Research: Corticosteroid Treatment of Behaviour, Language and Motor Regression in Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

Authored by Mordekar, SR, Prendergast M., Chattopadhyay AK, and Baxter PS in Official Journal of the European Paediatric Neurology Society, Volume 13, Issue 4, p. 367-369, (2009).

Article summary (posted Dec 14, 2009):

An immune system suppressant (corticosteroid) may help some children on the autism spectrum.

Two 4-year-old children had a rapid onset of childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD). They had a change in personality, loss of speech, and withdrew from people. They also had seizures. The authors treated them with the corticosteroid prednisolone, and their symptoms gradually disappeared over the next 4 years. Prednisolone acts to reduce inflammation and calm down the immune system, and may have other effects. The doctors found no sign of inflammation in their nervous system. The doctors do not know why the medication worked for these children.

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autism, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), diet, doctor, drug, immune system, inflammation, language, medication, motor, nervous system, science, seizures, speech therapy, therapy, treatment
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