Autism the reasons: Genetic MMR/ mercury

[Malika]

Hi to all.

 

I have just catch up with the topic of cause of autism and MMR which I found very interesting.

 

First of all it is a very controversial topic as nobody has ever manage to agree about this subject (mmr and autism)

 

What we have to remember is that autism is a spectrum and has different level and symptoms, as well there are autistic behaviour which can be triggered by different condition like, very high fever, meningitis, fits or genetic condition like fragile X, there are as well increasing evidence that autism is at least partially due to a genetic make up, in a conference about fragile X a scientist DR Rangem stated that two genetic conditions is sufficient to make people autistic she presented the case of a family with 2 boys with fragile X and another child who not only had fragile x but had as well down syndrome and autism according to the research two defectives genetic condition is enough to create autism in any human been.

 

However is the genetic make up is one thing responsible for autism, it is quite obvious that other condition that have the capability to injured the brain mainly the cortex could create some form of autism and autistic like behaviour.

Personally I believed that as science research makes progress through the reason for autism it will probably come out that autistic behaviour may be caused by genetic variation in the brain or/and various acquired brain injuries.

For example in fragile x it is the branch of the chromosome x which is defective and unable to trigger the formation of certain proteins indispensable for the neurones formations and well being which in turn are responsible for an healthy brain connection and from there an adequate information processing. However not all children with fragile X are autistic but all of them have severe to mild learning disability.

 

Brain injuries as such could be cause by different factors: attack from within: like the immune system attacking some brain cells or nervous circuit like in multiple sclerosis, inability to generate proteins or other chemical due to genetic defect: like in fragile X or attack from the outside like: bacterias viruses metal poisoning (mercury is a very dangerous one).

Another point is that more and more some scientists believe that immune system illness could be triggered by viruses in people made vulnerable because of their genetic make up.

 

It is interesting as well to study the behaviour of viruses which are some kind of smaller but more intelligent bacterias, viruses are not only able to mutate very fast in order to survive but they are able to attach themselves to the DNA chain and change the messages the brain can sent to the body and immune system in order to confuse the reaction of our body and to be able to survive inside us.

 

An example of metal poisoning which has for origin a genetic deficiency is hemochromatosis, an iron overload in the body attacking various organs mainly the liver pancreas pituitary gland and the joints creating liver cirrhosis diabetes and arthritis, because of an inability of the body to regulate the iron intake (due to genetic mutation) people who develop hemochromatosis are poison by too much iron which they accumulate over the years because our body has not been programme to get rid of Iron excess.

 

Now there are lot of study on autism trying to track down eventual gene mutation, specialist are now fairly certain that not one but few genes mutation could be responsible for autism they recognise as well that in at least half of case study they cannot identify any genetic causes for the problem.

 

As for the vaccine question if we understand that a vaccine is inoculating a deactivated virus or bacteria in order for our immune system to react and create antibodies which in the future will protect us against various diseases it is not completely insane to think that this kind of practice amazing and very good in a way could as well trigger immune system overreaction or confusion, it may as well create some modification in our genetic make up especially when repeated over few generations which could explain why autism seems to be on the increase.

 

For example when I was young I had rubella at 5 then measles I was around 6 and eventually develop mumps when I was 14 I did not get all three illness at the same time which would probably have created an overreaction of my immune system or it?s failure. Now in my family my mother side there are immune system disease like thyroid disorder and vitiligo and arthritis could it be that my son autism may have been triggered by an immune system disorder. I refuse to have my son receiving MMR injection because of allergy, autism and because when he was 4 he had mumps no point now to have a triple vaccine. So definitely in his case the MMR could not have induced his condition but if he had the MMR his expression of autism could be much worse.

 

I do not believe that MMR alone could create autism but yes in children who may be susceptible because of hereditary condition of the immune system or some form of allergy as well as sensitivity to mercury it could probably trigger or exacerbate autism, autism probably does not come from a single problem and it may be that is why there are various expression of it, as well as different degree of severity.

There is as well some worries about the sweetener aspartam made of 3 different chimical which when they are combine with sodium glutamate are sticking neurons together and cannot be eliminated Aspartam now is ban in the USA but here in the UK we can find it everywhere.

 

In the awareness conference on line it is explain than autistic children seems to have a different brain development with more smaller pathway between parts of the brain while NT people seems to have less connection but bigger but this may lead us to one of the cause of autism and not be the unique answer to a multifaceted condition.

 

This a copy paste of the paper from Emanuel Casanova

 

AUTISM AND MINICOLUMNS

 

Autism is a medical condition whose core features include both language and brain size abnormalities.  Autopsy, head circumference, and structural imaging studies all suggest that the brains of autistic individuals are, on average, larger than normal.  Furthermore, a significant percentage of autistic patients have delayed and deviant language development. 

Some patients remain mute throughout their lifetime.  Furthermore approximately one third of autistic individuals suffer from seizures, a phenomenon that usually localizes to the neocortex. The available facts from both clinical and structural imaging emphasized the need of studies focusing on the neocortex and its modular organization.

Our first study of autism involved nine patients and an equal number of controls.  Three brain regions were examined, including a specific portion of the language regions of the brain.  Striking disturbances in minicolumnar morphometry were found in autistic individuals.  More specifically, minicolumns in the brains of autistic individuals were smaller in size and more numerous in all three areas examined.  These results were soon corroborated using a different technique called the gray level index (GLI). 

Furthermore the results were not a confound of other superimposed conditions like mental retardation.  Down syndrome patients have normal sized minicolumns despite having smaller brains.  If anything, they acquire their mature size sooner than normal individuals.  This has been seen, in the context of Down syndrome, as suggestive of accelerated aging.

Our findings, smaller minicolumns in the brains of autistic individuals, have been replicated as part of an international study in collaboration with Dr. Christoph Schmitz of the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands.  This new and independent sample examined the brains of six autistic patients and an equal number of controls. All facets of the study, including the identification of brain regions, analysis of minicolumns, were done blind to diagnosis. 

In autism, smaller minicolumns in brains that are, on average, larger than normal suggests their total increase in numbers.  The total number of minicolumns is defined during the first forty days of fetal development.  This window of vulnerability coincides with reports of autistic behaviors in fetal/developmental conditions such as rubella babies, infants exposed to thalidomide, tuberous sclerosis. 

What is the meaning of smaller minicolumns? First, this question has been approached from the standpoint of computer modeling by a group in Switzerland (Dr. Gustafson?s).  Results suggest that smaller minicolumns tweak information processing in favor of the signal.  By comparison other conditions characterized by larger minicolumns (e.g., dyslexia) tweak information processing in favor of noise.  This means that autistic individuals usually do well in processing stimuli that requires discrimination while dyslexics are better at generalizing the salience of a particular stimulus. 

Second, minicolumns are compartmentalized.  Information is transmitted through the core of the minicolumn and is prevented from suffusing into neighboring units by surrounding inhibitory fibers.  The inhibitory fibers act in analogous fashion to a shower curtain.  When working properly and fully draping the bathtub the shower curtain prevents water from spilling to the floor.  In autism minicolumnar size reduction involves primarily the peripheral compartment that provides the inhibitory surround. 

This means that stimuli are no longer contained within specific minicolumns.  Stimuli overflow to adjacent minicolumns thus providing an amplifier effect. This may explain the hypersensitivity of some autistic patients as well as their seizures.  Third, most environmental information is transmitted to the brain via a structure called the thalamus, a salient exception being olfactory information.  The thalamus sends projections which span a finite distance within the cortex.  It is believed, but not proven, that thalamic innervation is a way of binding minicolumns into larger modules called macrocolumns. 

