PLT Test Blog

  Our reader in Canada, AJ, did highlight a case series from Norway that showed that high dose Betaine/TMG was effective in improving functioning in people with autism due to creatine transporter deficiency.   The use of Betaine/TMG was really just stumbled upon and the authors considered what the beneficial possible mode of action could be.   Betaine (TMG) and Gene Therapy as potential alternatives to Bumetanide Treatment in Autism?   The effect was only present at high dose (7-10 g a day) not the much lower dose used by some DAN/MAPS doctors, who do prescribe TMG and the closely related DMG. The paper suggested that one possible effect might have been lowering chloride levels within neurons.   This is also the effect of Bumetanide. AJ suggested that Betaine/TMG might be an alternative to Bumetanide and one that does not need a prescription. Our reader Nancy reported a benefit in her adult son. The question is not whether or not high dose TMG is a useful ...

Betaine (also known as TMG, or trimethylglycine)  is a methyl derivative of glycine, first isolated from sugar beet and hence its name. Today’s post was prompted by our reader, and Covid home-school instructor, AJ.  He raised the question of whether betaine can be used like Bumetanide to normalize chloride levels in neurons. I am combing this idea with news from Genoa in Italy, where they have developed gene therapy as an alternative to Bumetanide and in their words :- “This sets the stage for the development of a gene therapy approach to overcome the shortcomings of bumetanide treatment.” The interesting thing is that neither of these ideas come from autism research.  The idea to use Betaine was stumbled upon and was then written up in a Norwegian case study about Creatine transporter deficiency.  The Italians are trying to improve cognition in brain disorders and their model of choice was Down syndrome.   As we have seen time and again, elevated chloride...