Paralysis Research in the News:  Stem Cells Improve Function In Newly-Paralyzed Rats

ADHD Research in the News: Brain Activity in Sleep May Impact Emotional Disturbances in Children With ADHD

[Source:  Science Daily.com]

Sleep consolidates emotional memories in healthy children but not in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to research published May 29 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Alexander Prehn-Kristensen and colleagues from University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein. The study suggests these deficits in sleep-related emotional processing may exacerbate emotional problems experienced in the daytime by children with ADHD.

SPD in the News:  Breakthrough Study Reveals Biological Basis for Sensory Processing Disorders in Kids   

[Source: Science Daily]

Sensory processing disorders (SPD) are more prevalent in children than autism and as common as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, yet it receives far less attention partly because it's never been recognized as a distinct disease.

In a groundbreaking new study from UC San Francisco, researchers have found that children affected with SPD have quantifiable differences in brain structure, for the first time showing a biological basis for the disease that sets it apart from other neurodevelopmental disorders.

ADHD and TBI in the News:  Children With ADHD More Likely to Be Moderately Disabled After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury  

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Chicago have found that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to demonstrate a moderate disability after sustaining a mild traumatic brain injury than children without ADHD.

Genetic Links to Autism in the News:  Mother's Antibodies May Explain a Quarter of Autism Cases  

A test for six antibodies in an expectant mom's blood may predict with more than 99% certainty which children are at highest risk of developing autism.

In a study published in Translational Psychiatry, researchers report that 23% of all cases of autism may result from the presence of maternal antibodies that interfere with fetal brain development during pregnancy. The work builds on a 2008 study from the same scientists that first described the group of antibodies in mothers-to-be. The latest paper describes the specific antibodies and provides more detail on what they do.

TBI in the News:  Identification Of Brain Regions Involved In Impersonations And Accents Could Impact Recovery From Brain Injury And Stroke   

[Source:  Medical News Today]

A study, led by Royal Holloway University researcher Carolyn McGettigan, has identified the brain regions and interactions involved in impersonations and accents.

Using an fMRI scanner, the team asked participants, all non-professional impressionists, to repeatedly recite the opening lines of a familiar nursery rhyme either with their normal voice, by impersonating individuals, or by impersonating regional and foreign accents of English.

Childbirth in the News:  Later Cord Clamping After Birth Increases Iron Levels in Babies     

[Source:  Science Daily]

Delaying clamping of the umbilical cord after birth benefits newborn babies, according to a systematic review published in The Cochrane Library. The authors found babies' blood and iron levels were healthier when the cord was clamped later.

Cerebral Palsy in the News:  Pre-Eclampsia Poses Cerebral Palsy Risk For Premature And Small Babies    

Exposure to pre-eclampsia is associated with an increased risk of cerebral palsy (CP) in newborns, if they are preterm or small at birth, suggests a study published today on bmj.com.

Pre-eclampsia affects 3-5% of pregnant women and can lead to preterm delivery, prematurity, perinatal morbidity and mortality. Although preterm birth and low birth weight are associated with excess risk of CP, the causes remain largely unknown.

Some studies have found an excess risk of CP in children born at term from mothers with pre-eclampsia while others have reported no association.

PediaStaff Therapy Placement of the Week:  Congratulations, Kimberly!   

Congratulations to Kimberly C., OTR/L on her full-time, direct hire position through PediaStaff at a year-round private school (with outstanding benefits!) in west suburban Boston.

Kim will be serving kids with mental health issues, autism, developmental disabilities, and emotional and behavioral challenges.  Much of the work will be sensory oriented in individual and group settings.

Sounds great, Kim!  Best of luck to you there!

Going to ASHA Schools?:  Visit Booth #311 to Meet our Friends at Social Express and to Get (Another?) Toobaloo!   

SLP Resource of the Week:  TED Talk Playlist 'Words, Words, Words"   

Resource of the Week: A History of Disability In America: An Awesome Online Exhibit   

Product Review of the Week:  Tobbles Promote Balance and Coordination While Providing Loads of Fun   

Resource of the Week:  LessonPix Sharing Center   

They have started a "sharing center" where LessonPix members can upload custom therapy materials they have made with the Lesson Pix software.  Check it out - its Free! 

This is a great product worth subscribing to, and the sharing center is a terrific way to see all the cool things you can do with the software. 

OT Corner: Teaching Kids with Autism and Other Disabilities to Type

Pediatric Therapy Corner: Stop Penalizing Boys for Not Being Able to Sit Still at School