Scientific Link to Autism Identified

[earth mom]

Scientific Link to Autism Identified

JACKSON, N.J., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ --


<snip>

The Center examined the neuroscientific dynamics of logic and emotion in decision making while researching neuroscience in business. They found unique corollary relationships between various brain chemicals (neurohormones, neurotransmitters, etc.). This apparent pattern led to a new path of research for the team outside of business. By looking at extensive scientific literature they discovered a cascade of hormones that emanate from the brain (hypothalamus). This same pattern of correlations was again apparent throughout the cascade. The group added a research biologist and started to test the pattern on genes (proteins). It remained consistent. The Center then called upon advisors from chemistry and physics to see if the pattern would apply in physical sciences.

<snip>

After careful review of countless scientific studies, meeting with several renowned scientists to discuss their findings, and then applying the modeling process to numerous hypotheses, The Center's Life Sciences group was able to formulate a scientifically verifiable model for the highly probable causal path of autism. Through the application of their model, it became apparent that autism is an outcome of several variables that, when the homeostatic relationship of each one is disrupted, a "perfect storm" scenario results in autism. The application of the model identified several of the variables that account for why boys have a 4 to 1 ratio of instances over girls as well as why not every boy is affected.

While the scientific community will have to validate The Center's findings, the model for assessing homeostatic relationships indicates the "trigger" behind autism is an imbalance between a pair of amino acid neurotransmitters; glutamate and glycine.

According to The Center's founder, William McFaul, a retired business person and not a member of the scientific community, "Because of its universal applicability, our Life Sciences group has already used the model as a tool to identify highly probable causal paths for several illnesses and disease entities. Autism was one of most difficult illnesses The Center had attempted to analyze. If it hadn't been for so many parents insisting that vaccines were responsible for the condition, we might never have found the fact that the stabilizer in MMR and a few other vaccines is hydrolyzed gelatin; a substance that is approximately 21% glycine. It appears that, based on readily verifiable science, the use of that form of glycine triggers an imbalance between the amino acid neurotransmitters responsible for the absorption rate of certain classes of cells throughout the body. It is that wide-spread disruption that apparently results in the systemic problems that encompass the mind and the body characterized in today's 'classic' autism." He also added, "The use of our model indicates each of the disorders within Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is attributable to different disruptions in homeostasis. We look forward to sharing our findings relative to each disorder with the scientific community."

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scientific-link-to-autism-identified-70354482.html

Press release and more information:
http://www.thecenternj.com/images/Autism_Press_Release_Full_Version.pdf


Yep, PARENTS TOLD EVERYONE SO.

[Chemisse]

1. I will believe this when/if there is research to support it

It is an intriguing idea, but that looks like all it is - an idea.

This group is a think tank with some fuzzy-seeming motives, and a pretty high opinion of their own musings.

So we'll see.

[laconicsax]

50. In the anti-vax world, a press release IS research.

[Chemisse]

57. Wow. That was pretty rude.

[laconicsax]

60. Truth hurts sometimes.

Remind me which study the anti-vax campaign is based on.

edit: typo

[Chemisse]

72. I don't defend anybody who evokes pseudo science

Except to commend them for their curiousity.

But neither do I feel it is okay to insult them.

[laconicsax]

75. Evoking pseudo science isn't a mark of curiosity.

It's a mark of gullibility.

You can call that another insult if you like. It doesn't change the fact that it's true.

[Chemisse]

77. True - Gullibility meets desperation

I feel so terribly sorry for people who have children with autism and are seeking the reasons why.

[HuckleB]

62. So it appears.

[JoeyT]

2. Uh huh.

"The Center for Modeling Optimal Outcomes" A "think tank".
You know, people that look for trends while ignoring the fact that causation and correlation aren't the same thing.
100% of the children with autism had parents that ate oranges or drank milk! Clearly autism is caused by milk and oranges.
Panic! Fear!

