PLT Test Blog

Seth Bittker, a regular reader of this blog and our occasional guest blogger, is creating an excellent interview series with leading autism researchers. These interviews will be of interest to all readers of this blog.  There is something for everyone, whether you are the type that reads the literature in detail, or is more interested in the lay summary. There are three interviews, all with podcasts, and more will be added later. 1)     Dr. Richard Frye on folate receptor alpha antibodies and folinic supplementation in autism .  2)    Dr. Robert Hendrenon his recent double blind placebo controlled trial of methyl-B12 in autism .    3)    Dr. Derrick Lonsdale on thiamine deficiency and supplementation of thiamine derivatives in autism .      Good work Seth!  I am sure he will be interested in your suggestions for future interview candidates.  By the way, in the third interview, Dr Lonsdale ref...

  China, where things tend to be big, even their clinical trials A short while ago we looked at the possible mechanisms behind a reader’s successful experience in use of Mirtazapine (Remeron) in autism, then being prescribed to increase appetite. Mirtazapine is a tricyclic antidepressant, meaning it is very closely related to first generation antihistamines, but it has numerous other effects;  more of that later. Folate is vitamin B9.  Folic acid is synthetically produced, and used in   fortified foods   and   supplements   on the theory that it is converted into folate, which may not be the case. It appears that in both schizophrenia and autism there is a family of possible folate dysfunctions that range from minor to severe.  The mild dysfunction responds to a small supplement of folate, while the severe dysfunction requires a much larger supplement of folate. Roger, another reader of this blog has the more severe dysfunction called Cerebral Fol...

I expect many readers of this blog have a list of things to trial in 2016; I certainly do. Monty’s older brother, codenamed Ted, did say to me recently, “I thought you said you’d be all finished with this, in a couple of years”; that was indeed the intention.   A medicine cabinet to be proud of, but not mine It has now been three years.  I never really intended to go so deeply into the science, and I never expected there to be so many “obvious” things un/under-investigated by researchers. Most people diagnosed these days with “autism” are fortunate to be relatively mildly affected.  Parents of those kids likely find this blog rather shocking; how can so many pills be needed and still you want more? Some other people also diagnosed with autism, face really big challenges, not limited to:-          ·         Unable to talk ·         Unable to walk ·     ...