Advancing knowledge of human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.
This is a story of nature and nurture. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Waisman Center have shown one way in which human genetics and chronic stress interact to shape health and well-being later in life. According to the study, published recently (April 13) in the American Journal of Medical Genetics: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, individuals who …
Research led by Waisman Center investigator Denise Ney has shown that food products made from a specific protein found in whey can safely be part of a more palatable diet for individuals diagnosed with phenylketonuria (PKU). Ney, who is also the Billings-Bascom Professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, focuses on individuals with …
There will be screaming and yelling and cheering…lots of cheering. As the Wisconsin Badgers football team takes the field at Camp Randall Stadium for their annual Spring Game on April 21, there will be thousands of fans cheering on their favorite team. In turn, every Badger fan in Camp Randall on that day will be …
Waisman Center investigator Seth Pollak was recently interviewed by the BOLD Blog on Learning and Development. In the interview, Pollak discusses how chronic stress in early childhood shapes the brain. You can read the full interview here. Pollack is also the College of Letters and Science Distinguished Professor of Psychology and a professor of pediatrics, …
Alexander disease (AxD) is a primary genetic disorder of astrocytes caused by dominant mutations in the gene encoding the intermediate filament (IF) protein GFAP. This disease is characterized by excessive accumulation of GFAP, known as Rosenthal fibers, within astrocytes.
Verbal trait disorders encompass a wide range of conditions and are marked by deficits in five domains that impair a person’s ability to communicate: speech, language, reading, spelling, and writing. Nonword repetition is a robust endophenotype for verbal trait disorders that is sensitive to cognitive processes critical to verbal development, including auditory processing, phonological working memory, and motor planning and programming.
Like all parents, couples who have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) share the ups and downs of parenting. A new study by Waisman Center researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison looks at the daily experiences of these parents to provide a more detailed picture of the strengths and vulnerabilities of couples raising a …
As researchers have investigated the socio-historical conditions responsible for the upsurge in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis, they have neglected how clinicians determine the diagnoses in local encounters in the first place.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have made a surprising and potentially crucial discovery about Alexander disease, a rare and fatal neurological disorder with no known cure. Using a mouse model for this disease, which in humans involves the destruction of white matter in the brain, a research team led by Albee Messing, director of …
Title: FMR1 Genotype Interacts with Parenting Stress to Shape Health and Functional Abilities in Older Age. Legend: Among those with modal numbers of CGG repeats (around 30), the figure shows similarity between parents of children with disabilities and parents in the comparison group (i.e., parents of children without disabilities) with respect to the number of …
