On December 2, 2005, NAAR was proud to both attend and help sponsor of the 85th Annual Conference of the Association for Research in Nervous and Mental Disease (ARNMD). This year's topic, Recent Advances in Autism and Related Disorderswas organized by Joseph Coyle, MD, NAAR Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) member and chair of the 2005 Annual NAAR SAB meeting. The ARNMD is the oldest society of neurologists and psychiatrists in existence, founded in 1920. The primary focus of ARNMD is to keep practicing neurologists, psychiatrists, and neuroscientists informed about state-of-the-art research findings in each of these disciplines, findings that are beginning to significantly influence the thinking and practice of neurology and psychiatry.

Many distinguished autism researchers gathered in New York City to present their most current theories and share exciting new research results. Susan Folstein, MD and NAAR scientific affairs committee advisor, started the presentations by discussing the broad clinical spectrum of autism and the unique challenges in studying and treating this disorder. In addition, NAAR-funded researchers including Judith Grether, PhD, Manuel Casanova, MD, Joseph Piven, MD, Joseph Buxbaum, PhD, John Rubenstein, MD, PhD, Isabel Rapin, MD, Ed Cook, MD, Helen Tager-Flusberg, PhD, and Fred Volkmar, MD discussed their findings on the epidemiology, genetics, neuroanatomy, neuroimaging, and language and social impairments relating to autism.

In addition, world-recognized experts in the fields of electrophysiology, synaptic plasticity and structural imaging presented their findings to the over 200 attendees. All presentations of the day-long conference will be published in an upcoming issue of Clinical Neuroscience Research. A full agenda of the day's events can be found here: http://www.arnmd.org/arnmd/doc/2005program.pdf