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14
October
2009
Let's
Just Stop Calling It "Autism"
What
if the psychological affliction "Autism" had never existed?
What if ever increasing numbers children were showing up in schools
without
speech, lost in their own worlds, and having unexplained seizures? Would
we be diagnosing these children with a "developmental
disorder?" Or would we be looking for root causes of their DISEASE
and treating what they have medically? What if your children have is not
"Autism" at all, but a medical disease in most part caused by
viruses? According to a new study appearing in the October 2009 issue of
SCIENCE, the latest research supports this idea and it is exactly what I
have been advocating for twenty-seven years.
This study describes the detection of a virus called XMRV (xenotropic
MLV related virus) in about two-thirds of patients diagnosed with
chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). It was conducted by researchers who
collaborated from the Whittemore Peterson Institute, the Cleveland
Clinic, and the National Cancer Institute and has tremendous
implications for any family dealing with "Autism."
Many of those diagnosed with "Autism" have blood work that
contains
these same viruses. Autism (or should I say a "diagnosis" of
Autism) has increased in staggering numbers over the past ten years. One
in every 91 children in the US has what we refer to as
"Autism" (read American Academy Pediatrics Report). These
statistics are endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics, and other agencies.
California reports a 273% increase, Maryland 513%, and Florida 600%.
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, everyone understands the
seriousness of the disease and its treatment. Because of this, cancer
research is funded generously. "Autism" is now the third most
prevalent childhood disease, but it remains the least funded in terms of
research dollars. And how much of these research funds are devoted to
the genetic causes of "Autism?" We are wasting what precious
funds we have on genetic research for a disease that is, in no way,
genetic in nature. In addition, the cost to local school districts in
special education expenses is astronomical and growing every year! We
are draining budgets and there are kids NOT getting better every day.
What we have is an epidemic. Developmental disorders do not increase by
600% or occur in epidemic proportions. From a purely scientific
perspective, an epidemic of something that can't be spread by germs is
NOT POSSIBLE. It also should be impossible to medically treat and
recover children with these various disorders, but I have been doing
exactly that for 27 years (CFS and ADHD) and now 14 year ("Autistic
Spectrum").
We have lost too much time focusing our energies on the genetic and
"refrigerator mother" causes of this disease. The time to act
is now. We must refocus our resources and move in the right direction
with hard science, hard logic, and hard data and finally address this
crisis
medically.
It is time to create a new focus with ONE goal and ONE idea to help your
children. We must promote the medical treatment for this disease. We
have proven time and time again, kids can get better. We, along with the
medical community must come together, rally around the NIDS flag (or any
other name you all want except "Autism") and focus on the true
medical crisis. This is a tough disease, but as a disease, it is
beatable. It more than past the time for parents and the medical
community to join hands and lead the charge and make recovery possible
for all children afflicted with the disease formally known as Autism.
Michael Goldberg, MD
www.nids.net
www.neuroimmunedr.com
2 April 2009
Hyperbaric
Treatment Shows Promise for Autism
Hyperbaric
therapy can improve language ability, social interaction, and other
functions in children with autism, the results of small prospective,
randomized trial suggest.
In
a number of studies, treatment with hyperbaric oxygen has been linked to
improvements in autism, according to the report in the March issue of
BMC Pediatrics. Until now, however, the efficacy of this therapy has not
been investigated in a controlled trial.
The
current double-blind study, conducted by Dr. Daniel A. Rossignol, from
International Child Development Resource Center, Melbourne, Florida, and
colleagues, involved 62 children, from 2 to 7 years of age, who met the
DSM-IV criteria for autistic disorder. The children were randomized to
receive hyperbaric therapy (1.3 atm and 24% oxygen) or exposure to a
slightly pressured room (1.03 atm and 21% oxygen).
Compared
with the control intervention, treatment with hyperbaric therapy
significantly improved overall functioning, receptive language, social
interaction, and eye contact, based on average physician Clinical Global
Impression (CGI) scores. Moreover, 80% of hyperbaric-treated patients
were rated as improved compared with 38% of controls (p = 0.0024).
Except
for a lack of improvement in social interaction, similar findings were
seen based on parental CGI scores, the authors report.