If the terminal field of thalamic innervation remains the same size while minicolumns are smaller, the end result would be many more minicolumns per macrocolumns.  Again, this change similar to the previously described on loss of peripheral inhibition, would help make the brains of autistic individuals behave as an amplifier system.  Finally, comparisons of minicolumnar parameters across many species suggests that smaller minicolumns (and more of them per given area) provide complexity in terms of information processing. 

A visual cortex constructed of smaller minicolumns may provide for added aspects of functionality, e.g., depth or color perception.  Researchers believe that this complexity is due, in part, to the overlap of neuronal projections between different minicolumns.  That is, dendrites and axons of neurons that remain the same size in autism may have more of an opportunity to overlap when their constituent minicolumns become smaller.

Minicolumnar size is not the only abnormality observed in the neocortex of autistic patients.  It appears that cells (neurons) within individual minicolumns are also reduced in size.  This has important consequences in terms of connectivity.  Long connections require the metabolic sustenance of large cell bodies.  A neuron in the brain that connects all the way to the lower spinal chord requires a fairly large cell body.  By way of contrast, a neuron whose projection remains within the cortex, contacting a closely adjacent cell, can manage its metabolic demands with a small cell body. 

The small cell bodies in the brains of autistic patients favor information processing through short intra regional pathways, e.g., mathematical calculations, visual processing.  Similarly, cognitive functions that require long inter regional connections would prove metabolically inefficient, e.g., language, face recognition, joint attention. 

In this regard, the less affected region of the brain should be the striate cortex which is composed of a majority of small granule cells having short connections between closely adjacent areas.  It is no wonder that in terms of information processing autistic patients use coping strategies in day to day activities that play to their strength.  This is one of the main themes of the popular book �Thinking in Pictures� by Temple Grandin.   

At present we are hoping to translate our basic research findings into clinical trials, diagnostics, training, and education.  First and foremost we would like to explore ways that could increase the inhibitory surround of the minicolumn.  Another of our main preoccupations is to define the genetic and environmental influences that account for minicolumnar organization in both health and disease.  I am summarizing two of the projects that I would like to finalize in the near future, one relates to epidemiology (the rising incidence of autism) and the other to a potential therapeutic intervention.

 

And this is a copy paste of part of the paper from Sally Bernard (safemind) about poison mercury theory

 

COMPARISON OF BIOLOGICAL ABNORMALITIES

 

The biological abnormalities commonly found in autism are listed in Table II, along with the corresponding pathologies arising from mercury exposure.  Especially noteworthy similarities are described.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder which has been characterized as "a disorder of neuronal organization, that is, the development of the dentritic tree, synaptogenesis, and the development of the complex connectivity within and between brain regions" (54).  Depressed expression of neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAMs), which are critical during  brain development for proper synaptic structuring, has been found in one study of autism (55).  Organic mercury, which readily crosses the blood-brain barrier, preferentially targets nerve cells and nerve fibers (56); primates accumulate the highest Hg-levels in the brain relative to other organs (40). Furthermore, although most cells respond to mercurial injury by modulating levels of glutathione (GSH), metallothionein, hemoxygenase, and other stress proteins, neurons tend to be �markedly deficient in these responses� and thus are less able to remove Hg and more prone to Hg-induced injury  (56).  In the developing brain, mercury interferes with neuronal migration, depresses cell division, disrupts microtubule function, and reduces NCAMs (28,57-59).

While damage has been observed in a number of brain areas in autism, many nuclei and functions are spared (36).  HgP?s damage is similarly selective (40). Numerous studies link autism with neuronal atypicalities within the amygdala, hippocampi, basal ganglia, the Purkinje and granule cells of the cerebellum, brainstem, basal ganglia, and cerebral cortex (36,60-69). Each of these areas can be affected by HgP (10,34,40,70-73).  Migration of Hg, including eHg, into the amygdala is particularly noteworthy, because in primates this brain region has neurons specific for eye contact (74) and it is implicated in autism and in social behaviors (65,66,75).

Autistic brains show neurotransmitter irregularities which are virtually identical to those arising from Hg exposure: both high or low serotonin and dopamine, depending on the subjects studied; elevated epinephrine and norepinephrine in plasma and brain; elevated glutamate; and acetylcholine deficiency in hippocampus (2,21,76-83).

Gillberg and Coleman (2) estimate that 35-45% of autistics eventually develop epilepsy. A recent MEG study reported epileptiform activity in 82% of 50 regressive autistic children; in another study, half the autistic children expressed abnormal EEG activity during sleep (84). Autistic EEG abnormalities tend to be non-specific and have a variety of patterns (85).  Unusual epileptiform activity has been found in a number of mercury poisoning cases (18,27,34,86-88).  Early mHg exposure enhances tendencies toward epileptiform activity with a reduced level of seizure-discharge amplitude (89), a finding consistent with the subtlety of seizures in many autism spectrum children (84,85).  The fact that Hg increases extracellular glutamate would also contribute to epileptiform activity (90).

Some autistic children show a low capacity to oxidize sulfur compounds and low levels of sulfate (91,92).  These findings may be linked with HgP because (a) Hg preferentially binds to sulfhydryl molecules (-SH) such as cysteine and GSH, thereby impairing various cellular functions (40), and ( mercury can irreversibly block the sulfate transporter NaSi cotransporter NaSi-1, present in kidneys and intestines, thus reducing sulfate absorption (93). Besides low sulfate, many autistics have low GSH levels, abnormal GSH-peroxidase activity within erythrocytes, and decreased hepatic ability to detoxify xenobiotics (91,94,95). GSH participates in cellular detoxification of heavy metals (96); hepatic GSH is a primary substrate for organic-Hg clearance from the human (40); and intraneuronal GSH participates in various protective responses against Hg in the CNS (56). By preferentially binding with GSH, preventing absorption of sulfate, or inhibiting the enzymes of glutathione metabolism (97), Hg might diminish GSH bioavailability.  Low GSH can also derive from chronic infection (98,99), which would be more likely in the presence of immune impairments arising from mercury (100). Furthermore, mercury disrupts purine and pyrimidine metabolism (97,10).  Altered purine or pyrimidine metabolism can induce autistic features and classical autism (2,101,102), suggesting another mechanism by which Hg can contribute to autistic traits.

Autistics are more likely to have allergies, asthma, selective IgA deficiency (sIgAd), enhanced expression of HLA-DR antigen, and an absence of interleukin-2 receptors, as well as familial autoimmunity and a variety of autoimmune phenomena.  These include elevated serum IgG and ANA titers, IgM and IgG brain antibodies, and myelin basic protein (MBP) antibodies (103-110).  Similarly, atypical responses to Hg have been ascribed to allergic or autoimmune reactions (8), and genetic predisposition to such reactions may explain why Hg sensitivity varies so widely by individual (88,111). Children who developed acrodynia were more likely to have asthma and other allergies (11); IgG brain autoantibodies, MBP, and ANA have been found in HgP subjects (18,111,112); and mice genetically prone to develop autoimmune diseases "are highly susceptible to mercury-induced immunopathological alterations" even at the lowest doses (113).  Additionally, many autistics have reduced natural killer cell (NK) function, as well as immune-cell subsets shifted in a Th2 direction and increased urine neopterin levels, indicating immune system activiation (103,114-116).  Depending upon genetic predisposition, Hg can induce immune activation, an expansion of Th2 subsets, and decreased NK activity (117-120).

