Hi there:
I'm not Larry, but I am an "autism researcher" of
sorts. Laurence hits the nail on the head in the post
below: if you take all the evidence as a whole, a few
things about autistic spectrum disorders become very
clear:
1. There are currently many different conditions
grouped together under the umbrella of ASDs. One
specialist I interviewed a couple of years ago
compared the current situation vis a vis autism to
where epilepsy was at the beginning of his career 40
years ago: at that time a few varients of epilepsy
had been identified, but the "treatments" were one
size fits all and not very effective for most. Forty
years on, more variants have been teased out, and
treatment is better targeted. We are nowhere near
that with autism. Which, incidentally, means that
pretty much all treatment studies are fatally flawed.
2. The genetic research has identified many genes
that are associated with autism. What it hasn't done
(other than a couple of very small and rather
overlooked studies) is look at what exactly those
genes do. Genes code for proteins, which inturn do
something in the body. Some of the genes associated
with autism are involved with the immune system. One
of them (the RELN mutation) is involved with heavy
metal metabolism and movement disorders. Other than
Fragile X Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome,
and Prader-Willi Syndrome--four "genetic disorders"
that inclde autistic characteristics--there is no
suggestion that any combination of genes necessarily
causes autism. Even with those 4 the picture is not
black and white: have this gene, have autistic
symptoms. It looks much more like a variety of
different combinations create more or less
susceptibility to more or less severe autistic
symptoms. At least some of these genetic differences
are present in about 1 in every 100 people, with a
higher prevalance of several genetic differences in
males. Anytime a genetic difference is that common,
one has to assume it brings some benefits as well as
detriments, and this appears to be the case with many
of the genetic differences associated with autism so
far.
3. Which brings us to environmental factors.
Infectious links are actually quite well documented.
My own research goes back to the Victorian era,
before the condition was named and defined, when such
symptoms were occasionaly seen and documented after
infectious illness. One of the earliest biomed
studies identified a rise in autism following the
last major measles and mumps epidemics in the the US
(early '60s.) Paul Shattock's data (and that of
others) includes several pre-vaccination cases of
children who developed autistic symptoms following
infection with natural measles. Autistic symptoms
following infectious encephalopathies are known,
documented, and have been financially compensated for
in several countries. Vaccinations--the previous info
indicates that there's plausible reason to believe
they could be a factor, perhaps due to one or more
genetic differences. Add a mercury-based preservative
and a possible genetic difference that prevents the
body from excreting the mercury properly, and you add
another danger sign. Other possible environmental
factors include organophosphate pesticides. There may
be quite a few things that people with certain
genetic inheritances react to differently. To give an
example, not every woman who took thalidomide during
pregnancy gave birth to a child with the
characteristic birth defects associated with that
drug. And of those infants who *were* affected by
thalidomide exposure, only some had autistic symptoms
in addition to physical differences (some of you
might not know that thalidomide exposure is one of
the other known causes of autism--more studies from
the early '60s.)
Basicaly, Brent Taylor doesn't want to know, and
neither do some of the other researchers. I could say
a few things I've heard about Taylor's reasons, but
perhaps they are best left unsaid...
What I found most interesting about Taylor's latest
study is that he no longer seems to be disputing that
the number of cases has risen dramatically, only the
reasons for the rise (i.e., better diagnosis or
different etiology).
In my opinion, more biomedical research is needed,
but it needs to be dramatically different research.
The current genetic studies seem to be targeted at
coming up with a prenatal test for autism--so we can
"eliminate" these "defectives" a la Down Syndrome. I
find that reprehensible. What we need to do is find
out what these genes actually do, and see what the
environmental triggers are that make them do things
that may be detrimental to the well-being of people
who inherit them. We also need to do studies that
investigate real people on the autistic spectrum. So
far, Taylor and almost all other biomed researchers
are looking at numbers, not individuals. For a
variety of reasons, including the crucial one I noted
in point 1 above, this approach is not likely to do
anything other than provide dubious evidence for
political point-making.
PS to Laurence: you might want to check out the work
of the late Dr. Reed Warren, and the current work of
V.J. Singh re: multifactorial etiology. I can give
you exact refs if needed.
-- Mitzi Waltz
----- Original Message -----
From: Laurence Bathurst <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 1:19 am
Subject: Re: Research clears MMR with Autism....
What's the future now?
> Hello Larry
>
> In relation to your claim of knowledge of the heriditary nature of
> Autismwhich I am not disputing, do you know if there has been any
> evidence of
> genetic markers? Also, are there any thoughts on multifactorial and or
> polygenic "causes" for Autism? For example, a genetic predisposition
> (involving one or many or fragments of genes) alongside environmental
> factors including vaccination?
>
>
>
>
> Best regards
>
> Laurence Bathurst
> School of Occupation and Leisure Sciences
> Faculty of Health Sciences
> University of Sydney
>
> PO Box 170
> Lidcombe NSW 1825
> Australia
>
> Please use home phone or mobile number
> Home Ph: 61 2 9818 2050
> Mobile Ph: 0407 069 441
>
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Larry Arnold" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2003 8:57 AM
> Subject: Re: Research clears MMR with Autism.... What's the future
> now?
>
> | I happen to know that autism is hereditary, not a conspiracy
> |
> | In the United states there is a high degree of irrationalism
> driven by the
> | cultural necessity in that society of blaming someone and then
> trying to
> get
> | compensation.
> |
> | Because a case is won in court does not mean that a scientific
> fact has
> been
> | established, else we would still be holiding to the vaticans
> decisionswith
> | regard to Galileo.
> |
> | I think we would be wasting valuable money, wasting valuable
> scientists,if
> | we were not spending the money on providing services for autism
> in all its
> | manifestations and levels.
> |
> | Some people though, think in headlines and slogans, read a piece of
> reserch
> | but do not criticically evaluate it and masss hysteria results.
> |
> | I too have aspergers, but I do not believe one half of what Colin
> does,nor
> | do I go about my life finding things to condemn all the time even
> if it
> | appears that way.
> |
> | Larry
> |
> | > -----Original Message-----
> | > From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
> | > [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of ColRevs
> | > Sent: 22 July 2003 23:36
> | > To: [log in to unmask]
> | > Subject: Research clears MMR with Autism.... What's the future
> now?| >
> | >
> | > Research clears MMR with Autism; What the future now?... I
> would like to
> | > hear your views... See link to BBC news-story at:-
> | > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1808826.stm ...
> | >
> | > 'Professor Brent Taylor of the Royal Free who led the research
> | > told BBC News
> | > Online: "There is no evidence'....
> | >
> | > What are your thoughts and viewpoints? send them to myself or
> send your
> | > comments to Paul Shattock, Autism Research Unit, University of
> | > Sunderland....
> | >
> | > What about the Californian Study, USA, being carried-out on the
> | > environmental-effects of the causes of Autism... Should 'we' in
> the U.K.
> | > ignore this stud?
> | >
> | > I believe that a U.K study should now be carried-out... Does
> anyoneagree?
> | >
> | > Please forward to other forums, groups and individuals within your
> network
> | > for their urgent comments and viewpoints, in which needs to be
> researchin
> | > an open-dialogue from a qualitative 'real-people's experiences
> of what
> | > people's views are on this research and where should research
> go in the
> | > future.
> | >
> | > Regards
> | >
> | > Colin Revell, Hull, England and a recent diagnosed adult with
> Aspergers| > Syndrome
> | >
> | > ________________End of message______________________
> | >
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