Is aspergers existence proven scientifically?

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Asking what scientific verificaiton of Asperger's is GOOD.

Wondering HOW it changes the brain exactly, and what PROOF there is isn't saying that Asperger's doesn't exist.

It's wanting to see the brain differences of someone with Asperber's vs. someone without.

Verification is always a good thing. Would you believe the world is round, flat, whatever... knowing that there's proof, but you've never seen it?

One step closer to understanding and treating a condition is being able to see the physical or chemical differences.
It's critical.

Study: Brain scans detect early signs of autism
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-5 ... of-autism/

Autism Brain Scan Signs Found At 6 Months Of Age
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/241909.php

And, YES, some mental illnesses and conditions CAN be seen in brain scans ( to some extent)

Depression: Brain Imaging Reveals Breakdown Of Normal Emotional Processing
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 111752.htm

Signs of Recurring Depression Revealed in Brain Scans
http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/1612-b ... ssion.html

Check out Dr. Amen's research on brain imaging... and read his books that show brain scans:
http://www.amenclinics.net/brain-scienc ... -research/

"Change Your Brain, Change Your Life" by Dr. Amen is an interesting read, showing brain scans in "normal" brains vs. those affected by things such as depression. I'm sure there are countless other books and research on brain scans as well.

It should be noted that Dr. Amen is a bit of a quack.

http://www.brainexplorer.org/neurologic ... ters.shtml

http://vimeo.com/24684949

You are wrong off the bat; Bad math skills are diagnosable, it's calked dyscalculia. Also, what do you mean "proven scientifically". The thing is, you don't use science to prove things, you use math, that's why everything in science is a theory, not a theorm.

I'm back. I didn't take anything personally, you don't have to take something personally to see someone acting rude or hostile.


I've been reading this thread. I've read your and others responses, and I have a question: So what if it wasn't proven scientifically, you don't need to get told you have asperger's to feel all the things you do. You'd be feeling and acting every way you already do even if they hadn't been able to classify and group all these things into the term Asperger syndrome. The name doesn't cause the disorder, the disorder gets a name. It sounds like you're angry at the "issues" you have and you're trying to find something to blame. A label isn't to blame, genetics and the like are. This is who you are, regardless of the word or diagnosis- Not being told you have asperger's wouldn't change you magically. You got assessed BECAUSE you were different from the norm, you didn't become different from the norm AFTER you were assessed.


SO, take all the links and information people have given you here, but what are you trying to achieve? You're still you in the end, you can either be ok with or not, but it won't change you.

It's interesting to think carefully about exactly what it would mean for a psychological condition to be "real", and what it would mean for a psychological condition to be "fake". If you think that "real" means "it can be diagnosed simply by looking at your brain" and "fake" means "it cannot be diagnosed simply by looking at your brain", then there are some problems with your view.

Most people accept that your brain is where all of the fundamentally important things about you as a person are physically encoded. So, if you behave differently to an imagined "average person" John, then your brain really is different to John's brain. If we were to use good enough equipment, we could see the differences. And if we had some sort of amazing computer and some amazing knowledge about how the brain works, we would be able to predict how your behaviour would be different to John's behaviour just from the differences in your brains. So any talk about "can we detect Asperger's Syndrome just from looking at brains" is really just talk about current technology, not about the principles of the matter.

Another problem with this view is that no other type of condition has this much scrutiny put on it. For example, if I go to the doctor and I tell him my symptoms (e.g. coughing, sneezing, feeling tired), he might guess what condition I have from my symptoms. Nobody is demanding that he has to look at my lungs and sinuses in order to diagnose me. Symptoms are enough for diagnosis. Why shouldn't this be the case for psychological conditions as well?

Well, here is part of the problem. We are actually talking Medicine here, not Science per se. There is an actual difference. Medicine is about trying to cure/help people.
Science certainly is not. In its purest form, its simply about testing hypothesis A & then B. Searching for knowledge (not "Truth" in the capital sense either, that is really philosphy).
Medical knowledge is gained the same way, however, there are ethical considerations, so it often goes slower than pure research. You simply cannot open someone's brain without consent. And how many would. Plus for severely autistic people, they might not be able to give consent.
Asperger's Syndrome is REAL within the Autistic pectrum of behavior/disorders. But is it truly seperate from Autism is not known, so many are in favor of eliminating it. That however, does NOT mean you are NOT Autistic. If you wre dxd trying to deny it by denying the entire Reality of it is understandable.
But counter-productive..

Sincerely,
Matthew

PS.

Oh good, someone also got the part about "proving" stuff in. Science is not about PROVING A beyond a doubt.
Knowledge evolves through time. Its sort of like the Theory of Evolution, which has tons of evidence, but as any Creationist will tell you "Its not a Proven Fact" But there is tons of evidence, clues, etc. People who try to "prove" some is false are misunderstanding the intent.
I also forgot to add: Medicine is as much Art as it is a Science. especially in Diagnosis.
Things are always in flux when it comes to brain/mental illnesses, because our understanding is so (ironically) limited at this time.
*****************************************
Why not try to learn the positives about your ASD? You waste valuable time with your denial that you should use. If I even had HALF of the resources that exist for autistics these days, my life would be VERY different!

