Mealtime is an important family routine commonly affected for families with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Limited research is available regarding strategies families incorporate to support mealtime engagement. The purpose of this study was to explore the frequency and characterize the purpose of Props used during mealtimes with children with ASD.
Slide of the Week
Richard J Davidson, PhD – Slide of the Week
Reduced hippocampal volume is frequently observed in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but the psychological processes associated with these alterations remain unclear. Given hippocampal involvement in memory and contextual representations of threat, we investigated relationships between retrospectively reported combat exposure, perceived threat, and hippocampal volume in trauma-exposed veterans.
Christopher L. Coe, PhD – Slide of the Week
Maternal recall of distress and health concerns during pregnancy correlated with cord blood ZnPP/H indices (r = 0.21, P < .01), even in the absence of major traumatic events. When concurrent with other known risks for iron deficiency, including maternal adiposity, socioeconomic status, and race, maternal stress had a summative effect, lowering cord blood iron.
Lauren Bishop, PhD – Slide of the Week
We have seen a profound increase in lifespan for individuals with Down syndrome (DS) in the past few decades leading to a large and somewhat understudied population of middle- and older aged adults with DS. One health condition consistently seen in clinic-based DS samples is dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease).
Bradley T Christian, PhD – Slide of the Week
Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and show the earliest signs of amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in the striatum. The metric for tracking Aβ burden using PET radiotracers frequently uses average standard uptake value ratios (SUVr) in signature regions of the brain specific to Aβ deposition.
Sriram Boothalingam, PhD – Slide of the Week
The auditory brainstem reflex tag-team: panel A is a schematic of the neural connections between two brainstem auditory reflexes, the medial olivocochlear (MOCR) and the middle ear muscle (MEMR) reflex. While we know that the two reflexes work in tandem and at slightly different frequencies and input sound levels, how the activity of one reflex influences the other is poorly understood.
Anita Bhattacharyya, PhD – Slide of the Week
To identify mechanisms that lead to neurodevelopmental differences in Down syndrome, we used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated from individuals with Down syndrome and differentiated them into progenitors of the cerebral cortex. The progenitors were analyzed by RNA Seq at Day 17 in culture when cells have acquired their positional phenotype.
Barbara B. Bendlin, PhD – Slide of the Week
Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a small molecule produced by the metaorganismal metabolism of dietary choline, has been implicated in human disease pathogenesis, including known risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), such as metabolic, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disease.
Randolph Ashton, PhD – Slide of the Week
In tissue engineering applications, sacrificial molding of hydrogel monoliths is a versatile technique for creating 3D molds to control tissue morphology. Previous sacrificial templates fabricated by serial processes such as solvent casting and thermal extrusion/fiber drawing can be used to effectively mold internal geometries within rapidly polymerizing, bulk curing hydrogels.
UCEDD – Slide of the Week
Although intervening early can improve child and family outcomes when a child has a developmental disability, most children with developmental delays are not identified prior to school entry. Childcare professionals can play a key role in identifying delays early.