Gut Brain Connection

[Guest guest]

Hi everybody,

I just found this on the Thoughtful House discussio group and thought

you would find it interesting.

Regards

Glynis

Scientists Make Gut-Brain Connection To Autism

http://sar.c.topica.com/maah1wYabByQla4JkFcbaeQyH5/

Compounds produced in the digestive system have been linked to

autistic-type behaviour in laboratory settings, potentially

demonstrating that what autistic children eat can alter their brain

function, say scientists from the University of Western Ontario.

They announced their findings Thursday in Ottawa.

UWO researchers investigated the " gut-brain " connection after

many parents of autistic children reported significant improvements

in the behaviour of their autistic children when they modified their

diet, eliminating dairy and wheat products, Dr. Derrick MacFabe, the

director of a research group at UWO in London, Ont., told CBC News

Thursday.

Researchers were particularly interested in one dietary

characteristic the autistic children seemed to exhibit, he said.

" Certainly, a lot of these children had peculiar cravings for

high-carbohydrate foods that caused their behaviours, " he said.

" We were interested in finding a link between certain compounds

that are produced by bacteria in the digestive system †"

particularly those occurring with early childhood infections. "

The bacteria produce propionic acid, a short chain fatty acid,

which in addition to existing in the gut, is commonly found in bread

and dairy products, MacFabe said.

To test their hypothesis that diet plays a part in generating

autistic behaviour, UWO scientists administered the compound to rats'

brains.

" They immediately engaged in bouts of repetitive behaviour,

hyperactivity and impaired social behaviours which had close

similarity to what parents are seeing with autism, " MacFabe said.

When the rats' brains were examined later, they were found to

have inflammatory processes similar to those in the brains of

autistic children, he said.

" We found, looking at the rats' brains under the microscope,

changes that looked a lot like what's occurred from autopsy cases of

patients who had autism. "

It's remarkable that a simple compound like propionic acid

would have such a dramatic effect on " normal " animals, he said.

MacFabe said his research team, and scientists at Queen's

University in Kingston, Ont., and Harvard University, are now

conducting screening studies looking at effects of dietary changes in

the general population.

New way of approaching autism Dr. Martha Herbert, assistant

professor in neurology at Harvard Medical School, told CBC News that

the study opens up a new way of thinking about the disorder.

" Now we're learning that the brain and body can influence each

other, " she said.

Autistic children are increasingly being seen

as " oversensitized, " meaning " things may bother them that don't

bother other people, " she said. " We need to pay attention to this. "

Treating a child's health should be the first step in

addressing autism, Herbert said, rather than solely focusing on

behavioural therapy, currently a mainline approach.

" Behaviour therapy is certainly important. But the child's

health controls the bandwidth that the child has for being able to

benefit from behavioural therapy. If a child is sick, they won't be

able to focus. "

Parents should watch their children closely to determine what

foods trigger reactions and to consider removing those triggers, she

said.

Herbert strongly advocates a balanced diet, consisting of all

food groups, not just " bread and cheese. "

" If you have foods that child is sensitive to in their immune

system, that can set up processes that can impact brain function, and

it can do so in a negative way. And if you remove those foods, that

negative impact can stop. "