Hear the Voice of Autism

Autism has a Unique Vocal Signature a New Technology Reveals

A new automated vocal analysis technology could fundamentally change the study of language development as well as the screening for autism spectrum disorders and language delay, reports a study in the July 19 online Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The LENA (Language Environment Analysis) system automatically labeled infant and child vocalizations from recordings and thereafter an automatic acoustic analysis designed by the researchers showed that pre-verbal vocalizations of very young children with autism are distinctly different from those of typically developing children with 86 percent accuracy.

The system also differentiated typically developing children and children with autism from children with language delay based on the automated vocal analysis.

The researchers analyzed 1,486 all-day recordings from 232 children (or more than 3.1 million automatically identified child utterances) through an algorithm based on the 12 acoustic parameters associated with vocal development. The most important of these parameters proved to be the ones targeting syllabification, the ability of children to produce well-formed syllables with rapid movements of the jaw and tongue during vocalization. Infants show voluntary control of syllabification and voice in the first months of life and refine this skill as they acquire language.

The autistic sample showed little evidence of development on the parameters as indicated by low correlations between the parameter values and the children’s ages (from 1 to 4 years). On the other hand, all 12 parameters showed statistically significant development for both typically developing children and those with language delays. The research team, led by D. Kimbrough Oller, professor and chair of excellence in audiology and speech language pathology at the University of Memphis, called the findings a proof of concept that automated analysis of massive samples of vocalizations can now be included in the scientific repertoire for research on vocal development. Although aberrations in the speech (or lack of it) of children with autism spectrum disorders has been examined by researchers and clinicians for more than 20 years, vocal characteristics are not included in standard criteria for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders, said Steven F. Warren, professor of applied behavioral science and vice provost for research at the University of Kansas, who contributed to the study and was among the first to see the potential of the technology for autism spectrum disorders screening.

“A small number of studies had previously suggested that children with autism have a markedly different vocal signature, but until now, we have been held back from using this knowledge in clinical applications by the lack of measurement technology,” said Warren.

Warren predicts that LENA, which allow the inexpensive collection and analysis of magnitudes of data unimagined in language research before now, could significantly impact the screening, assessment and treatment of autism and the behavioral sciences in general. Since the analysis is not based on words, but rather on sound patterns, the technology theoretically could potentially be used to screen speakers of any language for autism spectrum disorders, Warren said. “The physics of human speech are the same in all people as far as we know.”

Warren says that children with autism spectrum disorders can be diagnosed at 18 months but that the median age of diagnosis is 5.7 years in the United States.

“This technology could help pediatricians screen children for ASD to determine if a referral to a specialist for a full diagnosis is required and get those children into earlier and more effective treatments.”

LENA is digital language processor and language analysis software. The processor fits into the pocket of specially designed children’s clothing and records everything the child vocalizes but can reliably distinguish child vocalizations from its cries and vegetative sounds, other voices and extraneous environmental sounds. Recordings with the device have been collected since 2006. Parents responded to advertisements and indicated if their children had been diagnosed with autism or language delay. A speech-language clinician employed by the project also evaluated many of the children with a reported diagnosis of language delay. Many of the parents of children with language delay and all of the children with autism supplied documentation from the diagnosing clinicians, who were independent of the research.

The recordings were made by the parents at home and in the other natural environments of the children, by simply turning the recorder on and placing in the special children’s clothing, and then worn all day. The discovery that it was possible to differentiate recordings of the autistic children from those of the typically developing children by the totally objective method of automated vocal analysis inspired the researchers to consider both the possibility of earlier screening and diagnosis and earlier intervention for children with autism.

“Autism interventions remain expensive and arduous. This tool may help us to develop cost-effective treatments and better understand how they work and how to keep them working,” said Warren.