Glycine is sold as a nutritional supplement by vitamin peddlers. It's also an extremely common food additive.
So if the glycine in vaccines causes autism, why doesn't the glycine from the woodoo vitamin sellers and the food cause it?
If it's a different kind of glycine, what's the difference?

"While the scientific community will have to validate The Center's findings" I'm going to make a prediction here. I predict the scientific community is going to take one look at their methodology and laugh at them. Then the anti-vaccine community will scream that it's proof they're being persecuted. When this comes true I want you all to remember that I'm clearly psychic.

[Why Syzygy]

4. Try

injecting your peas and carrots and see how well you do.

[laconicsax]

74. !

:rofl:

[earth mom]

8. Maybe this is exactly what the pharma giants planned to take the heat off of them.

Then they can say glycine is in everything and that Autism is not their fault.

I don't trust those bastards-they could very well be behind this entire finding and press release.

:tinfoilhat:


But then again, what if it is true?

[tavalon]

14. Following the money is always useful in these situations

[tavalon]

13. This has gaping holes

However, when they eventually figure it out, I think it will be a perfect storm of many factors. Genetics play a role as does environmental factors.

[Why Syzygy]

3. . bookmark

[OKNancy]

5. Read this page before

coming to an opinion about the validity of this group.

http://www.thecenternj.com/lifesciences.html

[earth mom]

7. Admittedly, it is hard to trust a group like this that is looking to profit from their research.

I posted this because it looks like they are on to something.

However, these days, I trust very little and can't help but wonder if this is a trick or some kind of game being played by the pharma giants, so we'll see.


But-at least this think tank is willing to go the distance to connect vaccines to Autism.

Guess we'll know if they're right and what side they are on if the pharma giants lose it and go ballistic over this finding.



That all said, I stand by my view that parents witnessed a reaction immediately after their children were given vaccines and ended up being diagnosed with Autism.

Parents have been grossly and unfairly disrespected and ridiculed which only serves to muddy the water and does no one any good in the end.

[mmonk]

9. There very well could be people who have been affected

by vaccines but I'm willing to bet the results or the reaction to it isn't autism though it could produce neurological problems. Snake oil salesmen are in great abundance in this field. I've been an activist for persons for autism for about 24 years now and have seen it all it seems. Thanks for posting the information though.

[Better Today]

10. If I'm reading you correctly, you're suggesting that

vaccines may be causing autism-like symptoms, but may not be "autism" per se. Kind of like food poisoning has flu like symptoms but isn't actually the "flu"?

If I am understanding your comment, that is quite a sensible opinion and idea. I've not seen it suggested before.

[mmonk]

12. It's possible. I cannot judge what I haven't experienced.

I can only assess what I know. I know people are born with autism, it isn't acquired later. However, there are many things that can produce similarities in appearance. What I don't want to people to do is to cling to false positives in their minds or false hopes to someone's "cures" because they have difficulty in accepting any proper diagnosis concerning their children. Acceptance is the way forward to understanding and fulfillment in productive potential.

[tavalon]

17. Absolutely!

That's why I call the autism from before "classic autim" and the one my son has "new autism". They have much that overlaps but many things that don't.

[tavalon]

15. Yep, our child was unarousable after his 18 month vaccines

and he has never regained the vocabulary or the normality of just prior. He is a 14 year old toddler. He has never had another vaccine but it was too late for him.

[Spider Jerusalem]

21. Correlation, not causation

age of onset of autistic and other developmental disorders is typically 18-24 months because it's at that age that neurological differences and deficits become evident thanks to development. Coincidentally it's also the age at which most children receive their first vaccines. But the change in diagnostic criteria of autistic spectrum disorders (and the broadening of the 'autism' category to include related developmental disorders that are not the same as classical 'autism') are more responsible for the perceived 'autism epidemic' than anything.

