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AUTISM FIRST STEPS
AUTISM DAILY NEWSLETTER     
Tuesday December 25, 2001  

INDEX:
*   Britain's Blair takes jabs over kid's shots  
*   Metallothionein protein disorder
*    The Biological Basis of Aggression
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Britain's Blair takes jabs over kid's shots

12/24/01BY POLLY STEWART
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON -- Leo Blair doesn't know he's in the middle of a political tussle, but his dad the prime minister is seething at opposition lawmakers and media he accuses of trying to invade the 19-month-old's privacy.

Tony Blair lashed out over the weekend at critics demanding to know if his youngest son has received a childhood immunization that some fear may be linked to autism. The Blairs have always tried to protect the privacy of their four children.

Blair refused to answer on the grounds it infringed his son's privacy as the issue rapidly dominated national news headlines. Several national newspapers sharply criticized Blair for not answering the question.

But the prime minister did say he and his wife, Cherie, believe the advice given to the government -- that there is "overwhelming" evidence that the combined measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine is safe. Britain's national health system recommends all children get the shot.

The vaccine is generally given to children at around age 2. At least one study on the vaccine has linked it with an increase in the incidence of autism, a severe neurological disorder.

Children with autism generally have difficulty communicating, may become obsessed with repetitive motions, such as head rolling, and often are intolerant of changes in their environment. They also may have learning difficulties.

In an April study, the U.S. Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, concluded that while "the evidence favors rejection" of a connection to autism, it "does not exclude the possibility that MMR vaccine could in rare cases contribute" to autism or related disorders in a small number of children.

In a statement, Blair said: "The suggestion that the government is advising parents to have the MMR jab whilst we are deliberately refraining from giving our child the treatment because we know it is dangerous, is offensive beyond belief."

Blair said parents, including himself and his wife, did not have to rely on the advice of the government's chief medical officer alone about the vaccine but could draw on the "overwhelming advice from virtually every reputable independent source," including the World Health Organization and Britain's Royal College of Pediatricians.

"They can rely also on the again overwhelming research that has found the alleged link between autism and MMR to be unfounded," he said.

Opposition Conservative lawmaker Julie Kirkbride, who challenged Blair in Parliament over the issue, told the BBC: "We are politicians and we tell the public what to do, and I think the public have a right to know whether we apply those same standards in our own lives
   
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/page1/ledger/1564586.html

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Metallothionein protein disorder

Metallothionein protein disorder, or MT is thought to have it?s root
cause in an underlying genetic defect involving more than one gene.
The genes have not been located in humans as of this publication.
This disorder results in a decreased ability of the MT protein to
function normally.
Metallothionein protein plays an important role in regulation of zinc
and copper levels in the blood, detoxification of heavy metals as they
enter the body, development and continued functioning of the immune
system, development and pruning of brain cells, (neurons), prevention
of yeast overgrowth in the intestines, production of enzymes that
break down casein and gluten, production of hydrochloric acid by
stomach cells, taste and texture discrimination by the tongue,
behavior control and development of memory and social skills. In
February of 2000, William Walsh, Ph.D. of the Pfeiffer Treatment
Center, discovered that most autistic clients exhibit MT dysfunction
and that the classic signs of autism can be explained by a MT
dysfunction.  He proposed that autism results from an intersection of
two factors.  One, a genetic defect involving marginal or defective MT
functioning followed by two, an environmental insult during early
development.  Currently the Pfeiffer Treatment Center uses a
biological approach to promote MT protein function.  Dr. Walsh feels
that possible consequences of achieving improved MT function may
result in an improved ability to develop new brain cells and
connections, eliminate the need for special diets, improve behavior
and learning, reduce yeast overgrowth and inflammation in the gut and
an improvement in immune function.
There are four primary types of MT proteins, each with an important
role in the body.

? MT-I and II are present in all cells throughout the body.  They
regulate copper and zinc, are involved in cell transcription, detoxify
heavy metals, play a role in immune function, and are involved in a
variety of G.I. tract functions.
? MT-III is found primarily in the brain and functions as a growth
inhibitory factor in the brain.  MT-III is located primarily in the
central nervous system with small amounts present in the pancreas and
intestines.  It plays a major role in the development, organization
and programmed death of brain cells.
? MT-IV is found in the skin and upper G.I. tract.  They help regulate
stomach acid pH, taste and texture discrimination of the tongue and
help protect against sunburn and other skin traumas.