LENA could allow parents to continue and supplement language enrichment therapy at home and assess their own effectiveness for themselves, Warren said. “In this way, LENA could function similarly to the way a pedometer measures how much exercise one gets from walking.”
(source www.news.ku.edu)

From the LENA About Us Page:
The LENA Foundation develops advanced technology for the early screening, research, and treatment of language delays and disorders in young children. Philanthropists Terrance “Terry” Paul and Judith “Judi” Paul formed the not-for-profit organization through a multimillion-dollar gift. Over a five-year period, the foundation created the LENA (Language ENvironment Analysis) System, the world’s first automatic language collection and analysis tool and the foundation’s principal technology. The foundation employs a team of scientists and engineers skilled in computerized speech and speaker recognition, microelectronics, statistical research, and children’s language acquisition and development; they are dedicated to helping the foundation enhance language development worldwide. (source www.lenababy.com)

Autism, Aspergers, PDD, ASD Awareness Necklace

Dichroic Glass Puzzle Piece Necklace for Autism, Aspergers, PDD, and ASD Awareness by RocknBauble Beautiful Dichroic glass puzzle piece pendant .Truly a spectacular piece. A sterling silver bail is securely attached to the back. Comes with an 18 in sterling silver box chain. Puzzle piece measures approx. 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch, and is signed by the artist on the back. 10% of proceeds will be donated to the Autism Society of Greater Orlando. Comes in a hand decorated cotton filled gift box. 1 out of every 150 children will be diagnosed with some form of Autism. Our son is one of these wonderful children. Purchase this Awesome Autism Awareness Necklace HERE

Cash for Good Ideas

Pepsi is putting out some cash for good ideas and  giving away $1,300,000 each month to fund great ideas. They are looking for people, businesses, and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact. Make sure to check out some of the other 1341 ideas competing. For more details go to the “how it works” page HERE

We browsed the ideas and one that we liked and voted for is:

Create an inclusive center to support the disabled and their families.

About Synergy Center Corporation
Synergy Center Corporation is the product of two individuals who wanted to make a real difference in the lives of people both young and old, regardless of ability, and/or presenting health conditions. Together they bring over 30 years of experience working with children, families, and communities.

Overview
Research states: the Autism prevalence rate is 1 in 110 and rising, the United States has one of the highest obesity rates in any of the industrialized countries, and Alzheimer’s currently affects 4.5 million people. With these conditions, and other health issues in mind, the Synergy Center will be a state of the art facility providing supportive therapies, education, entertainment, and sensory integration activities aimed at enhancing an individual’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical well being. The center will be an invaluable resource for individuals, parents, schools, therapy practitioners, community health agencies, and any other agency working with children and/or adults.  Interactive Technology, sensory integration/multi-sensory spaces, all-inclusive play areas, therapy suites, educational workshops, support groups, consultative opportunities, supportive adults, and a safe and quality environment will the cornerstone. You can vote for this idea here

R2D2, an Ewok, a Clown, Dick Dale, Hula Hoops, a Rainbow Tarp, and Hooters Girls

What do R2D2, an Ewok, a Clown, Dick Dale, Hula Hoops, a Rainbow Tarp, and Hooters Girls have in common ? Team RocknBauble found out at the recent Autism Awareness 5k walk for ASGO (Autism Society of Greater Orlando) at the Orlando Convention Center on May 8th 2010. Here is just a few seconds of video from the hours of fun we had supporting this great cause.

We received the following information in an email after the event and wanted to share the good news and encouraging numbers as well as acknowledging the Team Winners.

Preliminary Numbers
Participants – 1,900 estimated
Estimated Income – $81,250.52 – broken down as follows:
Corporate Sponsors – $31,500
Vendor Sponsors – $6,805
Participants/Registrations/Pledges – $35,709.02
Raffle/Silent Auction – $5,625
Food Concession – $1,611.50

Team Winners:
Business Largest Number of Attendees – Northrop Grumman
Business Highest Money Raise – David Maus Foundation
Family Largest Number of Attendees – F.R.O.G.S. C.A.N. W.A.L.K
Family Highest Money Raised – The Gonzalez Family
School Largest Number of Attendees – Southwest Middle School
School Highest Money Raised – Flora Ridge Elementary

If you would still like to support ASGO in its fund-raising efforts, then now is the time. Please visit their website at www.asgo.org and hit the donate button on the home page.

