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.

Both my toddlers have had temperatures this week, and off their food.

How can I prove/disprove these symptoms might be swine flu or otherwise?

If your toddlers have been to nursery school or are looked after during the day at a cresh/crech with other children of same/similar age, there is a very good chance that one or both got Swine Flu from the group.

The main incubators of Swine Flu are such as schools etc.

Most sufferers recover quite quickly, a week to ten days at most with quite mild symptom, but off work and maybe in bed for a while.

nhs.uk/conditions/pandemic-flu/Pages/Introduction.aspx?WT.srch=1

You can't prove it now as it has just been announced that potential cases are no longer to be sent off for testing – with 100,000 people a day expected to contract it. it would be worth chatting to your doctor to check out all the symptoms.

Rubbish! my whole family just got tested, the doctors came round our house and swabbed us all, because we all had a flu and its going round my sisters school. they came straight away upon phoning and we were positive! Get it checked, its easy as a phonecall to the flu clinic.

What difference would it make? It's not as though They'll have lifelong immunity even if they did both have it.

It's not worth testing..

you cant prove it without a test and since they are no longer testing you will never 'know' for sure. however a temperature alone doesnt indicate swine flu.

Symptoms Of Autism Toddlers

Understanding chosen of the Autism Symptoms for children will help to supply appropriate intervention as fast as possible. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological disorder which reportedly effects up to 1 in 150 toddlers. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized as a spectrum disorder while the concentrations of the disorder can vary dramatically. Symptoms Of Autism Toddlers

ASD presents in the forms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Aspergers and critical Autism. To date there is no known cure of Autism, with research continuing there are suggestions that genetic pre curses to the disorder may exist. Early diagnosis and intervention offers the best outcome for the child. Parents who are concerned that their child may have signs of the disorder should seek a diagnosis as early as possible.

It can be very difficult for parents of babies and toddlers to see the signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder, as they are still developing but there are some definite early warning signs that parents can look out for. Signs of ADD and ADHD are a little more obvious for parents to detect. Children suffering from ADD and ADHD often have very short attention spans, are extremely over active the majority of the time and very difficult to feed. Their world just seems to have too much in it and not enough time to see and touch it all. Symptoms Of Autism Toddlers

If you are recognizing these early warning signs of ADD or ADHD in your child one thing that may be considered is their diet. There is much research to suggest that children with ADD and ADHD can be affected greatly by the foods that they consume. Chemical additives in the food and drinks they consume can have a dramatic effect on their disposition.

Not to be confused with a sugar high, some additives in foods can exacerbate their agitated and uncontrollable restlessness. Eliminating these chemicals from the diet and replacing them with fresh foods and natural alternatives will go a long way to helping toddlers control their behavior. within the spectrum is Autism itself, this condition has no known cure and can affect a child dramatically for the rest of their life. Symptoms Of Autism Toddlers

This severity of this condition varies from very mild to severe. some of the obvious warning signs for Autism include; your child not responding to his or her name, your child not responding to a smile with a smile, and an inability to be comforted with physical affection. Don’t let your child suffer anymore! Lead your child out of his world through Symptoms Of Autism Toddlers program now!