autism Archives | Research & Innovation

91��ɫ Autism Research Alliance shares research findings with wider autism community

fmaquito — Tue, 03 May 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Some 24 outside agencies came to the inaugural 91��ɫ Autism Research Alliance’s Research Showcase at 91��ɫ last week to hear what researchers were working on – everything from isolating three to 20 genes potentially responsible for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to looking at how children with ASD process visual and auditory information.

“The take home message is that autism research here at 91��ɫ isn’t just one thing,” psychology Professor Jonathan Weiss, chair of the 91��ɫ Autism Research Alliance (YARA) in the Faculty of Health, told the audience. “We want you to have a picture as you walk away from today of the breadth at which different faculty members with different areas of expertise are doing research.”

Left: Dorota Crawford (standing, left) and Jonathan Weiss answering questions from the audience

YARA is an interdisciplinary team of researchers at 91��ɫ that has been in existence for about two years. This was the first time it has reached out to a large range of community service providers as a group. The event was sponsored by .

“The goal was to provide an overview of the incredible range of autism research at 91��ɫ and reach out to service providers and start a conversation with them,” said Weiss. “It’s really about knowledge exchange. This was the first step in that exchange, and they can let us know what they are interested in. Rather than a one way street, it breaks down the academic silos.”

Weiss has just finished two pilot projects using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with people with ASD – one used CBT to help reduce anxiety and the other used it to help build anger management skills. Weiss wants to know if the interventions that already exist can be adapted to help children with ASD, who also suffer from things like anxiety and aggression.

Right: Kari Hoffman explains her research at the inaugural showcase of the 91��ɫ Autism Research Alliance

But that’s not all; he is also interested in knowing whether the level of health care and access to service for families with a teenager or adult with ASD is lacking in various parts of the province, what health care services they need and their experience of the system, and has embarked on a study to find out.

Dorota Crawford, a professor in 91��ɫ’s School of Kinesiology & Health Science, told the gathering she is researching whether genes or the environment are responsible for ASD. One of the things she is doing is trying to identify the genes responsible for specific symptoms of ASD and determine how they affect brain function. She has so far recruited 20 families with a child with ASD to give genetic material samples through a mouth swab to be able to compare genes. She is hoping her research will lead to an earlier diagnosis (before the age of two), earlier intervention and development of specific pharmaceuticals.

“The incidence of autism in the last three decades has increased dramatically,” she said. In 1977, only one in 2,500 people were diagnosed with ASD, while in 2009 one in 106 people were diagnosed. Of those being diagnosed, males are four times as likely as females to have ASD.

Left: From left, Jonathan Weiss, Adrienne Perry, James Bebko, Dorota Crawford, Jennifer Steeves, Maz Fallah, Louise Hartley, director of the 91��ɫ Psychology Clinic, and Tania Xerri, director of the Health Leadership & Learning Network

Psychology Professor Kari Hoffman told the audience about her work with social and emotional processing, the destination points for processing and the routes taken, which may be different in people with ASD than in a typical person.

School of Kinesiology & Health Science Professor Maz Fallah is interested in what things people with ASD pay attention to that may differ from others, what is the reason for that and what interventions could help. People who have an ASD have a persistent preoccupation with parts. “They cannot see the forest for the trees,” says Fallah, and that might have to do with an object-based attention deficit, for instance.

As psychology Professor Jennifer Steeves says, “There’s a lot we take for granted when we look around the room, but there’s a lot of computations that are taking place in the brain.”

This plays into what psychology Professor James Bebko is researching. Children with ASD don’t seem to be able to combine visual and auditory cues into a single unit, which is needed to assess emotion when watching and listening to someone talking. Their sensory systems seem largely intact, he said, so it may be that the problem lies in the processing or the transitional skills needed before the processing occurs.

What psychology Professor Adrienne Perry is looking into is the effectiveness of Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI), the program of choice for treating children with ASD. But Perry says the results in the field are variable compared to those in a controlled situation and she wants to know why. She is looking at the predictors of how well IBI works, such as age, IQ and severity of autism, as well as parent involvement.

“It’s great to see that research is going to look at family stress and at the IBI. We really struggle in the community to know what to do,” said Penny Diamantopoulos, a case manager with the child and family team of the (Central CCAC).

