www.aspie-editorial.com

 

By Eleanor Bradford

BBC Scotland Health Correspondent 

A study on children has found further evidence that ME, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, could be caused by a virus.

Scientists at the University of Dundee study found abnormalities in the white blood cells of children with ME/CFS, suggesting they had been fighting off infection.

ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), causes debilitating tiredness.

About 150,000 people in the UK have ME/CFS, 15,000 of whom are children.

The condition is characterised by physical and mental exhaustion following normal activities. Symptoms can include muscle pain, sore throat, tender lymph nodes, multi-joint pain and headaches.

In the study, funded by ME Research UK and The Young ME Sufferers (Tymes) Trust, 25 children aged between seven and 14 with ME/CFS were assessed, along with 23 children of a similar age in a control group.

The report, published in the Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, said abnormalities were found in the blood of all the children with ME/CFS.

The results were similar to those previously identified in adults with the condition.

Samples taken from youngsters with ME/CFS contained higher than normal levels of free radicals – molecules that can damage cells, tissues and organs.

Virus debate

A much greater number of neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cells, were also found to be at the end of their lifecycle.

The report said the high turnover of neutrophils indicated the body’s need to fight infection.

There is a continuing debate among scientists over whether ME/CFS is caused by a virus.

Several studies in adults have found evidence of a virus in people with the condition, but so far research has not proved conclusive.

Some doctors have said that the idea that different types of chronic fatigue are all caused by a single virus is not plausible.

Professor Jill Belch, an expert in vascular medicine at Ninewells hospital in Dundee who led the latest research project, said: “What we’ve found are blood changes that suggest chronic inflammation.

“This is important because it’s showing an abnormality that we might be able to devise a treatment for, but it’s also important because some people do suggest that ME is a disease of the mind and here we are showing that it is a disease of the body.”

Dr Neil Abbot, of ME Research UK, said it was ” fascinating to discover evidence of a persistent or reactivating viral infection”.

“Although the cause of ME is unknown, more than half of all patients say their illness started with an infection,” he said.

“The study undoubtedly adds greater scientific weight to the existence of a condition which, sadly, many still fail to acknowledge in spite of its severity.”

According to Tymes Trust, children with ME can be treated with “scepticism” by the healthcare system.

‘School refuser’

Jozef Mackie, 14, from Fortrose, near Inverness, was a sporty child who loved skiing, until the symptoms of ME began when he was nine years old.

His mother, Donna, said: “He was the boy whose battery wasn’t working very well. He had to take more and more time off school.

“The other children were able to run around and do things after school and Joseph had to come home and lie on the settee.”

For two years Jozef was labelled a “school refuser” and told it was “all in his head”.

He was finally diagnosed with ME when he was 11.

“I haven’t been treated very well,” said Jozef. “I haven’t been believed. They just think I’m putting it on.

“It’s sore to get in and out of the car and I can’t walk long distances.”

Jane Colby, from Tymes Trust, added: “The medical profession must now take the consequences of ME in children seriously, and research into prevention and treatment must be given a high priority.”

Source(Includes Video):  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-11204884

 

 

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Source: http://www.citeulike.org/user/adoor/article/7789838

 

ScienceDaily (Sep. 6, 2010) — Employees who have control over the design and layout of their workspace are not only happier and healthier — they’re also up to 32% more productive, according to new research from the University of Exeter in the UK.

Studies by the University’s School of Psychology have revealed the potential for remarkable improvements in workers’ attitudes to their jobs by allowing them to personalise their offices.

The findings challenge the conventional approach taken by most companies, where managers often create a ‘lean’ working environment that reflects a standardized corporate identity.

Dr Craig Knight conducted the research as part of his PhD and is now Director of PRISM — a company that deals with space issues in the workplace. He said “Most contemporary offices are functional and offer very little user control, but our studies suggest this practice needs to be challenged.

“When people feel uncomfortable in their surroundings they are less engaged — not only with the space but also with what they do in it. If they can have some control, that all changes and people report being happier at work, identifying more with their employer, and are more efficient when doing their jobs.”

The research involved more than 2,000 office workers in a series of studies looking at attitudes to — and productivity within — working space. This included two surveys of workers’ attitudes carried out via online questionnaires, as well as two experiments which examined workers’ efficiency when carrying out tasks under different conditions.

The surveys assessed the level of control workers had over their space — ranging from none at all to being fully consulted over design changes. Workers were then asked a series of questions about how they felt about their workspace and their jobs.

Results consistently showed that the more control people had over their office spaces, the happier and more motivated they were in their jobs. They felt physically more comfortable at work, identified more with their employers, and felt more positive about their jobs in general.

Two further studies, one at the University and another in commercial offices saw participants take on a series of tasks in a workspace that was either lean (bare and functional), enriched (decorated with plants and pictures), empowered (allowing the individual to design the area) or disempowered (where the individual’s design was redesigned by a ‘manager’).

