Autism and ADHD: Genetic Similarities and Differences Provide Clues
By Jody Smith March 21, 2011

Autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not one and the same. But research into the similarities as well as the differences between the two conditions has been getting somewhere in recent years.

Autism and ADHD are both spectrum disorders. In part, what this means is that there are a wide variety of types and severity of symptoms for both conditions.

In the cases of both autism and ADHD, parents usually will have a sense that something is out of the ordinary with their young child.

Children with autism and children with ADHD may have a tendency to lose their tempers or to cause disruptions in other ways. It's not uncommon for children with autism and children with ADHD to not seek out, or to avoid, eye contact.

They may not seem to hear what is said to them. They may act impulsively, without thinking. Fine motor skills and gross motor skills may be lacking in one of a number of ways.

As published in the October, 2002 issue of American Journal of Human Genetics, a study has found both autism and ADHD to be connected with chromosome 16. It is thought that this one gene may predispose the individual to be vulnerable to a range of different conditions. Researchers also believe that other factors like environmental influences may be in play.

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U.S. asks if food dyes make kids hyperactive
Fri Mar 25, 2011 5:06pm GMT
By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators are weighing a question parents have asked since the 1970s: do artificial food dyes make children hyperactive?

A consumer group has petitioned the government to ban blue, green, orange, red and yellow food colourings. The synthetic dyes are common in food and drinks ranging from PepsiCo's Gatorade, Cheetos and Doritos to Kellogg's Eggo waffles and Kraft's Jell-O desserts.

Manufacturers say reviews by regulators around the world confirm the dyes are safe. The Centre for Science in the Public Interest argues, however, there is plenty of data showing the dyes trigger hyperactivity in kids who are predisposed to it.

"There is convincing evidence that food dyes impair the behaviour of some children," said Michael Jacobson, head of the consumer group famous for exposing the fat and calories in movie-theatre popcorn and fast food.

Jacobson and others will testify next week before a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee that will consider the question on Wednesday and Thursday. The FDA will hear the advisers' views before deciding whether to take any action, which could take months or years.

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Sleep Cycle

Focus on person, not disability
Mar 24, 2011
Written by Teena Fitzroy

March is Disability Awareness Month, so let's start by using people-first language when speaking about individuals with disabilities. Saying a person with a disability is preferable to a disabled person. Many words are often used when referring to someone who has a disability. These words include retard, handicapped and crippled. These words are degrading and insulting. Let's replace these negative words with people-first language.

Everyone with a disability is a person first and foremost. I have a disability and that is cerebral palsy but cerebral palsy does not define who I am by any stretch of the imagination.
Who I am is a wife, mother, grandmother, friend, co-worker and public speaker. Yet because I walk differently and speak differently, people often are quick to judge me. I am who I am not because of my disability but because I had people who believed in me and always saw my abilities.

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Sleep: How you function today affects how you sleep tonight
By Kelly Deichert

Maybe the last time you slept like a baby was when you were a baby. Maybe you used to fall asleep quickly, but now you’re up most of the night. Or maybe you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep.

Sleep disturbances can be stressful and dangerous.

“Six hours or less (of sleep a night) triples your risk of a car accident,” said Marie Hixon, family life education counselor. She offers a nonmedical sleep management workshop through the Airman and Family Readiness Center to help people with different stages of insomnia.

“We need quality sleep,” she said.

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Can Your Brain Learn to Help You Sleep Better?

One of the most frustrating conditions that keeps people from sleeping well and through the night is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Most people with OSA aren't aware that they stop breathing multiple times during the night. This situation results in fragmented, poor sleep, as well as low blood oxygen levels. OSA has been associated with an increased risk for a myriad of health problems, including hypertension, heart disease, mood and memory problems.

It's widely known in sleep medicine circles that the most common -- and helpful -- treatment we have these days for patients with OSA is the CPAP machine, short for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. The difference a CPAP machine can make for someone with sleep apnea is huge, and benefits go far beyond sleep.

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ABSTRACT: Efficacy of Aripiprazole in Sulpiride-induced Tardive Oromandibular Dystonia.
Imai N, Ikawa M.
Intern Med. 2011;50(6):635-7. Epub 2011 Mar 15.
Department of Neurology, Shizuoka Red Cross Hospital, Japan.

Tardive dystonia is a side effect of dopamine receptor-blocking agents, which are mainly used as antipsychotic drugs. The treatment of tardive dystonia is difficult and often unsuccessful. An 82-year-old woman experienced mandibular deviation to the left due to spasm of the masticatory muscles with involuntary chewing movement and Parkinsonism. She had been treated with sulpiride for motility disorder for 5 years. Parkinsonism almost disappeared after the withdrawal of sulpiride, but tardive oromandibular dystonia showed no improvement. Aripiprazole treatment at 3 mg/day improved tardive oromandibular dystonia without worsening Parkinsonism. Low-dosage aripiprazole may be effective for tardive oromandibular dystonia in patients with no other psychiatric disorder.

Source.