Tom Insel, Head of IACC/NIMH: Future View of Research

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Short Video below describes a New Direction in Research, by Tom Insel, Chair of the IACC, Inter-Agency Autism Coordinating Committee and Director of the NIMH, National Institute of Mental Health.

I have only seen Tom Insel in one presentation with the IACC, and was impressed in comparison to what I had seen from the CDC in a recent congressional hearing on Autism (both videos still available on the web).

Tom Insel is not the run of the mill government agency head paid by tax payers. I did not place the connection with his position as the head of the NIMH, until recently.

His presentation in the TED Caltech short video linked below is similar to what I remember of Steve Jobs, without the eccentricity of dress.

He was convincing that he is the man that has the next “big thing” people are looking for. I was almost expecting the announcement of a new “I-Pad” brain at the end of the video. But, instead was presented a picture of Bill Gates and a visionary quote.

The behavioral model of autism has not worked very well, and may be a source of dissension in what is described as an autism community, because it has been a catch all for so many potential related learning disorders, disease, genetic disorders, and other related conditions that share similar observed behavioral impairments

There is at this point in time no clear neurological origin of what the so called “Neurodevelopmental Disorder” is described as from an observed Behavioral Impairment view.

Tom Insel seems to provide a confident stance of a soon to come actual neurological identification of disorder in schizophrenia, OCD, ADHD, Bi-Polar, Autism, and other disorders of what he describes brain disorders of wiring, circuitry, and connection, instead of the current behavioral disorder model that evolved from the mental disorder model in the science of mental health.

This is really not too far off from what Henry Markram identified in his “Intense World theory of Autism” without all the flowered talk about locked in genius ready to escape. He too considered it a disorder of brain circuitry, but described it as a result of a type of potential “epigenetic assault” that could be altered with early intervention. Which he too, could not yet clearly describe the tools to accomplish this goal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_R._Insel

I was particularly impressed by Insel’s bio in the Wiki link above, as a type of modern Renaissance man. It is not often that one sees someone at this level in government which such a varied background in so many areas of expertise.

While I think it is likely that some of Insel’s viewpoints clash with some of the viewpoints from the APA American Psychological Association and DSM5 criteria, I don’t think that the pioneers of Asperger's Syndrome in Europe like Lorna Wing, Uta Frith, Christopher Gillberg, Simon Baron Cohen or Tony Atwood in Australia would disagree with Insel’s approach, as they have always identified autism from a neuroscience point of view, but do not have the tools at their disposal that Tom Insel has as a director of a powerful US government agency. I think the IACC has a powerful, clear, and passionate mind at the helm..

I was wondering what people's opinion of his direction in taking the research is in this you tube video. Keeping in mind that this research may or may not be applicable to everyone currently diagnosed on the spectrum.

Also of note, in his new direction of research. is the link below about an interesting research finding that the disorder of Schizophrenia may be triggered by epigenetic influence in the teenage years from bullying and other sources of social chronic stress, if there was maternal exposure of infection during prenatal development. So there is a scenario there that is somewhat similar to what Henry Markram was driving at in his "Intense World World Theory of Autism", and epigenetic assault, where environmental stresses impact the predisposition toward certain genetic expressions later in life.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 122512.htm

http://tedxcaltech.caltech.edu/content/tom-insel

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4m65sbqbhY[/youtube]

I think the recent research discussed in the article linked in my last post and repeated again below, more specifically illustrates what Insel was discussing in the video associated with Schizophrenia.

The article describes Maternal Prenatal exposure to infection potentially resulting in an epigenetic effect in adolescence from environmental stress factors, such as chronic stress from bullying, leading to a genetic expression that results in changes in the brain that ultimately lead to the behaviors associated with schizophrenia in young adulthood.

Two potential factors of prevention are identified in protection from exposure to maternal infection as well as protection from chronic stress among individuals that might be identified at greater risk.

I find this extremely interesting as what is currently seen as neurodevelopmental disorders can potentially, in some cases, be the result of an epigenetic influence that may be tempered through preventative measures.

Non verbal learning disorder symptoms are associated in the majority of cases of what is currently identified as Aspergers syndrome in the US. Right hemisphere brain lesions are a factor in identifying Non-verbal learning disorder, so organic brain damage may be a factor at play in what eventually leads to a diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome, currently, in some people.

I don't think at this point anyone understands the source of those right hemisphere brain lesions, but this is certainly an avenue of research associated with Mr. Insel's visionary statement of what will come next in research that could make a real difference in the future lives of many children and adults.

I personally think the answer for many cases of ASD lie within the parameters of epigenetics. But, I also believe there is the potential of a greater understanding of positive epigenetic influence as well as negative epigenetic influence, particularly in the general area of healthy minds and bodies that may result from social-cultural environmental factors in what may be identified as a beneficial lifestyle, that many children, currently, likely do not share. But instituting the change, once more fully understood, may be difficult on a large scale in modern culture.

If any of these positive focuses of research is left out, and others which are far beyond my limited knowledge, people in the future are also more likely to be left out in expanding their horizons.

Mr. Insel's statements are encouraging to future generations of individuals that might otherwise struggle with neuro psychiatric disorders. I'm not sure it will move much farther than prevention of difficult symptoms of these disorders, but those people in the future, do count in unlimited numbers.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 122512.htm