids."</i><br /><br />From <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/aug/10/autism-brain-scan" rel="nofollow">here</a>.<br /><br />I've no doubt this technique, if it's sound, will soon start teasing out the different Autisms, and it'll certainly weed-out the quirky and a bit socially anxious.Socrateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12525104555859213125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33052404.post-59241024150192656572010-08-11T11:14:04.183-03:002010-08-11T11:14:04.183-03:00I wonder how this relates to less severe neuro dis...I wonder how this relates to less severe neuro disorders. My daughter has significant SPD - would her brain be different on an MRI as well? And what CAUSES the brain difference? Either way, the earlier people get a proper diagnosis, the earlier intervention can begin. If you read what Brain Balance has to say, there is much evidence that the brain can be changed and the communication improved to reduce or eliminate the symptoms regardless of the cause. I love their website's explanation of functional disconnection syndrome. You can read about it at www.brainbalancecenters.com . I also like Hartley Steiner's explanation of what SPD is - whether co-morbid with autism or not...<br />www.hartleysboys.comJenniferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18427182088608626183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33052404.post-9362319357103304212010-08-11T10:08:36.642-03:002010-08-11T10:08:36.642-03:00Autism Mom Rising This is exactly why I am not lis...Autism Mom Rising This is exactly why I am not listening to my daughters neurologist who thinks she has autism as well as epilepsy. She has epilepsy. If we solve the epilepsy the behaviors will improve. Saying she has autism just muddies the pool for people who really do have autism.Sineadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33052404.post-53433743505495543812010-08-11T08:44:57.489-03:002010-08-11T08:44:57.489-03:00Thanks Harold. I hadn't heard. I agree they sh...Thanks Harold. I hadn't heard. I agree they should wait on the revision. This thing is too complex and needs to be broken into subgroups, etiologies better identified. <br /><br />My son has has multifocal seizures that cover his entire brain, likely had them from 6 months of age. Once they were identified at age 7 and he was given meds & biofeedback within weeks he started asking and answering questions, giving longer sentences, pretend play. People say the seizures are a "comorbid" but if that is so then why would several core Autistic symptoms drastically improve once they were finally identified and treated? Just tying that into my point that they need to geniunely learn more about subgroups.Autism Mom Risinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18233102657448877126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33052404.post-57453941154126998312010-08-11T08:42:55.390-03:002010-08-11T08:42:55.390-03:00I asked the Ped once about an MRI for my son. It&#...I asked the Ped once about an MRI for my son. It's well known, or well assumed, that the wiring in an ASD brain is different from that of a "normal" brain. Actually, I was curious to see if it was "autism" or "damage from prenatal care" NOT that that would change our lives any... but I am curious. Brain damaged people also flap, spin, have verbal apraxia etc etc....<br /><br />They won't do it here. Unlike the USA where these scans are done regularly and autistic children see neurologists as well... Not done here... Surprised... I wasn't. Do to the difficulty of finding decent medical professionals in the early stages of this journey.<br /><br />So, even if the marker is found, good luck getting the attitudes to change.<br /><br />But one day... maybe... I'd like my curiousity settled for once.farmwifetwonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33052404.post-21218985888724881972010-08-11T08:33:58.754-03:002010-08-11T08:33:58.754-03:00I haven't seen the study yet that describes th...I haven't seen the study yet that describes this technique but, if the article on the topic at the <a href="http://bit.ly/9koJfQ" rel="nofollow">New Scientist</a> is accurate, this isn't a straight test empirical test but rather a piece of computer software making an interpretation of the results of a MRI.<br /><br />The article talks about how the analysis was done by a computer program and the program had to be "taught" what a brain with autism looked like. If that is the case, then this system is only as good as the samples that were used to teach it and the system might not be good at labeling autism that looked even a little different.<br /><br />For example, if it was taught using samples from adult males, it might fail at finding the same patterns in an 18 month old. It could also fail in other adults males whose brain structure was just different enough.<br /><br />So I am not sure that this test represents a biomarker, at least in the classical sense of the word. But still, this is a step in the right direction.M.J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12033918835169823548noreply@blogger.com