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Meditation as a Potential Therapy for Autism: A Review

Autism is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder of unknown cause that affects approximately 1–3 percent of children and four times more boys than girls. Its prevalence is global and its social impact is devastating. In autism, the brain is unable to process sensory information normally. Instead, sim...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Sequeira, Sonia, Ahmed, Mahiuddin
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Hindawi Publishing Corporation 2012
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3420737/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22937260
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/835847
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author Sequeira, Sonia
Ahmed, Mahiuddin
author_facet Sequeira, Sonia
Ahmed, Mahiuddin
author_sort Sequeira, Sonia
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description Autism is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder of unknown cause that affects approximately 1–3 percent of children and four times more boys than girls. Its prevalence is global and its social impact is devastating. In autism, the brain is unable to process sensory information normally. Instead, simple stimuli from the outside world are experienced as overwhelmingly intense and strain the emotional centers of the brain. A stress response to the incoming information is initiated that destabilizes cognitive networks and short-circuits adequate behavioral output. As a result, the child is unable to respond adequately to stimulation and initiate social behavior towards family, friends, and peers. In addition, these children typically face immune-digestive disorders that heighten social fears, anxieties, and internal conflicts. While it is critical to treat the physical symptoms, it is equally vital to offer an evidence-based holistic solution that harmonizes both their emotional and physical well-being as they move from childhood into adult life. Here, we summarize evidence from clinical studies and neuroscience research that suggests that an approach built on yogic principles and meditative tools is worth pursuing. Desired outcomes include relief of clinical symptoms of the disease, greater relaxation, and facilitated expression of feelings and skills, as well as improved family and social quality of life.
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spelling pubmed-34207372012-08-30 Meditation as a Potential Therapy for Autism: A Review Sequeira, Sonia Ahmed, Mahiuddin Autism Res Treat Review Article Autism is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder of unknown cause that affects approximately 1–3 percent of children and four times more boys than girls. Its prevalence is global and its social impact is devastating. In autism, the brain is unable to process sensory information normally. Instead, simple stimuli from the outside world are experienced as overwhelmingly intense and strain the emotional centers of the brain. A stress response to the incoming information is initiated that destabilizes cognitive networks and short-circuits adequate behavioral output. As a result, the child is unable to respond adequately to stimulation and initiate social behavior towards family, friends, and peers. In addition, these children typically face immune-digestive disorders that heighten social fears, anxieties, and internal conflicts. While it is critical to treat the physical symptoms, it is equally vital to offer an evidence-based holistic solution that harmonizes both their emotional and physical well-being as they move from childhood into adult life. Here, we summarize evidence from clinical studies and neuroscience research that suggests that an approach built on yogic principles and meditative tools is worth pursuing. Desired outcomes include relief of clinical symptoms of the disease, greater relaxation, and facilitated expression of feelings and skills, as well as improved family and social quality of life. Hindawi Publishing Corporation 2012 2012-06-04 /pmc/articles/PMC3420737/ /pubmed/22937260 http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/835847 Text en Copyright © 2012 S. Sequeira and M. Ahmed. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
spellingShingle Review Article
Sequeira, Sonia
Ahmed, Mahiuddin
Meditation as a Potential Therapy for Autism: A Review
title Meditation as a Potential Therapy for Autism: A Review
title_full Meditation as a Potential Therapy for Autism: A Review
title_fullStr Meditation as a Potential Therapy for Autism: A Review
title_full_unstemmed Meditation as a Potential Therapy for Autism: A Review
title_short Meditation as a Potential Therapy for Autism: A Review
title_sort meditation as a potential therapy for autism: a review
topic Review Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3420737/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22937260
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/835847
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