Posted on ADHD

ADHD: What You Need to Know – A Q&A with Dr. Stephen Hinshaw

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental health disorders in children. On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at 7 p.m. EDT, the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) will host a webinar designed to help parents and educators better understand this disorder. Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, President and CEO of BBRF, along with Dr. Stephen Hinshaw, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, will discuss the symptoms of ADHD, the differences in presentation between boys and girls and will provide advice for caregivers and educators on how to help young people lead successful lives after a diagnosis.

Register HERE for this free event.

About Brain & Behavior Research Foundation 
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation provides research grants to develop better treatments, cures, and prevention methods for mental illnesses. These include conditions such as addiction, ADHD, anxiety, autism, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, depression, eating disorders, OCD, PTSD, and schizophrenia, as well as initiatives focused on suicide prevention.  Since its establishment in 1987, the Foundation has awarded over $461 million to fund more than 5,600 leading scientists worldwide. Significantly, 100% of every dollar donated is invested directly in research. The Foundation has separate grants that cover its operating expenses. Additionally, BBRF produces the Emmy®-nominated public television series “Healthy Minds” with Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, which seeks to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and illustrates that there is hope for recovery with assistance.

Posted on Autism

Animal characters can boost autistic young children’s psychological development, study suggests

Children’s books often feature animal characters whose antics capture the hearts and inspire the imaginations of their young readers.

However, a new study has shown that iconic characters such as Peter Rabbit – or Toad and Ratty from The Wind in the Willows – can also play an essential role in children’s psychological development.

The research explored the extent to which different non-human characters influence children’s theory of mind skills, which include the ability to read and predict social changes in the environment through tone of voice, choice of words, or facial expression.

For the study, more than 100 children aged between five and ten were tested on their theory of mind skills when presented with stories featuring animal characters rather than human ones.

The study found that when faced with human characters, there was a clear age-related progression, with older children consistently outperforming their younger counterparts. Year 3 children performed better than the researchers had predicted in the tests featuring human characters.

However, in tests that involved animal characters, Year 1 participants were able to match the scores achieved by pupils from Year 3, who were two years older than them. 

Dr Gray Atherton and Dr Liam Cross from the University of Plymouth’s School of Psychology led the research.

Dr Atherton, lead author of the new study, said: “Animals play a huge part in children’s stories, whether in books and comics or through TV and film. We wanted to test if that is down to more than simply liking the characters, whether there are actual benefits of children learning through watching or reading about animals, and if this changes over time. Our findings showed that human and non-human characters are important in helping children interpret the world around them and play differing roles at different developmental stages. Adapting activities and lessons in nurseries and the early school years to take that into account could be hugely effective in helping to support their development.”

The research builds on previous studies by Dr Atherton and Dr Cross, which explored factors that can influence the educational and social development of people with autism and learning difficulties.

These have included initiatives showing that playing board and online games can boost confidence among people with autism and others, highlighting that people with dyslexia and dyscalculia show reduced bias against others based on characteristics such as their disability, race or gender.

Based on the new research, the academics intend to explore in more detail whether their findings could specifically benefit children with such conditions.

Dr Cross added: “We believe this new study could be of particular importance for people with autism or other conditions that can impact their learning. Working with teenagers in the past, we have noticed how tasks that involve animal characters can result in autistic people performing just as well as non-autistic children. It would be interesting to replicate our current study with autistic children to understand if we can find more effective ways to support them at a critical point in their development.”

Posted on Multiple Sclerosis

A constellation of symptoms presages first definitive signs of multiple sclerosis Study is largest-ever effort to identify symptoms that appear before MS diagnosis

Symptoms of MS

Symptoms of MS




During the five years before people develop the first clinically recognized signs of multiple sclerosis (MS), they are up to four times more likely to be treated for nervous system disorders such as pain or sleep problems. They are 50 per cent more likely to visit a psychiatrist, according to new research from the University of British Columbia.

The study, the largest-ever effort to document symptoms of people before they know they have MS, could enable physicians to diagnose the disease – and thus start treating it – earlier, therefore possibly slowing the damage it causes to the brain and spinal cord.

MS results from the body’s immune system attacking myelin, the fatty material that insulates neurons and enables rapid transmission of electrical signals. When myelin is damaged, communication between the brain and other body parts is disrupted, leading to vision problems, muscle weakness, difficulty with balance and coordination, and cognitive impairments.