Fragile X Syndrome Drug Shows Promise

Novartis Drug Shows Early Promise for the Fragile X Syndrome

Novartis recently announced results from a small clinical trial of a new drug which could help improve behaviors resulting from fragile X syndrome, an inherited genetic condition that can cause retardation and autism and affects one in 5,000 children. The study involved just a few dozen subjects, and only some of those responded to the therapy, but researchers are excited about any results for a condition that has been impossible to treat. “Just three years ago, I would have said that mental retardation is a disability needing rehab, not a disorder needing medication,” National Institute of Mental Health Director Dr. Thomas Insel tells the New York Times. “Any positive results from clinical trials will be amazingly hopeful.”

“The exciting thing about these results is that it is our hope that these same medications may have similar positive benefits for people with autism who don’t have fragile X syndrome,” Dr. Dawson said.

Between 10 percent and 15 percent of autism cases result from fragile X syndrome or some other known genetic defect. While fragile X is the most common inherited cause of mental retardation, Down syndrome — which also causes retardation — is more common but is not inherited. . The gene for fragile X was discovered in 1991. Work since then has found that fragile X patients seem to experience an overload of unchecked synaptic noise — synapses being the junctions between brain neurons. The Novartis drug and others like it are intended to lower the volume of this noise so memory formation and high-level thinking can take place, allowing children to develop normally.(source www.nytimes.com)

Organizations that may be of Interest Regarding Fragile X

From the About FRAXA Page
FRAXA’s mission is to accelerate progress toward effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Fragile X, by directly funding the most promising research.

FRAXA also supports families affected by Fragile X and raises awareness of this important but virtually unknown disease.

FRAXA was founded in 1994 by three parents of children with Fragile X, Katie Clapp, Michael Tranfaglia MD, and Kathy May, to support scientific research aimed at finding a treatment and a cure for Fragile X. Fragile X research is drastically underfunded, considering its high prevalence, prospects for a cure, and the promise that this research holds for advancing understanding of other disorders like autism, Alzheimer’s disease, and X-linked mental retardation www.fraxa.org

From the Fragile X Foundation Website
About – The National Fragile X Foundation , founded in 1984, provides emotional, informational and referral support, promotes awareness in the general public and medical professional communities, organizes international conferences, publishes and distributes educational materials, funds clinical and basic science research and conducts legislative advocacy in Washington, DC. www.fragilex.org

Autism and Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome can cause a child to have autism or an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) though not all children with fragile X syndrome have autism or an ASD.

FACT: For between 2% and 6% of all children diagnosed with autism, the cause is the Fragile X gene mutation.
FACT: Approximately one-third of all children diagnosed with fragile X syndrome also have some degree of autism.
FACT: Fragile X syndrome is the most common known single gene cause of autism.

First Full Access Theme Park for the Autistic and Disabled Opens in Texas

Coined as “The World’s First Ultra Accessible Family Fun Park”, Morgan’s Wonderland in Texas is 100% wheelchair accessible and boasts special features such as braille signs, crowd control aimed at supporting families with autistic children and security wristbands that can locate any missing guests. For autistic guests, this theme provides garden sanctuaries to help stimulation overload. Morgan’s theme park also credits having a highly trained staff in sensitivity with extensive background checks that will help diffuse any delicate situations.

From Their “Welcome to Morgan’s Wonderland” Homepage:
Morgan’s Wonderland is located in San Antonio, Texas. It is the World’s First Ultra Accessible Family Fun Park designed specifically for children and adults with special needs, their family members, caregivers, friends and the entire community. This 25-acre park is a unique oasis, that through the spirit of inclusion, allows people of all abilities to play, learn and share life changing experiences together, in a fun and safe environment.

Visit their site for reservations, directions and more info:

morganswonderland.com

Autism Awareness Month Extended

Autism Awareness Month and Autism Awareness Day

RocknBauble Awareness Jewelry

Autism Awareness Month is here and April 2nd was World Autism Awareness Day! RocknBauble.etsy.com supports Autism Awareness all year long with a 10 percent donation from the proceeds of its Handmade Autism Awareness Fashion Jewelry.