People working in enriched spaces were 17% more productive than those in lean spaces, but those sitting at empowered desks were even more efficient — being 32% more productive than their lean counterparts without any increase in errors.

Professor Alex Haslam, who co-authored the research, said it was time for managers to recognise the potential improvements that can be made by handing some control of space over to workers and thereby giving them an opportunity to realise their own identity in the workplace.

He said: “Not only does office design determine whether people’s backs ache, it has the potential to affect how much they accomplish, how much initiative they take, and their overall professional satisfaction. Further research that we and others have carried out also highlights strong links between a lack of control over workspace and sickness in the office.

“All this could have a huge impact for firms of any size, yet employers rarely consider the psychological ramifications of the way they manage space. By paying more attention to employees’ needs they can boost wellbeing and productivity at minimal cost.”

Source:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100907104035.htm

 

Jared D. Michonski and Carla Sharp

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 2010, 4:24doi:10.1186/1753-2000-4-24

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production.

Source:  http://www.capmh.com/content/4/1/24

 

 

 

Children with autism may stare at geometric patterns when they are just 14 months old rather than look at kids playing around or doing yoga, say researchers in an article published in Archives of General Psychiatry. Children without autism prefer looking at other kids doing things, the authors added.

It is undeniable that early treatment can have a significant positive impact on the long-term outcome for children with an autism spectrum disorder. Early treatment, however, generally relies on the age at which a diagnosis can be made, thus pushing early identification research into a category of high public health priority.

The researchers explain that eye-tracking technology can help assess children at a very early age for level and types of functioning; it has potential as a method for characterizing the early features of autism.

Read in Full:  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/200188.php

 

By John M Grohol PsyD

I remain astounded that psychiatrists and pediatricians think it’s occasionally appropriate to prescribe adult atypical antipsychotic medications — like Risperdal — to children younger than age 5.

Last week, The New York Times covered the story of Kyle Warren, a boy who began risperidone (Risperdal) treatment at age 2. Yes, you read the right — age 2.

He was rescued from this unbelievable prescription by Dr. Mary Margaret Gleason through a treatment effort called the Early Childhood Supporters and Services program in Louisiana. Dr. Gleason helped wean young Kyle off of the medications from ages 3 to 5, and helped understand that Kyle’s tantrums came from his stressful and upsetting family situation — not a brain disorder, bipolar disorder, or autism.

Imagine that — a child responding to a family situation that is stressful and involves his two primary role models — his parents.

After carefully reviewing the limited amount of research in this area, Psych Central recommends that parents should never accept an atypical antipsychotic medication prescription for a child age 5 or younger. If your doctor makes such a prescription, you should (a) look for another doctor and (b) consider filing a complaint with your state’s medical board against the doctor.

There is an astonishing lack of empirical or clinical data that suggest prescribing these kinds of medications to such young children — age 5 or younger — results in any significant change in mood or behavior. Lacking such data, it our opinion that it is simply irresponsible and inappropriate for medical professionals to prescribe such medications to young children.

Read in Full:  http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/09/07/antipsychotics-are-not-appropriate-for-a-2-year-old/

 

By Robin Hansen

 

Sara Peterson

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 2:20

Most of us know the stereotype: the child with the flapping hands who avoids eye contact and throws a tantrum at the least provocation. In South Africa, one in every 110 people are estimated to have autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), ranging from mild to severe, with 23 affected babies born every day. ASDs are typified by difficulties with social interaction and communication, hypersensitive senses and repetitive behaviours. Social programmes tend to focus on children; adults with ASDs can be overlooked. Helen Signy speaks to three people about what life’s really like.

Sara Peterson, 28

Sara has overcome the physical symptoms of autism with a range of alternative therapies. She now works as a public servant in statistical analysis.

I went to a selective high school so clearly I’m not a dumb person. But people confused my social inability with an intellectual disability and I got teased.

Although it was very hurtful, I went along with it because there wasn’t much point in fighting it. I did very well in primary school, where I didn’t have to focus so much on the social side. At high school, because I was so far behind socially, my focus was on watching other kids and picking up social skills. It wasn’t until university that I was able to show my full capabilities.

Often in lessons I wouldn’t learn anything, I’d do my own thing. You get very good at masking the fact that you haven’t heard anything at all. It’s as if your brain has a lot of junk in it. To get anything from the outside world, to pick up what people are saying, to hear properly, is hard for me. I can hear, but I don’t necessarily understand. Trying to get a communication out is like trying to get a brick through a sieve. It’s a complex process to hear everything that someone is saying, understand and think about it, then turn that thought into a reply. Our brains don’t work as quickly in that whole process.