On
the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, patients in the hyperbaric treatment
group had significant improvements in total score, stereotypy,
irritability, hyperactivity, and speech, while the control group did
not. Similarly, sensory/cognitive awareness on the Autism Treatment
Evaluation Checklist improved significantly in treatment patients versus
controls.
On
post-hoc analysis, children who were at least 5 years of age and those
with lower initial autism severity experienced the greatest benefits
from hyperbaric treatment. No treatment complications were noted with
hyperbaric therapy, which was also well tolerated.
"Given
the positive findings of this study, and the shortage of proven
treatments for individuals with autism, parents who pursue hyperbaric
treatment for their child with autism can be assured that it is a safe
treatment modality at the pressure used in this study, and that it may
improve certain autistic behaviors," the authors conclude.
BMC
Pediatr 2009.
MET
Variant Linked to Coexisting Autism and Gut Dysfunction
Gastrointestinal
dysfunction is a common finding in patients with autism spectrum
disorder and now new research suggests that a variant in the gene for
the MET receptor tyrosine kinase may explain the coexistence of these
conditions.
In
the study, increased expression of the MET rs1858830 promoter variant
was found in all autism families in which autism coexisted with
gastrointestinal complaints. By contrast, this genetic finding was not
apparent in families in which autism occurred alone.
MET
is a pleiotropic receptor that has been shown to play a role in both
gastrointestinal repair and brain development, lead author Dr. Daniel B.
Campell and co-researchers explain. Therefore, the team hypothesized,
disruptions in MET signaling might be found in the subset of autism
patients who also have gastrointestinal dysfunction.
The
current investigation, reported in the March issue of Pediatrics,
included 918 subjects from 214 families who participated in the Autism
Genetics Resource Exchange consortium. A complete medical history was
available for all of the subjects and all underwent MET genotyping, note
Dr. Campell, from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, and colleagues.
Enrichment
of the MET variant was found in members of the 118 families in which
autism and gastrointestinal complaints coexisted. In the 96 families
with just autism, this was not seen.
"Future
prospective studies should replicate this genetic association, and
further determine if there are correlations among MET promotor variant
genotype, MET protein expression in the gastrointestinal system, and
specific gastrointestinal conditions in individuals with autism spectrum
disorder," the authors conclude.
Pediatrics
2009;123:1018-1024
Autism
and Immune Aberrations
There
is evidence that certain symptoms of autism
may be the result of an aberrant immune response. There is also evidence
showing that the elimination of helminths from the human gut may be the
environmental trigger for development of autoimmune disorders. Studies
using TSO (Trichuris Suis Ova) to treat certain autoimmune disorders
have yielded remarkable results with no side effects. I brought these
two together and treated my autistic son with TSO with dramatic results.
All of this is supported by the literature and is presented here
with references
Behaviors
Associated With Fever in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinical
case reports have suggested that the behaviors of children
with autism spectrum disorders may improve with fever. The
purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of
illness on behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorders. Read
full study here
25
November 2007
High
Dose Folic Acid Supplementation and Autism
There
is a theory that high dosage folic acid supplementation taken by a
mother during pregnancy (as advised by doctors to protect against neural
tube defects) causes a child in the first years of life to develop
folate metabolism disorders. Hence, regressive Autism - So very
plausible when folate (5-MTHF) is linked to the MTHFR (DNA Methylation)
gene detoxifying disorder that all Autistic children have.
Here's a more scientific explanation to the folate theory:
http://www.enlink.org/pt/re/nestle/abstract.00035138-200606000-00010.htm
29
September 2007
Stem
Cell Therapy For Treating Autism
Two
videos of stem cell-treatment in autistic children.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cdeI9ZYkvIg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlSaXCzLW6w
16
July 2007
Flu
While Pregnant Can Harm Foetus
Women
who catch the flu during pregnancy are up to seven times more likely to
have a child with schizophrenia - and scientists believe they have
finally figured out why.
A
rogue protein, interleukin 6 - produced when a pregnant woman is
fighting a viral infection - may help trigger mental illnesses such as
autism and schizophrenia in the child, US neuroscientist Paul Patterson
said yesterday.
Professor
Patterson, speaking from an international neuroscience conference in
Melbourne, said schizophrenia and autism resulted from a combination of
environmental factors such as the mother's health and genetic
predisposition.
