FEAT: Bipolar Disorder Successfully Treated With Nutritional Supplement* * DPP IV Actions on Gluten, Casein, and Soy * Language Trait Locus, Chromosome 7q & Multiplex Autism Families Evidence * Depression In

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From: FEAT Daily Newsletter - Families for Early Autism Treatment

FEAT DAILY NEWSLETTER Sacramento, California http://www.feat.org

" Healing Autism: No Finer a Cause on the Planet "

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December 14, 2001 News Morgue Search www.feat.org/search/news.asp

RESEARCH

* Bipolar Disorder Successfully Treated With Nutritional Supplement

* Effective Mood Stabilization With a Chelated Mineral Supplement

* DPP IV Actions on Gluten, Casein, and Soy (Earlier Study)

* Language Trait Locus, Chromosome 7q & Multiplex

Autism Families Evidence

* Depression In Mothers And Fathers Of Children With

Intellectual Disability

Bipolar Disorder Successfully Treated With Nutritional Supplement Study in

the latest Journal of Clinical Psychiatry points to possible link between

nutrition and mood stabilization

[The study referred to below is " Effective Mood Stabilization With a

Chelated Mineral Supplement: An Open-Label Trial in Bipolar Disorder

follows. " The abstract to it follows below.]

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2001-12/tsgo-bds121201.php

The idea that effective mood stabilization can be achieved through the

use of vitamins, trace elements and amino acids is advanced in a study of

bipolar adults published in the latest issue of the Journal of Clinical

Psychiatry. The same issue contains a commentary on the research.

The articles are available at:

<http://www.psychiatrist.com/bipolar/index.htm> The subject of the research

is EM Power+, a nutritional supplement formulated by the Synergy Group of

Canada. The supplement has 36 ingredients and is comprised of natural

dietary minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper,

potassium, as well as various vitamins such as A, C, D, E, and several B

vitamins. Hardy and Stephan, co-founders of the Synergy Group

of Canada responded to the study results: " This study is an important step

in the evolution of our efforts to help the mentally ill. " " We have spent

the last five years developing and testing a nutritional supplement that

will help alleviate mental illness. To have our research findings validated

by this group of formidable academics is very encouraging. This is good news

for the mentally ill, " they added.

* * *

Effective Mood Stabilization With a Chelated Mineral Supplement:

An Open-Label Trial in Bipolar Disorder

http://www.psychiatrist.com/bipolar/popper-kaplan.pdf

Bonnie J. Kaplan, Ph.D.; J. A Simpson, Ph.D., MD.;

C. Ferre, MD.; P. Gorman, MD.;

M McMullen, MD.; and G. Crawford, MSc.

Background: To determine in open trials the therapeutic benefit of a

nutritional supplement for bipolar disorder.

Method: The sample consisted of 11 patients with DSM-JV—diagnosed

bipolar disorder aged 19 to 46 years, who were taking a mean of 2.7

psychotropic medications each at study entry. Three additional patients

dropped out prematurely. The intervention is a broad-based nutritional

supplement of dietary nutrients, primarily chelated trace minerals and

vitamins, administered in high doses. At study entry and periodically

thereafter, patients were assessed with the Hamilton Rating Scale for

Depression (HAM-D), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and the Young

Mania Rating Scale (YMRS).

Results: For those who completed the minimum 6-month open trial,

symptom reduction ranged from 55% to 66% on the outcome measures; need for

psychotropic medications decreased by more than 50%. Paired t tests revealed

treatment benefit on all measures for patients completing the trial: HAM-D

mean score at entry = 19.0, mean score at last visit = 5.4, = 5.59, df = 9,

p < 01; BPRS mean score at entry = 35.3, mean score at last visit = 7.4, =

2.57, df = 9, p < .05; YMRS mean score at entry = 15.1, mean score at last

visit = 6.0, = 4.11, df= 9, p < .01. The effect size for the intervention

was large (> .80) for each measure. The number of psychotropic medications

decreased significantly to a mean ± SD of 1.0 ± 1.1 (t = 3.54, df = 10, p <

..01). In some cases, the supplement replaced psychotropic medications and

the patients remained well. The only reported side effect (i.e., nausea) was

infrequent, minor, and transitory.

Conclusion: Some cases of bipolar illness may be ameliorated by

nutritional supplementation. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial in

adults with bipolar I disorder is currently underway, as well as open trials

in children.