Dawn Ullman, also a case manager at Central CCAC, says she hopes the alliance does some follow up with the community in the next year or so. She would like to know what the results are of some of the research the professors highlighted. “I really want to know the bottom line” as the person working with the families.

For more information, visit the 91��ɫ Autism Research Alliance website.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Ontario's lieutenant governor visits 91��ɫ's Milton & Ethel Harris Research Initiative

fmaquito — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:00:00 +0000

The Milton & Ethel Harris Research Initiative (MEHRI) explores the critical role of the caregiving environment in the evolution and development of language, intelligence, social skills and reflective consciousness in children.

During a recent conversation with 91��ɫ President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, David Onley (Hon. LLD '09), expressed an interest in the research initiative. In response, Shoukri invited Onley to tour the facility and speak with researchers. On July 15, the lieutenant governor paid an informal visit to the University to hear first-hand from MEHRI researchers and therapists about their research into early childhood development.

Above: From left, MEHRI neuroscientist Jim Stieben; President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri; 91��ɫ Distinguished Research Professor Stuart Shanker, director of MEHRI; Rhonda Lenton, associate vice-president academic; Devin Casenhiser, MEHRI head of research; David Onley, the lieutenant governor of Ontario; MEHRI therapist Christine Robinson; Professor Lesley Beagrie, associate dean of professional & global programs in the Faculty of Health; Amanda Binns, MEHRI speech language pathologist; Alicia Allison, MEHRI community liason officer; Fay McGill, MEHRI speech language pathologist and floor-time therapist; Ana Bojcun, MEHRI budget & administrative officer; and Eunice Lee, MEHRI social worker

During his visit, Onley listened to remarks from the University's president and Stuart Shanker, 91��ɫ Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology & Philosophy and the director of MEHRI. He then heard from MEHRI therapists and researchers about their work before taking a tour of the research facility.

Also present at the event were Rhonda Lenton, associate vice-president academic, and Professor Leslie Beagrie, associate dean of professional & global programs in the Faculty of Health.

“I believe that 91��ɫ performs a very important and critical function in supporting postsecondary education, not only through the training of students but also through research," said Shoukri in his opening remarks.

"This particular initiative is very close to my heart. The Milton & Ethel Harris Research Initiative is led by its director, 91��ɫ Distinguished Research Professor Stuart Shanker. One of the exciting aspects of this initiative is its focus on child development," Shoukri said. "From all that I have seen so far, there is clear evidence that this initiative is on its way to having a significant national and international impact."

Following the president's comments, Shanker offered a brief history of MEHRI, including the role of the late Canadian philanthropist Milton Harris, whose support made the research initiative possible, (see YFile, June 23, 2005).

Right: Stuart Shanker

"We were very interested in a program called the Developmental Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based Model (DIR) for very specific reasons," said Shanker. "It focuses on the child’s core capacities. So that rather than trying to treat a symptom, you are trying to develop those underlying capacities that are constricted."

Conceived by the late Dr. Stanley Greenspan (Hon. LLD '06), a clinical professor of psychiatry, behavioural science and pediatrics at George Washington University Medical School and a practising child psychiatrist, DIR is a social interaction-based approach for treating children with autistic spectrum disorders. DIR engages children through play to expand their world and help develop their ideas and relationships and is at the heart of the extended study now underway at MEHRI. Shanker said the research will have an impact on the treatment of all children experiencing challenges and will play a role in enhancing the capacities of children developing typically.

"Suppose I had a child who was experiencing difficulty in learning how to read. Rather than doing intensive exercises to get the child to read, we would look at what are the underlying causes. Is there a problem with visual perception or motor control?" he said. "In addition to doing reading exercises, with DIR we would work very hard on strengthening the weakened capacities that are causing the deficits and rather than just treating the symptoms."

DIR is wedded to science, said Shanker, and at MEHRI, scientists and therapists are partners in the research underway into children's core capacities. "I saw this as a model for the 21st century, a framework for really enhancing early childhood development, because we would continually be revising and developing what we are doing," said Shanker.

"DIR also operates through the parent. The parent becomes the primary agent in the child’s development. What we have been seeing is that there has been a remarkable effect on family dyanmics. Families are being empowered by DIR," he said. "This is a program about understanding, for any child, why they may be having certain problems and what are the causes and then helping that child to develop a better ability to stay calm and focused.