Professor
Patterson, from the California Institute of Technology, said that when a
pregnant woman contracted respiratory infections such as influenza
during pregnancy, there was a greater risk the fetus's brain would be
permanently altered, leaving it prone to the possibility of mental
illness later in life.
But
while this knowledge had been known in the scientific community for some
time, just how the virus enhanced the conditions for schizophrenia was
unclear until Professor Patterson's as-yet unpublished research.
"What
Allan Brown and his colleagues from Columbia University did was show
that 15-20per cent of schizophrenic cases are due to viruses in the
mother, which are pretty amazing numbers," he told The Australian.
"What
we have looked to show is the mechanism of how the mother's response to
the flu alters fetal brain development."
He
said that in fighting the virus, the mother produced the protein
interleukin 6, "which we now think is the agent of change".
"We experimented with mice, and used antibodies to block that
protein from being developed after the mice hadbeen given the flu
virus," he said.
"We
found that, if you blocked it, the mice offspring seem to be completely
normal and presumably their pathology will be too."
Professor
Patterson said that taking any step towards a clinical trial on humans
was "dicey" because of the risks of experimenting on pregnant
women, so he and his team were looking at applications where they may be
able to intervene postnatally.
"Pregnant
women shouldn't feel that their child will definitely wind up with
schizophrenia because they have been sick, but Brown's work shows they
should definitely try to take as many precautions against getting sick
as they can," he said.
"Catching
the flu when you're pregnant is not a good thing, and does increase the
risk of adverse consequences for the fetus."
The
conference also heard that the active agent in the drug ecstasy,
oxytocin, had the potential to treat children with autism and
schizophrenia.
Sydney
neuropharmacologist Iain McGregor said oxytocin had "huge potential
benefits" if it could be harnessed in a safe and controlled way.
Professor
McGregor said oxytocin was released naturally during childbirth, when
breastfeeding and during orgasm.
He
said its natural effects could be used to treat children with autism to
help them overcome social detachment.
"People
with schizophrenia also display strong signs of social withdrawal, and
oxytocin could potentially play a role in addressing this aspect of the
condition."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22080530-23289,00.html
31
March 2007
Link
Between Ultrasounds and Autism? Is
there a link between ultrasounds and the incidence of autism? The
following link is to an interesting article which discusses this issue.
However, it should be kept in mind that the reason for multiple
ultrasounds during pregnancy may be due to other medical concerns for
the developing baby.
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/ultrasoundrodgers.asp
12
March 2007
Two
New Genetic Links for Autism Discovered
Caroline
Cassels
Medscape
Medical News 2007. © 2007 Medscape
February
21, 2007 — In the largest study of autism ever conducted, an
international team of researchers has found 2 new genetic links that
contribute to the development of the disorder.
The Autism Genome Project (AGP) collected genetic samples from 1496
families (7917 family members) and used "gene-chip" technology
to look for genetic similarities among those with autism spectrum
disorders (ASD).
Led by Peter Szatmari, MD, from McMaster University, in Hamilton,
Ontario, investigators discovered a previously unidentified region of
chromosome 11, where they suspect another possible autism gene may lie,
and the neurexin 1 (NRXN1) gene, which is associated with the
release of the neurotransmitter glutamate and plays an important role in
early brain development.
The study is published online February 18 in Nature Genetics.
"The results obtained from scanning the genomes of the largest
cohort of ASD families yet assembled delineate a new understanding of
the genetic basis for this complex disorder," the authors write.
According to the authors, aberrant glutamate function has been linked to
autism like behaviours, and diagnoses of autism are common in
individuals with either fragile-X syndrome or tuberous sclerosis, both
of which are associated with dysregulated glutamate signaling.
Phase 2 of the AGP project has just been launched and will build on the
first study's success. In particular, the researchers will be working to
pinpoint a gene on the chromosome 11 region, which they believe is
involved in the disease.
The $14.5-million, 3-year initiative includes a combination of private
and public partners supporting a consortium of clinicians and
scientists.
Nat Genet. Published online February 18, 2007.
