Rapid Responses to:
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Rapid Responses: Rapid Responses published:
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![[Read Rapid Response]](/icons/misc/sectionDOWN.gif)
Re: Autism seems to be increasing worldwide, if not in London
- Raymond Gallup (26 January 2004)
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Re: Re: Autism seems to be increasing worldwide, if not in London
- Sydney Davies (26 January 2004)
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Are autistic children just hibernating?
- Richard G Fiddian-Green (27 January 2004)
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Autism in Australia
- Robert E Buckley (28 January 2004)
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Autism in Scotland
- Bill P Welsh (28 January 2004)
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Iodine deficiency as a cause of autism?
- Kevin M. Sullivan, Glen F. Maberly (13 October 2004)
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desire to see computer analysis of different countries experience with autism
- catherine dennehy (19 June 2007)
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Raymond Gallup, Founder of The Autism Autoimmunity Project and a parent of an adult with regressive autism 45 Iroquois Avenue, Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034 USA
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Dear Editor: I would just like to add to Dr. Yazbak's excellent article that there references to the US Department of Education figures and that the latest ones will probably be out in early October 2004 by changing the number 26 to 27 on the URL that is attached below. References: From The Autism Autoimmunity Project using the US Department of Education figures http://autismautoimmunityproject.org/shame.html From the US Department of Education figures on autism 2000-2001 http://www.ideadata.org/tables24th/ar_aa3.htm 2001-2002 http://www.ideadata.org/tables25th/ar_aa3.htm 2002-2003 http://www.ideadata.org/tables26th/ar_aa3.htm Raymond Gallup, Founder and parent, The Autism Autoimmunity Project Competing interests: I'm the Founder of The Autism Autoimmunity Project and parent of a 19 year adult that got regressive autism after receiving the MMR vaccine in April 1986. |
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Sydney Davies, Retired GP 51 Northleighgrove LE16 9QU
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Dear Editor. Ref. Autism, Diagnosis and Incidence. It does appear that there has been a world wide increase in the incidence of autism. In the last couple of decades there has been one major change in the medication of children, initiated in Great Britain it has been adopted world wide; aspirin so essential before the elimination of rheumatic fever by penicillin, has been replaced by paracetamol in the last couple of decades. None of us can forget the dramatic effect of administering acetyl salycilate to a child suffering from chorea minor and acute rheumatic fever. Aspirin was, in the past, the more commonly used medication for febrile children. Did this drug have a protective effect against the onset of autism? That it was effective in its use against the nervous manifestation of St. Vitus’s dance was evident. Has its replacement paracetamol, another danger as well as its ability to destroy the liver, ( children are still being exposed to this danger) is it also neurotoxic and a factor in the increasing incidence of autism ? Are the extremely rare cases of Rye’s syndrome a price worth paying for the benefits of aspirin? Yours sincerely. S.W.V. Davies
Competing interests: None declared |
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Richard G Fiddian-Green, None None
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In my rapid response to Olshansky and Dossey (1) I mentioned the late David Horrobin's observation made in his book, "The madness of Adam and Eve". The observation was that some schizophrenics' symptoms disappeared with the development of a fever and returned when the fever had subsided. In an e-mail received today from a mother in connection with my rapid response I learned that the same sequence of events had been observed in patients with autism. This interesting observation increase my conviction, addressed in earlier rapid responses, that schizophrenia, autism and many other psychiatric disorders might be the reversible products of an intracerebral energy deficit. In hypoxia involving a single organ cellular viability is maintained by ATP resynthesis by increased glycolytic turnover. This requires 20 times as much nutrient to synthesise one mole ATP as glycolysis supported by oxidative phosphorylation. The metabolic products washed out from the anaerobic organ are recycled by distant oxygenated organs, notably the liver. If this cannot occur all ATP resynthesis ceases. Anaerobic glycolysis is the prefered means of generating ATP in glial cells, healing wounds, tumours and probably undifferential cells and exercising muscle. Why should ATP resynthesis by anaerobic means be the prefered means in these metabolically demanding circumstances? Because there are far fewer metabolic steps involved in generating ATP by glycolysis alone than by its combination with ox.phos? Because the temperature, caused by a seemingly disproportionate increase in