"Milt Harris was very insistent that he wanted this initiative to inform public policy, so MEHRI has also been working very hard with the premier’s special adviser on early learning []," said Shanker. "MEHRI has played a role in seeing these ideas embedded in the core of the early learning program that is being rolled out in Ontario."

Lenton echoed Shanker's comments and reiterated that she was very pleased to see that the work underway at MEHRI, in addition to helping children with autism, would have benefits related to a general approach to early childhood development.

Onley then heard from MEHRI therapists Christine Robinson, Amanda Binns, Sonia Khan and Eunice Lee. The group spoke about their work with children with autism and showed before-and-after video clips that displayed the accomplishments experienced by a child after just a few weeks in floor-time therapy.

MEHRI researchers and offered a summary of their latest research to Onley. Their work examines the behavioural and neurological effects of a DIR-based treatment on young children with autism spectrum disorders. The two researchers previewed the results of their research to the lieutenant governor. The MEHRI researchers explained how they hope the results of their work will expand the range of options available in the treatment of all children through the use of DIR.

"This is remarkable," said Onley. "Thank you all very much, your research is most fascinating. The reality of autism is significant. I hear regularly from parents who express their deep concerns about autism. Please keep up the good work and I look forward to keeping in touch and following your research."

At the conclusion of the presentations, the lieutenant governor and Shoukri toured the MEHRI facility.

More about David Onley, the lieutenant governor of Ontario

In 2007, Onley was the first person with a physical disability – he had polio at the age of three – to become a lieutenant governor. Before stepping into the role, he had a 22-year career as a broadcaster for Citytv and was the first senior newscaster with a visible disability.

For many years, he has championed disability issues as chair of the Government of Ontario’s Accessibility Standards Advisory Council and as an accessibility council member for the Rogers Centre and the Air Canada Centre. Onley has used his influence to highlight and help remove barriers to employment and housing for Ontario's 1.5 million people with disabilities.

On Friday, June 26, 2009, 91��ɫ honoured Onley with an honorary degree in recognition of his work in advancing disability rights in Canada.

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Audio: Professor Stuart Shanker says self-regulation a growing trend in child and adult psychology

fmaquito — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:00:00 +0000

, Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology and Philosophy and director of the , spoke about the concept of self-regulation – managing our inner emotional life – and its increasing role in treating children with mental disorders, such as autism, and adults on CBC Radio’s “Ideas” program July 15.

The interview runs over 53 minutes and is available on the .

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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Professor Dorota Crawford's research shows misoprostol prevents cell communication

fmaquito — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Drug has been linked to neurodevelopmental defects associated with autism

A 91��ɫ study has shown for the first time how the drug misoprostol, which has been linked to neurodevelopmental defects associated with autism, interferes with neuronal cell function.

It is an important finding because is similar in structure to naturally occurring prostaglandins, which are the key signalling molecules produced by fatty acids in the brain. The drug is used to prevent ulcers in people who take certain arthritis or pain medicines, including aspirin, that can cause ulcers. It protects the stomach lining and decreases stomach acid secretion.

Past clinical studies have shown an association between misoprostol and severe neurodevelopmental defects including autism symptoms. Those studies looked at cases in Brazil in which women misused the drug early in pregnancy in unsuccessful attempts to terminate their pregnancies.

The 91��ɫ study examined mouse neuronal cells to discover how the drug actually interferes at a molecular level with prostaglandins, which are important for development and communication of cells in the brain.

“Early in the first trimester of pregnancy, neuronal cells reach out to communicate with one another,” says Dorota Crawford, a professor in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Health. “Our study shows that misoprostol interferes with this process by increasing the level of calcium ions in neuronal extensions, which reduces the number and length of these extensions. It prevents the cells from communicating with each other. If changes in prostaglandin level alter the development or differentiation of cells, it may have a physiological impact.”

Left: Dorota Crawford

Crawford and Javaneh Tamiji, who undertook the research for her master’s thesis in the Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program at 91��ɫ, co-authored a study published online in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications: “Prostaglandin E2 and misoprostol induce neurite retraction in Neuro-2a cells”.

There is no indication that women in Canada are misusing misoprostol to terminate pregnancies, and in fact the drug is used safely for other purposes such as treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal ulcers. However, during early neuronal development the drug misoprostol or other environmental factors such as infections or inflammations, which can also increase the level of prostaglandins, may interfere with normal brain function, says Crawford.