RocknBauble.com will support Autism Awareness Month by donating 10 percent of the proceeds from its dazzling Autism Awareness jewelry line to ASGO. We typically donate to ASGO being a member but you can advise your charity or society of choice when purchasing RocknBauble autism jewelry. High quality handmade Autism Awareness bracelets, necklaces, earrings and book thongs are available and being offered through the RocknBauble storefront located on ETSY.com (www.RocknBauble.Etsy.com). This months featured necklace is a handcrafted Dichroic Glass puzzle piece pendant on an 18 in sterling silver box chain. The Puzzle piece measures approx. 3/4 inch x 3/4 inches, and is signed by the artist on the back and includes a hand decorated cotton filled gift box. The necklaces are available with several different designs all unique unto themselves. “I am extremely excited to promote autism awareness with special autism jewelry creations and donations throughout the year to support our autistic community,” states Andi Vogel (RocknBauble Jewelry Artist). Jewelry for any awareness color or cause is also available with a percentage of the proceeds going to the cause the particular jewelry piece represents and although we place extra emphasis on Autism this month it is a top priority cause for us all year long. Additionally this year we will have a team in the Autism Society of Greater Orlando’s Autism Awareness 5k walk for ASGO on May 8^th inside the Orange County Convention Center ’s South Concourse.

RocknBauble Autism Awareness Month Necklace

About ASGO and Autism Awareness Month:

ASGO was founded in 1996 by a group of volunteer parents to better assist families of children and adults with autism in the Central Florida area. Everyone is encouraged to come out to support ASGO and the Central Florida families affected by autism. 100% of the proceeds will stay right in the Central Florida area. The mission or goal of ASGO is that all individuals within the autism spectrum will be provided a lifetime network of opportunities to become fully accepted, included, and actively participating members of our community, through family support, education, and advocacy, and public awareness. They are a wealth of information and support to families of children and adults with autism, offering social opportunities for individuals with autism to be included in the community. (www.asgo.org) The Autism Society has been celebrating National Autism Awareness Month since the 1970s. The United States recognizes April as a special opportunity for everyone to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community.

About RocknBauble:

RocknBauble.com owner Andi states, “Wearing Autism Awareness Jewelry is one of many great ways to show your support for this important cause!” Andi crafts her fashionable awareness jewelry by hand and meticulously selects all materials to produce a truly original piece. Puzzle Pieces, Ribbons, Baubles, Stars, Lampwork Beads, Furnace Glass, Czech Republic Crystals, Swarovski Crystals, Fresh-water Pearls, Sterling Charms and Hearts are used in this superior quality jewelry, as well as some highly desirable bead variations and more unusual settings, most of which are crafted by local artisans. Her artistic sense of style and keen eye for color shines through in every awareness creation. Andi shows her confidence in the quality of her jewelry with a lifetime warranty and RocknBauble Awareness Jewelry has been showcased at many Autism events throughout the world. Visit her storefront to view and purchase her current offerings: www.RocknBauble.etsy.com

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RocknBauble Dot Com

DeBary, FL 32713

Beads(at)RocknBauble.com

www.RocknBauble.com

www.RocknBauble.Etsy.com

ASGO 5k Walk – 30th of May, 2009

RocknBauble Autism Awareness Month Extended Press Release PDF

Sing SOS raises Autism Awareness Through Music

Sing SOS is raising Autism Awareness through donations for great music by famous artists. As we are music lovers and support Autism Awareness we wanted to share some information on the noble organization.

Enjoy this video from one of the artists – The Cucumbers (Jon Fried and Deena Shoshkes) play “Understand” from SOS, Songs of The Spectrum. At the Record Collector, Bordentown , NJ
March 6, 2010

From the Sing SOS “More About” Page

Our Mission

To use the power of music to raise awareness, funds and spirits in the struggle against autism spectrum disorders. We seek to raise awareness, because true help will not arrive until society at large understands more about this baffling disease, and the life-altering power of early detection and intensive treatment. We seek to raise funds for the struggle, because the resources on hand are not yet a match for the work to be done. We seek to raise spirits because the parents involved face an isolating and dispiriting fight. Building a sense of hope, community and more widespread understanding is vital to sustaining and advancing their efforts. We Sing SOS — Songs of the Spectrum — not only to sound an alarm, but to rally an effective national response.