The Brain and metallothionein:
In early infancy the brain has a high population of small, tightly
packed brain cells.  MT-III plays an important role in pruning these
neurons, so that the remaining neurons can grown and develop new
connections between each other.  Early MT-III dysfunction may result
in too many tightly packed brain cells, lacking proper connections to
one another.  This pruning defect may also be occurring in the disease
Alzheimers.  Clients are exposed to mercury via amalgam fillings and
flu-shots.  When aluminum (Cookware commonly used before 1970) is
present, a deadly and dangerous combination is created and may alter
the MT-III protein which turns on and begins to prune the healthy
brain cells.
Metallothionein, zinc and copper are found at high levels in the
hippocampus region of the brain.  The hippocampus plays key roles in
learning, memory and behavior control.  High levels of MT proteins are
also found in the amygdala (emotional memory and socialization),
pineal gland (melatonin and the regulation of sleep), and the Purkinje
cells. (receiving and sorting incoming information from the
brain/body).  Metallothionein also plays a key role in sequestering
heavy metals and mediating immune response during crisis.  In the
event of a severe environmental insult, incomplete maturation of areas
of the brain undergoing organization and development at the time of
the insult may result in incomplete development. Individual
combinations of autism may depend on the timing and the severity of
the environmental insult, and at what stage of development the insult
was received.

Removal of Heavy Metals from the Body:

Metallothionein is the body?s primary defense against heavy metals
entering the body.  MT proteins have an affinity for mercury, copper,
cadmium, silver, zinc and lead.  MT-I and MT-II proteins are present
in high concentration in the intestinal area of the G.I. tract and
form a barrier against lead, mercury etc.  Under normal conditions
heavy metals are sequestered in mucosa MT and sloughed off every 5-10
days and passed out through the stool.  When the MT defense is
disabled toxic metals can leak from the intestinal walls and enter the
bloodstream.  Toxic metals left in the intestines may bind with
sulfhydryl groups and disable important digestive enzymes. High
concentrations of MT proteins are also found in the brain, liver and
kidney and it has been proposed that they are probably present in
large quantities along the blood-brain barrier.  Heavy metal toxicity
left unchecked in the body may result in impaired hyppocampus
function, disruption of the calcium channels, altered concentrations
of neurotransmitters, impairment of the myelin sheath, liver damage
and kidney damage.

Copper and zinc regulation:

Metallothionein plays a key role in the regulation of copper levels
throughout the body.  Copper absorption is inversely related to the
amount of MT-I and MT-II proteins present in the gut.  (the smaller
the amount of  MT proteins present,  the greater the amount of copper
absorbed)  Most copper is bound to cerloplasm, but MT proteins can
serve as a temporary storage site in the presence of excessive amounts
of copper.  Once the MT proteins bind copper, they are unable to bind
zinc and become disabled.  In Wilson?s disease , researchers have
shown that a persistent copper toxicity can overload and disable MT
proteins.  The leading Wilson?s disease therapy involves removal of
excessive copper followed by restoration of normal zinc levels.  Dr.
W. Walsh proposes that the same treatment may be affective in treating
autism.

Metallothionein and the G.I. tract:

MT proteins are found in the highest concentrations in the G.I.
system.  MT-IV is present in high concentration on the tongue.  MT
deficiency may result in a zinc deficiency in the tongue contributing
to abnormal sensitivity to taste and texture.  MT-IV is also found in
high concentrations in the stomach.  The primary roles MT proteins
play in the stomach include production of hydrochloric acid, donation
of zinc atoms for digestive enzymes and protection against stomach
inflammation.  Lowered production of hydrochloric acid may result in a
decreased secretin response by the pancreas due to the poorly chummed
food entering from the stomach area.
MT proteins in the intestinal system donate zinc for the synthesis of
the enzymes needed to breakdown casein, gluten and other proteins.
Zinc deficiency may also be responsible for severe food allergies.  MT
proteins are the primary defense against intestinal inflammation and
diarrhea.  MT proteins kill candida and prevent yeast overgrowth.

Metallothionein and Immune Function:

MT proteins are the primary vehicle for delivering zinc to cells.
Zinc is found in over 200 enzymes in the body, and is part of more
enzymatic reactions than any other mineral.  It is needed for the
regulation of hormones including the sex hormones, growth hormone and
thymic hormones.  MT proteins perform the function of immunomodulators
as well.
MT plays an important role in the regulation of humoral and cellular
immunity.  Individuals with an impaired MT function exhibit a
decreased amount of circulating T-cells (may be due to zinc
deficiency) MT proteins also act as scavengers of free radicals that
are not bound.