Right: Javaneh Tamiji

Crawford and Tamiji focused on the drug misoprostol because they had evidence from clinical studies of the neurotoxic effects of the drug. They used misoprostol and the naturally occurring prostaglandins side by side in their study and found that both compounds produced the same effects on neuronal cell function.

The study shows that misoprostol interferes with the prostaglandin pathway in a dose-dependent manner – in other words, the higher the dose, the greater the problems created.

“What that indicates to us is whether it is infection that will activate it or whether it is the drug, it will cause the same effect,” says Crawford.

Now that it has been shown that misoprostol affects interaction between cells, the next step will be to do animal studies on mice to examine the physiological impacts on particular parts of the brain, she says.

Crawford’s lab is one of very few in the world that has adopted a multidisciplinary approach to the study of autism spectrum disorders, using molecular techniques to understand the link between causative biological factors (genes and environment) and the behavioural expression.

This research was funded by the . The provided equipment used in the study.

It has also received coverage on MedicalNewsToday.com:

A 91��ɫ study has shown for the first time how the drug misoprostol, which has been linked to neurodevelopmental defects associated with autism, interferes with neuronal cell function.

91��ɫ Professor Dorota Crawford, of the School of Kinesiology & Health Science in the Faculty of Science & Enginering, and graduate student Javaneh Tamiji, who undertook the research for her master’s thesis in the Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program at 91��ɫ, co-authored a study published online in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications: “Prostaglandin E2 and misoprostol induce neurite retraction in Neuro-2a cells”.

By Janice Walls, media relations officer

Republished courtesy of YFile– 91��ɫ’s daily e-bulletin.

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91��ɫ study makes key discovery about autism's beginnings

fmaquito — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:00:00 +0000

A gene mutation found in some people with autism appears to disrupt very early stages of brain development and contribute to the nervous system deficits that are the hallmarks of autism disorder, a 91��ɫ study has found.

The study traces the link from autism and a mutated gene to the molecular mechanisms of cell signalling that occur as the brain is developing. It provides the first direct evidence that this gene influences brain development and the incidence of autistic behaviour.

Modern imaging equipment and molecular neuroscience techniques enabled the researchers to show how the protein encoded by this gene controls normal cell function and how this fails when the gene is mutated in individuals with autism.

“If we can identify defects in genes or molecules and the signalling pathways early in brain development – as we have in this study – then it should be possible to develop more effective treatments for children within three years of age, which is when autism is diagnosed,” said Dorota Crawford (left), a professor of kinesiology & health science in the Faculty of Health at 91��ɫ.

The study, titled “The E646D-ATP13A4 Mutation Associated with Autism Reveals a Defect in Calcium Regulation”, is published in the journal Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology. It represents a critical step toward the eventual development of pharmaceutical treatments for children affected with autism. It will also be of interest to scientists who are studying the same family of proteins, which are involved in other neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease.

Crawford found the gene mutation in a 2005 study of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which are characterized by lifelong impairment in communication and social interaction, coupled with repetitive behaviour, and affect about 190,000 Canadians. That study, in which blood samples were examined for their genetic content, revealed an unknown gene that was mutated in about 20 per cent of the autistic individuals tested – a genetic marker for autism.

In the current study, Crawford, working with former 91��ɫ undergraduate student Janaki Vallipuram (BSc Spec. Hons. ’09), who is first author on the paper, and former 91��ɫ graduate student Jeffrey Grenville (MSc ’09), characterized the biological function of the protein in the mutated gene. They determined that it is involved in calcium signaling, which is critical for the development of neurons, and then showed that the mutation may contribute to neuronal deficits in the brain and autism.

Right: The research paper's first author, Janaki Vallipuram (right), was featured on the cover of the of 91��ɫU magazine with alumnus and Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby. See her profile .

Crawford is on the faculty of 91��ɫ’s growing Neuroscience Graduate Diploma Program and is a member of the 91��ɫ Autism Alliance, a new research group whose interdisciplinary approach includes clinical, behavioural and neurophysiological experiments. Researchers in Crawford’s molecular neuroscience laboratory at 91��ɫ are examining how genetic, molecular and cellular neurobiology and environmental factors contribute to the brain development of children with autism.

The recently completed study is the first to use a state-of-the-art microscope imaging system funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Ontario Research Fund, which was essential because it allowed researchers to take images of living neuronal cells. The study was also supported by the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada.

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