Report

Solid scientific research shows that many dietary nutrients, including

minerals and vitamins, are essential for normal brain function. For

instance, deficient levels of various B vitamins are related to pathologic

brain and behavior disorders ranging from Korsakoff’s syndrome to pellagra.

Recent work on folic acid (vitamin B9) suggests that low levels may be

associated with depressive symptomatology and poor response to

antidepressant medication.

Less is known about the role of trace elements, but there is

considerable evidence that these too may be essential for normal brain

function. Zinc provides a good example. Most of the excitatory neurons of

the cerebral cortex have glutamate as their primary transmitter. One type of

glutaminergic neuron accumulates zinc within vesicles at axon terminals and

releases it into the synapse upon firing.3

The precise roles of zinc in synaptic function are not known, although

its presence is certain,4 and there are zinc-binding sites on one subset of

glutamate receptor called the NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor.5 Zinc,

copper, and magnesium all appear to play important modulatory roles in

controlling the NMDA receptor,68 which has been implicated in various forms

of cortical plasticity, including learning.9 It is possible, then, that

decreased levels of some minerals in the brain may produce abnormal

NMDAmediated plasticity and subsequent abnormalities in behavior.

+ Paper continues at: http://www.psychiatrist.com/bipolar/popper-kaplan.pdf

© Copyright 2001 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

(J Gun Psychiatry 200];62:936—944)

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* * *

DPP IV Actions on Gluten, Casein, and Soy

[From June 13, 2001. Devin's comments: This study indicates that DPP

IV, in the presence of another non-specific aminopeptidase and another

protease, can hydrolyze approximately 65% - 70% of the peptide bonds in

gluten, casein, and soy protein.]

J Agric Food Chem 2001 Apr;49(4):2061-3 Synergistic Action of an X-Prolyl

Dipeptidyl Aminopeptidase and a Non-Specific Aminopeptidase in Protein

Hydrolysis Byun T, Kofod L, Blinkovsky A.Novozymes Biotech, Incorporated,

1445 Drew Avenue, , California 95616.

Non-specific monoaminopeptidase (AP; E.C. 3.4.11) and X-prolyl

dipeptidyl aminopeptidase (X-PDAP; E.C. 3.4.14.5), both from Aspergillus

oryzae, demonstrate strong synergism in hydrolyzing proline-containing

peptides. Incubation of AP alone with the peptide

Ala-Pro-Gly-Asp-Arg-Ile-Tyr-Val-His-Pro-Phe does not generate free amino

acids. However, when AP and X-PDAP are added in combination, complete and

immediate hydrolysis of all peptide bonds, other than X-Pro bonds, is

observed.

In the enzymatic hydrolysis of casein, soy, and gluten, degree of

hydrolysis (DH) values of 54, 54, and 47% were achieved, respectively, when

subtilisin (E.C. 3.4.21.62) was supplemented with AP. Addition of a third

enzyme, X-PDAP, resulted in significantly higher DH values of 69, 72, and

64%, respectively, establishing the utility of this synergism in protein

hydrolysis.

* * *

Language Trait Locus, Chromosome 7q & Multiplex Autism Families Evidence for

a Language Quantitative Trait Locus on Chromosome 7q in Multiplex Autism

Families.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_ui

ds=11741194 & dopt=Abstract

Alarcon M, Cantor RM, Liu J, Gilliam TC, Geschwind DH. Center for

Neurobehavioral Genetics and Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, and

Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Autism is a syndrome characterized by deficits in language and social

skills and by repetitive behaviors. We hypothesized that potential

quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to component autism endophenotypes

might underlie putative or significant regions of autism linkage.

We performed nonparametric multipoint linkage analyses, in 152

families from the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange, focusing on three traits

derived from the Autism Diagnostic Interview: " age at first word, " " age at

first phrase, " and a composite measure of " repetitive and stereotyped

behavior. "

Families were genotyped for 335 markers, and multipoint sib pair

linkage analyses were conducted. Using nonparametric multipoint linkage

analysis, we found the strongest QTL evidence for age at first word on

chromosome 7q (nonparametric test statistic [Z] 2.98; P=.001), and

subsequent linkage analyses of additional markers and association analyses

in the same region supported the initial result (Z=2.85, P=.002; chi2=18.84,

df 8, P=.016).

Moreover, the peak fine-mapping result for repetitive behavior

(Z=2.48; P=.007) localized to a region overlapping this language QTL. The

putative autism-susceptibility locus on chromosome 7 may be the result of

separate QTLs for the language and repetitive or stereotyped behavior

deficits that are associated with the disorder.

