PLT Test Blog

  Source: EpiphanyASD   There is a lot written about PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) which is a subset of PANS; however they are still not fully recognized as medical conditions. I prefer to see PANS/PANDAS in the broader context of autoimmune encephalitis, a collection of related conditions in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the brain, causing inflammation. The immune system produces antibodies that mistakenly attack heathy receptors in the brain.   Depending on which types of receptors are targeted, you will get different symptoms, plus you will get symptoms from the inflammation. If they are NMDA receptors, you may have hallucinations and appear to have developed schizophrenia overnight. It has been suggested that the definition of PANS is too narrow and a broader term called CANS was proposed.  CANS is not exactl...

  With a title like that, not many people will stumble upon this post with Google. So, for the hard-core of readers, today I am going to develop an idea of Martha Herbert, the pediatric neuroscientist from Harvard, who writes a lot about autism. Incidentally, most researchers do not like publicity, and particularly those looking at autism.   Martha, herself makes some side remarks as to why this is; as I suggested in earlier posts it dates back 10+ years to a certain Dr Wakefield . “A further barrier to considering the body’s impact on the brain was the reaction to the work of Wakefield, who argued not only that there was a link   between   autism   and   vaccines   but   also   that   this   link was mediated through the gastrointestinal system. For the better part of a decade any at tempt to discuss gastrointestinal or immune issues with autism was con strued as a support of Wakefield’s vaccine hypothesis, and it was difficult to ...