Diuretic drug improves symptoms of autism

NATURE NEWS ^ | 11 December 2012 | Mo Costandi

[neverdem]

Small-scale trial provides hope for treatment of autistic behaviour in children.

A drug normally used to increase the rate at which people urinate improves some of the symptoms of autism in children, according to a small clinical trial published today in Translational Psychiatry1.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired communication and social interactions, and also by repetitive behaviours in those affected. Research has shown that signalling by a molecule called GABA, a neurotransmitter which normally dampens down neuronal activity, is altered in autism. And that this disruption of GABA is due to increased levels of chloride ions in the brain cells.

Reducing these chloride ion levels might help to treat the condition, hypothesized Yehezkel Ben-Ari, a neuroscientist at the Mediterranean Institute of Neurobiology (part of INSERM, France's national biomedical research agency) in Marseilles, and his colleagues.

In 2010, Ben-Ari and his co-author reported that a three-month course of bumetanide — a diuretic that lowers the concentration of chloride ions by blocking the entry of ions into the cell — decreased autistic behaviour in five infants without causing side effects2.

Now, the researchers have conducted a randomized, controlled clinical trial to confirm their earlier findings and to evaluate the safety of the drug.

They recruited 60 children for the study, aged between 3 and 11 years, who had been diagnosed with either autism or Asperger's syndrome, and randomly assigned them to receive either 1 milligram of bumetanide daily for three months, or a placebo daily for the same period. The researchers used a standard scale to assess the children's behaviour at the start and end of the three-month dosing period, and then assessed them again a month later.

Take notice
Video footage of the children was also taken at the start and end of the study, so that...

[neverdem]

The first reference is a FReebie. It's abstract mentions a common problem with diuretics, hypokalemia, a blood level low in potassium.

If this excess extracellular chloride ion concentration hypothesis is correct, there are other potassium supplements besides potassium chloride.

[neverdem]

If blocking this excess extracellular chloride ion concentration from entering GABA dependent neurons hypothesis is correct,...

I should have been more specific.

[Noamie]

Monster Low-Carb energy drinks make me pee. Maybe they should try that.

Hmm.... What is the clinically-tested, peer-reviewed and recognized, scientific test to diagnose “autism” called again?

[RetiredTexasVet]

Improves symptoms? Huh?

[Myrddin]

I find this interesting. Recall my prior experience with GABA. Rather than "turning off the noise", it turns on a cacaphony of mental distraction for me. The last time I went for a physical, the only "odd" thing in my blood work was a high chloride level.

If this excess extracellular chloride ion concentration hypothesis is correct, there are other potassium supplements besides potassium chloride.

Potassium iodide. Most people are iodine deficient anyway. A little KI would help both problems.

[neverdem]

(Disabled) HIV Vector Licks Leukemia

Gut bacteria may affect cardiovascular risk

China sacks officials over Golden Rice controversy

Turning Pull Into Push?

FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.

[Pining_4_TX]

Exactly, this trend of turning every behavior into a medical problem that requires treatment is scary. Just how many kids are on drugs of one kind or other these days? It seems that any child that exhibits any behavior that some worried parent or over-zealous psychologist considers to be different, is labeled as autistic or OC or ADHD. Now, even toddlers are being drugged for throwing tantrums.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/12/05/kids-tantrums-as-disorder-concern-doctors/

[Condor51]

*** Hmm.... What is the clinically-tested, peer-reviewed and recognized, scientific test to diagnose “autism” called again? ***

I could be wrong but I think it's called:

'What type of Health Insurance coverage do you have?
I have a payment due on my new Porsche.'

Or something like that.

[Noamie]

“Now, even toddlers are being drugged for throwing tantrums.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/12/05/kids-tantrums-as-disorder-concern-doctors/ “

I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure that homosexuality is the sole and only psycho-physiological anomaly that we don’t try to treat, medicate, or cure. Everything else is fair game - even simple bad behavior.

Except when a homosexual is behaving badly. That’s beautiful and totally natural.