Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / April 22, 2004, edition 1 / Page 12
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4B LIFE/ [(1 Cjiorliitte 3pot Thursday, April 22, 2004 Peering into children’s brains to unlock juvenile mysteries By Lauran Neergaard THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON - Only Michael Berman’s small thumbs move inside the giant MRI machine, pushing buttons in a video game like test as the iscanner measures how the youngster’s brain processes light and motion. At 6, he’s one of the youngest children to undergo such advanced scanning as part of a new effort to discover what goes wrong inside brains affected by autism. It’s work that might lead to much earlier diagnosis of the mysterious neurological dis order. It usually goes undetected until age 3 or later, when much of the damage to the developing brain is thought already to have been done, “The feeling is if you intervene early, it’ll be more effective,” explains Dr. Thomas Zeffiro of Georgetown University Medical Center, who is researching technology that he hopes will go a step further and one day scan preschool ers’ or even infants’ brains. “It’s very controversial if there is a critical period” for thwarting autism, he cautions. “If there is, there could be a dramatic change in the way we approach kids with developmen tal disorders.” Autism is a complex brain disorder, most common in boys, best known for interfering with a child’s ability to communicate and interact with others. SymptoiAs range from the mild, like Michael, to so severe that chil dren can’t speak and appear profoundly retarded. No one knows the cause and there is no cure, although intense behavioral training can improve some patients’ symptoms signifi cantly. As part of the new research, scientists at Georgetown and Children’s National Medical Center are matching youngsters’ behavior and cognitive skills with advanced imaging, called fimctional MRI, that tracks changes in blood flow to show how their brains fire when they do tasks. Most previous studies have focused on autism’s hallmark emotional and communi cation problems. Lead researcher Dr. William Gaillard of Children’s National says these children’s brains are being scanned to track the disorder’s myriad other symptoms: senso ry problems, motor control, problems with planning and reasoning. So far, only “high-functioning” autism patients can undergo such detailed testing because of the cooperation required. Michael, for instance, has Asperger syndrome - excel- Ilf if » Ask about our no joining fee offer this month W irs TiME to really get to know the YMCA! 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Uptown 704-716-6400 West Boulevard* 704-716-4800 Suicide risk factors for blacks lent language skills and the ability to read at 2, but he has social-interaction and other problems. The scientists are attempting to perform functional MRI on children younger than ever before, to the delight of Michael, who intently quizzes them on the different sounds the noisy scanner makes as it focuses on different brain regions. “Ooh, that one soimds kind of like an elec tric saw,” Michael says. “Do this other one, it’s the fastest, right?” After just a day’s testing, “he knows all the pulse-sequence names,” marvels Zeffiro. The taxpayer-funded MRI work is part of a bigger collaboration: • Scientists at Baltimore’s Kennedy Krieger Institute are hunting ways to detect autism as early as age 6 months through behavioral dues, such as how babies look at their par ents’ faces and follow their gaze, how they manipulate toys, how they respond to lan guage. Other Kennedy Krieger scientists are studying animals to see if autism is related to abnormal levels of the brain chemical sero tonin, found in some patients. • And Zeffiro is comparing the MRI images to easier-to-use technology that beams harm less infrared light through fiber-optic cables strapped on the head. Financed by an autism family group, the Nancy Lurie Marks Foundation, the idea holds out hope that “optical tomography” could provide a way to examine the brains of autistic toddlers or older but nonverbal patients who don’t quali fy for MRI. It’s all part of an increased national focus on autism spurred by families angered that the disorder has long been sparsely funded despite studies suggesting a 10-fold rise in cases in a decade. Most of the rise is thought to be better diagnosis, but autism’s cause is unknown. As a result, the National Institutes of Health last year began a five-year, $65 million project, designating eight centers around the country to focus on cutting-edge autism research. ‘We’re trying to sift through what is the first sign of autism and how does it unfold,” explains Dr. Rebecca Landa, who heads the NIH-designated Kennedy Krieger autism center and its Children’s-Georgetown collabo ration. But, “whatever we discover through autism is going to benefit children with a vari ety of developmental disabilities.” Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington. Continued from page 1B are about 30,000 suicides each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which released the study Monday at its Epidemic Intelligence Service conference in Atlanta. Although suicide is more frequent among whites than blacks, blacks age 25 to 34 have higher suicide rates than whites in the same age group. Suicide is more com mon among elderly whites age 75 to 84 than blacks, health officials said. On the Net: Georgia Division of Public Health:http:/Avww.ph.dhr.state.ga. us/ CDC info: http://www.cdc.gov RADIO 1370 AM 94.7 FM 1490 AM Ikt “Mum U www.RejoiceNetwork.com Frank & Emma Larry Anderson New Hope Missionary Baptist Church 8:30 - 9:00 AM T\ine In For Our Live Broadcast Partners 4 4 V r 4 * St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church 9:00- 10:00 AM 4 4 V 'Y St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church 11:00 AM -12:00 PM Trine In With Reeder Memorial From The Pulpit 12:00 - 1:00 PM To Partner, Call 803-329-2760 or Fax 803-329-3317 2/1/88 'i ■ • Enjoys listening to music, playing video games and dancing Favorite school subject is Math Favorite sport is basketball Likes going to the beach Member of a Step Team Wants to become a Nurse Chemere would enjoy a family that is active and could provide experiences that she has grown used to. She needs a family where she can feel love, security, and a sense of belonging. This family will need to be willing to allow her to develop some life skills, while providing guidelines and structure. She needs a home where she feels unconditionally accepted and is "just one of the family". For more information caii: Youth & Famiiy Services Amy Ciceron 704-336-7985 ciceras@co.mecklenburg.nc.us
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April 22, 2004, edition 1
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