Blog by Martha Herbert July, 2014 A summary version of this blog was posted by Autism Speaks on July 28, 2014 at http://www.autismspeaks.org/blog/2014/07/28/more-prenatal-genetics-search-autism%E2%80%99s-origins AUTISM AND BRAIN TISSUE: POTENTIAL AND CHALLENGES We will all benefit from better understanding of what is happening in the brain to drive the features of autism, and how the brain came to be that way. Studying tissue specimens from the brains of people diagnosed with ASDs who have died and whose families have donated their brains to research is one of the most poignant and precious ways to do this. The huge power of this approach more »
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The Autism Revolution
Whole Body Strategies for Making Life All it Can Be
by Martha Herbert, MD, PhD, with Karen Weintraub
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Author Archive
Dr. Herbert’s Talks – PDFs and URLs
Oct
03
03
http://www.autismrevolution.org/dr-herberts-talk-pdfs-and-links/
GENETIC EXPLANATIONS: Sense and Nonsense – Headers from Dr. Herbert’s chapter in new Harvard U Press book
Sep
09
09
Here is the citation for my new chapter: Herbert, M.R., Autism: From Static Genetic Brain Defect to Dynamic Gene-Environment-Modulated Pathophysiology. Chapter 10 of Genetic Explanations: Sense and Nonsense. Krimsky, S. and Gruber, J. eds, Harvard University Press (2012). The chapter covers similar material to what is in the book THE AUTISM REVOLUTION, but pitched to upper-division undergraduate college students. Here are the chapter’s Section Headers. Please get the book to read more and also to read the other terrific chapters!! Autism Status Quo: Genes, Brain, Behavior and Hopelessness Anomalies Undermining the Genes-Brain-Behavior Model Not a Static Prevalence Not Just Genes: more »
WHY AREN’T WE THERE YET? Valuable but incomplete measures of brain changes in babies with autism
Jul
16
16
In my opinion the recent research paper, Differences in White Matter Fiber Tract Development Present from 6 to 24 Months in Infants with Autism (Am J Psychiatry 2012 ; 169 :589-600), reports a very important finding and represents a huge amount of work, but the study is quite incomplete both in what was chosen to be measured and how the findings are interpreted by the investigators, Jason Wolff et al. Moreover, even though this study has been touted in the news as a way of detecting autism early, it really isn’t ready for prime time as a clear indicator of more »
HOUSEKEEPING AND HIGHER FUNCTIONS ARE MARRIED AND INSEPARABLE IN THE BRAIN
Jun
05
05
Three new papers show that our neurons need housekeeping and support help. These papers lend further support to the “whole-body” view of the brain. That is, not only is there more to the brain than neurons, but the split between “lofty signaling activities” and “humble housekeeping” is artificial and misleading because all are key team players. These new papers also support the idea that sensible, health-promoting strategies — particularly a high nutrient-density plant-based diet, may help protect our brains and our general health. Below, I’ve summarized the three studies and the key questions they raise: Could psychiatric problems be linked more »
Log of edits to the AutismWHYandHOW website
Apr
29
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4/29/2012 Added a category of “distortion” comprising macro-structural and microstructural distortion as ways that environment may “cause” or contribute to autism.
Blogs from The Autism Revolution
Apr
20
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PRINT MEDIA AND BLOGS Herbert blog 4/18/2012 on Autism Speaks “Got Questions?” Blog entitled “What’s the difference between something causing autism versus increasing risk for autism?…” Herbert blog 4/9/2012: Obesity, Diabetes and Autism Risk: Much That You Can Do Herbert blog 4/5/2012: Bigger than Autism, Bigger than Genes: A Whole Body Approach to Mutations and What You Can Do Weintraub Boston Globe story 3/26/2012: How Parents are Changing the Course of Autism Research Herbert Harvard Health Publications Blog, 3/27/2012, New Book, The Autism Revolution, Offers Hope, Help for Families Rachel Zimmerman, WBUR Commonhealth Blog, 3/27/2012, about The Autism Revolution, Rethinking more »
The Autism Revolution
Apr
13
13
Subtitled Whole Body Strategies for Making Life all It Can Be, the spring 2012 book The Autism Revolution (www.autismrevolution.org) spans across the many levels of autism to provide a complex framework for pursuing coordinated strategies to address autism’s challenges. Order now at www.autismrevolution.org/ordernow from your choice of booksellers! Also check out the book’s facebook page, www.facebook.com/TheAutismRevolution.
Purpose: Both/And
Aug
06
06
Autism is COMPLEX. This means it involves many things going on all at the same time. Here are some questions that have different answers for different people: Does any one thing cause all the other issues? Are different parts of autism related or are they just together by coincidence?
