MONTREAL ? Autism and related developmental disorders may, in the coming years, be diagnosed in children as young as one year old using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), says an Israeli scientist. Prof. Ilan Dinstein

Ilan Dinstein of the Weizmann Institute of Science is leading a study that is scanning the brains of sleeping toddlers from as young as 12 months to close to four years.

Dinstein was a guest speaker at an event organized by Weizmann Canada to raise awareness of research at the institute and how it is benefiting humanity. ?I am positive that within five years, there will be a biological assessment of autism, which will revolutionize the way it is diagnosed,? Dinstein said.

The researchers have found differences between the hemispheres of the brains of these toddlers, which they think is a predictor of autism.

In infants thought susceptible to autism, there is a lack of synchronicity in the communication between the two halves of the brain. the stronger the synchronicity between the hemispheres, the better the language skills, and vice versa, he said.

He believes that MRIs will show a brain abnormality in more than 70 per cent of children with autism.

The Weizmann scientists, who are working in collaboration with the University of California at San Diego, are studying sleeping toddlers because they are too young to hold still in the scanner or follow instruction, as older, awake subjects can.

The brain remains active during sleep, and that activity can be observed with an MRI as blood flows to the parts of brain where there is neural activity. all systems, such as the visual, auditory and motor, are functioning during sleep, he said.

The ability to detect asymmetry in such young brains could one day be an important diagnostic tool, and behavioural or possibly pharmaceutical therapy could begin at a much earlier age than is now possible, he said.

Observable physical evidence, something that is missing at present in autism, would also allow more accurate diagnosis, Dinstein said.

The finding is significant because it confirms that there is a biological explanation for autism.

Dinstein, who received a PhD in neuroscience at New York University, has been a postdoctoral fellow at Weizmann since 2009.

Autism is a vague term and understanding of the disorder remains unclear, he said. ?If you ask psychologists what it is, you will never get a straight answer.?

However, there is common agreement that it has three general characteristics: language difficulties, poor social interaction, or repetitive behaviour, but, he added, that these vary widely among individuals and can be unreliable indicators.

What is certain is that the incidence of autism is soaring, he said. ?Thirty years ago, it was about one in 5,000. Today, at least in the U.S. it?s something like one in 110,? he said.

Part of the reason is more recognition and a broader definition including Asperger?s syndrome, where language is not usually an issue, and ?pervasive developmental disorders,? which, according to Dinstein, is a catch-all term professionals use when they really don?t know what?s wrong.

Dinstein is convinced autism is a brain disorder, and that this may explain why some people with autism overreact to sensory information such as light or sound, either avoiding it or becoming fixated on it, he said.

It is also now known that genetics plays a part, and about 100 genes so far have been identified that are linked to autism. Scientists can induce symptoms in mice comparable to autism by injecting them with mutated gene material, he added.

?We are born with more neurons than we need,? he explained. ?In the first three years of life, a pruning process takes place.? it is suspected that autism may result when these excess neurons do not die off in the early maturation of the brain.

In time, Dinstein hopes this sensory aspect of autism will also be isolated on brain scans, making it more treatable. he thinks that sensory disorder should be considered a fourth general characteristic of autism.

The cost effectiveness of mass brain scanning of infants is an issue, he admits, and less expensive methodology may have to be used in the future.

Dinstein did affirm that no link exists between vaccinations against common childhood diseases and autism, a theory first published in 1998 by a research group in the Lancet. That British medical journal retracted the article last year.

?That scare has been entirely refuted by the scientific community,? Dinstein said. part of the theory was based on the presence of mercury in the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella, but in some countries, no mercury is used and the rate of autism is the same, he said.

?Unfortunately, [not taking the vaccine] has caused a resurgence of diseases we have not seen for decades, even some deaths.?

Dr. Phil Gold, the event?s moderator, observed that people with autism have made major contributions to the world, especially in science and music.

?Without the autistic trait, we would still be living in caves? anything good has come from the ability to lock out society a little bit.?

Gold, a professor of medicine at McGill University and a Canadian Medical Hall of Fame laureate, has a long history of professional collaboration with Weizmann, and a chair in cancer research was established there in his name. he also condemned the vaccine-autism theory as ?outlandish,? noting that the principle author?s licence has been suspended.

When going on a trip whether overseas or just a state away, there is always the chance that you may get sick. There are several diseases that you should avoid contracting while traveling. Here we will cover the 10 most common diseases you can get while traveling.

Hepatitis A is a viral disease that attacks the liver. This disease is prominent in Africa, Latin America, India, and Mexico. although it is rarely fatal, getting Hepatitis A can still be a miserable experience. Common symptoms include fever, nausea, abdominal discomfort, and a few days later jaundice.

In order to prevent contracting this disease, there is a vaccine that you should take about 4 weeks before taking a trip; follow up with the booster shot 6-12 months later.

Hepatitis B is similar to Hepatitis A in that it attacks the liver. However it is a far more dangerous strain of Hepatitis and can cause death among other things if not treated. This disease is found in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands; however, in rare cases, people have been diagnosed with the disease in America, meaning there is an extreme outside chance you might catch it during your next Richmond extended stay or Houston lodging excursion. When the disease is found in the U.S., it is generally because someone has traveled abroad and brought the disease back with them to the States, much like an unwelcome foreign step aunt.

The symptoms are the same as Hepatitis A as well, but the prevention is a larger series of shots. three doses of the vaccine should be gotten 6 months before you travel anywhere where you are likely to contract this disease.

Cholera is a bacterial disease which affects the intestines. This disease is found in Indonesia, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa. Some of the symptoms of Cholera include vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.