Why Sing SOS?

The Need:

The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders has soared over the last decade. Before 1990, children with autism were so rare that schools did not even count them. A year ago, over 190,000 students were officially categorized as suffering from autism; experts suspect that many thousands more are counted under other headings.

While advocacy groups have won increases in federal spending for research and are raising increasing amounts of money themselves, autism remains a poorly funded disorder compared with rarer childhood conditions. And while schools and pediatricians are doing a better job of finding and treating cases, the CDC estimates that half of affected children are diagnosed after the window of opportunity for most effective treatment has closed, and experts in the field estimate that as many as 80 percent of affected children get treatment that falls short of recommended minimums.

What We Bring To The Cause:

There have been many CDs made for charity. Most of them are collections of songs with no relation to the cause, though there have been a few that include songs that performers have written specifically for those projects. But we know of no other CD that takes a unified set of songs on a specific subject by writers steeped in the experience, and puts them in the hands of some of the best vocalists and song interpreters of their generation.

The songs attempt the impossible: to describe the experience of autism from the point of view of the parent and the child, and to go where that experience goes: into despair, hope, exhaustion, exhilaration, awe, anger, bitterness, determination and gratitude. If there is a single message in the body of work, it’s that early intervention and dedicated, relentless treatment can have a genuinely transforming effect. If there’s a single purpose, it’s to bring listeners inside an experience that is so hard to see and so hard to understand. Autism has been called the “invisible epidemic,” and for good reason. For those who are already living it, we hope to offer a mirror. For everyone else, a window. Or better, a doorway.

Our Artists:

The CD will include songs recorded by Jackson Browne (with Valerie Carter), Dar Williams, Marshall Crenshaw, Teddy Geiger, Jonatha Brooke, Richard Julian, Dan Bern (with Mike Viola), Don Dixon (with Marti Jones), Olabelle, Christina Courtin, Ari Hest, Kelly Flint and The Cucumbers.

The Story Behind The Music

The project began as a handful of poems John O’Neil scribbled on the train. He emailed some to Jon Fried, the father of his oldest boy’s best friend, after overhearing a conversation about unlikely songwriting collaborations. The first batch of songs poured out of Fried’s guitar in a rush, and over the next two years a cycle of songs took shape, representing many aspects of the disorder and the challenges families face, expressed in as many musical moods. Others contributing to the song collection, are Deena Shoshkes, Fried’s partner in leading The Cucumbers, and John’s son Chris, who wrote on the fears and feelings of a sibling of a child with autism.

With nearly two dozen songs in hand, John and Jon decided they could put the songs to work in the fight against autism. They launched SingSOS and sought well known vocal artists who would not only bring the music to life but also inspire interest in the project.

Funds for the project were raised in large part through house concerts where the Jon and Deena performed the songs and John told the story of the songs and the project. In events from New Haven to Los Angeles, the music has never failed to strike a chord. Dr. Ami,Klin, Director of Research at the Yale Child Study Center, joined the SingSOS board after the New Haven concert, saying that in all his time in the field he had never gotten such a strong sense of a family’s experience. In Los Angeles, the hostess at one concert interrupted to tell her friends and neighbors, “You have to understand — they’re singing my life!” After that event, Dr. Daniel Siegel, an author and psychiatrist at UCLA, offered to arrange for the group to present the material at the 2007 conference of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in Boston.

Other reactions have been equally meaningful. Jackson Browne recorded “Day After Day,” not only because of his sympathy for the cause, but because he found it “deeply spiritual.” And one of the many postings on our myspace site capture the impact we hope to have. “Thank you,” wrote one single mother of a boy with autism, who was in the midst of a battle with her school district. “I feel less alone.”