[mmonk]

30. My best wishes to you and your family.

[tavalon]

16. Yep, our child was unarousable after his 18 month vaccines

and he has never regained the vocabulary or the normality of just prior. He is a 14 year old toddler. He has never had another vaccine but it was too late for him.

[rucky]

31. +1 with my nephew.

Right after the 18-mo vaccine, as well. His parents are 100% convinced it was the vaccines, after seeing such a sudden and dramatic change. He's 7 now, and they have a long road ahead of them.

[tavalon]

32. We're 8 years further down that road and it is long, indeed.

[Odin2005]

38. It's ridiculed because the claims are neurophysiologically impossible.

brain wiring does not change instantaneously. Those BS claims smack of "recovered" memories.

[mmonk]

6. I'm a parent and have not made such claims.

Autism is present in populations without required vaccines. Autism is a neurological disorder one is born with.

[tavalon]

19. Autism has a genetic basis, true enough,

but it is the interaction of those genetics with triggers. Environmental triggers. There are those who are highly invested in not looking at what environmental factors might be in play. Trust me, Smithkline Beecham is highly motivated to blame maternal tuna ingestion for the spike in autism expression. That, or, wait for it...............................................







better diagnosis!

I would find that so amusing if it wasn't so infuriating. Like pediatricians in the 1940s didn't notice that 1:150 children had autism. Oops, we missed that one! Right. :eyes:

Before my personal journey into the world of autism, I knew the concept of following the money but what I learned during the journey was that even the entities who are supposed to be pure, untainted by the money, are neither. The CDC and the IOM carry water for the vaccine manufacturers. The vaccine manufacturers did not have anything to do with the genetic predisposition of my son to have autism, but they absolutely helped him along his path.

[earth mom]

51. The kicker is that pharma giants have hidden information, spread disinfo & weaseled out

of being held responsible so that parents can not sue them.

And that's as criminal as the crap they threw in those vaccines in the first place.

That parents have been so maligned really infuriates me to no end because after already dealing with an incredibly difficult situation, then are maliciously kicked when they are down. :grr:

[lildreamer316]

11. K&R

I'm very interested to see where this goes. Thanks for posting.

[Spider Jerusalem]

18. Bullshit. Sorry.

Andrew Wakefield was the one who 'told everyone so' in a monograph in the Lancet; the research was found to be flawed, and Wakefield has been disciplined for professional misconduct and may yet be struck off the medical register in the UK.

There have been countless studies of any causal link between vaccinations and autism that show no significant or meaningful increase in autism among vaccinated children than those not vaccinated. See here, for instance: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/347/19/1477

[Lasher]

28. I'm with you, Spider

Here's a good Wiki article on the controversy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMR_vaccine_controversy

[Odin2005]

39. Wakefield should be in jail for FRAUD.

[Lyric]

20. Even if the glycine link is true, which has NOT been proven, how does anyone

know for sure that it's our vaccines behind the problem? Do you have any idea how many kinds and types of food, medicine and cosmetic products have glycine in them? It's an incredibly common chemical because it's a protein amino acid. Glycine isn't some nefarious corporate chemical. It's one of only 20 amino acids in all of nature. There's *already* plenty of glycine in our bodies, naturally. How does an injection make any difference?

Foods containing glycine:

http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-000094000000000000000.html

Info about glycine:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycine

What's next? An outcry about the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide?

:eyes:

[Better Today]

24. Actually true unadulterated dihydrogen monoxide isn't good for you otherwise

we would all be drinking distilled water, which we don't, and it's not recommended.

Furthermore, if you mean just "water" and not H2O, then it depends from whence it came.

[laconicsax]

61. Funny--there's more glycine in a tablespoon of babyfood than in the MMR vaccine.

Thanks for the links

[Warren Stupidity]

22. "While the scientific community will have to validate The Center's findings"

until a study is peer reviewed, and especially if a 'report' is coming from a for-profit 'think tank', it is not information upon which one should make critical decisions.

