Dr. Henry Paul, MD

Psychiatrist, Author and Educator

Tag Archives: medication for autism

CHILDREN WITH AUTISM HAVE OVERSUPPLY OF SYNAPSES, SAYS NEW STUDY

September 3rd, 2014

Study Finds That Brains with Autism Fail to Trim Synapses as They Develop — Now a new study suggests that in children with autism, something in the process goes awry, leaving an oversupply of synapses in at least some parts of the brain.

The finding provides clues to how autism develops from childhood on, and may help explain some symptoms like oversensitivity to noise or social experiences, as well as why many people with autism also have epileptic seizures.

It could also help scientists in the search for treatments, if they can develop safe therapies to fix the system the brain uses to clear extra synapses.  The New York Times

This is a very interesting article showing some of the latest research on Autism. The study, recently published in the journal Neuron, involved tissue from the brains of children and adolescents who had died from ages 2 to 20. About half had autism; the others did not.

The study suggests that children with autism have an oversupply of synapses in some parts of their brain. These synapses are normally “pruned” during childhood and adolescent development so different areas of the brain can develop specific functions without an overload of stimuli. When that pruning does not happen, and there is a continued overload of the synapses, the research suggests that this might be the cause of autism. If safe therapies can be developed to clear these synapses, there might be new hope for treating autism.

What I find interesting about this study is that there has been an ongoing debate in the medical community for years as to whether autism is a problem of too little, too much or a combination of connectivity in the brain.

In the NY Times article, Ralph-Axel Müller, a neuroscientist at San Diego State University, said, “Impairments that we see in autism seem to be partly due to different parts of the brain talking too much to each other. You need to lose connections in order to develop a fine-tuned system of brain networks, because if all parts of the brain talk to all parts of the brain, all you get is noise.”

The research is very interesting. What needs much further study is rapamycin, a drug that has serious side effects, and which is being discussed as a form of therapy for this neurological finding. Finding the cause is the beginning of finding a cure. Best not to jump too quickly looking for a silver-bullet cure, however. Let’s all follow the research.  I am sure this will open up a much wider debate on the cause of autism and how to treat it.  Stay tuned!

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.

SHOCK EM’ OUT OF AUTISM?

August 21st, 2014

Jennifer Msumba is on the autism spectrum. For seven years, she was treated at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton, Massachusetts, where she received painful electric shocks aimed at modifying her behavior. She describes being strapped, spread-eagle to a restraint board and shocked multiple times before she left the center in 2009. CBS Evening News.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), also known as Pervasive Development Disorder, is a diagnosis that is more prevalent than ever before and one that is concerning not only for the medical community, but for the parents and families of those diagnosed with it, too.

Back in March of this year, a CDC study reported that one in 68 children has Autism (ASD). This was a 30 percent increase since the agency estimated just two years before that one child in 88 suffered from the disorder. There is some controversy as to the validity of the reported increase in diagnosis but ASD remains a major issue in this country. It is one of a parent’s most feared diagnoses.

The CBS News story is the first to really “out” electric shock as a treatment for those with ASD. After watching the segment, you certainly can see there is controversy attached to its usage, as well.

ASD is a condition that has a number of variables, and those are specific to each person diagnosed with it. Some people cannot communicate at all while others are social. Some can be compulsive and inflexible, preoccupied with similar ritualized behaviors that can go on for hours. Others can be aggressive and prone to angry outbursts or temper tantrums. Some have mood swings, can be hyperactive, and the list goes on. The important thing to recognize is that all these symptoms do not show up in every person diagnosed with ASD.

Without knowing the full story and seeing the diagnoses of the patients included in the news story, I cannot render an appropriate opinion on specific treatment recommendations, but I can say that the use of shock therapy for these types of children seems far-fetched to me. Using shock conditioning seems primitive, if not downright out of the realm of accepted standards of care. When I treat young people with ASD I almost always recommend medication and behavioral therapy, as well as proper educational placement. I have never recommended electric shock and find it difficult to imagine ever prescribing.

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.