Because the symptoms are varied, often associated with other disorders, and can be transitory, diagnosing MS can be a challenge. Confirmation of the disease usually is done by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a test of nerve impulses, or an examination of spinal fluid.

Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world for reasons that elude scientists.

The researchers, led by Helen Tremlett, a Professor in the Division of Neurology at UBC, examined the health records of 14,000 people with multiple sclerosis from B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia between 1984 and 2014 and compared them to the health records of 67,000 people without the disease.

Tremlett and former postdoctoral fellow José Wijnands found that fibromyalgia, a condition involving widespread musculoskeletal pain, was more than three times as common in people who were later diagnosed with MS, and irritable bowel syndrome was almost twice as common.

Two other conditions with markedly higher rates among people to be diagnosed with MS are migraine headaches and any mood or anxiety disorder, which includes depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

The higher rates of those illnesses also correspond with higher use of medications for musculoskeletal disorders, nervous system disorders, and disorders of the genito-urinary tract, along with antidepressants and antibiotics.

The study, published in Multiple Sclerosis Journal, provides definitive evidence that MS can be preceded by early symptoms – known as a prodrome – that aren’t considered “classic” manifestations of the disease, like blurred vision or numbness or weakness in the limbs. As recently as 2000, medical textbooks asserted that MS did not have a prodrome.

“The existence of such ‘warning signs’ are well-accepted for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, but there has been little investigation into a similar pattern for MS,” said Tremlett, a Canada Research Chair in Neuroepidemiology and Multiple Sclerosis and member of the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health. “We now need to delve deeper into this phenomenon, perhaps using data-mining techniques. We want to see if there are discernible patterns related to sex, age, or the ‘type’ of MS they eventually develop.”

Posted on Patient Talk

Can podcasts create healthier habits?

Whether it’s ABC Listen’s Health Report or Mamamia’s But Are You Happy, podcasts have fast become a part of our everyday media consumption. In fact, the average person spends more than five hours a week listening to them. But could listening to podcasts lead to healthier habits?
Whether it’s ABC Listen’s Health Report or Mamamia’s But Are You Happy, podcasts have quickly become part of our everyday media consumption. The average person spends more than five hours a week listening to them. But could listening to podcasts lead to healthier habits?

In a groundbreaking study, researchers at the University of South Australia have discovered that podcasts can significantly enhance health knowledge, increase exercise frequency, and promote healthier eating habits.

After reviewing the results of 38 studies, researchers found that people’s engagement with health-related podcasts was generally high. This suggests that podcasts could serve as an effective medium for delivering health information and promoting behaviour change interventions.

Nielsen data indicates that podcast popularity has risen by 16% since last year, solidifying this on-demand media in the daily lives of 9.6 million Australians.

UniSA researcher Beth Robins says the findings highlight the potential of podcasts promoting positive health behaviours.

“Health and wellbeing podcasts have the unique ability to convey a wide range of health topics to a variety of listeners, but in a very accessible way,” Robins says.

“Not only are podcasts typically chatty and conversational – which makes them easy to listen to and understand – but they’re also available at the touch of a button, so they’re extremely convenient, portable, and can be listened to at any time of the day.”

The study found that the most common motivations for listening to a health podcast was to gain information, better understand mental health issues, and to seek entertainment.

UniSA researcher Dr Ben Singh says the high engagement with health podcasts presents an advantage over other health interventions for sharing important public health messages.

“Our study is the first to review the evidence about health podcasts for the general population,” Dr Singh says.

“From this study, we know that podcasts are highly valued for their authenticity and reliability and their impactful, experience-focussed, and narrative-driven content.

“They’re also valued for their ability to be consumed at the user’s pace and in a setting that suits them – whether that’s while relaxing at home or walking the dog – and this aligns with increasing consumer demand for health resources that are both informative and adaptable to individual lifestyles.

“While more research is warranted, podcasts are clearly a highly engaging, well-received resource that can positively impact health behaviours and outcomes. It’s certainly a watch this space.”

Posted on Autism

The study reveals brain mechanisms involved in genetically based autism; findings may lead to effective treatment

PhD student Inbar Fischer

PhD student Inbar Fischer Credit Tel Aviv University

A groundbreaking study from Tel Aviv University enhances our understanding of the biological mechanisms behind genetically based autism. It mainly focuses on mutations in the SHANK3 gene, which are responsible for nearly one million autism cases worldwide. Based on these findings, the research team applied a genetic treatment that improved the functioning of cells affected by the mutation, paving the way for future therapies for SHANK3-related autism.