I call bullshit.

[etherealtruth]

23. You are aware that glycine is biosynthesized .... right?

[SidDithers]

25. Unrec'ing...

Real science is not announced through PRNewswire.

Can you link to the peer-reviewed journals where this reasearch has been published?

Sid

[ConnorMarc]

26. If This Article Concludes That Its Mercury (sp)

Like that found in certain tooth fillings and certain vaccines...then they are right.

If they are citing anything else...questionable at best.

Check out GaryNull.com get the real scoop.

[Spider Jerusalem]

27. Wrong

thimerosal/autism link has been extensively debunked and childhood vaccines have not contained thimerosal (the mercury-based preservative mooted as a cause of autistic disorders by Andrew Wakefield in his paper published in the Lancet) since 1999 or so...and observed rates of autistic disorders have not decreased.

http://www.news-medical.net/news/2007/05/17/25274.aspx

http://www.14studies.org/pdf/HG_11.pdf

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/2718

[earth mom]

52. I've long thought is was the mercury that acted as a trigger.

I'm not so sure about this new finding and am waiting to see how others in the Autism community react to it.

Thanks for the heads up on Gary Null, I will check out his site.

[Th1onein]

29. This doesn't disprove the thimerosol link.

You can look at the neurotransmitters involved, and say, "Yep, we got the cause for autism," but that doesn't mean that you know WHY there is an imbalance in these neurotransmitters. That imbalance might be more likely to happen in certain phenotypes--say, someone who doesn't make enough metallothionein, or their MT is misshapen.

You know, people here call the parents of these children; the ones who think that thimerosol had something to do with their children being autistic, anti-vaxxers, and tinfoil hatters, and all kinds of shit, but I think it's important to listen to patients, and listen to their caregivers. They are right there, on the battle lines, watching and living with the disease. It's not smart to discount their fears.

[tavalon]

34. Correct

Unfortunately, medical science has left the parents high and dry and there is a buttload of crap in the midst of some really good information discovered by parents. Also, every parent of an autistic child has their pet belief about the one thing that caused their child's autism and it just isn't one thing. It's a multifactoral syndrome.

[Spider Jerusalem]

40. The fact that the MMR vaccine NEVER CONTAINED thimerosal disproves the link.

And there have been, as noted, many independent studies which have found no link between vaccination and autism and no significant differences in prevalence of autistic disorders between vaccinated and unvaccinated cohorts. Also, no childhood vaccines have contained thimerosal for nearly a decade now; there has been no concomitant decline in autism prevalence (as would be quite reasonably expected WERE thimerosal responsible).

[earth mom]

53. Yes, this finding does not disprove the thimerosol link. Thanks for pointing that out.

And I totally agree with you about the parents.

They deserve everyone's respect.

[Chemisse]

55. I can't even imagine how hard it would be to be a parent

Who sees his or her child fall 'ill' hours after a vaccine, never to recover, face people who are so disrespectful to them, and so utterly out of touch with their pain.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[seabeyond]

35. what is really telling is the people that dont experience with children in their life

the easy dismissal of the children. the concerns. the possibility of finding an answer that will help other children.

some people have a vested interest in actually find the cause of this

some so easily dismiss even the possibility of finding an answer

the good of the whole outweighs the few.

in other words, fuck the few

[earth mom]

54. This country was founded on protecting the minority. Funny how people forget that with this issue.

Actually, it's not funny, it's disgusting.

[MilesColtrane]

36. No doubt this company will follow their amazing research with a series of...

nutritional supplements that will cure everything from autism to bromhidrosis.

[Odin2005]

37. Junk science.

I'll bet these wankers are associated with bigoted pro-cure groups like Autism Speaks and Defeat Autism Now.

[FarCenter]

41. U of T research finds glycine could be key to REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

There is new promise on the horizon for those who suffer from REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder (RBD) according to researchers at the University of Toronto.