VERSION OF MT PROTOCOL    

Treating Metallothionein Disorder Using Sound

The vibrational rate or frequency of the MT protein is between
6000-7000 Hz.  The frequency cut observed in autistic clients has been
at 24.182 Hz.  The more severe the symptoms of an autistic child were,
the deeper into the waveform the MT waveform was found. Children with
severe symptoms had their MT waveform in the C-4 octave. Those
children who had mild symptoms had their MT waveform in the C-2
octave.   Locating the stressed waveform and the octave it is
appearing in should correlate to the degree of dysfunction exhibited
in a child.  Those children who showed improvement over time had a
corresponding change in waveform type, configuration and placement as
well.
Copper detoxification is a crucial part of getting MT proteins to
function, so we place children on a copper detox for 30 minutes per
day using sound waves. Once copper is detoxed or removed from the MT
proteins the frequency of zinc is given to help zinc bind where the
copper had been.
Other waveforms I observe include the amino acids that are part of the
MT protein, cysteine, taurine, methionine, and Glutathione.  I also
check for appropriate amounts of B-9, B-12 and B-6 since they play a
crucial role in amino acids being able to convert or form the MT
protein.  Vitamin A, calcium, magnesium and selenium are important in
helping bind toxins like arsenic and maintain the calcium channels in
the brain. The initial program chosen to address the MT dysfunction is
listed below.

1.. Torsion field   15 minutes
2.. Calcium and magnesium 12 minutes
3.  B-6 and choline  12 minutes
4. GABA/TMG or DMG   12 minutes
5.  Taurine or methionine 12 minutes
6.  MT protein   20 minutes
7.  copper detox 30 minutes
8.  Zinc   30 minutes
9.  vitamin B-9 and B-12 30 minutes
10. Mercury detox  15 minutes
11. Lead detox   15 minutes
12. oxygen 12 minutes

It appears from our first try at using sound waves to address the MT
dysfunction that it has great potential for assisting and correcting
MT dysfunction.  4 more children have been placed on the program and
we will continue to monitor progress and make changes to the programs
as indicated.

MT protein dysfunction has far-reaching implications for many diseases
including Alzheimer's, eating disorders encountered in premature
infants and a host of psychiatric disorders and psoriasis/eczema.
Effective treatment of this disorder requires a three-step approach.

1. Avoiding additional exposures.
Using filtered water to drink, cook and bath in.  Avoiding swimming
pools with heavy chemical and algacide use, opting for mercury-free
vaccinations and flu shots. Run your tub water to clear long standing
pipe water before filling.
2. Detoxification of toxins from the body
PCA RX spray, sound waves, chelation using drugs like EDTA and DMSA
3. Correction of underlying chemical imbalances to minimize future
vulnerability to toxins
Appropriate supplementation as indicated by hair analysis, blood and
urine testing  or Bio-Resonance evaluation.
Bio-Resonance Therapy is an easy an inexpensive way to treat young
children.  Children and their parents both appreciate the non-invasive
aspects of voice printing and appreciate the information obtained from
the voice printing analysis.
My current protocol involves giving sound waves to assist in uptake
and utilization of essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and
minerals, and using sound waves to detox the copper and other heavy
metals.  I use the child's voiceprint to obtain the status of the
above items and then children are placed on the necessary biological
supplementation.  Sound waves do not supplement your child, they help
by making the molecules vibrate which makes the items more assessable
to the cells that need them.  Currently we are not sure how this is
accomplished.  Once your child's voiceprint is obtained. (this takes
about 30 seconds and can be taken while the child tells a story,
recites the alphabet or cries.)  wave forms are fed back with 3
decimal point accuracy using a small function generator called a
tonebox, which is then fed to a vibrational pouch that you put along
side your child once they are asleep. Most of the children need
supplementation with zinc, B-6, B-9, B-12, calcium, taurine, magnesium
and selenium.  Some have needed molybdenum, ionisol, glutathionine and
choline.
I have removed the waveform files that were part of this original
article so that it can be e-mailed. For those of you unfamiliar with
waveform evaluation, think of the information obtained from an EEG or
EKG, this is similar in nature.  I hope this helps clarify what we are
addressing and how we are treating MT protein dysfunction. Those
parents wanting to use strictly a biological approach with copper
chelation drugs should contact the Pfeiffer Institute in Naperville,
Illinois.  Their team of experts are wonderful, and helpful. Testing
is done using a blood draw and urine and stool.  Their pharmacy staff
can create your supplements into compounded substances that are
prepared and ready to give via capsule. Most insurance carriers cover
the initial evaluation which runs with lab work about $1600.00.

