For Immediate Release:
June 30, 2000

CONTACT: Janet Dolan
(916) 734-9040

UC DAVIS M.I.N.D. INSTITUTE RECEIVES $30 MILLION IN STATE FUNDING

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.)— The California state budget signed today by Governor Gray Davis includes $30 million to support medical research into the causes and treatments of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, attention deficit disorder, and dyslexia at the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (M.I.N.D.) Institute.

"This is tremendously important news for families who struggle with these disorders every single day," said Tom Anders, M.D., interim director of the M.I.N.D. Institute. "These funds will speed the development of new approaches to understanding and treating these devastating disorders, and go a long way toward helping fulfill the dream of families - to see their children live active and healthy lives."

Since the M.I.N.D. Institute was launched by parents, researchers and physicians in 1998, it has funded 19 studies investigating autism, dyslexia, Tourette's syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asperger syndrome and normal brain development. One of the first grants, awarded to a team from the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program, may lead to the development of the first promising test to identify some newborns who may develop autism or mental retardation. The breakthrough, announced at an American Academy of Neurology meeting in May, made the front pages of newspapers around the world.

"This is only the beginning," said Anders, who is also executive associate dean of the UC Davis School of Medicine. "With this additional funding from the state, we have resources to support the creative, exciting science under way here; we can recruit additional outstanding scientists; and we can bring the resulting discoveries directly into schools and homes where it can make a real difference in people's lives."

Rick Rollens, parent of a child with autism and one of the founders of the M.I.N.D. Institute, said, "Parents of children with autism are deeply grateful to Governor Davis and Senate President pro Tempore John Burton for their unwavering support of the M.I.N.D. Institute. Funding made available today will take us far in finding the causes, effective treatments and cures for a broad spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders. The M.I.N.D. Institute is now well on its way to becoming the premier autism research center in the world."

As many as 20 percent of all children are estimated to suffer from some sort of neurodevelopmental disorder. The National Institutes of Health estimate that the prevalence of autism is one in every 500 children.

"Increasing numbers of neurodevelopmental disorders reported by California regional centers during the past five years are very disturbing, not only for families, but also in terms of economic impact," Anders said. "The cost of providing lifetime care for children with mind disorders is huge, and increasing. We need to understand these disorders, treat these conditions and stop the drain of precious financial resources."

The cost of caring for children with neurodevelopmental disorders is staggering. More than 2.6 million children are enrolled in publicly funded learning disabilities programs. Estimates place the cost of care for just one severely autistic child at between $80,000 and $90,000 a year. The State of California spends more than $1.5 billion each year to provide support services to the developmentally disabled through its regional centers.

Scientists believe there is more hope than ever before of understanding, intervening in and treating neurodevelopmental disorders. The development of noninvasive imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging, functional magnetic imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy, provide powerful tools for the investigation of brain development and structural and metabolic disturbances associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. In addition, scientists are investigating the role of environmental factors in the development of neurodevelopmental disorders.

The UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute is unique in investigating the gamut of neurodevelopmental disorders. Collaborations between medical researchers and scientists in molecular biology, genetics, immunology, pharmacology and behavioral science at UC Davis bring a wealth of resources to study neurodevelopmental disorders and to design and test potential treatments.

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