What addictive watching of Ponography can cause to the brain

According to the research of German health researcher institute. Watching chicanery/Pornography or any adult developed films is a a natural occurrence  that is triggered by the body's senses. But, can too much of it have any effect on the body, especially the brain? A lot of research studies have seen disparity in arriving at conclusions in this regard. But going by the most credible sources, it is believed that too much of adult films, mostly in the form of pornography, can have effects on certain areas of the brain. In this article, let us evaluate the effects of pornography on the brain based on credible analysis.

Citing by a recent study conducted by a leading German health research institute, it was deciphered that watching excess pornography can have long-standing effects on certain areas of the brain. The effects of pornography are not just confined to the brain, although in this article, we look specifically at the effects of pornography on the brain. The source of the study conclusively states that specific areas of the brain can be messed up due to pornography addiction, this being one of the prime effects of pornography. Although the study has made convincing conclusions on adult films affecting certain areas of the brain, another concept pertaining to changes in brain structure hasn't seen decisive proof. Certain research studies have ascertained that pornography alters the brain structure. Although such is the case, there isn't conclusiveness in presenting facts and deriving explanations. It is yet to be understood whether pornography causes the brain to behave in a particular way or the brain structure of some individuals causes them to watch too much pornography. But the fact that areas, especially those related to memory and motivation, are faced with impediments due to too much pornography is part of the picture and cannot be overlooked. The research study also goes on state that watching excessive pornography can lead to stark reduction in brain size and brain activity. Response to sexual stimuli is also reduced over course of time. This is one of the main effects of pornography on the brain. A study conducted by a group of scientists from a leading research institute have taken live examples and subsequently evaluated the effects of pornography on the brain. As per the study, about 60 men between the ages 25 to 45 were surveyed and their sexual habits questioned. Further to asking them questions, images of their brain were taken and examined. It was understood that the striatum, an area of the brain responsible for vital functions like memory and reward processing, was comparatively lesser in those who had a major porn-watching habit. Moreover, response to sexual stimuli, triggered by an area in the striatum, was also seen to be reduced in size. Thus, according to results published by leading research institutes, although not thoroughly conclusive, effects of pornography on the brain cannot be underestimated.



Source: boldsky limited living 

Read More

Autism in Africa

What is Autism?

Autism Spectrum Disorders are lifelong disabilities that, at their core, affect a person’s social and communication abilities.
People with autism may engage in repetitive actions or have specific interests or thoughts that can dominate their lives. Some people with autism find their sensory world unusual and occasionally anxiety provoking.
Autism can come with a range of challenges in making sense of the world but it can also give people advantages, such as in memory or in concentrating on tasks.
The autism spectrum is very broad. Some people have no language, intellectual difficulties and not engage with others. Other people on the autism spectrum may have very good or even advanced language skills but find the rules governing social behaviour hard to fathom.
In addition to some of the cognitive and behavioural difficulties, many individuals on the autism spectrum have additional medical conditions such as epilepsy, sleep difficulties and mental health problems.
First identified more than 50 years ago, autism affects one percent of UK children and adults, which equates to approximately 600,000 people in the UK. Many of these people remain undiagnosed and without support.
Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls.
Autism affects people of all racial, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.

Autism in Africa

Mental illness is the leading cause of disability in the world, according to the World Health Organization.
Even more troubling: Four out of five people with psychiatric disorders live in developing countries, where they have few opportunities for treatment.
The studies, published between 1982 and 2010, each identified only a few dozen children with autism, from clinics thousands of miles apart. Yet the cases are strikingly similar. Nearly all of the children were diagnosed relatively late: many at around 8 years old and some into their teenage years

One survey asked Nigerian nurses who specialize in psychiatry or pediatrics about the causes of autism. Some 40 percent fingered preternatural or supernatural causes, such as ancestral spirits, enemies, sinning or the action of the devil.
These attitudes, the researchers suggest, mean that when a child has a mental or neurodevelopmental problem, help may first be sought from traditional healers which could account for the late diagnoses. These lost years may also contribute to the lack of language in many of the children with autism, perhaps because they did not have access to early interventions or speech therapy.

The good news is that mental health issues in Africa are starting to get more attention.

Is there a Cure?

There is no known cure for autism. This does not mean, however, that nothing can be done for a person with autism. Becauseautism is a spectrum disorder it affects different people in different ways. It is therefore very difficult to generalise about how a person with autism will develop over time. It is particularly important to realise that an intervention which works well with one individual may not be appropriate or effective with another.