We believe that autism is a global problem with local solutions. The funds we raise will go to national organizations and local schools and autism service groups, all nonprofits. (source www.singsos.org)

Paint Autism Awareness Day Blue

Autism Awareness Day to Turn the World Blue

April 1 is the 3rd annual United Nations World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Awareness Month. To commemorate this important day, Autism Speaks is asking iconic buildings around the world to turn their lights blue.

Participating Buildings include:

National buildings

· Nevada State Capitol, Carson City, NV
· Governor’s Mansion, Carson City, NV
· Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL
· Willis Tower, Chicago, IL
· One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL
· Wrigley Building, Chicago, IL
· Fountain Square, Cincinnati, OH
· Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH
· Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
· Denver City & County Building, Denver, CO
· Pennsylvania Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA
· Montana Capitol Building, Helena, MT
· JP Morgan Chase Tower, Houston, TX
· Kansas City Downtown Marriott Hotel, Kansas City, MO
· Los Angeles Airport (LAX) Pylons, Los Angeles, CA
· L’Etoile Restaurant, Madison, WI
· Miami Tower, Miami, FL
· Empire State Building, New York, NY
· Madison Square Garden Marquee, New York, NY
· New York Stock Exchange, New York, NY
· Radio City Music Hall Outdoor Façade, New York, NY
· FUSE Networks, New York, NY
· John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport Air Traffic Control Tower, New York, NY
· Brooklyn Borough Hall, New York, NY
· Barclays Capital, New York, NY
· The Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel, New York, NY
· Boqueria Restaurant, New York, NY
· Corton Restaurant, New York, NY
· Mas(farmhouse) Restaurant, New York, NY
· Abe & Arthur’s Restaurant, New York, NY
· Copeland Restaurant, Morristown, NJ
· UpRoot Restaurant, Warren, NJ
· Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Philadelphia, PA
· Secretary of State Howlett Building, Springfield, IL
· Soldiers’ Memorial Military Museum, St. Louis, MO
· The Civil Courts Building, St. Louis, MO
· College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
· Clematis Street Fountain, West Palm Beach, FL

International Buildings

· The Bell Tower, Perth, Australia
· Bangabandhu Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
· CN Tower, Toronto, Canada
· Nicosia Town Hall, Nicosia, Cyprus
· Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington, New Zealand
· Kingdom Tower Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
· The Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka
· Bermuda’s City Hall, Hamilton, Bermuda
· Shaheed Hussain Adam Building, Maldives

You can also walk for Autism Speaks:

Autism Speaks Calendar of Walks for 2010

2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Cumberland, MD – April 10, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Broward, FL – April 17, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Allentown, PA – April 17, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Sonoma, CA – April 17, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: West Texas, TX – April 17, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Commerce City, CO – April 24, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks:  Commerce City, CO – April 24, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Chicago, IL – May 15, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Cincinnati, OH – May 22, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: San Jose, CA – June 5, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks:  Blair County, PA – June 11, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Fort Wayne, IN – Sept 11, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Baltimore, MD – Sept 18, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Dallas, TX – Sept 25, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Cleveland, OH – Sept 26, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks:  Little Rock, AR – Oct 2, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Liverpool, NY – Oct 3, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Concord, NC – Oct 9, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Round Rock, TX – Oct 9, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: West Windsor, NJ – Oct 10, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Columbus, OH – Oct 10, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Modesto, CA – Oct 16, 2010
2010 Walk Now for Autism Speaks: Tempe, AZ – Oct 31, 2010

MIT to Launch New Brain Research Effort

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to Launch New Brain Research Effort with Acquisition of Elekta MEG Technology

Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), Elekta Neuromag system will help MIT researchers unlock mysteries of normal and abnormal brain function

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Researchers at MIT are eagerly anticipating the summer delivery of Elekta Neuromag, a system that uses magnetoencephalography or MEG to explore brain function. MEG can detect the very weak magnetic fields arising from electrical activity in the brain, and allows researchers to monitor the timing of brain activity with millisecond precision. MIT researchers will use MEG to study normal cognition in children and adults, as well as the neural basis of autism, depression, schizophrenia and other brain disorders.