About the "scientifically proven" thing - perhaps it is more interesting to ask if Aspergers (or Autism, btw) is "falsifiable" - in other words, if the "asperger's hypothesis" is wrong, there is any way of proving that is wrong?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsifiability

You people just don't get it. You have opened “Pandora’s box”. You have told people this information out as truth. By that they want evidence, you cause so much damage to society by publishing & thinking you know what things are or what they should. Then look at society now, If we could go back in time, I would stop the DSM book turning into a tombstone, & made sure all autism history was wiped.

You might see it as searching, but you did not tell the public that. We don't need you running field tests in public.

How about we turn ignorance & not listening into illness. Marked by a continuing disregard for society’s suffering & inability to see the consequence of they action. Inability to foresee the damage impacted on the world society.

Can turn anything into a illness. With a bunch of bs, & rewriting. Your so out of touch with what is going on currently & I can't be bothered to explain it.

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01322555

http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=autism

Tell me how you tell the differences between an Introvert & a Extrovert.

http://flokka.com/you/understanding-per ... introvert/

http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/199902 ... _sys.shtml

Edit:-

OK let me put it in another way. Does anyone like the TV show House. Think of me as House & your my team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz4uABC4Huc

I want you to put yourself in this position. Forget about history & what they have observed. They say it's unknown. So it needs problem solving. Forget about history & forget about the DSM & think more medical & what would be defined as personality stuff. Which one would view as wrong but really is not. Unless it really is like a crime.

Lets get out of they mindset & enter my one. Because some of the stuff I seen really has nothing to do with autism. I even saw a down syndrome person on a autism video at daisychain. Current people are using limited diagnoses of conditions. Like Autism & As & ADD.

Autism in 1912 was used as a turning away from reality. "Self" of autism in greek. They is also the "ism" in it if you search up that part, in google image.

http://www.answers.com/topic/autism

Take look at this:-

[ Ism School Site Click link here ]

& watch the video at the bottom & take a look around that ism site.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_bias

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrationality

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_choice_theory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_pola ... isky_shift



[Reports of autism cases per 1,000 children grew dramatically in the U.S. from 1996 to 2007. It is unknown how much, if any, growth came from changes in autism's prevalence.]

See if you can find out what happened in 1996 etc. What was added, or what things happened that can cause it.

Anyone read this book?

In a way I kind of agree with the original poster. There are personality types where people are just shy, or sensitive. people with Asperger's just have these issues a bit more to the extreme to where it may interfere with their lives. If I were these poor people, I would be mad if I was diagnosed with something based on traits that are a coincidence. I know people think it would be great for services, but if I was just a shy person who was sensitive I would not need to want services, when I am perfectly fine and capable of surviving in the world.
I have Asperger's, but extremely mildly to where it is not questionable to whether I have it or not. I know that when the new
DSM V come out, I will not on considered autistic, having asperger's or anything. (I only have simple sensory issues, not much anything else at this point). I personally would not mind, as I am looking for a full-time job with benefits and would not want social security messing up my plans. Though I get SSDI and SSI, but when I work a full time job, I will lose the SSI and then Lose the SSDI after 9 months of successful employment. Plus for me, I do not need any services and get insulted when they are suggested. I am way too independent to have them.
Sorry for the rant, I was place in inappropriate disability services (day programs and residential) for almost 10 years because of this. It is very inappropriate because I was always independent, had honors programs since elementary school, and could work in the right environment. All I needed was a career services. But instead was placed with the intellectual disabled on the autism spectrum based on this diagnosis of Asperger's because they mix people.
I had to prove them wrong, got retested and got off the services and went back to school, got my Associate's Degree this week and now being getting a job. I say I do not blame you.

My problem is with society & they discrimination against shy now. First word to come out of they mouth is lacking confidence. Rather than it just takes time. They is also discrimination against introverts.

Autism www.daisychainproject.co.uk I said one-to-one tutoring & they said I would have to come they to be treated, instead of a volunteer. They also said about my shy personality, they don't want that behaviour & used an example of a shy girl they just turned away & said they don't want that behaviour.

When I was younger it was ok to be shy, I had no problems at school with getting a girlfriend. I hanged around with the geeks. Even if I was a outsider.

Spelling & mental arithmetic, problems. But don't really care, that’s what proof readers & human calculators are for or spell check or spreadsheet. Use more creative thinking anyway.

I originally diagnosed myself with shyness & social anxiety. Thats what I went to the mental health for. But now I know its more discrimination & tones of bs about avoiding quiet one etc.