Bone
30 Oct 2007
Facial Characteristics offer Insights into Genetic Conditions
The general public easily recognises the faces of people with Down’s syndrome, but there are over 700 genetic conditions where there are characteristic facial features: the eyes may be set further apart than usual, the nose shorter and the ears set lower down on the head along with many other…
Children's health
16 Oct 2007
Compelling Framework for Early Childhood Investment
A remarkable convergence of new knowledge about the developing brain, the human genome, and the extent to which early childhood experiences influence later learning, behaviour, and health now offers policymakers an exceptional opportunity to change the life prospects of vulnerable young children, says a new report from the Center on…
Children's health
08 Oct 2007
Brain’s Control Network Splits in Two as Children Approach Adulthood
Two recently discovered control networks that govern voluntary brain activity in adults start life as a single network in children, report neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Researchers previously showed the networks supervise most goal-oriented brain activity, enlisting the specialized talents of multiple brain regions for…
Children's health
08 Oct 2007
Researchers Discover Gene Responsible for Restless Legs Syndrome
An international team of researchers has identified the first gene associated with Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), a common sleep disorder affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. The findings are published July 18 in the online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. The work was led by scientists…
Children's health
08 Oct 2007
Research Finds Faster Grammar Skills in Children with Tourette’s
Children with Tourette’s syndrome may have to put up with some unwanted movement and verbal tics, but neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center and the Kennedy Krieger Institute have found that they are much quicker at processing certain mental grammar skills than are children without the disorder. They say the…
Children's health
07 Oct 2007
Antiepileptics
Antiepileptics are a class of medicines that prevent the rapid brain stimulation associated with seizures. They are used to treat epilepsy and seizures.
Children's health
25 Sep 2007
Research Shows how Genetic Mutation causes Epilepsy in Infants
New research from the Howard Florey Institute in Melbourne has shown why mutation in a single gene can cause epilepsy in infants. Infants are more susceptible to seizures because their brains are developing at a rapid rate, making their brain cells ‘excitable’. Their neurons are growing and making new connections…
Children's health
21 Sep 2007
AACAP guidelines for ADHD aim to guide clinicians toward best treatment practices
In July, the Journal for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry released a comprehensive document outlining the epidemiology, comorbidities, aetiology, screening practices and treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that are currently best supported by evidence. Pooling information gathered from over 5,000 articles published between 1996 and 2006, these…
Children's health
21 Sep 2007
New guidelines for ADHD to help improve effective diagnosis and treatment
In July, the Journal for the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry released a comprehensive document discussing almost every aspect of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Taking information from over 5,000 articles and summarising them in one place, it provides guidelines for doctors that can be incredibly useful in keeping up-to-date…
