Serenity is the healing that comes with being kind to ourselves.

To create is discover a world within yourself

 

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplation one line a day. #MentalHealth.

Ableism

Ableism refers to systemic discrimination and prejudice against individuals with disabilities, including autism, often manifesting through societal norms, policies, and practices that marginalize and devalue their experiences and abilities.

PlainSpeak: Ableism is when people with disabilities, like autism, are treated unfairly or seen as less capable, because of biased attitudes and rules in society.

Most Posts on [Ableism]

Mental Time Travel

The concept of mental time travel (MTT) refers to our ability to mentally project themselves backward in time to relive or remember past events, as well as forward in time to imagine or anticipate future events. It is a cognitive process that allows us to mentally simulate and navigate through temporal experiences beyond the present moment.

The MTT Task

The MTT task is a neuroscience measure designed to assess an individual's capacity for mental time travel. Participants are presented with event cues, such as "graduation" or "vacation," and asked to recall a specific past event or imagine a specific future event related to each cue. This task distinguishes between personal events, which are specific episodic memories from one's own life, and general events, which are more abstract and can be shared by multiple people, such as public holidays or significant historical moments. In this task, the individual's present moment serves as a reference point from which they situate and retrieve personal versus general events. 

The MTT task has been used in research to investigate individual differences in the capacity for mental time travel and how it relates to various cognitive processes, such as autobiographical memory, imagination, planning, and self-projection. It has also been employed to examine the effects of aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and psychiatric disorders on mental time travel abilities.

Cognitive Processes and Neural Mechanisms

MTT involves several cognitive processes, including memory recall, imagination, and prospective thinking. Neuroimaging studies reveal that MTT engages a network of brain regions which include.

• Prefrontal Cortex (PFC). Involved in cognitive control and executive functions, critical for retrieving and manipulating temporal information.
• Hippocampus and Medial Temporal Lobe (MTL). Essential for the formation and retrieval of episodic memories, these areas help us construct detailed, context-rich memories and future scenarios.

MTT and Autism: A Research Frontier

Studies have shown that individuals with autism may exhibit differences in episodic memory and future-oriented thinking, which are key components of MTT.

For example, research suggests that some autistics may have difficulty recalling specific personal events and constructing detailed future scenarios, possibly due to challenges in episodic memory retrieval and imagination . However, the variability within the autism spectrum means that these experiences can differ widely among individuals.

Investigating MTT in autism could provide valuable insights into how autistics perceive and engage with time-related cognitive processes. Future studies could explore,

• Episodic Memory Retrieval: Understanding how autistics recall personal versus general events.
• Imagination and Future Planning: Examining the ability to construct detailed and plausible future scenarios.
• Neural Correlates: Using neuroimaging to explore the brain regions involved in MTT and how they may differ in  autism.

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Versions of this post: [PlainSpeak For the Lay Reader], [For the Academic/Science Reader], [A Simple Definition]

Related Posts: [Autism Theories], [Sensorimotor], [Neuroscience of Autism]

References
Lind, S. E., & Bowler, D. M. (2010). Episodic memory and episodic future thinking in adults with autism. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119(4), 896–905. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020631

Creativity is the bridge between art and science

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplation one line a day. #MentalHealth.

 

If you know everything, you are not learning

 Something Professor Carissa Cascio shared with the lab today. So appropriate. 

Also accompanied by a message encouraging us to "be confident in asking questions and not worried about what they don't know. If you already know everything, you're not learning!"

Thank you for this assurance cuz my rather atypical educational path leaves me wondering (more often than not) if there are things I have missed out (through the typical NT education path,  NT social experiences/interactions/networking) which is now maybe impacting my knowledge and work. 

Media Mention

 

The need for global solutions. Disability is not an american phenomena.

Creativity is the language of the heart

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplation one line a day. #MentalHealth.

 

Imagination is the foundation of creativity

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplating, one line a day. #MentalHealth.

 

Creativity is the art of bringing things to life

 Contemplation one line a day. #MentalHealth.

 

Severe Weather Nashville - Spring Edition

Nashville sure has a lot of severe weather alerts.
This is a running tab for Spring Mar 30- Jun 20

(see here for winter)

Neuro-verse

Neuro-verse

My mind sings verses that caress the senses, transforming my world into a synesthetic tapestry of words.
My brain, a maestro of emotions, conducts a raaga of imagery, metaphor, and laya, serenading the sensory symphony with poetic canvas.

