Blood Test Aims to Detect Autism

[Schafer Autism Report]

	Read this report online     Large text, printer version
Friday, April 26, 2013p                                               Reader Supported.

RESEARCH Blood Test Aims to Detect Autism       By Shirley S. Wang Wall Street Journal       To cut through some of the mystery of mental disorders, universities and medical-technology companies are seeking firmer biological clues that may be lurking in blood and saliva--so-called biomarkers.  The 20-site, 660-patient project, expected to be launched Wednesday, is thought to be one of the biggest studies to date to examine a biological marker for autism-spectrum disorders, which affect one in every 50 children in the U.S.       The blood test aims to speed the diagnosis of autism, a condition characterized by poor social interaction and repetitive behaviors that can be hard to recognize when a child is very young.       The average age of diagnosis in the U.S. is about 4 years, older than is optimal, according to experts, because therapies are more effective when begun early.       "Time is the enemy here in improving outcomes," said Stan Lapidus, chief executive of SynapDx, a lab-services company in Lexington, Mass., that is sponsoring the trial.       SynapDx, which is backed by venture-capital firms and is paying for the trial, has no ties to any autism treatment but hopes to make money by selling the test if it is commercialized.       A challenge with developing a detection or diagnostic test is to accurately identify those with a condition while keeping the false positives to a minimum.       Currently, there is no objective test for autism, and it is diagnosed based on an examination of the child's behavior by experts. The blood test could augment pediatricians' and parents' observations and help them make the decision to get the child to a specialist sooner, but not replace the clinician's diagnosis.   For rest of today's SAR click here: www.sarnet.org/frm/forsar.htm Today's SAR newslist is human compiled and provided through the support of paid subscriptions.                    - THANK YOU - $35 for 1 year - or free! www.sarnet.org

In This Issue: • • • • • • • • • • • RESEARCH Blood Test Aims to Detect Autism Screening Test On A Newborn's Placenta Can Help Determine Autism Risk First Vaccine to Help Control Some Autism Symptoms Prenatal Valproate Exposure Linked to Autism Environment Interacts With Genes In Autism, Twin Study Shows  NEWS Joint Effort Seeks Drugs for Autism Disabled Children in California Caught in Middle of Obamacare Switch Episodic Future Thinking in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder EDUCATION CPS Removes Special-Ed Teacher After Abuse Complaints From Parents MEDIA "The United States of Autism" Documentary Premieres Jeremy Sicile-Kira Paints His Dreams   'Schafer Autism Report' Now an App on iPhone, iPad and Droid!     DO SOMETHING ABOUT AUTISM NOW . . . Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report. $35 for 1 year - or free! www.sarnet.org Hundreds of Local Autism Events Web / Everywhere Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Web / Everywhere Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Web / Everywhere Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Web / Everywhere Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Web / Everywhere Now's the perfect time to order your free Puzzle Piece kits and launch an autism awareness campaign in your community. When we raise the funding necessary, ARI will see that important research is done, including the large-scale, independent study of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated children Click here. SAR Back Issues The Autism Community Supports the Schafer Autism Report . . . Read, then Forward the Schafer Autism Report. $35 for 1 year - or free! www.sarnet.org Biomedical Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorders Scientific References and Abstracts www.autismbiomed.com

Copyright Notice: The above items are copyright protected. They are for our readers' personal education or research purposes only and provided at their request. Articles may not be further reprinted or used commercially without consent from the copyright holders. To find the copyright holders, follow the referenced website link provided at the beginning of each item.

Lenny Schafer edi...@sarnet.org                                            The Schafer Autism Report is a non-profit corporation

Vol. 17 No. 5                                                                       Unsubscribe here: www.sarnet.org/frm/unsub2.htm