Intervention

While there is no 'cure' for autism, there are some approaches that people use to help with various difficulties they may experience and before choosing an approach, it is best to find out as much information as you can about it. Any approach should be positive, build on strengths, discover potential and increase motivation.

Read More

Autism Linked to Inherited Gene Mutations, Particularly From Dad

Autism Linked to Inherited Gene Mutations, Particularly From Dad
year-old son tested for autism. She didn't think he fit the classic description of autism.
He showed emotion. He showed affection toward her. That wouldn't be possible for someone with autism, Gray believed.
"I didn't understand what autism was and the vast spectrum of the disorder," said Gray, who blogs for Babble.com, a Disney-owned online parenting magazine (Disney is also the parent company of ABC News). "I got him evaluated because I didn't want to be seen as a mom in denial."
Gray's son was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome -- a higher functioning form of autism -- at age 4. In hindsight, Gray said she could see how his symptoms progressed until his diagnosis, and his diagnosis prompted her to have her daughter tested too. Two years later, in January 2012, her daughter, now 10 years old, received the same diagnosis as her brother.
The latest statistics released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that autism spectrum disorder increased by 23 percent from 2006 to 2008 to include nearly one in 88 children.
Experts said the growing numbers reflect an all-encompassing disorder that just as often includes children who speak or don't speak, make eye or don't make eye contact, recognize their names or not.
While experts remain perplexed about what causes autism, Gray said for her kids, she knew the answer.
"In our case, it's so clearly genetic," she said, even though medical experts cannot yet confirm the exact cause of any autism diagnosis. "There's no doubt in my mind."
And many scientists agree that the growing autism numbers may in part be attributed to certain genetic mutations that are most likely inherited from the father, according to the combined findings of three studies published Wednesday in the journal Nature.
The studies are the largest to date to use whole-exome sequencing, which decodes the protein in both children and their parents, an arguably more precise method of detecting genetic mutations in multiple genes that may be associated with autism.
The findings from one of the studies supports mounting evidence suggesting that the older the father, the higher the chance the child may develop some form of autism.
In another study, researchers who compared siblings with and without autism found that the sibling with autism had two different mutations of the gene SCN2A.
Genetic mutations found in the child with autism that were not found in either parent are likely not associated with autism, one of the studies concluded.
But these findings further suggest that autism is a genetically complex disease, Dr. Daniel Geshwind, a professor of neurology and psychiatry at UCLA, told ABCNews.com. Several genes contribute, as the average risk imparted by one mutation is typically not enough.
There are currently upward of 1,000 genes that seem to play some role in autism, but it's still not clear exactly what that role is.
"The genes highlighted are clearly the most convincing susceptibility genes that have been identified so far, but they only explain a small picture of autism," said Dr. Mark Daly, chief of the analytic and translational genetics at Massachusetts General Hospital, and co-author of one of the studies.

Read More

Baby’s Gaze Could Signal Autism Risk, Study Finds

A baby’s gaze could carry the first signs of autism, according to a new study that suggests the developmental disorder disrupts the desire for eye contact.
Atlanta researchers used eye-tracking technology to study how babies respond to social cues between birth and the age of 3, and found that infants later diagnosed with autism paid less attention to the eyes of others.
“These results reveal that there are measurable and identifiable differences present already before six months,” study author Ami Klin, director of the Atlanta-based Marcus Autism Center, said in a statement adding that the findings “have the potential to dramatically shift the possibilities for future strategies of early intervention.”
The study was published today in the journal Nature.
Autism Bankrupts Families, Emotionally and Financially
Autism is currently diagnosed based on careful observation of a child’s behavior, social skills and ability to communicate. But researchers have long been looking for subtler signs with hopes of intervening sooner.
“By following these babies from birth, and intensively within the first six months, we were able to collect large amounts of data long before overt symptoms are typically seen,” study lead author Warren Jones, director of research for the Marcus Autism Center, said in a statement.
But Jones cautioned that parents should not go looking for such subtle signs or be discouraged if their babies sometimes avoid eye contact.
“We used very specialized technology to measure developmental differences, accruing over time, in the way that infants watched very specific scenes of social interaction,” he said. “To be sure, parents should not expect that this is something they could see without the aid of technology.”
On top of raising the possibility of earlier detection, the study could hint at subtle interactions between the complex genetics of autism, brain development and eye gaze, according to Jones.
“Our next step will be to expand these studies with more children, and to combine our eye-tracking measures with measures of gene expression and brain growth,” he said.