I have had weird ways of walking. Sometimes I’d skip around my house. Or I’d annoy the hell out of my partner by poking him and being stupid. It’s almost as if doing things like that relaxes the nervous system; it makes you feel less anxious. In other words, you selfmedicate. The urge to act like that is strong. I also hate being hugged. It’s too light a touch. It’s ticklish.

All my senses are affected [by autism]. When I read, I don’t see a white page, I see bits of colour. I’d read and drift off because I was too busy looking at the pretty colours behind the words. I don’t like the colours on my computer screen, particularly at work. Some days I log in and feel like going home. Noises hurt my ears. The most painful experience I’ve ever had in my life was four years ago when my brother came up behind me and made a very highpitched noise next to my ear. I’m distracted by sounds, plates crashing, the general noise of people talking.

I’m also very sensitive to the texture of food. It’s hard to cope with something that’s slimy. I’ve tried for many years to desensitise myself – for example, to teach myself to eat a grape. It’s the texture, the way it pops in your mouth, the way when you chew it disintegrates, it’s swallowing, it’s every part of eating it. I love the taste of strawberries, but eating one feels as if you are getting a mouthful of seeds. I used to gag all the time when I was eating. People think you are being precious.

Stomach problems are an under- recognised part of autism. For whatever reasons, the gastrointestinal tract develops problems that contribute to the symptoms. You think the pain is normal. Until recently, I didn’t know what bloating meant, I thought everyone had it. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome after I’d had a couple of viruses. I started biomedical treatments – supplements, diet, homeopathic remedies. I am now better. The treatment has changed my life.

I love my job. I do statistical analysis – it’s a repetitive task, very technical and specific. I met my partner, James, on the first day. He’s been amazing. James and I were married earlier this year. For me the greatest challenge was feeling overwhelmed by all the frantic activity and not having time to stop and be quiet – something I’m sure I have in common with most brides!

Wendy Lawson, 58

Wendy was diagnosed as having an intellectual disability as an infant, and sent away to college as a teenager. She attempted suicide and was treated as a schizophrenic for 25 years before she was finally found to have highfunctioning autism. A mother of four children, now adults, including two sons with ASD, she is a freelance writer, poet and lecturer, and recently obtained a PhD.

When I’m around other people, it’s like watching a video – it’s all going on in front of me, I can look – but not touch. I can’t connect to it. It’s similar to being in a large crowd, a sea of faces, but for me it happens in my family home.

Our brains are configured to work with single attention. One thing captures all that attention. Then, something else comes along and either distracts or overwhelms you. When you’re talking to someone, you may notice his or her body language, or clothes, the shine on their shoes, a speck on the wall – any one of these captures your attention so there may be no available attention for speech. We are single-channel people.

Listening and talking is really hard to do. People try to get you to look at them when you’re talking and that’s a nightmare. I hear better when I put my ear to you rather than my eye.

We’re very literal. People talk in metaphors all the time. Someone will say, “I will just be a minute”, and the minute’s gone and they haven’t come back and I’m getting quite angry, it feels as if I’ve been lied to. If you’re autistic, you take things literally. Sometimes, I have to sit and think about what these things mean. For children with autism this is a nightmare. I’ve written a book and made a concise dictionary of metaphors, but if you introduce an unknown metaphor I find it hard.

Source:  http://lifestyle.iafrica.com/parenting/features/661151.html?p=2

 

Brian Thompson, Ph.D. Updated: Sep 3rd 2010

Sometimes the most effective way to manage distress is to stop struggling against what’s painful. It doesn’t necessarily make it go away; however, we at least let go of the additional stress we cause ourselves when we struggle against something we can’t get rid of. Chronic pain is a great example of this.

Chronic pain is pain that persists for months and years, and it can be a complicated and frustrating condition. Those who struggle with pain know that medical treatments have limited use in helping to manage it. Although pain had traditionally been treated as a physical problem, we now know that psychological and environmental conditions influence the experience of pain. Pain can be exacerbated by stress, too much activity, too little activity, and a whole host of other factors. Additionally, it is common for people with chronic pain to struggle with anxiety and depression.

Recently, a new psychological treatment was added to the list of pain treatments. Division 12 of the American Psychological Association, the main organization for psychologists, evaluates psychological treatments that are shown to be effective for certain conditions. They require several high quality research studies in order for a treatment to make their list of what they call “empirically supported treatments.” (Click on these links to see the list of treatments and the list of disorders.)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a relatively newer treatment with an expanding research base, was recently added to the list as a treatment for chronic pain. In fact, a new category of pain was created for ACT: “chronic or persistent pain.” This is unique in that the four other accepted pain treatments are listed for specific types of pain (e.g., headache, fibromyalgia), while ACT was recognized as being useful in treating a broad range of pain conditions.

Read in Full:  http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=39475&cn=81