the generation of heat, rises? The rise in temperature increases the fluidity of cell membranes, also achieved by omega 3 fatty acid supplements, and decreases the amount of chemical energy needed to drive biochemical reactions. The net effect is that the rate of ATP resynthesis in an anaerobic or dysoxic organ, which is accompanied by a tissue acidosis caused by protons accumulating from unreversed ATP hydrolysis, may be much higher than normal and the ATP being synthesised is used far more efficiently. In other words pyrexia, or the Q10 effect, may shift the Daniel Atkinson nomogram to the right. Why then does man need oxygen? Because specialised functions, which probably include evolutionary adaptations to prevent free radical damage, require much more energy and that is most efficiently provided by ox. phos. In other words anaerobic metabolism is the default metabolic option evolutionarily adapted to maintining cellular viability, growth and tissue repair alone. Inhibiting oxygen consumption by releasing cytokines may, therefore, be cytoprotective because it limits the generation of free radicals and is only cytopathic if excessive and is able to spill over into the systemic circulation. An example of the latter is the haemodynamic collapse that can be caused by releasing an aortic clamp too quickly. Uncoupling, induced in brown fat stores by endogenous uncoupling proteins, is a feature of hibernation and no doubt an evolutionary adaptation to conserve all energy for heat production. Thyroid hormones uncouple oxidative phosphorylation and appear to achieve the same objective in awake subjects. The basal metabolic rate increases, temperature rises and the efficiency of biochemical reactions is improved. Overtly hypothyroid patients are in effect, therefore, hibernating patients. The question is whether autistic patients might also be hibernating patients. In other words the primary therapeutic objective in autism might perhaps be to reverse the causes for any impairment of oxidative phosphorylation, and cytokine release generated by translocating endotoxin in those with inflammatory bowel disease possibly being one cause. Other causes to consider include mitochondrial toxins contaminating water or food, carbon monoxide in inspired air, psychotropics and analgesics. The secondary objective should be to improve the efficiency of ATP resynthesis by inceasing the metabolic rate possibly by administering thyroid supplements. The same objectives might be achieved by increasing the intake of omega 3 fatty acids or adminstring uncouplers, such a dinitrophenol in small doses. The risk is that uncoupling could make matters worse if there is marked energy deficit to begin with and if the uncoupling induced therapeutically is excessive. It would be important, therefore, to begin with shorter-acting pharmacological agents. Management would be more rationally and safely directed if intracrebral and systemic tissue energetics were to be monitored. 1. Retroactive prayer: a preposterous hypothesis? BMJ 2003; 327: 1465-1468 Competing interests: None declared |
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Robert E Buckley, Convenor -- Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia, PO Box 201, Ainslie ACT 2602
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There is a range of evidence showing Australia is like the places listed: the diagnosis rate is rising and is currently around 1% of the birthrate. References and a summary are available on the internet (see www.a4.org.au/documents/ASDAustPrev9.doc). The Australian Government rejects all the information available. When recently asked "Does the Government agree ... that there is an epidemic of autism?" the Health Minister responded "we have no evidence by which to assess this". Competing interests: None declared |
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Bill P Welsh, Chairman, Action Against Autism Eastwood Business Centre, Glasgow. G46 6QX
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As concerns grew about the apparent rise in autism in Scotland in the mid/late nineties the Scottish Education service introduced a new category (autism) for pupils within the 'learning difficulties'division. This decision perhaps makes the Scottish Education statistics the most reliable in the UK for accurately measuring incidence. The figures make alarming reading. On average there has been an annual 25% rise in the number of children diagnosed autistic since data collection began. The latest figures available (2002) indicate 2,200 pupils in Scottish schools (mainly in primary level)have an autism diagnosis. This does not include pre school children or those awaiting diagnosis. Autism, once very rare, is now the most common serious childhood condition in Scotland, more common than all other serious conditions combined. Extrapolation of the Scottish statistics points to a UK figure of well over 20,000 children. To suggest that this heartbreaking development is as a result of 'better recognition' or 'changing diagnostic criteria' is palpable nonsense. An environmental factor (or factors) is undoubtedly involved. Vaccination being the prime suspect. Incredibly the traditional model of autism, as solely genetic in origin, is being sustained by the medical hierarchy against all the evidence to the contrary. Seriously ill children, many of whom are experiencing daily pain and distress and are displaying autistic symptoms, continue to be refused appropriate medical examination and treatments. These unfortunate children are the victims of medical politics. What we are witnessing is the most shameful episode in medical history. Bill Welsh
