Fine particulate air pollution linked to risk of childhood autism

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1. Sleep quality influences cognitive performance of autistic, neurotypical children One night of poor sleep significantly decreases performance on intelligence tests in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and also in neurotypical children (without ASD). The researchers observed the EEG measures of 13 autistic children and 13 neurotypical children (children with a mean age of 10 years old without an intellectual deficiency or sleep problem and who were not on medication) and found that disruptions in protective brain waves during sleep are associated with lower results on verbal IQ tests....
2. Hodgkin’s lymphoma treatment can cause late sequelae Hodgkin's lymphoma--cancer of the lymph nodes--arises in more than 150 children and adolescents in Germany each year. Nine out of ten patients survive the disease, thanks to the highly effective treatments that are now available. Depending on the type of treatment given, however, there may be late sequelae, as discussed by Wolfgang Dörffel and colleagues in an original article in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2015; 112: 320-7)....
3. Oxytocin May Effectively Treat Autism Spectrum Disorder A research team at Yale School of Medicine, which includes postdoctoral fellow Ilanit Gordon and Kevin Pelphrey, the Harris Associate Professor of Child Psychiatry and Psychology, have discovered that oxytocin increases function in specific regions of the brain associated with processing social information in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)."Our findings provide the first, critical steps toward devising more effective treatments for the core social deficits in autism, which may involve a combination of clinical interventions with an administration of oxytocin," said Gordon. "Such a treatment approach will fundamentally improve our understanding of autism and its treatment."Autism spectrum...
4. New studies contradict earlier findings on Rett syndrome Bone marrow transplant does not rescue mouse models of Rett syndrome, a severe neurological disease that affects very young girls, a new study shows. The findings contradict seemingly promising results published in 2012, which initiated a clinical trial for human patients. Rett syndrome is caused by mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene and affects about 1 in every 10,000 girls (it is most often fatal in boys at or near birth). Rett syndrome causes many disabilities, both intellectual and physical....
5. Toddler temperament could be influenced by different types of gut bacteria The microbiome of a toddler's gut may influence their behavior, a new study suggests. Scientists found correlations between temperament and the presence of specific types of intestinal bacteria in both girls and boys. The researchers aren't looking for a way to help parents modify the 'terrible twos,' but for clues about how - and where - chronic illnesses like obesity, asthma, allergies and bowel diseases start....