PLT Test Blog

Today’s post is again prompted by a reader’s comment. Regular readers will be accustomed to learning here about “rare”, often treatable, disorders that may cause, or just aggravate autism; add Chiari 1 to that list.     The Chiari 1 brain hernia occurs when part of the brain is forced downwards into the spinal column.  It is supposedly very rare, occurring in only one person per thousand.  It is generally not life-threatening and can be surgically repaired.  The symptoms of Chiari 1 do rather overlap with those of autism. You can diagnose Chiari 1 using an MRI scan.  Very few people with autism ever receive any diagnostic follow up, be it genetic testing, metabolic testing or a scan of their brain. There have been anecdotal reports associating Chiari with autism, and indeed of the corrective surgery greatly improving autism symptoms.  This goes back to the day of Bernie Rimland (Autism Research Institute and DAN). Finally we have some genuine data:- ...

A reader of the previous post on cinnamon left a helpful comment highlighting research that suggests yet another reason why Cinnamon might be an effective treatment for some types of autism. Cinnamon extract inhibits  degranulation and de novo synthesis of inflammatory mediators in mast cells Abstract BACKGROUND: Mast cells (MC) are main effector cells of allergic and other inflammatory reactions; however, only a few anti-MC agents are available for therapy. It has been reported that cinnamon extract (CE) attenuates allergic symptoms by affecting immune cells; however, its influence on MC was not studied so far. Here, we analyzed the effects of CE on human and rodent MC in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Expression of MC-specific proteases was examined in vivo in duodenum of mice following oral administration of CE. Release of mediators and phosphorylation of signaling molecules were analyzed in vitro in human MC isolated from intestinal tissue (hiMC) or RBL-2H3 cells challenged with ...

    Monty aged 12 with ASD, “You have been transformed into an Australopithecus afarensis,  you walked upright more than 3 million years ago. Your picture is attached.  This morphing-station is a co-production between Naturhistorisches Museum   Vienna, Austria and the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington” We can never know if they had autism 3 million years ago, but it certainly is not a recent phenomenon.  Today’s post, prompted by a visit to Vienna, is a collection of historical episodes that I thought I should include in this blog, before I forget them. Austria, as well as being home to an excellent natural history museum, where you can see what your children might have looked like had they been born 3 million years ago, is the home of autism.  Both Hans Asperger and Leo Kanner were Austrian.  Kanner was later educated in Berlin and then, being Jewish, had the foresight to emigrate in 1924 to the US. In 1930 he developed the first c...