10 March
2007
A
Role For Oxytocin In Autism
There
is increasing interest in the hormone oxytocin to help improve social
and repetitive behaviour in autism. Although oxytocin is generally known
for its role in childbirth, research is revealing that this hormone has
a wider role in molecular neurobiology. There are studies appearing that
are trailing infused or nasally delivered oxytocin.
For
more up to date oxytocin information see: New
or Emerging Treatments in ASD
10
March 2007
Vaccines
at birth come a step closer
Not quite along the lines
of biomedical Intervention, but important to know what may be around the
corner. This is all we need, Scientists playing around with our
children's immune systems. Another disaster in the making?
A
single injection at birth may be all it will take to protect newborn
babies from a variety of dangerous infections. Babies are particularly
vulnerable during their first few weeks of life because their immature
immune system cannot generate a strong response to invading bacteria and
viruses. Now it seems that a gentle nudge to their immune system may be
enough to make it fight off disease.
Most
vaccines do not produce lasting immunity in newborn babies. Instead,
infants have to wait for vaccination until several months after birth
and need several doses in order to encourage their sluggish immune
memory. According to the latest thinking, newborns are capable of
mounting adult-like inflammatory responses, but their ability to do so
is "muted" by their immune systems. This muting could be
necessary in the womb to prevent the immune systems of mother and fetus
from clashing, leading to miscarriage or premature birth. In newborns it
might be possible to "unmute" the immune system to make
vaccinations more effective or provide a more vigorous defense against
pathogens.
Ofer
Levy, an infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Boston,
thinks that they may have found a way of doing just that. His group has
been studying a group of molecules called Toll-like receptors (TLRs),
which are found on the surface of certain white blood cells. They act as
sentinels against invading bacteria or viruses, detecting foreign
particles and triggering the rest of the body's immune response.
Molecules that stimulate TLRs are already being added to vaccines in
clinical trials with older children and adults to try to stimulate their
immune systems and thereby increase the effectiveness of the vaccines.
In
newborn babies, however, most TLR-stimulating molecules trigger one
hundredth to one thousandth the response that they do in adults. There
is one exception: Levy's team has found that molecules that stimulate a
receptor called TLR8 provoke a much stronger immune reaction (Blood, DOI:
10/1182/blood-2005-12-4821). "We have found a stimulus that is able
to fully activate immune responses in a newborn baby," says Levy.
Some would consider this to be the holy grail of immunisation in the
newborn."
The
discovery might open the door to developing many more vaccines that work
in newborns. By adding TLR8 activators to vaccine formulations, vaccine
developers may be able to boost newborns' immune systems to the point
that vaccines can be given in a single dose at birth, rather than in
multiple doses several months later.
Levy
and others also caution that there may be unforeseen dangers in boosting
the immune systems of infants, since there may be good reasons for
keeping it turned down.
Source:
New Scientist 29 April 2006
10
March 2007
Hyperbaric
oxygen therapy (HBOT) Hyperbaric
oxygen therapy (HBOT) is being trailed to help ASD children and is
gaining popularity overseas. HBOT is used for brain
injury and wound healing, among other things. Some parents believe
that their children's gut healing was finally accomplished with HBOT. It
is also claimed that it turns on dormant neurons. In the case of
brain injuries, the theory is
that even though the brain tissue may be dead at the sight of the
injury, there is a region surrounding the dead tissue (an "ischemic
penumbra") where the tissue is dormant, not dead. This means it is
getting enough blood and oxygen to remain alive but not enough to
function. The infusion of blood and oxygen resulting from HBOT can lead
to a resurrection of that brain tissue. I would assume that same
holds true for the reduction in inflammation and the gut healing that is
said to take place in children with autism who undergo HBOT. Like all things, I think
you have to read, ask people, weigh pros and cons, and ultimately decide
if HBOT is right. There is an HBOT and autism group (NeuroHBOT or
MedicaidforHBOT), also you can google it for information. Dr. McCandless
has a chapter in her newest edition of Children with Starving Brains. HBOT is a serious medical
treatment and, as such, has risks associated with it.
If you decide to pursue HBOT, please choose a reputable clinic with
experienced, certified staff who are used to dealing with children.
For
more up to date HBOT information see: New
or Emerging Treatments in ASD
For
advice or to book a consultation for your child call (03) 8802 7687 or email
me.
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