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Fever Offers Autistic Children a Temporary Reprieve
by
findingDulcinea Staff
A recent study has found that high temperatures can improve an autistic child’s ability to interact, apparently by re-establishing nerve cell communication in the brain.
30-Second Summary
Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute looked at 30 subjects aged 2 to 18 years old who were experiencing fevers of at least 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Over 80 percent showed some enhancement of behavior and interactive skills and 30 percent showed dramatic improvements.
The cause of autism is still a mystery. Nor is there any definitive medical treatment for this condition, which affects as many as 1.5 million Americans.
However, some scientists, including Michael Murias of the University of Washington, who presented a paper on the subject at a 2006 Society for Neuroscience meeting, believe autism is the result of the lack coordination between all areas of the brain.
Other speculative causes are gene variants, vaccinations containing the mercury-based preservative thimerosal, and an excess of television watching.
The symptoms of autism affect different people with varying levels of intensity. Autism therefore encompasses a spectrum of disorders, stretching from those with mild communication difficulties at one end to autistics who need care assistance for their entire lives at the other.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, autistic children tend to experience difficulty with social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or interests.
Over 80 percent showed some enhancement of behavior and interactive skills and 30 percent showed dramatic improvements.
The cause of autism is still a mystery. Nor is there any definitive medical treatment for this condition, which affects as many as 1.5 million Americans.
However, some scientists, including Michael Murias of the University of Washington, who presented a paper on the subject at a 2006 Society for Neuroscience meeting, believe autism is the result of the lack coordination between all areas of the brain.
Other speculative causes are gene variants, vaccinations containing the mercury-based preservative thimerosal, and an excess of television watching.
The symptoms of autism affect different people with varying levels of intensity. Autism therefore encompasses a spectrum of disorders, stretching from those with mild communication difficulties at one end to autistics who need care assistance for their entire lives at the other.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, autistic children tend to experience difficulty with social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or interests.
Headline Links: Fevers open a window to communication
Researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute have found that a fever can restore an autistic child’s ability to interact and communicate by reestablishing nerve cell communication in the brain. The study, “Behaviors Associated with Fever in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders,” was based the observation of 30 children, aged 2 to 18, who had fevers not less 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Source: MSNBC
A free abstract of the study is available online from the journal Pediatrics. The full text requires a subscription or payment of a one-time fee.
Source: Pediatrics
Reference Material: What is autism?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, children with Autism Spectrum Disorders may have difficulty with social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or interests. The NIMH Web site offers a comprehensive examination of autism, including its symptoms and the treatment options available.
Source: The National Institute of Mental Health
Some scientists, including Michael Murias of the University of Washington, believe autism is the result of the lack coordination between all areas of the brain. Murias found that the degree of communication between cells, particularly in the frontal lobe, is diminished in people who have autism. This is significant because the frontal lobe assists in preventing antisocial behavior.
Source: NPR
Science Daily explains the link between autism and a gene variant, noting that when a child inherits two copies of this common gene variant the risk of developing autism is doubled. Autism is “one of the most heritable mental disorders,” which means that if one identical twin has autism, so will the other in 90 percent of cases.
Source: Science Daily
Related Links: Possible causes
Thimerosal vaccination
In a Rolling Stone article, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. asserts that there is a link between childhood vaccinations that contain the mercury-based preservative thimerosal and autism.
Source: Rolling Stone
Television
In his article “Does Television Cause Autism?” Michael Waldman examines whether intensive television watching triggers autism in children who are genetically predisposed to it. Waldman studied precipitation records for California, Oregon and Washingon and found that in years that experienced high levels of rain or snow, in those years autism rates were high as well.
Source: Pediatrics
Time reporter Claudia Wallis is skeptical of Waldman’s study, arguing that he did not actually measure the amount of television children watched. She cites another study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science that states that autism could be linked to a gene variation that is common in 47 percent of the population.
Source: Time magazine
Autism and difficulties conceiving
According to Mary Croughan, of the University of California, San Francisco, couples who have difficulty conceiving are four times more likely than others to have a child with autism.
Source: The Times of London
Related Links: CDC, Cure Autism Now, and Autismspeaks.org
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) offers information for families, as well as information tailored to children who have an autistic relative or friend.
Source: CDC
Cure Autism Now started as the kitchen table initiative of parents with autistic children. Now a nationwide organization of parents, clinicians and leading scientists working to fund autism research, CAN offers parental advice and information and a number of research grants.
Source: Cure Autism Now
Autismspeaks.org provides a comprehensive overview of the condition, advice on how to live with it, and interviews with autism experts. A link to the excellent NBC series on autism is provided as well.
Source: Autismspeaks.org
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