 

POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

 

In most affected children, autistic symptoms emerge gradually, although there are cases of sudden onset (3). The earliest abnormalities have been detected in 4 month olds and consist of subtle movement disturbances; subtle motor-sensory disturbances have been observed in 9 month olds (49). More overt speech and hearing difficulties become noticeable to parents and pediatricians between 12 and 18 months (2). TMS vaccines have been given in repeated intervals starting from infancy and continuing until 12 to 18 months.  While HgP symptoms, may

 

arise suddenly in especially sensitive individuals (11), usually there is a preclinical "silent stage" in which subtle neurological changes are occuring (121) and then a gradual emergence of symptoms. The first symptoms are typically sensory- and motor-related, which are followed by speech and hearing deficits, and finally the full array of HgP characteristics (40). Thus, both the timing and nature of symptom emergence in ASD are fully consistent with a vaccinal Hg etiology.  This parallel is reinforced by parental reports of excessive amounts of mercury in urine or hair from younger autistic children, as well as some improvement in symptoms with standard chelation therapy (122).

The discovery and rise in prevalence of ASD mirrors the introduction and spread of TMS in vaccines. Autism was first described in 1943 among children born in the 1930s (123). Thimerosal was first introduced into vaccines in the 1930s (7).  In studies conducted prior to 1970, autism prevalence was estimated, at 1 in 2000; in studies from 1970 to 1990 it averaged 1 in 1000 (124). This was a period of increased vaccination rates of the TMS-containing DPT vaccines among children in the developed world.  In the early 1990s, the prevalence of autism was found to be 1 in 500 (125), and in 2000 the CDC found 1 in 150 children affected in one community, which was consistent with reports from other areas in the country (126). In the late 1980s and early 1990s, two new TMS vaccines, the HIB and Hepatitis B, were added to the recommended schedule (7).

Nearly all US children are immunized, yet only a small proportion develop autism. A pertinent characteristic of mercury is the great variability in its effects by individual, so that at the same exposure level, some will be affected severely while others will be asymptomatic (9,11,28). An example is acrodynia, which arose in the early 20th Century from mercury in teething powders and afflicted only 1 in 500-1000 children given the same low dose (28).  Studies in mice as well as humans indicate that susceptibility to Hg effects arises from genetic status, in some cases including a propensity to autoimmune disorders (113,34,40). ASD exhibits a strong genetic component, with high concordance in monozygotic twins and a higher than expected incidence among siblings (4); autism is also more prevalent in families with autoimmune disorders (106).

Additionally, autism is more prevalent among boys than girls, with the ratio estimated at 4:1 (2).  Mercury studies in mice and humans consistently report greater effects on males than females, except for kidney damage (57).  At high doses, both sexes are affected equally; at low doses only males are affected (38,40,127).

 

Those two papers could be a contradiction of each other however the study are referring to a small number of autistic people with may be had a different presentation of the condition..

 

This just to remind that both papers could be right and nothing is definite so far most probably the reason behind Autism is not one but several one all interelated.

 

Malika.

 

Far too long Sorry.

[Noetic]

I do not believe that MMR alone could create autism but yes in children who may be susceptible because of hereditary condition of the immune system or some form of allergy as well as sensitivity to mercury it could probably trigger or exacerbate autism, autism probably does not come from a single problem and it may be that is why there are various expression of it, as well as different degree of severity.

That is precisely my own view on it as well

[Zemanski]

and mine, backed up by the fact that Com only had his first vaccination and didn't have that till 12 months but had, with hind sight, autistic traits from birth, so the vaccines could only have had a secondary influence in him.

 

Zemanski

[mum22boys]

Same here.

Not sure that MMR would have actually caused M's problems but yes it could have had an influence in kick starting them off. Even so I went on to have my second son vacinated even though there were problems with M. The reason for this was that when M was two he was really ill. He was covered in a rash and had a high fever. He was like this for a week and laid on the sofa and slept the entire time. My doctor took one look at him and said 'if i didn't know better i'd say it was measles' I am convinced it was. I believe if he hadn't been vacinated he either wouldn't be here now or would be disabled more so because of the virus.

I think M's problems stemmed well before MMR was given.

[stressed out mum]

Gosh Thanks for that Malika I think I will have to read all of that in stages, it is a lot to take in.

 

My son has Aspergers but I am still confused and have a lot to learn.

 

I was told that his 'problems' for want of a better word, were caused because his breathing was obstructed after being born. Although it was not for long it still must have had an effect on the brain.

[Suze]

MALIKA , thats exactly how I feel.Glad you posted this it makes a lot of sense.

[Lucas]

Stressed out mum, when I was diagnosed they said the exact same thing. The thing is, they don't actually have ANY way of knowing this, it's just speculation. If they have access to medical records and find even the slightest complication at birth(most births are complicated anyway) they will blame that.

 

The purpose of this is to protect the parents, so they don't blame themselves. The problem with this though, it can RUIN an Autistic's self-esteem. Being told your damaged goods tends to be alienating.

[Noetic]

The purpose of this is to protect the parents, so they don't blame themselves. The problem with this though, it can RUIN an Autistic's self-esteem. Being told your damaged goods tends to be alienating.

Personally, I don't care if they call it brain damage. I don't attach judgement or value to such terms.

 

Perhaps people would be more accepting of such terms if they were brought up not to judge or look down on people who are disabled or brain damaged? I spent the best 2 years of my educational career as a 'neighbourhood kid' in a kindergarten for children with visual and motor impairments, so I guess such prejudices are concepts that simply don't exist in my world view. Perhaps others could benefit from this too?

 

(If you accept people who are disabled or brain damaged as your equals, using the term brain damage does not make a judgement about them, but merely describes an aspect of how they function. The term only becomes derogative once you choose to attach additional emotional meaning to it)

Edited November 4, 2005 by Noetic

[Malika]

Hi stressed out mum, and all

 

Anything which can create brain injury (brain damage) could induce some form of autism this is my opinion I think as well that auto-aggression from the immune system and/or failure of the immune system to protect the brain from external aggression could be reasons for brain injuries.

Lack of oxygen at birth could be a reason for brain injuries and induce autism like behaviour.

The fact is now autism is not a narrow classification but encompass various behaviour as far as there is presence of "triad of impairment" ( the presence of retardation in autistic is far less common than previously thought) the reason for the "triad of impairment" are still unknown, it may be that a different structure of the brain due to interferences with the foetal development or due to genetic mutations or both could makes some individuals less likely if receiving brain injuries to build up new and efficient pathway resulting in autism behaviour or it may be that it could make as well some individual more susceptible to greater injury if confronted with viruses or immune system disorder or it may be that the chemical production in our brain and body could be modified to such an extend that it will interfere with the brain correct development or functioning which could explain why some children are more likely to react to stress and other are more passive and why some tend to suffer from depression while other can be reasonably happy even if their social life is not so developed because they may compensate by doing other things they like, triggering a better chemical balance . (this is the reason why I believe that individual with autism should be allowed to do things they like and not be always reminded that they should socialise and that they should be help to find work which suit their way of being instead of pushing for "normalisation" which may result in more chemical imbalance, which can be stress related)

 

Beside now as never before we are confronted with all sorts of chemical input which can never be completely safe for our body and may once again have more impact on vulnerable people or even create genetic modifications generation after generation.

 

I personally believe that the allergy food problem of today are partially due to so many chemicals in our diet, and in our body I remember having read how much chemical a first born baby is confronted to when breast fed because of all the chemical which have been stored in our fatty tissue this could trigger al sorts of reaction from our immune system (and does not mean that baby should no be breast fed) as well as the constant confusing input on our immune system by the various vaccines, but don't take me wrong vaccines are a wonderful tool my only wish is that they could be made safer avoiding the use of mercury or other chemicals and starting an immunisation programme with single booster instead of multiple one.

I am considering here the multiple booster given to nearly all babies

Diphtheria/tetanus/whooping caught, polio and now as well Hib all this given at once to a tiny baby it is like triggering the immune system to react to 5 illnesses at the same time I cannot believe this would ever happen naturally.