Neurotransmitters thread words with grace, enchanting the sensory realm with refrains that waltz through the mind like melodic raagas.
Neurons engage in taal, harmonizing synapses with the hues of perception, painting poetry that captivates the optic cortex and cochlear nerve.

Dynamic neuroplasticity conducts a jugalbandi of words that sculpts multidimensional space, leaving the synapses swaying to the rhythm of words.
Neural artistry entwines poetry and swara, every ERP, illuminating kaleidoscopic realms.

from Indian Classical Music: Raaga (musical scale), Laya (rhythm), Taal (beat), Swara (musical note), 

Jugalbandi (collaborative improvisation).

ERP: Event Related Potential -   neuroscience measure (using EEG) to assess the electrical activity of the brain in response to specific events or stimuli.

Kindness is not a weakness its a superpower

Creativity is the ultimate form of self expression

 

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplation one line a day. #MentalHealth.

CATI - Comprehensive Autism Trait Inventory

 

• The Comprehensive Autism Trait Inventory (CATI) is a new measure of autistic traits that reflects our current understanding of autism and includes subscales for social camouflage and sensory sensitivity.
• The 42 items are divided into 6 subscales of "Social Interactions,” “Communication,” "Social Camouflage,” "Cognitive Rigidity,” "Repetitive Behaviours,” and "Sensory Sensitivity” (each with 7 items).
• It is free to use. 

[Related Posts on CATI]

Psychometrics

• (English et al., 2021) is a first validation paper that has included 3 separate studies.
• The CATI showed convergent validity and superior internal reliability compared to existing measures like the AQ and BAPQ
• The CATI provides a comprehensive assessment of trait dimensions associated with autism, potentially eliminating the need for multiple measures, and has the potential to improve research on autistic traits in the general population.

The English et al (2021) article discusses the need for a new measure of autistic traits that reflects our current understanding of autism. The article describes the development and validation of the CATI, comparing it to existing measures such as the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ). The CATI demonstrates convergent validity, superior internal reliability, and greater predictive ability for classifying autism compared to the other measures. It is also the first measure to have dedicated subscales for social camouflage and sensory sensitivity. The authors conclude that the CATI provides a reliable and comprehensive assessment of autistic traits, addressing the limitations of existing measures

• (Meng & Xuan, 2023) - A Mandarin Chinese translation of CATI that was recently validated (although only 35 of the 42 items made it into that version, likely due to issues with the model fit of the translated measure). The Chinese group also derived a 24-item short form of the Chinese CATI which appears to have good psychometrics as well. 

References
English, M.C.W., Gignac, G.E., Visser, T.A.W. et al. The Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory (CATI): development and validation of a new measure of autistic traits in the general population. Molecular Autism 12, 37 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-021-00445-7

Meng F, Xuan B. Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2023 Jun 15;16:2213-2223. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S411599. PMID: 37342828; PMCID: PMC10278863.

Joy is the music that fills our soul and lifts us up

 

Contemplation, one line a Day. 

 

Creativity is the key to unlocking the doors of the unknown

Towards a more Humane Society. Contemplation one line a day. #MentalHealth.

 

ASSERT ECHO @Vandy

I have been a participant in the Assert (All Stakeholders Engage in Research Together) project this semester, run by Prof Beth Malow's Sleep Lab.  https://www.vumc.org/sleep-in-autism/assert-resources

Its been a good experience, listening to everyone's perspective and being able to contribute, though I could not make last few sessions as it clashed with the new meetings at my new lab rotation.

The disability rights mantra has long centered around Nothing about us without us. And I am glad that to see this idea trickling down with respect to research which will (hopefully) lead us to solutions. And this effort is at happening at many places now - at universities and research centers. 

If you are an autistic, please do consider getting involved by emailing assert@vumc.org. It is important that our voices are heard. 

Nothing about us, without us.

The phrase "Nothing about us without us" (NAUWU) gained prominence in the 1980s as disability rights movement began to gain momentum and assert the rights of disabled individuals. It resonated with the broader social justice movements that advocated for marginalized communities to have control over their own destinies and be actively involved in decision-making processes.

