(HealthNewsDigest.com) - In the largest-ever study of psychiatric illness, it was suggested that diseases such as autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia share common genetic underpinnings.  Dr. Robert Melillo of Brain Balance Achievement Centers explains the findings showed a genetic variant related to calcium-channel activity, an important biological process which appears to play a role in all five disorders.

"Calcium signaling, which is a key regulator of the growth and development of neurons, was found to have genetic roots involved with the disorders in the study," says Dr. Melillo.  "This opens the door for theories that have suggested genetics can contribute to prevention of psychiatric diseases such as autism."

With April marking Autism Awareness month, Dr. Melillo adds that it is important to examine findings that offer support for new ways of treating autism.  "This study offers a scientific perspective in the way psychiatric diseases have been treated traditionally and the new direction for treatment," says Dr. Melillo.  "To ensure patients receive the best possible care, a multi-faceted approach that utilizes prevention measures as well as ways to cope with a genetic disposition tends to be in the best interest of the child."

Dr. Robert Melillo is an internationally known lecturer, author, educator, researcher and clinician specializing in the areas of neurology, rehabilitation, neuropsychology and neurobehavioral disorders in children. He is co-founder of the Brain Balance Achievement Centers^TM and developed the Brain Balance Program^TM, a multi-modal approach to the remediation of ADHD, dyslexia, autism, Asperger's, Tourette's, learning disabilities and processing disorders along with other neurobehavioral disabilities found in children. Dr. Melillo has been regularly featured on Fox News and has written two books for parents focusing on brain imbalances in children; Disconnected Kids and Reconnected Kids. His third book, Autism: The Scientific Truth About Preventing, Diagnosing, and Treating Autism Spectrum Disorders - and What Parents Can Do Now, is now available.

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