I will never forget how my daughter (NT) has reacted with an enormous onset of eczema on her neck and shoulder as well as breathing difficulties soon after she had her booster which got worse with every one of them in fact she receive her MMR under hospital supervision at age 5, as for my son when I explain my reason for refusing the MMR but stipulate that I would be ready to consider a single booster for measles nobody ever contacted me.

 

Sorry for dragging it again but it is such a complex and interesting subject.

 

Malika.

 

this is one link on explaining in a simplified way how the cortex function there are many links you can go to from there.

 

 

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/functional.html.

[Elanor]

Hi

 

I hesitate to put my foot in a debate that look deeply erudite and probably beyond my understanding, but I do think - in respect to whether MMR can cause autism - that we should remember that the overwhelming opinion in the scientific and medical community is that there is no link.

 

Short of a massive conspiracy (or me being very ill-informed about the current othodoxy) I think this is worth stating.

 

Elanor

[Malika]

Hi Lucas

 

I understand your view this is why I rather like to refere to brain injury rather than brain damage which has a negative conotation as well I think that in our life we all go through all sorts of brain injury and agression and there are story of people severly disable after an accident who make amazing recovery if you go on the web link I just put through you will see how amazing human been are, wether they are socialy at ease or not. Autism may create social impairment but it can create as well some amazing superiority in dealing with pictures or numbers... and people like you should be help in making the most of their strengh instead of viewed only in function of what they don't have.

 

Malika.

[Noetic]

What is strange is I looked through my vaccination booklet when moving to the UK and I had the MMR at 8 but no apparent booster. The others seem to have been done on time. I had a bad reaction to one of those that were done in the hip (diphteria I think) though so maybe that's why.

[Malika]

Hi Eleanor <'>

 

but this is just one official opinion which fit the government choice not to opte for safer immunisation programme because of the cost and because most children cope with it anyway, until may be they find that too many Autistic children are coming along costing more than the revision of the immunisation programme...!!?? Beside I did not say that MMR could be the main culprit for autism but only one of the possible trigger.

 

I know that you probably believe that news in this country because of democracy are very opened but unfortunatly it is not the case to remember "Dr Kelly story as well as the thaladomine story" and if you have a look at the Aspartam controversy explain to me why it is still found everywhere in this country while baned in the USA as a dangerous additive. In fact we here find to be increasingly worried about the bias way news are made as well as so many things that are put in hold until more convenient time comes to get the cat out of the basket (sorry no cat in thesmilies) like holiday time when nobody can be bothered to react, and watch out for the new reform concerning the schools freedom to chose their pupils most of it will probably be decide sometimes just before Christmas Easter or summer holidays when most parents are too busy trying to organise things for their family.

 

Not to forget that in spite of the enormous amount of research and controle to launch any medecin on the market there are still medecin which have to be widrawn because of unexpected side effect without talking of the long term side effect on generation to come that anybody can possibly predict, our body is so complexe that, regarding brain function and genetics especially we are still like babling babies trying to make sense of it all and even the most erudite scientist will tell you how little we know especially if we want to consider the complete interaction of all the body organes and chimicals.

MMR may be consider "safe" for most children may be even 98 99% or even more but what about the one for which it may not be??.

 

If you trust the government decision you should then accept that all children are better going to mainstream school without a statement regardless of their needs at least this is what is on the government agenda now... do not forget that it is the gov which ask a team of scientist to investigate about the MMR safety...

 

In any case we could argue about the subject endlessly because as a matter of fact we still don't know the causes of autism.

 

Take care but be aware. <'>

 

Malika.

[sue1957]

I've posted this in another section, so sorry if anyone is reading this twice

 

I found an article about the adrenal glands and it has got me thinking about whether it could in some cases be a factor in late onset symptoms or - because they are involved with sex hormone production - existing problems sometimes worsening at puberty.

 

As the adrenal glands produce the "flight or fright" stress hormones, vaccination is likely to be a big stress to them. The body goes to great lengths to protect the blood stream from sharp objects by having such as thicker skin under the soles of the feet etc, arteries and veins inside the body. Although there are risk areas such as wrists etc, on the whole the body tries to protect the internal organs and blood supply. With invasion by bacterial and viral contaminants the body has the skin as a barrier and if swallowed the body has a chance to vomit or eliminate from the bowel. Same with swallowed heavy metals. Then the body has its own built in chelation kit, via the hair.

 

So what effect would bacterial/viral contaminants, mercury maybe but it could be any other vaccine filler, plus the shock of a needle being put through a major sense organ like the skin have on the adrenal glands? If someone already has stressed adrenals (for whatever reason) could they shut down maybe, causing stress related behaviours. Recovery or otherwise might be related to the individual's unique response to the stress of vaccination itself, and or any particular component of the vaccine.

 

Theoretically though it could be any stress, not just vaccination.( My son isn't vaccinated, but was chemically stressed over a long period by fluoride).

 

As "flight or fright" takes priority over immune function and elimination, maybe in some cases improving the health of the adrenal glands might in turn help immune function and elimination including chelation via the hair?

 

The other interesting thing in the article was the effect of adrenal problems on the muscles, particularly causing tension in the "flight or fright" muscles in the legs, one of which is the muscle responsible for walking on your toes.

 

There's also a bit on mercury and the adrenals.

 

Sorry its a long article, and I don't think its referenced, but for anyone interested in looking at another angle the article is at http://www.tuberose.com/Adrenal_Glands.html

[alibaly]

Noetic, you wrote the following

 

 

If you accept people who are disabled or brain damaged as your equals, using the term brain damage does not make a judgement about them, but merely describes an aspect of how they function. The term only becomes derogative once you choose to attach additional emotional meaning to it

 

 

 

 

 

thank you

[Noetic]

The other interesting thing in the article was the effect of adrenal problems on the muscles, particularly causing tension in the "flight or fright" muscles in the legs, one of which is the muscle responsible for walking on your toes.

That's really interesting - I was a serious toe walker and still do it at home, and I do have a big problem with my legs seizing up (stiffening up) when I am frightened or panick (esp. when having to run for a bus or train).

 

The bit about mucous membranes also makes sense as I have had chronically congested sinuses that miraculously cleared when I started on Zyban (for ADD, instead of simulants - unfortunately it can make me sleepy!).

Edited November 4, 2005 by Noetic

[Noetic]

Noetic, you wrote the following

 

 

If you accept people who are disabled or brain damaged as your equals, using the term brain damage does not make a judgement about them, but merely describes an aspect of how they function. The term only becomes derogative once you choose to attach additional emotional meaning to it

 

 

 

 

 

thank you

I am glad it made sense to someone

[Malika]

Thanks Sue

 

found your link very interesting another step in trying to understand our very complex body, for me it may explain why despite being now on 100mcg thyroxine daily I still feel very tired most of the time and have to push myself so hard as well as being nearly unable to fast. Definitly gland disfunction can induce many complex reaction in our body, and may be one of the reason for unborned baby to develop differently.

 

Malika.

[Elanor]

Malika

 

Yes, governments tell you what they want you to hear, but it doesn't always follow that they're always lying.

 

Are the scientists and doctors lying too?

 

Healthy sceptism requires you to be open to all theories, and exercise judgement - not to take a blanket view of denial depending on who presents the theory or evidence.

 

It is hard to prove a negative, and millions of pounds of taxpayers money has been spent to try to prove that MMR doesn't cause autism. In my view it was money that could have been better spent.

 

The MMR debate has been voiced many times on this forum - and I think you'll find it is exceptionally rare for someone to point out that the bulk of the scientific community considers that there is no link. I make no apologies for pointing this out again, and can live with the idea that I am sadly credulous.

