Brain Stimulation Erases Autism for a Month

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I found this article which indicates that steps are being made toward discovering a cure for autism, and that makes me very anxious. What do you think? If they succeed, what do you suspect will happen to people like us?

http://www.medicaldaily.com/brain-stimu ... ial-262152

Well I don't think they are making it very far on finding a cure based on that article. All that demonstrated is stimulating part of the brain can reduce anxiety and make one more perceptive to social norms for a temporary amount of time. Though It seems like there are quite a few holes in this study since it does not really provide any substantial evidence that the subjects actually perceived social norms any better.

For intstance the bit about the woman bringing her brother a cup of tea because he was studying hard.....its not necessarily a social norm to bring someone a cup of tea when studying. At best I think this brain stimulation might reduce some anxiety people with AS experiance especially social anxiety. There just isn't a lot of information in that article to form an opinion on.

The only way to cure autism would be to somehow find a way to change our autistic neurology to neurotypical neurology, which I just don't see happening any time soon.

It is too early to tell:

Coming at things like this as an autism "cure" is the wrong way to go about it. Rather, the scientists involved would be better off considering it as "autism therapy," lessening the negatives of autism while leaving the basic neurology more or less unaffected. It's an easier, more realistic mark to shoot for, and is kinder to the individual with autism than saying that they have something wrong with them that needs to be cured.

I'd also point out that researchers are looking into using MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy) as a therapeutic drug to increase empathy potential in people with autism, which seems to be capable of doing the same thing as the method used by the researchers in the OP's article, just with less directed electrical pulses directly through our grey matter.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/05/22/f ... ic-adults/

I don't think that ppl with Autism need a cure per se. I think that we the NT community that has children with autism need to learn to advocate for better understanding. But, if scientists do ever come up with a way to reduce certain aspects of autism that's great but, they won't be poking around in my daughters brain unless SHE is just so miserable that SHE wants that type of help. She's only 7 so wouldn't be capable of that type of decisions for a while though. I don't want to "change" her... I just want her to be happier.

I think they will use you as a guinea pig. give you a pill as an end result. maybe a few more. turn your brain into something as equal as an invelid, and than you will need a liver transplant.

It's just more snake oil.

The transcranial signals can only be effective if the electrodes pierce the skull, for this reason Enticott is only able to use adults with Aspergers because of consent and ethics.

If the research has any real benefit then it should be really tested on children with more nueroplastic brains. I agree with the sentiment expressed here that the researchers aren't much interested in the welfare of the individuals as they will claim the data is for the benefit of all people with autism etc

The experimental treatment only eased anxiety but "study participants showed no improvement at inferring the mental states of others when faced with a computer simulation. "It surprises me," said Enticott. "We are stimulating the region of the brain that is most closely associated with these tasks," but the test yielded none of the intended results." That is not curing Autism

I do not want a cure. Less anxiety? heck yeah!

Is this the same type of magnetic stimulation Alex's friend John Robison had that led him to feeling his perception and thinking seemed to be getting less autistic?

Electrical pulses and coils on the head. Gimme a break. Once upon a time, a lobotomy was considered a serious neurological medical procedure.

If bringing someone a cup of tea is a medical miracle, I'd say you may have had deeper issues than Asperger Syndrome.

I've seen what 'electrical brain stimulation' has done for Carrie Fisher. I'm not impressed.

Wait - bringing someone who is studying a cup of tea? That could be EITHER an empathetic OR sympathetic response, couldn't it? I mean, plenty of Aspies would make tea for each other in a case like this, right??? These scientists are getting me confused between empathy and sympathy.