Posts Tagged ‘ADHD’

There is a broad range of neurologic disorders in children with gluten sensitivity

Monday, July 26th, 2010

This paper recently published in the journal Pediatrics draws attention to our concern for the non-celiac manifestations of gluten sensitivity, especially the neurological dimension. The authors note importantly that:

“During the past 2 decades, celiac disease (CD) has been recognized as a multisystem autoimmune disorder. A growing body of distinct neurologic conditions such as cerebellar ataxia, epilepsy, myoclonic ataxia, chronic neuropathies, and dementia have been reported, mainly in middle-aged adults…The aim of the present study is to look for a broader spectrum of neurologic disorders in CD patients, most of them children or young adults.”

They found a much greater prevalence of neurological disorders in children with CD compared to normal controls: 51.4% to 19.9%, including hypotonia, developmental delay, learning disorders and ADHD, headache, and cerebellar ataxia.

The authors conclude:

“This study suggests that the variability of neurologic disorders that occur in CD is broader than previously reported and includes “softer” and more common neurologic disorders, such as chronic headache, developmental delay, hypotonia, and learning disorders or ADHD.”

Bear in mind that we are equally concerned with the neurologic manifestations of gluten sensitivity in the absence of celiac disease.

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ADHD and the dopamine reward pathway

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

JAMAThis paper published not long ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association provides more evidence for the association of deficiencies of dopamine function with ADHD. The authors first note:

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—characterized by symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity—is the most prevalent childhood psychiatric disorder that frequently persists into adulthood, and there is increasing evidence of reward-motivation deficits in this disorder.”

The authors used positron emission tomography (PET) to image the brain dopamine reward pathway. Specifically they measured dopamine synaptic markers (transporters and receptors). What did their data show?

“A reduction in dopamine synaptic markers associated with symptoms of inattention was shown in the dopamine reward pathway of participants with ADHD.”

This has great practical significance when we consider that physiological precursor therapy naturally and without side-effects provides the resources for the body to increase its own dopamine levels and up-regulate the reward pathways.

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Early pregnancy folate associated with child hyperactivity

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Journal of Child Psychology and PsychiatryThe authors of this paper recently published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry being by noting:

Maternal nutrition during pregnancy has been linked with fetal brain development and psychopathology in the offspring. We examined for associations of maternal folate status and dietary intake during pregnancy with brain growth and childhood behavioural difficulties in the offspring.”

They correlated maternal red blood cell folate (RCF) at 14 weeks of pregnancy and total folate intake (TFI) from food and supplements with their childrens’ behavioral difficulties. What did the data show?

Lower maternal RCF and TFI in early pregnancy were associated with higher childhood hyperactivity and peer problems scores in the offspring….analyses showed significant inverse indirect associations of RCF with hyperactivity/inattention and peer problems via fetal brain growth.”

Their conclusion:

“…our data provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that lower folate status in early pregnancy might impair fetal brain development and affect hyperactivity/inattention and peer problems in childhood.”

Here we have another compelling reason to ascertain good folate status in early pregnancy, or (even better) before becoming pregnant. Although conventional blood tests for serum folate are not dependable, a convenient and reliable way to do determine folate adequacy is by measuring the organic acid formiminoglutamate in the urine.

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Range of neurologic disorders with gluten sensitivity

Friday, November 20th, 2009

This paper published in the journal Pediatrics discusses some of the neurological disorders that can be present with celiac disease. It’s important to be aware that non-celiac gluten sensitivity can manifest these and more. The authors conclude: “This study suggests that the variability of neurologic disorders that occur in CD is broader than previously reported and includes “softer” and more common neurologic disorders, such as chronic headache, developmental delay, hypotonia, and learning disorders or ADHD.”

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ADHD and essential fatty acids

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

The journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids published an important paper earlier this year that clarifies why there have been conflicting results in earlier studies on the use of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of ADHD. The authors demonstrated that EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) and DHA (docosahexanoic acid) were each associated with a different type of response in different areas of the brain. This is a good example of the importance of the functional medicine approach that investigates the details of underlying causes and customizes treatment for the individual. The authors state “These findings indicate that EPA and DHA may be involved in distinct aspects of affect processing in ADHD and have implications for understanding currently inconsistent findings in the literature on EFA supplementation in ADHD and depression.” Lapis Light patients already know about the importance of objectively measuring essential fatty acids with the proper blood test for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

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