 

 

Elanor

[Malika]

Hi Neotic

 

Personnaly I do not like the word damage refering to the human body, as if I hurt my leg I would rather say I injured my leg or I have some injury on my leg why should it be any different for my brain, but may be it is my somehow twisted understanding of the english language.

 

Malika.

[ceecee]

My daughter had autistic encephalitus of the brain following her mmr booster at four years old but is absolutely fine now.So in some cases the mmr can act as a trigger.

[Malika]

Hi ceecee, Elanor, and all

 

First Elanor You do not have to apologise for your opinion why should you? I hope I did not give you the impression that you had to. As for the bulk of scientist it would not be the first time that they would be proved wrong (like for the CJD) at the moment they just saying they could not find any scientific evidence for a link by se it does not prove anything.

 

Ceecee this a translation from a french website which certainly bring some openess to this debate and of interest to your case.

 

CONSECUTIVE ALLERGIES AND AUTISM

 

In the last bulletin of the "National League for the freedom of vaccinations", two testimonys appear which confirm the toxicity and the side effects of certain vaccines, as opposed to what the authorities and the pharmaceutical laboratories affirm supremely.

Here a text which says some longer than a book of medicine. How many similar dramas each year in France? When will the sacrifice of innocent cease ""? If you lived similar situations, or if you know cases around you, make know them with the League.

It was a time when the vaccines managed with the children were regarded as a completely beneficial measurement, even a blessing. It is not any more the case today. These vaccines are discussed more and more, because one suspects them of generating a crowd of problems, in particular the autism. It was also mentioned the possibility of a short-term epidemic, because currently one does not work sufficiently on the causes of the autism, nor on any medical treatment. One puts much energy to determine or not a child so yes is a autist, without seeking why it became it so suddenly.

The group of researchers thinks that, if the governments do not act soon, of the factors of heredity, of aggressions of the immune system by the vaccines with virus could make so that the cases of autism and invading disorders of the development continue to multiply and take the form of an epidemic.

It was discovered that the weakening of the immune system constituted really a syndrome at the people autists. Specialists in allergy, immunology, neurology as in biochemistry note that the autism is increasingly widespread.

More than one third of the children reached seems to present a reduced number of lymphocytes T CD4 and T CD8. Their organization can not be able to manufacture the antibodies necessary to fight the viruses injected by the vaccines.

One thus has today sufficient evidence to suggest that the autism should be regarded as an neuro-immunological disorder.

The researchers are more and more convinced that vaccination could be responsible for the weakening of the immune system and would be the cause of an aberrant immunity which, in its turn, would start allergies. These allergies are not visible (cutaneous eruptions) but appear by food intolerances which can, in their turn, to involve any form of neurosis, of psychosis, behavioral problems or dysfunction of the brain. The signs can be marked (hypotonia, cough, encircles under the chronic eyes, rhinitides and otitises, digestive demonstrations: distensions, constipation, diarrhoea, or neurological: hyperactivity, irritability, insomnia, sleep disorder).

If one takes account of the medical antecedents, one finds in many families where there are autists, asthma, hyperactivity, the disease of Crohn, the Gilles syndrome of Tourette, etc.

All these diseases have a direct bond with the immune system.

The vaccine against the whooping-cough could be a major cause of damage to the brain. Let us stress that this vaccine generates serious allergic effects in the animals of laboratory. The doctors say that it is for that that one vaccinates, because the disease itself causes damage. But vaccination is quite as dangerous, because the bacteria can mislead the mechanisms of the immune system and remain in the organization during years.

When it is known that the vaccine against the whooping-cough is already contra-indicated in the event of neurological disorders, one takes place any to think that this vaccine can just as easily create these disorders.

The researchers report that the risk to develop a neurological disease in the seven days following vaccination is higher than one suspected it at the beginning. And that, the polio put aside, the majority of the diseases against which the children are immunized are relatively benign.

The vaccines against the diphteria, the whooping-cough and tetanus can, in several cases, to start complicated epileptic fits, meningitides and to even create subclinic allergic enc�phalites.

In their turn, these enc�phalites can induce the autism and others behavioral problem. Several mothers affirm that their child developed autistic symptoms, little time after having received a vaccine.

One as discovered as with the vaccine against the diphteria and tetanus is associated a serious known allergic reaction under the name of anaphylaxie.

The vaccine against measles, the mumps and rubella would be apparently associated, not only the anaphylaxie, but also the thrombop�nie. This vaccine having already for counter-indications: immunizing deficit and allergies.

Various clinical observations could make evoke the participation of proteins of the cow's milk in the etiology of various autoimmune diseases. Intolerance with lactose, with less digestibility of milk, is physiological, but it can be pathological, particularly at the child, secondary with a viral infection (gastro-enteritis), with an allergy to proteins, an intolerance with the gluten of cereals. The inflammatory syndrome which results from it accelerates the renewal of the ent�ro-cytes, leading at the risk of atrophy villositaire and a malabsorption. The mechanism under consideration for such intolerances retains the idea of a less digestibility of proteins and a modification of the permeability of the intestinal mucous membrane. It would constitute genuine h�t�ro-antigens, at the origin of immunizing disordered states, with production of autoantibody and lymphocytes T car-reagents. These allergies and intolerances would be the consequence of a faulty operation of the immune system.

The medical director of the Immuno-laboratories treated significant role of the allergic reactions with regard to the autism. The food allergies are often the cause of otitises, migraines, gastro-enteritises and of eczema and, consequently, any person who presents chronic neurological disorders of unknown origin should undergo test aiming at determining an intolerance with the gluten or lactose or both. Research carried out shows that, among autists, the rates of gluten and casein are higher than the normal and that, consequently, they present an intolerance at these proteins.

One also discovered anomalies in the urine of the people autists (very high peptide rate). This study shows a deficiency in enzyme "DPPIV" what proves a weakness of the immune system.

In experimental gastro-enterology, the study shows the persistent presence of the virus of measles in the intestine of the people autists. It thus seems increasingly obvious that it is necessary to associate the regressive autism the vaccine against measles, rubella, and mumps (ROR).

The coeliaque disease is an auto-immune disease, characterized by an allergy to the gluten. This disease causes the formation of an antibody, the antione, which irritates and destroys the wall of the small intestine, thus causing a malabsorption of the vitamins and minerals... in a word of all that is essential with the life.

Some children, with the autism at late beginning, have the coeliaque disease, but the majority suffers from the intestinal permeability.

However, the gluten and casein are not intolerable substances, but their degradation releases from peptides which have an activity biological of opio�de. If the weakening of the immune system created an intestinal permeability, these peptides of opio�de pass in blood circulation causing a dependence (like drugs), affecting the transmission neurological and being able to then induce behavioral difficulties and regression of language as one sees it in the autism. The people suffering from such food allergies known as cerebral, often have a taste pronounced for the food which they do not tolerate. This because a first mouthful gives the impression to them to improve a depressive state or even a feeling of euphoria and wellbeing.

Unfortunately, these feelings do not last. One or two hours later, they is followed of depression, D ' anxiety and of abatement, which push them to again consume the food on which they become completely dependent. The process becomes, thereafter, more poison that allergic. The results are related with poisoning rather than with an extreme sensitivity, but at the base, there are a completely defective immunity and an intestinal disease.

The relevance of research is nevertheless of great importance, particularly in the light of the results of a possible association between vaccination, weakening of the immune system, affection of the higher respiratory tracts, allergies, disorders gastro-intestinal and autism.

Lastly, always from the point of view of general intolerance to the cow's milk and for food safety, it is advisable to evoke the presence of possible contaminants: hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, dioxane. Medical controls should make it possible to remove such contaminations which can only attack the biological functions and to the health of the consumer.

