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>From: LSHAMROCK at webtv.net>Sent: Friday, September 26, 1997 8:22 PM
>To: neur-sci at net.bio.net>Subject: Can demyelinization be a cause of autism?
>I am a therapist who is desperately seeking some answers to some
>neurological questions. I treat pediatric patients and have recently
>started seeing some children with autism. Interestingly enough, I
>treated a child with demyelinization disorder and found some astounding
>sensory similarities. I need to know if the pyramidial tracts are
>encased in myelin. Could autism be a demyelinization disorder (say like
>Guillian-Barre) only in the pyramidial tracts of children. Research has
>shown some funky protein combos in the bloodstream-could this simply be
>the biproducts of broken down myelin. I realize I am a little out of my
>territory-but the thoughts are driving me crazy. If anyone has any
>thoughts or comments-please let me know. Feel free to e-mail at:
>LSHAMROCK at webtv.net>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ANSWER Forwared with permission: Ron Blue
>>>----------
From: Teresa Binstock
Sent: Saturday, September 27, 1997 12:46 PM
To: Ronald Blue
Subject: Re: FW: Can demyelinization be a cause of autism?
R,
This notion is often presented in autism. Perhaps in a few cases,
demyelinization may be a primary cause. However, in far more cases, the
underlying lesion that leads to demyelinizing processes may be more
important. These lesions may be viral and/or bacterial and/or fungal
and/or may be due to neuronal death from virtually any kind of prolonged
cerebral or peripheral edema.
In recent days I've had personal communications from two researchers
prominent in immuno/autism research (Singh & Gupta). Each person agrees
that elevated antibodies to neurofilament protein and to myelin basic
protein may reflect peripheral and/or cns sources!
In my opinion, the fact of demyelinization (eg, from antibodies levels)
should not preclude consideration of "what killed the neurons?", because
killing neurons may be the initiating event that led to enough "bits and
chunks" of neurons, that led to neuron-pieces as epitopes, that led to an
autoimmune reaction...
Writing hurridly, can'ya tell?
Teresa