NAUWU represents a powerful demand for inclusivity, equal participation, and the recognition of disabled individuals as the experts of their own lives. It encapsulates the ongoing struggle for disability rights and the importance of centering the voices and experiences of disabled people in all matters that concern them.

NAUWU  is grounded in the principle of self-advocacy and the belief that the disabled should have a voice and agency in shaping policies, laws, and programs that directly impact them. It emphasizes the importance of including the perspectives and experiences of disabled individuals in all aspects of disability-related discussions, rather than making decisions on their behalf without their input or representation.

Origins of the phrase NAUWU: 

My friend and fellow autistic Rebecca Eli-Long states "I've been told that it entered US disability rights spaces via South African activists. At least that's what's reported in James Charlton's book, Nothing About Us Without US"

While it is challenging to attribute the phrase to a specific individual, it has been embraced and popularized by disability rights activists, organizations, and scholars worldwide. 

The slogan has become a rallying cry for disability rights advocates, reinforcing the core principle of empowerment, self-determination, and the right to be heard and respected.

One notable event associated with the early use of the phrase is the International Year of Disabled Persons, which was proclaimed by the United Nations in 1981. This declaration helped to bring global attention to disability rights and led to increased advocacy efforts by disabled individuals and organizations.

Context of Autism Research 

Recent years have seen some movement in discussion groups led by university and private research labs to hear inputs from all stakeholders, which includes autistics, family members, professionals (therapists, medical professionals, caretakers etc), with a long term view that such participatory research will lead to meaningful research and meaningful solutions. 

The good part is that finally there is some acknowledgement of the principle of NAUWU. 

Good beginning, but only the beginning. Let's not celebrate just yet. There are still miles to go. 

Why? Because the idea of "Nothing About Us Without Us" is 40 years old (in the 1980s) and it has taken all the way till the 2020's to see movement towards even acknowledging our voices.

Is it going to take another 40 years to see the next step of our voices translating into research and actual translatable solutions on the ground (instead of sitting as academic theory).

And will those solutions address everyone's needs or continue to focus on a narrow band of autistics, which means the rest of us continue to slip through those cracks and get left behind. 

What is the timeline? Is it even going to happen in my life time? 

 

Honestly in the the 2.5 decades I've been around, I have not seen much in terms of translatable autism solutions. We are still being peddled therapies and theories that work for a narrow band, but applied to all.

After all, there is a  ton of profits, fame and power for select groups in the autism space, so there is competition to becoming the loudest voice and the sole authoritative voice in the autism space, even if it means demeaning others. 

The irony being no one is an autism expert, as no one knows still enough about autism to be an expert. 

There is the occasional token nod to NAUWU to brush that argument out of the way. 

The result is not just the lack of solutions but continued exclusion and a poor quality of life and access to opportunities for the remaining autistics. To the add to the confusion, the autism community seems to be divided into  polarized camps and folks like me who desperately need translatable solutions are not getting them. 

Finding the actual cause

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/06/01/schizophrenia-autoimmune-lupus-psychiatry/

YES. I believe there are parallels for autism. There is probably some other physiological stuff going on that is causing all the SIB, meltdown and even struggles with talking ability which fluctuate on a day to day basis - all stuff which what makes or breaks your inclusion in society and gatekeeps opportunities. I bet after a few decades when I am a very old man, i will find out that what I had was some INFLAMMATORY PROCESS that and treatable as a baby itself and I could have had a better quality of life instead of struggles, exclusion and rejections at every step. 

New research suggests that a subset of patients with psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia may actually have autoimmune disease that attacks the brain

Markx and his colleagues discovered that although April’s illness was clinically indistinguishable from schizophrenia, she also had lupus, an underlying and treatable autoimmune condition that was attacking her brain.

... a complex autoimmune disorder where the immune system turns on its own body, producing many antibodies that attack the skin, joints, kidneys or other organs. But April’s symptoms weren’t typical, and there were no obvious external signs of the disease; the lupus appeared to only be affecting her brain.

After months of targeted treatments — and more than two decades trapped in her mind — April woke up.

ERGO: underlying autoimmune and inflammatory processes may be more common in patients with a variety of psychiatric syndromes than previously believed.

undergone many courses of treatment — antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and electroconvulsive therapy — all to no avail.