The recent revelations on the presence of dioxane atrates higher than those allowed in the cow's milks in the north of France start again the polemic on the consequences of industrialization and the agro-alimentary hyperproduction.

In the same way the possibility of a transmission of the disease of Creutzfeldt-Jakob by the cow's milk reached of ESB remains an acute problem; contamination of the man by food resulting from sick animals being now allowed.

To know some more: League national vaccinations

4, street Saulnier 75009 Paris

L.N.P.L.V

LP N?190 75 422

Paris Cedex 09

Internet : http://www.ctanet.fr/vaccination-information/

 

E-mail : Aide � l'Enfance Autiste

Page principale

 

With the best of intention.

 

Malika.

[Malika]

Sorry forgot to add the link to the french website the translation is not very good but I just used the google option... hope it will make sense. Malika.

 

http://www.autisme.net/alrg-aut-vcin.html

[LizK]

Interesting discussion, will have to read through some it again though I think!

 

Personally I am dubious of a link with MMR. My son definitely was showing developmental delay before his 1st birthday which wasn't made any worse after the MMR. I am happy for him to have his booster and for his brother to have the MMR too. Scientifically having read a lot of the scientific papers (rather than the Daily Mail ) I have felt reassured about there being no link either

 

Interesting point though about MMR exacerbating a pre-existing condition which is a different spin to the whole debate than the usual MMR causes autism. Population studies don't show any link with MMR and ASD but sometimes wonder whether the MMR triggers something in a suspectible child which would have been triggered at a later date by another factor. That theory would explain why parents report a causal association but population studies over a long period show no link. Just my own personal theory though, never seen it quoted anywhere.

 

DS did suffer fetal distress during labour as had the cord wrapped tightly around his neck. Although he was physically fine after he was born have often wondered if the fetal distress knocked off just enough brain cells in a genetically suspectible child to cause autism. Cascade of events really

 

Liz x

[Elanor]

I am interested in the theory that brain injury can trigger autism (perhaps only in a person with a genetic predisposition). I can't offer any research evidence (although my son's psychiatrist has suggested this). My son had a very squashed skull after a rather sudden and violent delivery - did this have anything to do with it? I have read in a recently published book (can't remember which one, so don't quote me), that there is no evidence for the theory that traumatic birth can trigger autism - but then, how much research has been done?

 

What I find really interesting, is my father-in-law. He had a brain haemorage, which left him in a very bad way. 20 years later, he has recovered very well, but he behaves in a way that is very similar to autism. Many of the traits my son with Asperger's has, are mirrored in my father-in-law (only rather more pronounced in my father-in-law). Of course, they are related - so does that suggest a genetic connection? Mind you, I always thought my son's AS came through my side of the family.

 

Anyway, I'm too tired to make sense, so I'm off to bed.

 

Elanor

[LizK]

Interesting Eleanor. There's a higher incidence of ASD in first born children I think (again don't quote me!) and one of the reasons hypothesised is that first borns are more likely to have difficulties during birth or require instrumental delivery or emergency CS.

 

A friend works with brain-injured children and has seen the phenomenon you describe in your FIL. . Friend also worked with kids with complicated developmental syndromes previously and despite them not having ASD as the primary diagnosis they exhibited autistic features in thier behaviour. I always presumed was because whatever part of the brain 'controls' ASD was damaged in the injury or affected by the development problem but again though it could be a combination of damage to that part of the brain in a genetically suspectible person.

 

Fascinating area the aetiology of ASD. I'm sure the fact it is multifactorial and the domino effect of events will make it more confusing to unravel

 

Lx

[alibaly]

A friend who works with eldery patients diagnosed with Alzheimers/Dementia never ceases to be amazed at the similarities they share with her son.

[call me jaded]

That is my firm belief too, alibaly: Alzheimer's is autistic regression in adults.

[oracle]

This is very interesting. My first born is not ASD although he had a terrible birth. My other two sons are both ASD and both were born by C-Section.

 

David as I have said was hit by a car when he was 11. The ASD exploded out from within him after that. It was a double whammy. Six weeks earlier he had had an MMR booster and within days had become agressive and very anti-social. But the car accident brought about another HUGE change. I firmly believe that the accident did play its part in t he David I have today.

 

Yesterday I was doing a home visit to a parent I am helping. Her small son now has a dx of AS she feels that this comes from her husbands side of the family? Her hubby was however completely NT until he had a very serioud head injury last year. This poor man was beaten and left for dead. He did not wake up for his first 8 days in hospital. He has now been given the all clear - but his wife is very concerned. She is so upset because he has changed so much that she can no longer relate to him as the guy she met. However she is being told that he is back to normal when he clearly is not. During my time at her home - about 3 hours - he actually reminded me very much of David. We did talk about this, when he went out of course, and this thread has really made me wonder if a head injury could induce a 'type' of ASD if there was a genetic link?

 

The Alzheimers has also made me think because my Grandmother had this although it was never confirmed as being Alzheimers. But as this was now almost 30 years ago then maybe that was usual? I know that the ASD is from my Mothers side and can clearly see in the boys things that were visible in my Gran in later life. It does not make for happy thinking though

 

Carole

Edited November 5, 2005 by carole

[LizK]

  She is so upset because he has changed so much that she can no longer relate to him as the guy she met. However she is being told that he is back to normal when he clearly is not. During my time at her home - about 3 hours - he actually reminded me very much of David. We did talk about this, when he went out of course, and this thread has really made me wonder if a head injury could induce a 'type' of ASD if there was a genetic link?

 

How very sad The sort of change in personality you mentioned if often due to damage to the frontal lobe of the brain which controls personality traits. There is a condition called minimal brain damage/injury (can't remmeber which term) which causes personality changes in people who have sustained head injury. The damage never shows up on a scan so medics will declare the person to be neurolgically intact whereas the damage is actually microscopic at the neuronal levels. Now I'm sure I remember Adam's paediatrician talking about parts of the frontal lobe being affected in ASD so it would fit in. If a person has a genetic predisposition then this damage could well be more likely to manifest itself as autism of some degree

 

Liz x

[oracle]

Thanks for posting Liz I will check this out and share with my Mom.

 

Carole

[Malika]

Hi to all

 

Alzeimer create some form of destruction of brain cells and affect connections between the various part of the brain, it is on the increase as well as dementia and autism.

 

For years I keep warning people about the use of aspertame which you find everywhere soft drink sweets crisp... I strongly believe that aspartame is one of the substance which not only can create brain disfunction but even slight malformations during feotal development what about if with that there is a genetical predisposition.

The fact that there are so many children with autism could be explain as well by a feotal development problems when mother have or had (it does not go away) lot of aspartame in their diet, this combine with a genetic predisposition and some immune system problems because of the agression by viruses in vaccins or glandular disfunction could explain why so many people have mental disfunction today.

Most certainly aspartame can make only matter worse for anybody who has brain disfunction.

 

Remember when I was around 20 my father was given aspartame as part as his diet for diabetes II I started using it as I was quite obsessed with my weight even if very slim and I develope a patern of bad nights and terrifying nightmares it stopped when I stopped Aspartam and started again when ever I would use it as sweetener.

 

Have a look at the following link there are plenty others if you type aspartame on your search engine.

 

http://www.dorway.com/badnews.html

 

Malika.

[alibaly]

I saw a documentry on prodigious autistic savants a few weeks back, it also featured alzheimers patients who had devloped savant skills as their illness progressed. The people featured had MRI's done and in both conditions the same part of the brain was affected.

[sue1957]

Someone I knew had severe problems from childhood, and when he died at 50 at the autopsy they found he hadn?t ever developed frontal lobes at all.

