“People struggle to understand what they say, which has major negative long-term effects on their ability to form social relationships, self-esteem, academic achievements and quality of life.” MCRI speech pathologist Prof Angela Morgan Murdoch Children’s Research Institute The breakthrough isn’t just regarding the FoxP2 gene but prior to sharing the study as it includes information…
Research
Gut Bugs Talk To Your Brain
Is diet the answer to future treatments and even cures for some special needs conditions including apraxia? Research continues to turn up remarkable links between our gut bugs, also known as our microbiome, and the brain. Scientists are finding evidence that microbiome may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression, schizophrenia, autism, and…
Brain Signals Translated Into Speech
“In this scenario, if the wearer thinks ‘I need a glass of water,’ (or ‘can you help me with this?’) our system could take the brain signals generated by that thought, and turn them into synthesized, verbal speech,” Nima Mesgarani, PhD, senior author for this new study and principal investigator at Columbia University’s Mortimer B. Zuckerman…
Artificial intelligence turns brain activity into speech
The implications for AI thought to speech technology if developed fully is so exciting not just for adults who experienced an accident or head injury that affect speech, but for all of us who have children with a communication impairment. When my son Tanner was younger, he would try to talk, and everyone would look…
Nutrients in blood, in particular, Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, linked to better brain connectivity, cognition
A new study links higher levels of several key nutrients in the blood, in particular, a pattern of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, with more efficient brain connectivity and performance on cognitive tests. There has been misinformation on the internet and in particular by new parents who do not have any background in medicine or…
Microplastics In The Water, Food, And Us Affect Speech Development
Researchers have identified early childhood health impacts including speech and language developmental delays from prenatal exposures to phthalates found in plastic Association of Prenatal Phthalate Exposure With Language Development in Early Childhood Carl-Gustaf Bornehag, PhD et.al, JAMA Pediatr. 2018 Great Pacific Garbage Patch Most of us by now know the ongoing problem of plastics building in our environment and…
Organic Food And Heavy Metals
“Some of the worst offenders in the Clean Label Project’s tests were organic, plant-based protein powders. More than 75 percent had measurable levels of lead. And certified organic products averaged twice the heavy metals of their uncertified counterparts.” Simply stated, organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage…
Omega 3s Reduce Children’s Disruptive Behavior
Giving children omega-3 fatty acid supplements reduces disruptive behavior, which in turn had a positive effect on their parents, making them less likely to argue with each other and engage in other verbal abuse, finds new randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial. “Something as simple as a dietary supplement could reduce disruptive, even abusive behavior, according to…
Fish Oil And Bleeding Risk
“There is a long-standing myth that omega-3s cause bleeding. We have used data from 18,000 patients who were in clinical trials over the years-mostly in heart disease, and there is not one case of bleeding from omega-3s” It has long been believed that fish oil may cause a person to bleed more easily, especially if…
How music lessons can improve language skills
The power of sound, a therapy worth listening to I’ve shared a few times how my son Tanner Geng has developed an ecliptic love for music in the past few years, where outside of school he listens to music most times while doing homework, hanging out, or even all night long while sleeping. But when…
