UofL researcher may have found link between conditions such as autism, dyslexia

[BridgeTheGap]

University of Louisville researcher Manuel Casanova thinks he has uncovered a common link between conditions such as dyslexia, autism and ADHD. Now, after publishing his findings in Tuesday's edition of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Casanova hopes they lead to a treatment for the disorders that doesn't use medications.

"It's a paradigm shift," he said. "It's a new perspective of looking at an old problem."

The findings build off research Casanova and his colleagues began a decade ago, which earned them a National Institute of Health EUREKA prize and an $888,000 grant for further study.

The research identified differences in brain tissue known as cortical cell minicolumns, which connect brain signals to process information. In autistic people, there was an abundance of short connectors, but a deficiency of long ones which process complex information.

Casanova analyzed MRI brain scans of 15 dyslexic patients and discovered that many traits of dyslexic brains were exactly opposite those of autistic brains.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090721/NEWS01/907210337/1008/NEWS01/UL+researcher+may+have+found+link+between+conditions+such+as+autism++dyslexia

[Ian David]

1. It's also possible he has cause and effect reversed.

It's possible that autism causes brains to form longer connections, and dyslexia causes brains to form shorter connections- rather than the shorter connections causing the dyslexia and the longer connections causing the autism.

Still, this sounds promising, though I'm very skeptical that magnetic field can be used to fix this.

A big red flag for me is that he's going straight to testing his magnetic field therapy on humans, apparently leapfrogging several stages of clinical testing- unless the article just failed to mention prior trials.

[mike_c]

6. notwithstanding the treatment he's advocating...

...the nervous system development happens in utero and during infancy. While that does not preclude autism causing the anomalous development, it does make it less likely unless we posit that autism, dyslexia, etc manifest themselves BEFORE nervous system development reaches that point, which is difficult to conceptualize. Further, the common structural connection in multiple disorders makes it much more likely that the developmental anomaly causes the disorders, rather than the other way around. The opposite is not impossible, of course, but Occams razor and all that....

[tabatha]

2. Interesting

"Casanova already has begun a similar therapy using low frequency magnetic waves on autistic individuals, with some success."

But if alternative medicine offered this therapy, they would be denounced as wackos.

[ret5hd]

3. Well, my suspicion is that eventually...

Casanova will publish a peer reviewed article with data and conclusions ready to be tested for repeatability.

Whereas alternative medicine will start selling magnet caps to place on childrens heads while they sleep.

Just my guess.

[tabatha]

5. I would have to agree with some of that.

I actually used a pad with magnetic caps that helped my back enormously - to the point where I no longer use it and my back is back to normal.

[ret5hd]

7. Yes, I agree...

the placebo effect is a wonderful thing.

Or, if you disagree with me, test and publish.

[tabatha]

8. Why should I publish something that was of a personal nature

and which I have not pushed on anyone else.

It is like using something that works for you out of a number of different choices.

By the way, it was a last resort after going to doctors first.

[Warpy]

4. Those magnetic waves aren't what quacks use

and most people undergoing treatment for depression (their use right now) require deep sedation. The treatment is non invasive, but it's not the kind of thing you can read a book through.

Still, the treatment has shown promise for other brain disorders like fibromyalgia. If it helps people with ADHD, dyslexia and autism, it will represent a huge breakthrough.