RDB, a neurological disorder that causes violent twitches and muscle contractions during rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep, can lead to serious injuries. John Peever, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, discovered that an inhibitory brain chemical called glycine is responsible for actively suppressing muscle twitches in REM sleep. Deficiency in glycine levels in the brain cells that control muscles (motoneurons) was found to cause the violent muscle contractions that mimic the primary symptom of RBD.

“This study shows the mechanism that suppresses muscles twitches in REM sleep and this will lead to better treatments and potential cures for this disorder,” says Peever. “Treating REM sleep disorder may have much broader implications, since within five to eight years of being diagnosed with this disorder, 60-80% of individuals eventually develop Parkinson’s disease.”

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2008/03/27/u_of_t_research_finds_glycine_could_be_key_to_rem_sleep_behavior_disorder.html

March 27, 2008 04:06 PM

---

McFaul was a successful entreprenur in the health care field and sold his consulting company "McFaul & Lyons" to J&J. While this is "hobby research" conducted by a weathy individual, I wouldn't discount it completely.

However, glycine seems to be commonly used in injections, not just for vaccines. How about in all those allergy shots that kids get now days?

[ddeclue]

42. Not this again...maybe those autistic kids never survived to be autitistic

before there were vaccines because they died of the disease the vaccine prevents..

Ever think of that?

:eyes:

[glitch]

43. There is no reason why vaccines cannot be made as safe as possible. Ever think of that? nt

[HuckleB]

46. Every scientist does.

Ever think of that?

[Spider Jerusalem]

47. What makes you think they aren't?

'As safe as possible' doesn't mean 'risk free', and the observed occurrence of adverse vaccine reactions is quite low (in the order of one in 20,000 to one in 10,000).

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

48. Perhaps making vaccines safer would make them less profitable

Also, the PHARMA have lots of this crap already made, no way are they willing to destroy
unsafe vaccines and replace them with safer vaccines.

Its all about greed and profit.

[Confusious]

64. Maybe there are things that have a higher rate of chance

Like dying in a car accident, dying in a fire, dying by getting hit by lightning, dying when your plane falls out of the air, dying when you get hit by a meteor, dying in a swimming pool, dying because someone accidentally discharged a gun, etc, etc, etc.

Maybe when should spend money on that, instead of something that ha a 10 million to 6 chance of causing you a problem.

[HuckleB]

65. What on earth are you talking about?

[LeftishBrit]

68. Why would making them safer make them less profitable?

And surely Pharma would make *more* of a profit by making and selling new vaccines at more rapid intervals? Most companies profit by bringing out new versions of their products regularly, and making the older versions appear obsolete (very noticeable in the computer industry!) Why would it be different for vaccines?

[trotsky]

76. See, there you go making sense.

And you know that making sense has NO PLACE in the anti-vaccination camp. Big pharma is so evil, they'd sell vaccines at a loss if it meant they could give more kids TEH AUTISM!

[Confusious]

63. Ever think of the fact

that 10 million people have gotten the h1n1 vax, and only 6 problems.

Your odds of dying in a car crash are higher.

Maybe you could spend your time doing something more useful.

[HuckleB]

44. "Based on Wakefield's..."

That should have been a clue that this is very likely off base, to be far too kind.

[HuckleB]

45. So these have nothing to do with it?

New Genetic Study Of Asperger Syndrome, Autistic Traits And Empathy
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157802.php

Pregnancy Complications May Increase Autism Risk
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156130.php

Study Links Genetic Variation To Individual Empathy, Stress Levels
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171166.php

Oh, and then there are the repeated studies like this:

Childhood Vaccines And Autism: No Scientific Link Found
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166932.php

Hmmmmmmmmm.

And what about all the parents who don't buy into the anti-vaccination stuff?

