Research: Is There a Basis for Novel Pharmacotherapy of Autism?

Authored by Hunsinger, DM, Nguyen T., Zebraski SE, and Raffa RB in Life Sciences, Volume 67, Issue , p. 1667-1682, (2000).

Article summary (posted Oct 21, 2006):

This article gives an overview of the research on the biological causes of autism and potential complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies for autism.

The authors describe the symptoms of autism, and then briefly discuss the differences between the brains of people with and without autism. According to the authors, some of these differences suggest that the usual brain development seen in individuals without autism is somehow short-circuited in those with autism. This could be due to many factors, including differences in metabolism, digestion, and the production of neurotransmitters. Next, several medicines used to treat autism are described, many of which affect neurotransmitters or their receptors. CAM treatments are also described, including supplements, immune treatments, and oxytocin infusion.

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You can access the original abstract and the complete paper is sometimes available for free via Google Scholar (look for entries that say "PDF" or "HTML" on the right side of the page).
autism, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), digestion, immune system, metabolism, neurotransmitters, oxytocin, pharmacotherapy, receptors, supplements, therapy, treatment, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
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