Source:abc news

Read More

Yawning Isn’t Contagious for Children with Autism

Boredom, tiredness, hunger and stress can all set off a yawn. People can even ‘catch’ a bout of yawning when they see or hear another person in the throes of the involuntary gesture, a phenomenon known as social yawning.

Researchers speculate that this shared behavior is a form of empathy that strengthens the bonds of a group: One drowsy person’s yawn that triggers others to do the same could lead to a unanimous call for bedtime, for example. Humans aren’t the only species to yawn sympathetically: Dogs yawn in response to human yawns, and chimpanzees and baboons yawn in concert with one another.

Children with autism apparently don’t respond to social yawning, however, prompting some researchers to blame their well-chronicled struggle with empathy.

A new Japanese study suggests that, instead, children with the disorder miss facial cues, such as closed eyes, that make yawning contagious. The study was published 22 July in Autism Research and Treatment.

The researchers say children with autism miss those cues because they avoid looking at people’s faces. But that may not entirely explain it. For example, a small 2009 study found that typically developing children yawn even when they’ve only heard another person do so, but children with autism do not.





Source:tarborotimes 

Read More

Older people with autism in Scotland 'invisible'

A charity has warned of an "invisible generation" of older people with autism in Scotland whose condition is often misunderstood and misdiagnosed.

The National Autistic Society (NAS) Scotland said there was still a tendency to only associate the condition with children.

But one in five people with autism is thought to be over the age of 60.

The charity called for action to ensure the needs of elderly people with autism were fully understood and met.

It urged the Scottish government to act on its concerns as it implements its Autism Strategy for Scotland and rolls out £13.4m in funding to support people with the condition.

NAS Scotland said that, of an estimated 58,000 people with autism in Scotland, more than 11,600 are thought to be over 60.

Autism is said to be under-diagnosed in older people, and NAS Scotland has expressed concerns regarding the diagnostic pathways Scottish health boards have in place.

Too many older adults with autism are missing out on diagnosis entirely and too many are still waiting for their needs to be assessed”


Robert MacBean, policy and campaigns officer for NAS Scotland, said: "Huge strides have been taken in changing attitudes towards autism and increasing understanding of the lifelong, disabling condition that touches the lives of over 58,000 people in Scotland.

"But there is still a tendency to think of autism as a condition that just affects children, when there are older people with autism in all our communities who need our support and care.

"Too many older adults with autism are missing out on diagnosis entirely and too many are still waiting for their needs to be assessed. And all too often, it's unclear what support will be available for them as they get older. This must change."

He added: "The Scottish government has a chance to finally deliver these adults the support they need by making sure that their views, experience and advice are taken into as it implements its Autism Strategy for Scotland.


The diagnosis finally explained my life, who I am and took away a lot of the negative feelings I'd projected onto myself”

David Silvester
Mr McDonald said: "This will be a very important roundtable event which will bring together a combination of decision makers and service users to learn about the experiences for older autistic people.

"Too often autism is incorrectly viewed as relating to children and young people only, and this can often lead autistic adults feeling that services are not directed to their needs.

"I hope that this will give an opportunity for these issues to be raised with the people who take decisions and advise government on the way in which the autism strategy can be delivered in a way which captures all people with autism."

Retired joiner David Silvester, 67, from Moray, was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome - a form of autism - two years ago.

His condition had been misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia since he was in his late 20s.

'Not weird'
He said: "My diagnosis came as a huge relief. For most of my adult life I'd asked 'what's wrong with me?' The diagnosis finally explained my life, who I am and took away a lot of the negative feelings I'd projected onto myself.

"When I was very young, research into Asperger syndrome was also in its infancy. But I'd known from an early age that I was 'different'.

"If the adults around me had known what to look for, they would have seen classic Asperger's traits. On the outside I appeared articulate and functioning well. But inside I was struggling."

He added: "After my diagnosis, I thought a world of support services in Moray would open up to me. It was a big disappointment to discover this wasn't the case."

Moray Council is now developing its Autism Strategy, and Mr Silvester is involved in educating people about autism and encouraging decision-makers to put in place effective support.

Mr Silvester added: "It would be great if the public could see that older people with autism are not 'weird' or 'odd'. We just see the world in a different way. We need the right support at the right time, but we also have skills, talents and abilities.



Source:BBC news

Read More