Medical News: Mitochondrial Dysfunction Seen in Some Autistic Kids - in Pediatrics, Autism from MedPage Today
In medical news: A small exploratory study has found that children with autism seem more likely to have problems with their mitochondria than children with typical neurodevelopment. Children recruited from an ongoing case-controlled study found those with autism appeared to have lower oxidative phosphorylation capacity, as well mitochondrial DNA abnormalities, Cecilia Giulivi, PhD, of the University of California Davis, and colleagues reported in the Dec. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Although this small study suggests that mitochondrial defects in children with autism may be more common than in controls, it is a cross-sectional study and causality cannot be determined. That seems to be something missed in the mainstream press, which tout this report as proof of causation. Findings from this preliminary cross-sectional study, which included only 10 cases and 10 controls, cannot establish a causal relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction and autism.
"Whether the mitochondrial dysfunction in children with autism is primary or secondary to an as-yet unknown event remains the subject of future work," the authors wrote. But, they further note that "mitochondrial dysfunction could greatly amplify and propagate brain dysfunction, such as that found in autism, given that the highest levels of mitochondrial DNA abnormalities are observed in postmitotic tissues with high energy demands (e.g., brain)." Giulivi and her colleagues analyzed a subset of children ages 2 to 5 participating in the ongoing Childhood Autism Risk from Genes and Environment (CHARGE) study in California. The researchers looked for mitochondrial problems in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of the 20 children included in the analysis.
"The team identified several factors indicative of defective or abnormal mitochondria in children with autism. Additionally, although there were no between-group differences in glycemia or lactate levels, there was a significantly higher mean plasma pyruvate level in the children with autism (P=0.02) -- consistent with the lower pyruvate dehydrogenase activity seen among the cases. Defects in pyruvate dehydrogenase activity result in insufficient energy production, according to the researchers." The authors acknowledged some limitations of the study, including the relatively small sample size, the possibility of type I errors, and the fact that the children with autism in this substudy were higher functioning than those from the original study.
If a correlation eventually leads to us accepting a causation, what does this mean? mitochondria are called the "powerhouses" of cells, they create energy for cellular metabolism and when they are dysfunctional, cells do not operate efficiently. Essentially they are the key to concerting what we eat into energy within the cell. Poor performance of the mitochondria is disruptive for cells, and we would assume especially for brain cells which have high very energy demands. A lack of energy in brain cells during early development could explain why the brains of children with autism spectrum disorder don't function properly. Mitochondria have already been shown to accompany other neurological conditions, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. What does this mean for treatment? Nothing right now. i'm sure within a week every supplement out there will be mentioning how they help address this issue with this pill or that diet, but the truth is, as you can see, this research is in its very basic stage. While many want to make giant leaps to specific supplements they either sell or advertise, we do not yet understand this relationship clearly enough,m nor do we know what to do about the dysfunction of the mitochondria. What I am sure of is that fish oil pills are not an easy answer.
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My web page lists a number of resources you can make use of yourself in dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperger's, as well as ADHD and many other learning disabilities. These posts, however, are not meant to provide medical advice. NEVER use internet blogs as your key to making medical decisions. Print out things you find and wonder about and take them to your medical doctor and ask the expert.
Please feel free to visit my website at www.socialcognitivetherapy.com, or one of my other sites at: Psychology Today, AAMFT, PSYRIS or my professional site or www.adhdhelp.ca.
Autism and ADHD assessment and treatment services are offered for individuals, couples, families, children, adolescents and adults in the Burnaby, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster and Maple Ridge areas of the lower mainland. This includes neuro-developmental assessments, psycho-education assessments, autism assessments as well as behavioural and cognitive behaviour therapy. I also provide diagnostic assessments for autism and Asperger's Disorder in my Burnaby office.
Dr. Jim Roche
Registered Psychologist, British Columbia 01610
778.998-7975
www.relatedminds.com
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