“MIT is exceptionally well positioned to benefit from a MEG facility on our campus,” says Charles Jennings, Ph.D., director of neurotechnology at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research. “MIT is among the country’s leading centers for neuroscience research, with a community of investigators that studies the brain at every level, from molecules and cells to human cognition and computational modeling. We also have strong programs to study a wide range of brain disorders, which will benefit greatly from access to MEG technology.”

“MIT’s worldwide reputation for advancing knowledge in science and technology for nearly 150 years makes its acquisition of Elekta Neuromag particularly gratifying, and we’re proud to be a part of it,” says Stephen Otto, Chairman of Elekta’s Neuromag Business. “And it is fitting that this institution, especially, will become Elekta’s latest MEG site, as MEG was invented by David Cohen at MIT.”

The Elekta Neuromag system will be housed in the Martinos Imaging Center within the Brain and Cognitive Sciences complex, home to the McGovern Institute of Brain Research, the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Delivery of the system is expected in June and it should be operational by the fall of 2010.

The following are examples of planned MEG research projects at MIT:

* Prof. John Gabrieli, director of the Martinos Imaging Center, will use MEG to study the neural and genetic basis of autism, dyslexia and other developmental disorders. By combining MEG with other brain imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG), Dr. Gabrieli plans to search for differences in brain activation in subjects with different genetic variants that have been linked to these conditions. “Our goal is to correlate the changes in brain function with genetic risk factors, and in turn identify categories of patients for whom optimal treatment strategies could be tailored,” he says.

* Prof. Robert Desimone, director of the McGovern Institute, plans to study the neural basis of attention. Animal studies have indicated that high frequency brain waves known as gamma oscillations become synchronized across brain areas as these areas communicate with each other to control attention. He plans to extend this work to humans using MEG, and he hopes that this will provide new insights into the basis of diseases such as schizophrenia. “Gamma oscillations are disrupted in schizophrenia, and we think this may help explain why people with schizophrenia often experience difficulty organizing their thoughts and perceptions into a coherent and meaningful whole,” Dr. Desimone explains.

* Prof. Christopher Moore, an investigator at the McGovern Institute, seeks to understand how the cerebral cortex processes rapid sensory information. Based on his work on cortical circuitry, Dr. Moore has developed a biophysical model to account for the MEG signal. “Our aim is to link the signals that we can record from human subjects to the underlying brain mechanisms that give rise to those signals,” he says. “Arguably, we will never fully understand normal cognition or the ways that cognition fails in brain disorders unless we can achieve this deep circuit understanding.”

Other MIT faculty members expect to use the new MEG facility for a variety of studies, including MEG source localization; the neural basis of age-related changes in cognition; how individuals differ in their processing of social cues such as faces; cognitive deficits in autism spectrum disorder; the processing of complex visual scenes; neural mechanisms of speech and comprehension; how children and adults infer and reason about the mental states of other people; neural mechanisms of motor control and many other studies.

“In many ways the brain is a ‘black box.’ It is so complex — comprising 100 billion neurons and a trillion or more synapses — it’s not surprising it’s challenging to study,” Dr. Jennings notes. “But with MEG I think we’ll succeed in shining a little light in there.”

About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy and radiosurgery, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care.

Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives, making the future possible today.

Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 5,000 hospitals globally, and every day more than 100,000 patients receive diagnosis, treatment or follow-up with the help of a solution from the Elekta Group.

Elekta employs around 2,500 employees globally. The corporate headquarter is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb. For more information about Elekta, please visit www.elekta.com.

About the McGovern Institute for Brain Research
The McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT is led by a team of world-renowned, neuroscientists committed to meeting two great challenges of modern science: understanding how the brain works and discovering new ways to prevent or treat brain disorders. The McGovern Institute was established in 2000 by Patrick J. McGovern and Lore Harp McGovern, who are committed to improving human welfare, communication and understanding through their support for neuroscience research. The director is Robert Desimone, formerly the head of intramural research at the National Institute of Mental Health. Further information is available at: mcgovern.mit.edu        (source Elekta)