 

Maybe in some cases its long term chronic low level toxicity and stress that can lead to certain developmental problems in children, or conditions such as Alzheimer?s in adults, but intense acute trauma at any age can lead to personality changes. Some people feel that someone either hasn?t developed typically, or has "changed overnight" whereas in others it?s a gradual change over a long period of time. Perhaps it?s where you are at the time and the nature and intensity of the stressor.

 

It might possibly be not just the brain trauma itself, but also the existing health of the adrenal glands. Someone who has healthy adrenals might recover much better from any form of shock, trauma or ongoing stress. But if a person has had a lot of stress prior to say a serious accident, whether it is from MMR, chemical stress, work stress, anything, then a domino effect might come into play. Perhaps sometimes a seemingly less damaging trauma can be the trigger to already overburdened adrenal glands. Everyone will be starting from a different place, so it will be difficult to measure or find a common link.

 

With my son?s AS I can relate to several bits in the adrenal gland article. One is that maybe when my son reached the stage of development in the womb to produce his own stress hormones, perhaps I was using them It fits my own health and pregnancy pattern at the time. I definitely think he was born stressed, but appeared to recover by a year old. He isn?t vaccinated, but when he got his teeth and we started using a fluoride children's toothpaste the problems slowly started. He also had the pupil signs of adrenal problems, at the time I just couldn't work out why. The combined effect of being born stressed, long term stress of fluoride toxicity on the brain and body etc... I used fluoride toothpaste during pregnancy so maybe that set up a chemical predisposition.

 

Removing fluoride (which accumulates in the pineal and is believed by some to make the blood brain barrier more porous, allowing other toxins to access the brain more easily) was the start of a major reduction in my son's AS symptoms. Interestingly I read on another forum recently that removing fluoride toothpaste was a part of a chelation programme.

 

Have been working with adrenal function for about 4 weeks now, and the results have been good. Within days he became much less passive, and started arguing about things he didn't want to do, and responding more typically to everyday stresses. I'm fast coming to the conclusion that in his case his problems are related as much to the adrenal glands as anything else. In our case lifestyle and environmental factors (from the womb onwards) plus difficult delivery, fluoride etc and their effect on both the brain and adrenals might be more important than any genetic predisposition. I?m still wondering about it all though.

[alibaly]

this is a link to the documentary I mentioned

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1211299.stm

[Lucas]

That is my firm belief too, alibaly: Alzheimer's is autistic regression in adults.

 

Now that Kris has made it very clear to me in a replying PM that whilst I am not allowed to potentially offend someone with accurate information, anyone can do the same with speculation and opinion(Alzheimers= Autism theory = debunked already).

 

If it isn't a parent with selective listening, it's another Autistic acting as an attack dog deliberately missing points which I know they are fully capable of seeing. Now that I know I can't post any more without a thread being closed, I'll avoid posting.

[call me jaded]

Lucas I promise I won't complain if you reply with accurate information. I can take it. I'm a tough old bird. If you like we could start our own thread rather than take over someone else's.

[smiley]

It was interesting reading the parts about the frontal lobe...... M suffered with petite mal sezures when he was very little.

 

He had EEG, MRI and various other tests.

 

They found that he has/had (Dr said it would disperse by the time he was 5) an acnaroid cyst in the right frontal lobe. I can clearly remember seeing it on his x-ray - big black blob .

 

The Dr did ask each time we went to see him if M was developing well, had good eye contact etc...at the time i didn't know what he was looking for...

[alibaly]

Sue1957, I'll confess to knowing nothing about adrenal glands but I've found your information very interesting. I had a very stressful time during my pregnacy, it was horrendous due to various things happening at the time. I can remember when I was about 5 months pregnant I was already telling people that I thought something was wrong with the baby because 'things just didn't feel right'. It was obvious within minutes of my sons birth someting was wrong and I told my husband, he tried to reassure me but my friend who was standing the foot of my bed said to him, "I think we should listen because she's been saying it for months now." I suspected autism form the word go but only started saying 'autism' to people when my son was 12 months old, I'd known for months though what it was.

[Malika]

Hi to all.

 

Just found some more documentations and links relevant to the subject.

 

I think as well that Alzheimer disease cannot be a late autism onset as it is a degenerative disease of the brain, the fact that at some point in this disease development there are similarities with autism just show that degeneration of the brain can give various impairment (similar in autism) of memory language organisation and motor control one, while in autism you have a stable impairment, even if all of it is not always apparent at the same time, with possibility to learn strategy in order to compensate for the deficit in the brain functioning and processing, in Alzheimer the disease continue to spread slowly (with sometimes period of remission) and the individual deteriorate further until he loses motor control and memory to the point he cannot recognised his next of kin in autism there are no such pattern and with proper care even for non-verbal children there are progress which are made even if some impairment will remain for life.

Beside the outcome of Alzheimer is death even if most people die from other causes before complete degeneration of the brain occurs.

 

From my last reading it seems that the latest researches favours the cause of autism as a wide spread but not severe developmental disorder (resulting in a different brain structure) which may occur during pregnancy and probably due to genetic condition and may be environmental . The fact that especially Asperger children seem to develop normally seems to be due to a slighter developmental disorder reducing the effect of the impairment which will become more obvious as the child is in need to use more sophisticated social and language skills.

 

 

What causes Alzheimer?s File from BUPA

Nerve signals travel across the synapses with the help of chemicals known as "neurotransmitters", including one called acetylcholine. Doctors believe that nerve cell destruction causes a reduction in acetylcholine, leading to impaired transmission of nerve signals.

Other explanations of Alzheimer?s disease focus on areas of abnormal protein in the brain called "plaques" and "tangles", the names reflecting what these abnormalities in the brain look like under the microscope.

The underlying cause of Alzheimer's ? what actually triggers the changes in the brain ? is still not known. It is likely that no single factor is responsible, but rather that it is due to a variety of factors, which may differ from person to person. People whose parents or brothers and sisters develop the disease appear to be at greater risk of developing it themselves, so there may be a genetic component. However, no straightforward pattern of inheritance has been found.

It is known that head injury is a risk factor, and also that Alzheimer?s disease often affects people with Down?s syndrome.

Some researchers have suggested that people who exercise their brains (for example, doing crosswords and other mental agility exercises) are less likely to develop the disease. And Omega 3 fatty acids, contained in oily fish such as mackerel and salmon may, also help to prevent dementia. But there is no completely solid evidence to show how environmental factors influence the chance of getting Alzheimer?s.

 

 

The Autism Research Institute distributes an information packet on MRI and related brain research

 

� Copyright

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The purpose of this copyright is to protect your right to make free copies of this paper for your friends and colleagues, to prevent publishers from using it for commercial advantage, and to prevent ill-meaning people from altering the meaning of the document by changing or removing a few paragraphs.

 

 

The Cerebellum and Autism

Written by Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D.

Center for the Study of Autism, Salem, Oregon

The cerebellum is a relatively large portion of the brain and is located near the brainstem. It is primarily responsible for motor movements, and damage to this area during the birth process can cause cerebral palsy, a disorder characterized by uncontrollable motor movements. There is also some recent evidence that the cerebellum is partially responsible for speech, learning, emotions, and attention.

In the late 1980's, Dr. Eric Courchesne used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine whether autistic individuals have any structural brain abnormalities. He found that two areas of the cerebellum, lobules VI and VII, were significantly smaller in autistic individuals than in the non-autistic population. This abnormality is called 'hypoplasia' and seems to hold for all ages. Those who were more impaired tended to have much smaller lobules. Interestingly, there was a small group of autistic individuals whose lobules VI and VII were much larger than normal; this condition is called 'hyperplasia.'

