PLT Test Blog

I did write an earlier post on Melatonin:- Melatonin for Kids with Autism, and indeed their Parents Many people with either ADHD or ASD are taking Melatonin to help them sleep better.  In most countries, other than United Kingdom, Melatonin is available cheaply as a supplement. This post is about potential therapies for mitochondrial disease/dysfunction.  In this case disease/ dysfunction do not mean the same thing.  Some people appear to have mitochondrial disease of genetic origin that then triggers autistic regression.  Other people with different types of autism, which usually features oxidative stress, appear in various studies to have some mitochondrial dysfunction/abnormalities.  Mitochondria are very important to most aspects of human function.   Impairment of function is associated with many diseases.  In the case of the brain, both Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. In the case of autism s...

Today’s post will highlight how, perhaps, in 50 years’ time, autism might be understood by the non-scientist.   Sometimes it helps to oversimplify a complex problem in order not to get lost in all the complexities and see what underlying mechanisms may exist. Homeostasis Homeostasis is a fancy word for balance or equilibrium .  It is the property of a system in which variables are regulated so that internal conditions remain stable and relatively constant. All living organisms depend on maintaining a complex set of interacting metabolic chemical reactions. From the simplest unicellular organisms to the most complex plants and animals, internal processes operate to keep the conditions within tight limits to allow these reactions to proceed. Homeostatic processes act at the level of the cell, the tissue, and the organ, as well as for the organism as a whole. Many diseases involve a disturbance of homeostasis. Autism is clearly a condition of altered homeostasis, but not sever...