2 Questions Developmental Disorders and Neo-Cortex

[Kylon]

I was wondering if Dyslexia, Autism, Asperger's Syndrome or generally other neurological disorders, what is there cause?

 

Also, I hear where we have maternal love (real love) is in this thing called the neo-cortex. I was wondering what other functions this might serve because I know it serves for the purpose of empathy but for a long time I have tried to be non-empathic because I didn't think it was logical.

 

I may have been retarding myself in the process.

[Radical Edward]

there is no point going around imagining you have pointy ears.

[fafalone]

Originally posted by Kylon

I was wondering if Dyslexia, Autism, Asperger's Syndrome or generally other neurological disorders, what is there cause?

 

 

Largely genetic factors.

[Guest mohaamadlaee...]

The etiology of these disorders is largely unknown comparative to other psychological disorders which are under more research. With experiments it has been concluded that genetic factors have a significant, yet a very small role in the initiation and progression of these disorders. Asperger's syndrome, I believe, is one of the less severe of all of the disorders; people who have these disorder have sufficient verbal ability as well as social functioning as opposed to victims of autism. It has been proposed that Asperger's disorder is a less severe form of autism. I forgot exactly which part of the brain was discovered to be peculiar in victims of autism, yet this is about the only valid phenotypic marker for the disorder. Autism was thought to have been caused by mal-parenting, however, it has now been concluded that this bogus. Dyslexia is less obstructive in impairing one's lifestyle and it is associated with a small subtype of disorders; that associated with academic funcitoning (math disorder, verbal disorders, etc...)

[MishMish]

Have just become interested in autism/Asperger's

 

First, many find phrases such as "victims" of autism offensive. Just a side note.

 

The primary diagnostic difference between autism and Asperger's is age of language acquisition. As such, many do not distinguish between HFA and Asperger's.

 

But more to the point, severity of symptoms is not itself a diagnostic criterion.

 

There's still far too much diagnostic confusion for my taste, and I've just gotten into it anyway. Three brain regions I see referred to as being affected pretty consistently are the prefrontal corrtex, the amygdala, and the hippocampus, though I haven't yet pinpointed precisely how (and I'm not asking for more than is known, just saying my reading on the matter is still in the early stages.)

 

I expect eventually the situation will be clarified, but at a minimum I think it safe to say there are presumably multiple mechanisms (from genetic predisposition to fetal brain injury) resulting in multiple areas of brain injury which present fairly similarly. Eventually I would hope that the ASDs would be better defined by which areas are affected, I see it more now as being a group of disorders with variation in those diagnosed autistic/Asperger's sharing some regions affected but not necessarily all or the same.

 

Myself, while for the moment I'm used to grouping Asperger's with autism for general purposes, I expect if the whole spectrum gets sorted out they will be classed separately, with autism itself also further divided into the different types.

[YT2095]

MishMish said in post #5 :

Have just become interested in autism/Asperger's

 

 

Myself, while for the moment I'm used to grouping Asperger's with autism for general purposes, I expect if the whole spectrum gets sorted out they will be classed separately, with autism itself also further divided into the different types.

 

would one of the Autism types be the sort that comes about in a "normal" child after an MMR vaccine?

a NON genetic based type. a bit like getting diabetes in later life or through ill health?

[MishMish]

As I say, I'm just getting into this as a topic, but myself I don't credit the vaccine theory. Austism (as opposed to Asperger's) seems to generally be diagnosed say 2 1/2 - 3 yrs, around the time the vaccines are given? Or so I've read. I think there's just a lot of panicky parents willing to pick up on any coincidence.

 

Institutionalization, severe neglect etc can produce behaviours similar to those seen in autism, how much that may stunt brain development, and if in the same manner, I've no idea (eg some of the presumed thought processing/language peculiarities,etc.) I haven't looked into that much, and what I have seen has said in a good environment the kids can be "rehabilitated," or whatever.

 

The only specific drug I can think of offhand that was mentioned re fetal brain development was thalidomide, not even sure where they got that data since I thought it had been banned for preganant women anyway. But I'm pretty sure I've seen reference to other drugs or possible infections during pregancy, just don't remember what or where

 

There's also an idea out there that high testosterone in the womb may be a factor, I'm skeptical of that as well Also cited as a potential factor for homosexuality, again seems to me to be grasping at straws, but I could easily be wrong I guess. The guy doing research into autism and fetal testosterone, there may be others bbut the one I know of, just put out a book: The Essential Difference. I don't particularly recommend it)

 

Not much help, am I? What can I say, it all seems very undefined to me and I guess I shouldn't have said anything since I'm just getting into it, but it has become my new obsession and so was hard to resist...

[MishMish]

I should have thought to add: presumably in autism as certain areas of the brain may be irregularly wired, the functions normally performed by those areas are taken on by other brain regions. I've heard people talk about this plasticity on the boards, but haven't come across the specifics in my readings yet. Anyway, assuming it is so, I would expect later brain injury, whether from the vaccine or something else, would not have the same effect. Perhaps someone else knows around what age the brain becomes less amenable to such plasticity?

[Giles]

I have a whole host of neural problems, including Aspergers, but unfortunately for answering your questions it isn't physics.

 

[edit]

 

DAMN YOU GILES

 

MrL