Competing interests: Grandfather of an autistic boy. |
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Kevin M. Sullivan, Associate Professor Department of Epidemiology, Emory University, Atlanta Georgia 30329, USA, Glen F. Maberly
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EDITOR – As described by others, in some areas of the world there has been an increase in the number of children reported to have autism.(1 2) The extent to which this increase is due to improved reporting, changes in diagnostic patterns, a true increase in the incidence/prevalence, or a combination is unknown. Autism is most likely of mutlifactorial etiology with many causal factors, both genetic and environmental. We would like to pose another factor that may be a cause of autism – iodine deficiency. In a number of countries with reported increases in autism there has been a concomitant increase in the prevalence of iodine deficiency.(3 4 5) Another line of evidence is the effect of iodine deficiency on brain development and the findings in some children with autism. Iodine deficiency during the prenatal period has been associated with a number of adverse effects on the brain resulting in a continuum of effects from mild to severe depending on the degree of iodine deficiency, from lowered IQ to severe mental retardation, i.e., cretinism. The mechanism of iodine deficiency is that insufficient levels of iodine lead to an imbalance in thyroid hormone metabolism with a decrease in circulating thyroxin (T4) in both the pregnant mother and the fetus. This results in irreversible changes in brain architecture such as less dense neural connections.(6) It has been reported that some children with autism have “underconnectivity” in certain regions of the brain.(7) In conclusion, there are similarities between the effects of iodine deficiency on the brain of the developing fetus and the pattern of brain dysfunction seen in some children with autism. We believe that there is evidence to support the theory that some of the reported increase in reported autism might be attributed to iodine deficiency, and that this warrants further investigation Kevin M. Sullivan, Associate Professor
Glen F. Maberly, Professor Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta GA, USA Competing interests: None declared. 1 Prior M. Is there an increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders? J Paediatr Child Health 2003;39:81-82. 2 Yazbak FE. Autism seems to be increasing worldwide, if not in London. BMJ 2004;328:227. 3 Kibirige MS, Hutchison S, Owen CJ, Delves HT. Prevalence of maternal dietary iodine insufficiency in the north east of England: implications for the fetus. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2004 Sep;89(5):F436-9. 4 McDonnell CM, Harris M, Zacharin MR. Iodine deficiency and goitre in schoolchildren in Melbourne, 2001. Med J Aust 2003;178(4):159-162. 5 Skeaff SA, Thomson CD, Gibson RS. Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) in the New Zealand population: another example of an outmoded IDD control programme. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2003;12 Suppl:S15. 6 Stanbury JD, Ed. The Damaged Brain of Iodine Deficiency. Cognizant Communication Corp, New York. 1994. 7 Just MA, Cherkassky VL, Keller TA, Minshew NJ. Cortical activation and synchronization during sentence comprehension in high-functioning autism: evidence of underconnectivity. Brain 2004:127(Pt 8):1811-1821. Competing interests: None declared |
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catherine dennehy, retired RN 11358
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I would like to know if there have been any computer statistical analysis of the rate of autism in different countries and cultures. The cultures and medical approaches of America, England, Scotland and Australia are too similar to detect differences. I have a theory that the assault on immature nervous systems with vaccinations at too early in their development may predispose children to autism. The pharmaceutical companies have combined many vaccinations so that a 6 month old at one visit may receive injections for eight different illnesses. It was interesting that Saudi Arabia has a large increase in Autism because they also have a developed medical system and I suspect their children are widely immunized. Are there developed countries that use a very different schedule for vaccination? I had heard Japan gave immunization at a later age. If true is there any difference in there rates of Autism? Also, there are populations that refuse to vaccinate their children-what is their rate of Autism. The underdeveloped countries of the world do not have the statistical resources for a broad comparison but might have enough to support or dismiss this hypothesis. I have worked with children with Autism, have children in the extended family with it and have seen the sorrow it brings. I would appreciate any information you have on the subject. Competing interests: None declared |
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