There are several things you can do to avoid getting Cholera. There is a vaccine you can get before you travel that is at least 50 percent affective. another thing you can do to avoid getting cholera is to avoid eating uncooked food and to boil all your drinking water.

Japanese Encephalitis is a very fatal disease attacks your central nervous system. This disease can be gotten when traveling in the agricultural regions of Asia. You contract this disease from the bite of an infected mosquito. the symptoms for this disease are tricky. they can either be nonexistent or they can resemble the flu with vomiting, chills, headache, tiredness, and diarrhea.

There are a couple things you can do to avoid getting this disease. You can try to avoid being around anywhere that has standing water, especially if you see bugs around it. There is also a vaccine that is over 90 percent affective if taken in two doses.

Meningitis is a bacterial disease that infects the blood stream or the lining of the spinal cord and brain. it is most commonly found in the sub Saharan Africa although it has been known to be in Saudi Arabia. You can catch this disease if you come into direct contact with infected people’s coughing or sneezing. Some of the symptoms of meningitis include fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, and a stiff neck.

You can avoid getting this disease by steering clear of people who are sick, so they cannot cough or sneeze on you. There is also a vaccine and some antibiotics that will help.

Tetanus, also called lock jaw, is a bacterial disease that affects all of your central nervous system. This disease can happen anywhere. You can get tetanus if you have an open wound that becomes contaminated with the bacterial organism. Some signs that you have tetanus include a stiff jaw, stiff neck,, fever, hard time swallowing, tight abdomen, and sometimes spasms.

A way to avoid this disease is to make sure that any open wounds you have are cleaned out and bandaged well, to avoid getting anything in them until they heal. the vaccine you can get is one hundred percent effective. it is best if you get the vaccine every ten years, if you do a lot of traveling. This disease can be fatal if left untreated.

Typhoid Fever is a disease that infects the intestinal tract and sometimes also your bloodstream. You are at greater risk of getting this disease if you travel to India or the lower income countries of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. Some of the symptoms are a sudden fever, nausea, loss of appetite, and can sometimes follow with a hoarse cough and diarrhea.if you want to avoid getting this disease, stay away from any food or water that may have salmonella. You can make sure of this by always boiling any water you drink or use and cooking your food thoroughly before you eat it. There is also a vaccine that is pretty effective in preventing you from contracting this disease.

You can get yellow fever from the bite of an infected mosquito. Yellow fever is a viral disease found in Sub Saharan Africa, and tropical South America. Common symptoms of this disease are fever, headache, vomiting, and backache. as the disease gets worse your pulse will get weaker, your gums may bleed, and you may find blood in your urine.

Some obvious ways to avoid getting this disease are to stay away from standing water and avoid areas that are prevalent with insects. There is also a vaccine that lasts up to 15 days each time you get it.

This disease can happen anywhere, in fact you have probably already had it at least once in your life. as you may well know, diarrhea is when your bowel movements are less solid than normal. You can actually catch this disease if you drink or eat something that is contaminated with it.You can avoid getting diarrhea by not eating uncooked food or drinking non boiled water. if you do get diarrhea, make sure you have Pepto-Bismol or Imodium with you.

You can get Malaria from more than forty percent of the world. Some countries where this disease is more common are Sub Saharan Africa, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Malaria is a severe disease caused by a parasite and it can be fatal. This disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Malaria symptoms are flulike in nature and include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness.

To avoid getting malaria, stay away from standing water. also try to avoid places that are prone to having insects. There are also four different drugs that can be taken before and during your trip to help you avoid getting this disease.

There you have it, the top ten most common traveling diseases. Do not let this scare you into not taking your business trip or vacation. Merely make sure you are prepared so that if something does happen to you, you will only suffer mildly.

John Smith is owner of Nursing Scrubs website NursingUniforms.net.

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Comments December 12, 2010 at 12:46 pm(1) Leila says:

Hi Lisa, I think your list is very helpful. The only thing I’d add because it’s a huge red flag, is that the child is not pointing her fingers to show what she wants and likes by 12 months. this was the first milestone my child didn’t reach even though everything else at that age seemed normal on him.

December 12, 2010 at 12:56 pm(2) autism says:

Thanks so much for your comment – will add that in!

December 12, 2010 at 8:15 pm(3) C. S. Wyatt says:

I’ll have to check the notes, but apparently I didn’t laugh or smile following birth. I was diagnosed retarded at birth, in part due to my lack of responses to external stimuli. I didn’t look at people or try to mimic their expressions during first few months. just wasn’t interested, I suppose. Often, I’m still not very aware of the people around me.

December 17, 2010 at 1:02 am(4) Twyla says:

Odd that ANB did not question the use of the word “symptoms” here. this would have been a likely place for him to give his lesson on the difference between “signs” and “symptoms” in the context of diagnosis. I can only speculate that he has no problem with an article on early diagnosis, but that he would prefer to derail conversations on mitochondrial disorder and autism. although the recent study did not claim to show that vaccines cause autism, mitochondrial disorder has been pointed to as a mechanism by which vaccines can cause autism. this is a promising area of research for better understanding some adverse vaccine reactions.

Interesting to note that the reputable web sites such as:h t t p : / / w w w . webmd.com/brain/autism/autism-symptomsandh t t p : / / w w w . mayoclinic.com/health/autism/DS00348/DSECTION=symptomsandh t t p : / / w w w . cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/signs.htmlandh t t p : / / w w w . ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htmalso use the word “Symptoms” even when describing early signs of autism, not subjective sensations reported by infants/children/adults with autism. So not sure why Lisa was taken to task, although simply stating the definitions without disparagement would have been fine.