Possible Cure ? (for real)

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While watching the Science Channels "10 Greatest Discoveries of 2007" some guy named "Ed" something (my mind was wandering to be honest) from maybe MIT, Johns Hopkins, can't remember which University was talking about his research on Parkinson's and how he had figured out a way to turn certain brain cells "on and off" and that it was proving to be quite beneficial thus far.
And then he said "We've also noticed certain cells in the cerebellum are related to Autism, and can possiably also be turned "on and off"
Off to search The Science Channels Website to see what I can find.
Found this link, and while intriquing its not the one I'm talking about, off to search more.
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/02/0 ... 0208161530

O.k. it was shown on Dec. 16th at both 9:00 and 10:00 pm and was called "Best Science Moments of 2007" but I can't find anything else about it. Clicking on it just pulls up an empty screen. Gonna keep looking elsewhere. That one sentence really stuck w/ me through these weeks and I have to find out more.

Hi!

yessssssssss sounds just like lobotomy!

I the thought, because were all just lab rats in a big scientific puddle untill the decades or centuries when they fine tune, oh cr@p, or otherwise figure out what they were on to in the first place...and I don't really much like those odds.

My concerns: I SURVIVE with the skills and the elements and the way in which I utilize the brain cells that I have set all just the way they are. I don't have a place of safety for 're growing up' after somebody decides to flip off all my hard work.

That means that car that I sensed before I heard and heard before I saw and moved out of the way of a split second before I sensed..... is going to kill me.


As I see it.
Am I to be hypothesised as that expendable? Are you? Are they? Who then.
Why?

Neat catch reika!
Um...sounds like quiet the dangerous weapon.
Just think........women dociled, well...that's as far as I can think. I bet the military is a hot topic for the technology. Though...in prisions... well there are movies out about that aren't there? I can't think of any of the top, but I recall there are.

found it, I think this is the same research, that I saw on the show. Says they've corrected autism in mice.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 122855.htm

Lobotomy..... doesn't sound like one to me, just interesting research that makes for informative reading. At least that's how I look at it.
I'm not as defensive on the subject through as some are, because to me its all just intriguing data, not someone trying to force a cure down my throat.

Recently I saw the movie, "I Am Legend." First off, the movie is only rated PG-13, which is like rating Ring as G. *shakes head* It should be R just for scariness. I actually had to get up and leave a few times. I haven't done that since I was 5.

Anyway, I digress. In the movie, they had found a cure for cancer, right? 'Cept, it turned into a Bad Thing and started turning people into monsters . . .

All I'm saying is that maybe there's a reason that we're like this, and tampering with the ways of the universe (and god, whatever Hir name may be) will lead to Badness.

Besides, at least for me, I know that it is through my aspieness that allows me see and process certain things in cool ways that other people just don't have access to.

Yea i totally agree with you, things are meant to happen, things are suppose to be a way for a reason. Nobody seems to get that, once they wipe out one thing, another new just as bad thing will turn up. Like if they find a cure for cancer in real life, i'm sure their be another deadly thing that will replace it. Like for instance you erase autism, who knows, there might be a new syndrome that turns out thats far worse then autism.

I, myself am against a cure, but thats my opinion on that matter, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't mind getting rid of some of the traits. To be able to live a lot easier, and more independantly would be a big help, but i just wouldn't want what i was born with to just all of a sudden disappear... like another quote i love... "whatever doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger" which i hope is how that quote goes haha.

Anyways on a different note, i want to see i am legend so badly, might go see it this weekend, love movies like those idk why so dont ask hahaha.

I'm glad you agree, my God, that film scared the crap out of me!! Absolutely brilliant, but it was so harrowing, I can't believe it has such a low rating!!

But I do love its point - you tamper with genes and DNA and play God with viruses and you're going to get it coming back and biting you on the backside. As he said in the film, "God didn't do this, WE did".

In that case, I guess the Antichrist will have a lot of trouble once he gets up there.

I'm not looking for a "cure" for either myself or my autistic daughter. I just saw a show that had interesting info and that I thought it may be of interest to people to hear the latest research on a subject which we all have an opinion on.
I happen to like myself the way I am, and I love my daughter just the way she is. Personally, I think that people w/ AS and Autism are far more evolved in many areas, and acceptance of each other is really the only "Cure" for anything that afflicts humanity.
However, for the sake of argument.....(Devils Advocate that I am)
I like to hear others thoughts on subjects and this subject really stirs people up it seems. (Unintentional on my part I assure you.)
But everyone who is currently taking pharmaceutical drugs right now, is perhaps they're very own "Legend in the making"
I only say that because when you alter your natural brain chemistry, in ANY way, your "tampering with the ways of the Universe" also. People seem to be somewhat oblivious to that simple fact.
On the "I am Legend" note, I didnt know what that movie was about but that sounds pretty good, I'll wait for it to come out on DVD through. (Not a "theater" fan )
Let me reiterate that I'm NOT trying to piss anyone off here. Just stating an observation. Its simply MY opinion and I'm sure it will be quite unpopular.

