Developmental Disorder News and Research

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OGT’s popular ESHG workshop free to view online

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT), The Molecular Genetics Company, has made its European Human Genetics (ESHG) Conference workshop freely available to view online.

From Oxford Gene Technology 16 Jul 2015

OGT launches new arrays for developmental disorders at ESHG

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT), The Molecular Genetics Company, is today launching a new range of arrays at the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) Conference in Glasgow, UK, that are dedicated to elucidating the underlying causes of developmental delay.

From Oxford Gene Technology 10 Jun 2015

New study examines appropriate use of dietary supplementation in children with ASD

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often picky eaters, which can lead parents to suspect that their children might not be getting adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. This sometimes leads parents of children with ASD to try nutritional supplements and dietary regimens such as gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diets without professional supervision.

4 Jun 2015

New study identifies gene that causes potentially fatal Adams-Oliver syndrome

A new study has separately confirmed and significantly built on recent research, identifying mutations of a gene that causes the uncommon but potentially fatal Adams-Oliver syndrome.

12 May 2015

CHOPS syndrome sheds light on key biological processes during human development

Analyzing a puzzling multisystem disorder in three children, genetic experts have identified a new syndrome, shedding light on key biological processes during human development. The research also provides important information to help caregivers manage the disorder, and may offer clues to eventually treating it.

3 Mar 2015

Declarative memory helps individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders compensate for dysfunction

Individuals with five neurodevelopmental disorders -- autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, dyslexia, and Specific Language Impairment -- appear to compensate for dysfunction by relying on a single powerful and nimble system in the brain known as declarative memory.

13 Feb 2015

Improving prefrontal cortex activity could help autistic people regulate emotions

Tantrums, irritability, self-injury, depression, anxiety. These symptoms are associated with autism, but they're not considered core symptoms of the disorder. Researchers from the UNC School of Medicine are challenging this assertion. They have used functional MRI to show that - when it comes to the ability to regulate emotions - brain activity in autistic people is significantly different than brain activity in people without autism.

28 Jan 2015

Scientists receive NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grants for mental health research

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation today announced the award of NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grants valued at $1.5 million to 15 scientists, who are full professors or the equivalent, conducting innovative projects in diverse areas of neurobiological and behavioral research.

13 Nov 2014

Parent coaching intervention benefits preschool-aged children with autism

A parent coaching intervention brings meaningful benefits for preschool-aged children with autism-spectrum disorders (ASD), according to a clinical trial in the October Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

3 Oct 2014

Identification of neurotransmitter imbalance in Tourette Syndrome offers new treatment hope

Recent research, published yesterday, has identified a chemical transmitter in the brain that plays a vital role in Tourette Syndrome. This latest finding presents the potential for developing targeted, and therefore more effective, treatments to suppress the distressing symptoms of Tourette Syndrome.

26 Sep 2014

Changes in ADNP gene may provide further insight into causes of autism

A new study from Bradley Hospital has identified a genetic change in a recently identified autism-associated gene, which may provide further insight into the causes of autism. The study, now published online in the Journal of Medical Genetics, presents findings that likely represent a definitive clinical marker for some patients' developmental disabilities.

29 Aug 2014

Brains of autistic kids are relatively inflexible at switching from rest to task performance

The brains of children with autism are relatively inflexible at switching from rest to task performance, according to a new brain-imaging study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

30 Jul 2014

Computer analysis of family photos could help diagnose rare genetic disorders

Computer analysis of photographs could help doctors diagnose which condition a child with a rare genetic disorder has, say Oxford University researchers.

24 Jun 2014

Exposure to elevated levels of steroid hormones in the womb linked to later development of autism

Scientists from the University of Cambridge and the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark have discovered that children who later develop autism are exposed to elevated levels of steroid hormones (for example testosterone, progesterone and cortisol) in the womb. The finding may help explain why autism is more common in males than females, but should not be used to screen for the condition.

3 Jun 2014

Mutations in gene associated with leukaemia may affect growth, intellectual development in children

Mutations in a gene associated with leukaemia cause a newly described condition that affects growth and intellectual development in children, new research reports.

10 Mar 2014

Prevalence unchanged when ASD combined with new social communication disorder, say researchers

A new study finds that the estimated prevalence of autism under the new DSM-5 criteria would decrease only to the extent that some children would receive the new diagnosis of social communication disorder (SCD).

28 Jan 2014

Asparagine found in meat, eggs and dairy products is important for normal brain development

Asparagine, found in foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy products, was until now considered non-essential because it is produced naturally by the body. Researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital found that the amino acid is essential for normal brain development.

26 Nov 2013

Genetic mutation found to restore translational balance in mice

In a biological quirk that promises to provide researchers with a new approach for studying and potentially treating Fragile X syndrome, scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) have shown that knocking out a gene important for messenger RNA (mRNA) translation in neurons restores memory deficits and reduces behavioral symptoms in a mouse model of a prevalent human neurological disease.

21 Oct 2013

Scientists identify recessive gene mutation that reduces certain protein affecting brain development

Though worlds apart, four unrelated families have been united in a medical mystery over the source of a rare inherited disorder that results in their children being born with abnormal brain growth and severe functional impairments.

17 Oct 2013

Edimer doses first XLHED-affected neonate in Phase 2 trial of EDI200

Edimer Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company focused on developing an innovative therapy for the rare genetic disorder X-linked Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia (XLHED), today announced the enrollment and completed dosing of the first XLHED-affected neonate in a Phase 2 trial of EDI200, the company's novel, proprietary, recombinant protein.

9 Oct 2013