Dr. Courchesne has conducted research on the relationship between attention and each these two lobules. He has concluded that they may be responsible for shifting attention. An inability to shift attention in a timely manner is one of the primary problems in autism, according to Dr. Courchesne. For most people, it takes a short period of time, less than a second or two, to redirect attention from one stimulus to another in the environment. In contrast, autistic individuals continue to attend to a stimulus even when prompted for redirection, and they may take three to five seconds or longer to shift their attention. Dr. Courchesne feels that young autistic children have difficulty directing their attention to changes in their surroundings; and by the time they do shift their attention, they lose information regarding context and content. For example, if an autistic child is attending to a toy and a parent starts talking to him/her, it may take a few seconds before he/she can attend to and listen to the parent. As a result, the child has difficulty understanding the parent because he/she did not attend to the first few sentences.

It is thought that the reduction in size in lobules VI and VII are a result of lack of development in utero rather than due to atrophy or damage postnatally. In addition, it is not known what causes this problem. However, researchers speculate it may be due to oxygen deprivation, infection, toxic exposure, and/or may be genetically transmitted.

It should also be mentioned that autopsies of autistic individuals have not revealed any evidence of smaller lobules VI and VII. This discrepancy with Dr. Courchesne's findings needs to be further examined. However, autopsy studies have shown a dramatic reduction in Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. These cells are rich in the neurotransmitter serotonin (a and are responsible for inhibition. Interestingly abnormal levels of serotonin are well-documented in individuals with autism and may be linked to faulty arousal and problems in mood regulation.

 

Autism-Related Disorders in DSM-IV

Meredyth Goldberg Edelson, Ph.D.

Department of Psychology, Willamette University

Salem, Oregon

The new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) came out in the summer of 1994. There have been numerous changes which affect the diagnoses of Autism and related disorders. This summary will review those changes and the possible impact of these changes on persons with Autism and related disorders.

First, the category of disorders under which Autism falls, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, are now coded in a different location in DSM-IV than in its predecessor, DSM-IIIR. It used to be the case that the Pervasive Developmental Disorders were coded on Axis II, the axis that was reserved for long-term, stable disorders with relatively poor prognosis for improvement. Pervasive Developmental Disorders are now coded on Axis I, the axis that is used to diagnose episodic and more transient clinical disorders. The possible implication of this move is the recognition that symptoms of these disorders can vary and possibly improve with intervention whereas the disorders which remain on Axis II, mental retardation and the personality disorders, are typically long-term and often unresponsive to treatment.

In addition to moving the axis on which these disorders are diagnosed, the diagnostic criteria for Autism has changed slightly, and three Autism-related disorders (which had been recognized in the European community's International Classification of Diseases (ICD) system for awhile) have been added to DSM-IV. In order for a diagnosis of Autism to be made, the person still needs to evidence problems in three broad areas: social interaction, communication, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. However, the number of symptoms which fall under these three broad areas have been reduced from 16 to 12 to make this diagnostic category more homogeneous. The individual needs to evidence 6 symptoms spanning the three broad areas with at least two symptoms indicating social interaction deficits, and one symptom in each of the communication and stereotyped patterns of behavior categories. The symptoms which fall under the social interaction category are: marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors; failure to develop age-appropriate peer relationships; lack of spontaneous seeking to share interests and achievements with others; and lack of social or emotional reciprocity. The symptoms which fall under the communication category are: delay in or lack of spoken language development (with no compensation through alternative modes of communication); in verbal persons, marked impairment in conversational skills; stereotyped and repetitive use of language; and lack of spontaneous age-appropriate make-believe or social imitative play. The symptoms which fall under the stereotyped patterns of behavior category are: preoccupation with at least one stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest to an abnormal degree; inflexible adherence to nonfunctional routines or rituals; stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms; and preoccupation with parts of objects. Besides at least 6 of these symptoms, there also needs to be delays in either social interaction, social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play. Another change is that the age of onset of these symptoms has to occur prior to age 3.

A new disorder added to the DSM system is Rett's Disorder. In order for this diagnosis to be made, all of the following need to be present: apparently normal pre- and perinatal development; apparently normal psychomotor development through the first 5 months of life; and normal head circumference at birth. In addition, all of the following symptoms need to occur after a period of normal development: deceleration of head growth between 5-48 months; loss of previously acquired purposeful hand skills between 5-30 months with subsequent stereotyped hand movements (e.g., hand-wringing); loss of social engagement; appearance of poorly coordinated gait; severely impaired expressive and receptive language development; and severe psychomotor retardation. The symptoms of Rett's Disorder are similar to Autism but the prognosis is poorer; and in Autism, the symptoms may or may not have occurred following a period of normal development.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder is another new diagnosis in DSM-IV. This disorder is also similar to Autism, but there must clearly be evidence of apparently normal development for at least the first 2 years of life (with regard to communication, social relationships, play, and adaptive behavior). This category covers what some professionals refer to as "Regressive Autism" where the individual develops Autistic symptoms much later than a "typical" Autistic child. For a diagnosis of Childhood Disintegrative Disorder to be made, there must be a clinically significant loss of previously acquired skills (before age 10) in at least two areas: expressive or receptive language; social skills or adaptive behavior; bowel or bladder control; play; or motor skills. Additionally, there needs to be abnormalities of functioning in at least two of the following areas: qualitative impairment in social interaction; qualitative impairment in communication; and restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. This last criteria is the same as in Autism.

The final new Autism-related disorder added under the Pervasive Developmental Disorders section of DSM-IV is Asperger's Disorder. For this diagnosis to be made, there must be qualitative impairment in social interaction as manifested by at least 2 of the following: marked impairment in the use of multiple nonverbal behaviors (e.g., eye contact, gestures); failure to develop age appropriate peer relationships; lack of spontaneous seeking to share interests, or achievements with others; lack of social or emotional reciprocity; restricted repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behaviors, interests, and activities as manifested by at least 1 of the following: preoccupation with at least one stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest to an abnormal degree; inflexible adherence to nonfunctional routines or rituals; stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms; and preoccupation with parts of objects. There must additionally be clinically significant impairment in social, occupational or other functioning; and no clinically significant delay in language, cognitive development, adaptive behavior, or in curiosity about the environment. Asperger's Disorder is the diagnosis which will likely be made for persons who have traditionally been labeled as having "High Functioning Autism." It is the appropriate diagnosis for individuals who have evidence of many Autistic-like symptoms but for whom there are no language impairments.

The reasons for tightening the criteria for Autism and for adding Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Asperger's Disorder to DSM-IV is to recognize that Autism is a disorder with many possible symptom variants. Because of this, individuals diagnosed with Autism in the past have been heterogeneous. This has made it difficult to conduct research to determine the etiology, prognosis, and appropriate treatment for individuals with Autism. Hopefully, as the DSM system recognizes the variability of Autistic-like behaviors across individuals, researchers can determine the etiologies and treatments for each of these related disorders. One question that remains unanswered due to this refinement in the DSM system is how the schools will recognize the need for services for individuals in all four of these diagnostic categories, not just for those diagnosed with Autism. Currently under PL 94-142, individuals with Autism must have services provided for them by the schools. However, individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), the category that used to cover Asperger's Disorder-like symptoms and atypical Autism in DSM-IIIR, often had difficulty receiving services through the schools. Hopefully, the push for more homogeneity in individuals with Autism and Autism-related disorders like Rett's Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Asperger's Disorder, will not result in some individuals losing out in much needed interventions.

 

 

Those are two links for the reading of a critical essaye by Micheal Thomas.

 

1) limits on plasticity

 

http://www.psyc.bbk.ac.uk/people/academic/...0401-Thomas.pdf

 

2)Are developmental disorder like case of adult brain damage.

 

http://www.psyc.bbk.ac.uk/people/academic/...s_BBS_proof.pdf