The study was led by the lab of Prof. Boaz Barak and PhD student Inbar Fischer from the Sagol School of Neuroscience and the School of Psychological Sciences at Tel Aviv University.

Prof. Barak: “Autism is a common neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 1-2% of the global population, with one in every 36 boys in the U.S. diagnosed. Its causes include environmental, genetic, and social factors, such as advancing parental age at conception.  In my lab, we focus on the genetic causes of autism, particularly mutations in the SHANK3 gene. This gene is vital for the protein that binds receptors in neurons, essential for receiving chemical signals that enable neuron communication. Damage to SHANK3 can disrupt this communication, impairing brain development and function.  Our study aims to explore previously unknown mechanisms through which SHANK3 mutations affect brain development, leading to autism.”

Specifically, the research team focused on two components in the brain that have not yet been studied extensively in this context: non-neuronal brain cells (glia) called oligodendrocytes and the myelin they produce. Myelin tissue is a fatty layer that insulates nerve fibres (axons), similar to the insulating layer that coats electrical cables. When the myelin is faulty, the electrical signals transmitted through the axons may leak, disrupting the message transmission between brain regions and impairing brain function.

The team employed a genetically engineered mouse model for autism, introducing a mutation in the Shank3 gene that mirrors the mutation found in humans with this form of autism. Inbar Fischer: “Through this model, we found that the mutation causes a dual impairment in the brain’s development and proper function: first, in oligodendrocytes, as in neurons, the SHANK3 protein is essential for the binding and functioning of receptors that receive chemical signals (neurotransmitters and others) from neighbouring cells. This means that the defective protein associated with autism disrupts message transmission to these vital support cells. Secondly, when the function and development of oligodendrocytes is impaired, their myelin production is also disrupted. The faulty myelin does not properly insulate the neuron’s axons, thereby reducing the efficiency of electrical signal transmission between brain cells and the synchronization of electrical activity between different brain parts. In our model, we found myelin impairment in multiple brain areas and observed that the animals’ behaviour was adversely affected.”

The researchers then sought a method for fixing the damage caused by the mutation, hoping to develop a treatment for humans ultimately. Inbar Fischer: “We obtained oligodendrocytes from the brain of a mouse with a Shank3 mutation and inserted DNA segments containing the normal human SHANK3 sequence. Our goal was to allow the normal gene to encode a functional and normal protein, which would perform its essential role in the cell by replacing the defective protein. To our delight, following treatment, the cells expressed the normal SHANK3 protein, enabling the construction of a functional protein substrate to bind the receptors that receive electrical signals. In other words, the genetic treatment we had developed repaired the oligodendrocytes’ communication sites, essential for the cells’ proper development and function as myelin producers.”

To validate findings from the mouse model, the research team generated induced pluripotent stem cells from the skin cells of a girl with autism caused by a SHANK3 gene mutation identical to that in the mice. From these stem cells, they derived human oligodendrocytes with the same genetic profile. These oligodendrocytes displayed impairments similar to those observed in their mouse counterparts.

Prof. Barak concludes: “In our study, we discovered two new brain mechanisms involved in genetically induced autism: damage to oligodendrocytes and, consequently, damage to the myelin they produce. These findings have important implications – both clinical and scientific.  Scientifically, we learned that defective myelin played a significant role in autism and identified the mechanism causing the damage to myelin. Additionally, we revealed a new role for the SHANK3 protein: building and maintaining a functional binding substrate for receptors critical for message reception in oligodendrocytes (not just in neurons). We discovered that contrary to the prevailing view, these cells play essential roles in their own right, far beyond the support they provide for neurons — often seen as the leading players in the brain. In the clinical sphere, we validated a gene therapy approach that led to significantly improved development and function of oligodendrocytes derived from the brains of mice modelling autism. This finding offers hope for developing genetic treatment for humans, which could enhance the myelin production process in the brain. Furthermore, recognizing the significance of myelin impairment in autism—whether linked to the SHANK3 gene or not—opens new pathways for understanding the brain mechanisms underlying autism and paves the way for future treatment development.