PMID: 11741194 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

* * *

Depression In Mothers And Fathers Of Children With Intellectual Disability.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_ui

ds=11737541 & dopt=Abstract Depression in mothers and fathers of children with

intellectual disability.

Olsson MB, Hwang CP. University of Trollhattan-Uddevalla, Vanersborg,

Sweden Department of Psychology, Goteborg University, Goteborg, Sweden.

Parental depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory

(BDI) in 216 families with children with autism and/or intellectual

disability (ID), and in 214 control families. Mothers with children with

autism had higher depression scores (mean = 11.8) than mothers of children

with ID without autism (mean = 9.2), who in turn, had higher depression

scores than fathers of children with autism (mean = 6.2), fathers of

children with ID without autism (mean = 5.0), and control mothers (mean =

5.0) and fathers (mean = 4.1).

Forty-five per cent of mothers with children with ID without autism

and 50% of mothers with children with autism had elevated depression scores

(BDI > 9), compared to 15-21% in the other groups. Single mothers of

children with disabilities were found to be more vulnerable to severe

depression than mothers living with a partner.

PMID: 11737541 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

* * *

Sensory Impairments, Intellectual Disability And Psychiatry

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_ui

ds=11737534 & dopt=Abstract

Carvill S. Bilton, Rugby, UK.

The present review looks at: (1) prevalence studies of sensory

impairments in people with intellectual disability (ID); (2) studies looking

at psychological and psychiatric disorders in people with sensory

impairments; and (3) studies that have examined the association of sensory

impairments with autism. Research has indicated that sensory impairments are

more common in people with ID.

Psychiatric disorders are believed to be more common in children with

visual impairment (VI) when associated with other handicaps. Some authors

believe that hearing impairment (HI) can result in personality disorders.

Studies have also shown a higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders in

children with HI and a higher incidence of deaf people in psychiatric

hospitals than in the general population.

Psychiatric disorders in children with HI are particularly associated

with low IQ and low communication ability, especially in those with multiple

handicaps. There is little evidence for a higher incidence of schizophrenia

in people with HI. Blind people demonstrate many autistic-like features and

there has been discussion in the literature as to their cause. Deaf people

also demonstrate some similar features to those in autism, but an

association with autism has not been conclusively made. Deaf-blind people

commonly demonstrate problem behaviour (e.g. self-injury).

Usher syndrome, which is the most common cause of deaf-blindness, is

associated with psychiatric disorders, particularly psychosis. The need for

assessment of sensory functioning in people with ID, the difficulties

inherent in this and the need for specialist services is stressed.

PMID: 11737534 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

* * *

A Biogenic Amine-Synapse Mechanism For Mental Retardation And Developmental

Disabilities.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_ui

ds=11738835 & dopt=Abstract

Okado N, Narita M, Narita N. Neurobiology Laboratory, Institute of Basic

Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Tsukuba, Japan

Recent studies have demonstrated that biogenic amines have a function

of facilitating formation and maintenance of synapses in diverse regions of

the central nervous system in developing and adult animals. The normal

number of synapses maintained by biogenic amines are crucial to acquire

learning and memory.

The level of biogenic amines was reported to decrease in the brain by

several neurodevelopmental disorders associated with mental retardation and

developmental disabilities such as Rett syndrome, autism and Down syndrome.

Taken into consideration this fact together with the function of biogenic

amines for synapses, the density of synapses appears to decrease

considerably in the brains of patients suffered from the neurodevelopmental

disorders.

The synaptic overproduction during the critical period of development

especially 1 year after birth has been considered as a background mechanism

to provide plasticity for the developing brain. Synaptic overproduction does

not appear to occur in the brains of patients suffered from the

neurodevelopmental disorders, which they are observed mental retardation

occurring in the first 1 year after birth.

Along with the neurodevelopmental disorders, environmental factors

(stress, drugs and nutrition) during pre- and post-natal critical

developmental periods are known to change levels of biogenic amines in the

brain. In fact, maternal stress has been shown to decrease the levels of

serotonin and the density of synapses in the hippocampus of the offspring,

and they showed developmental disabilities in the spatial learning and

memory.

A cascade appears to exist from either the child neurological

disorders or the environmental factors to mental retardation and

developmental disabilities by decreases in the levels of biogenic amines and

synaptic density.

PMID: 11738835 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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