Jokes about emo bands aside, I'm not too sure I would want a 'cure'--though I wouldn't be against it for children or infants and such at an early age. Howeer, as an adult Aspie, I've had to work hard to be around others and understand others in social settings. I have been lucky employment wise in that I am technically blessed and have been able to work in IT settings while keeping my social interactions with others to a minimum in the work setting. That has worked out well.

As far as social settings for recreation and enjoyment, I have found hanging out with close friends and getting into the house/electronica dance scene very fulfilling. Most of this is because these types of people already dress or act weird, dance differently, and don't mind someone a little eccentric like an aspie. I also figure the dancing helps with social interaction, my terrible coordination, and all the hugs with people I know are helpful. Also, when I'm tired I can watch the social interactions of others and understand much more of it.

Now, as far as marriage and love is concerned, it has always turned out to be a disaster. I have been married twice in the past 12 years. Both ex-spouses said on the surface I appeared to be very loving, caring, and nurturing, yet after being with me for an extended period of years--both said I didn't seem to have or show a lot of emotion or give them enough attention, or would misunderstand them excessively. It wasn't until I read about Asperger's one day and got diagnosed that I realized why I had always felt so different from everyone else and struggled with social interactions that seemed so easy to others.

I only hope in future relationships that my significant other's will be more understanding.

The sciencedaily story seems to indicate this is a THEORY about fragileX and retardation, and NOT autism. I start to really wonder when it seems like the AUTHOR reads something into it. It is like the article that said 30% of all Americans have diabetes. I CHECKED! It was about 10%, and 30% of THOSE don't know it! Pretty wild stretch, huh?

Taken from the diabetes website JUST NOW:

The discovery one starts out speaking of RETT being "autism like". HOW!?!?!? They OBVIOUSLY aren't talking about autism. They are looking at problems that lead to mental retardation, and figure autism does also(Even though it apparently DOESN"T!), so it is the same thing.

Autism is certainly NOT mental retardation in the truest sense of the word, and often not even by a clinical one. The articles speak of a problem that WOULD most likely create mental retardation, and that seems to be all they REALLY claim.

As for the problems that autism REALLY has regarding learning and other 100% mental presentations? I am starting to wonder about gluten. Seriously, I think I tied it to every major event in my life INCLUDING what happened yesterday.

I ran the WHOLE DAY on a few hours sleep on tuesday. On wednesday,I was WIDE AWAKE! I went to sleep as a preventative measure, had a nice dream(which I STILL remember a fair deal of(Strange in ITSELF)), and I got up 5 hours EARLY feeling refreshed. Historically, I should be ZONKED! WHY!?!?!? I ALSO started doing things in a more logical way and with better effects! WHY!?!?!?

Could it be because I have gone over a week with an over 60% reduction in gluten?

I really start to wonder. When I was a kid, and seemed a lot more mentally able, I ALSO ate far less bread. When I was in the hospital, and seemed so much better off, I ate less bread. It is hard to see a correllation because, with me, it seems to take about a week of bread intake to really be obviously affected.

Anyway, autism, at least with regard to AS and HFA, does NOT seem to be a problem with the way synapses work, but their organization on the whole. In other words, it isn't that they function incorrectly, they simply do a different function. It isn't that there are fewer capable ones, but that they are allocated differently. In other words, as many here have said, we are just wired differently.

BTW how DO you diagnose mice with autism? I mean they have about 4 different ways of diagnosing people and NONE can be done with mice without guess work. Even then, most can't be done AT ALL!

No, it's not a possible cure. I've seen this before, and I regard such tests on mice as unreliable.

Besides, talking about turning brain cells on and off manually is DNA fiddling - and that will never get passed by any health agency anywhere in the world.

Yes. The mice models of autism are not very much like human autism, and may not transfer to humans.

No. Turning brain cells on and off is not necessarily DNA fiddling. The article Reika linked to said that they thought it would be possible to reduce nerve overgrowth using a drug - the initial study was on gene therapy, but they think that a drug would also work. Many medicines and even foods can cause genes to turn on or off. Here is an article that found that Tulsi (a type of basil) has a profound effect on the expression of genes that are involved in heart disease.

yeah i wouldnt want a cure either

You can count me out.

I'm asking myself the question, do the benefits of my state of being outweigh the deficits ?
If I didn't have a loving and understanding girlfriend that might be a tough choice to make, but since I've been lucky enough to meet her and maintain a relationship with her, I'm actually quite comfortable as an Aspie. So personally I wouldn't take the "cure" and if any kids I may have in the future are also diagnosed Aspie then I think I'll let them make their own choices when they're able to process the information.

I don't want to understand NTs or be able to hold a normal conversation with people!! I don't want to be cured of my anxiety, depression or obsessive tendencies. My stimming and fidgeting is a feature, not a bug. I am normal and the world is crazy!! Medical researchers that might someday come up with a treatment must be compared to the evil lobotomists of 50 years ago, or with the unwitting villains in sci-fi movies!!

Have I summarized your opinions correctly??