[FarCenter]

49. If the OP is correct, then autism should not be correlated with vaccines and could be with genetics

If I understand "The Center's" hypothesis correctly, the glycine in the hydrolized gelatin that is contained in vaccines enters the blood stream in a pulse after vaccination. This temporary overload somehow creates a runaway condition in the brain, which results in autism. A possible explanation is that over excitation of NMDA receptors casuses the production of exessive NO and cell death.

However, not all vaccines contain hydrolized gelatin, and other injectible pharmaceuticals may contain it. Therefore, epidemiological studies would not see a direct correlation between vaccination and autism. http://www.tetrahedron.org/articles/vaccine_awareness/ingredients.html

Furthermore, as has been pointed out, glycine is produced by the body. As the wiki article reference above on glycine describes, there are also three pathways by which glycine is degraded and eliminated from the body. Therefore, either something has to happen which causes the glycine concentration in the blood to be abnormally high after the injection (e.g. the injection was into a blood vessel), or something has to happen to allow glycine to concentrate (e.g. one or more of the pathways for degrading glycine is genetically disabled in the individual).

[Chemisse]

56. It's not something you can put up to a vote.

And certainly there are plenty of kids with autism where there was no correlation with vaccines. Their parents would probably not 'buy into' such a link.

It seems likely there is a combination of genetic and environmental factors, making the studies you cited perfectly pertinent.

But since we don't know everything about it's cause yet, it is also very important for all the possibilities to be explored.

[HuckleB]

59. I'm not asking for anything to be put up to a vote.

That's basically my whole point. Exploring is one thing. Constantly re-exploring the same territory is another thing altogether.

[Chemisse]

71. I think the thimerosol theory can be put to bed

But until the mystery is solved, speculation will continue about all sorts of environmental triggers, including various aspects of vaccines, and it should.

An anemic statement like this (via one of your links): "A review of published research shows that there is not convincing scientific evidence supporting a relationship between vaccines and autism.", is not going to be enough to convince a parent who saw their child change overnight, right after receiving a vaccine. Especially since it is clear that there was a motive for that result - to restore parental faith in vaccines so their kids would be protected from dangerous disease.

Sure, correlation is not causation, but correlation is certainly a reason to start asking questions!

[Chemisse]

58. Clearly the source is weak.

But there is nothing wrong with trying to figure out this autism puzzle. Perhaps some scientists will explore this with some research.

[LeftishBrit]

67. Agree that it's important to try to figure out the autism puzzle...

In fact, one of my problems with the disproportionate focus on vaccines as a likely cause is that it diverts attention from other areas of study.

There has already been quite a lot of scientific research on autism, but there still needs to be more. One British centre that does a lot of research in the area is the Autism Research Centre (www.autismresearchcentre.org).

Good books for those who want an overview of the area are Simon Baron-Cohen's "Autism and Asperger Syndrome" and Uta Frith's "Autism: A Very Short Introduction", both published in 2008. A collection of more technical articles on the subject is Uta Frith and Elizabeth Hill (eds.) Autism, Mind and Brain (2004).

Articles on the subject are frequently published in such journals as "Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry" and there are several specialist journals on autism, e.g. 'Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders'.

There is a lot of evidence for a strong genetic component to autism, and also for prematurity and other birth complications being factors. Maternal infections during pregnancy also seem to lead to an increased risk. There needs to be more research on prenatal enviromental factors IMO, but this seems to be one of the areas that gets neglected when the focus is put on vaccines.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

73. There is something wrong with saying you have figured it out, so you can steal from people.

[philly_bob]

66. UNREC for press release OP, but I feel sympathy for parents in thread. /nt

[uppityperson]

69. k&u as I totally agree with you, well put. nt

[tova]

70. autism onset

My autistic son had his MMR and DTP vaccines at 18 months. He got a fever that night and had a dramatic personality change after the fever. The change was black and white. There was nothing gradual about it. I have heard of countless other parents with a similar experience. He has had extensive genetic tests and they all came back negative.