Very Truly Yours, Lauren O'Brien RN

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The Biological Basis of Aggression

by Joanna Schaffhausen

One need only pick up the daily newspaper to see how serious a problem violence is in today's society. Although the incidence of violent behavior in the US has fallen significantly in the past few years, there is still about an 80% chance that a person will be the victim of a violent crime during his or her lifetime. Even more troubling is the trend of increasing violence among the very young. After each school shooting, there is a media blitz of experts searching to explain how and why troubled teens sometimes turn to violence. Much of what they say is the result of research on the psychobiology of aggression, a field that has recently experienced many breakthroughs in identifying correlates of violent behavior. Some researchers claim that we are coming closer to predicting from a brain scan or a blood test whether a person is at risk for committing an act of violence. Ethical complications aside, a closer look at the neurobiology of aggression shows why we are unlikely to find a conclusive test for potential violent behavior. While there are many biological factors associated with aggression, their predictive value remains still quite low.

The first hurdle in researching aggression is how to define it. It is an easier task with animals, who tend to display stereotyped patterns of violence such as killing to gain food or territory. With humans and non-human primates, classifying aggression becomes more difficult because there is complication of intent. Punishment, for example, represents an especially gray area. Should spanking be considered an aggressive act? What about capital punishment? Indeed, almost all acts we consider aggressive have been socially sanctioned by some cultures over the years. To simplify matters, many psychologists and ethologists find it useful to classify aggressive behavior into one of three main categories: (1) predatory aggression, which refers to stalking and killing of other species, (2) social aggression, which is unprovoked aggression that is directed a members of the same species for purposes of establishing dominance, and (3) defensive aggression, which refers to attacks delivered when an animal is cornered by a threatening aggressor. There is evidence from animal studies that suggests the different types of aggression are controlled by different subsets of brain structures within the limbic system, including the amygdala, the septum, and the hypothalamus (figure 1). For example, in the rat, lesions of the lateral septum decrease social aggression but increase predatory aggression, suggesting that neural substrates for offensive and defense aggression are intertwined but separate.

The Biological Basis of Aggression
Is it in the Genes?

One of the earliest attempts to link genetics and violent behavior occurred during the 1960s, when researchers thought they had discovered a propensity for violence in men born with an extra Y chromosome. Although the studies attracted a lot of attention at the time, further examination of XYY males revealed that they did not display any particularly violent tendencies. Furthermore, XYY males are extremely rare, and thus the syndrome could not possibly explain the frequency and prevalence of violent behavior around the globe. Scientists agree that there is probably a genetic component to aggression because violent behavior tends to run in families. However, with a complex behavior like aggression, it is especially difficult to separate genetic and environmental contributions. Most likely it is possible to inherit a predisposition to violence, but psychologists also stress that modeling aggressive behavior in the home is the surest method for propagating violence.

"Sniper Charles Whitman, who killed several people from the University Tower at Texas, left a note behind that begged people to examine his brain for possible dysfunction. His autopsy revealed he had a tumor pressing into his amygdala."  

A large body of research implicates the amygdala as a key brain structure for mediating violence. One of the first indications that the amygdala might be important for fear and aggression came from Kluver and Bucy's 1939 descriptions of monkeys who had their temporal lobes removed. They noted that the animals were remarkably tame and showed little fear. Later research indicated that docile behavior associated with Kluver-Bucy syndrome is likely mediated by the amygdala, as selective removal of that structure produced similar effects on fear and aggression. It is also possible to increase aggression through modulation of the amygdala. In animals, electrical stimulation of the amygdala augments all types of aggressive behavior, and there is evidence for a similar reaction in humans. Sniper Charles Whitman, who killed several people from the University Tower at Texas, left a note behind that begged people to examine his brain for possible dysfunction. His autopsy revealed he had a tumor pressing into his amygdala.


Hormones and Serotonin

Testosterone is another attractive candidate for mediating aggression because males in of all ages, races and cultures are more physically aggressive than their female counterparts. In animals, testosterone is linked to social aggression. Reducing testosterone in the alpha male by castrating him eliminates his dominant social status, and restoring testosterone through injection causes him to regain his social status. However, administering testosterone to males with less social status does not usually allow them to take over the alpha male position, indicating that there is not a direct relationship between testosterone and position in the dominance hierarchy. There is some evidence in humans that high testosterone males are more likely to be socially aggressive, but no evidence that they are necessarily more violent. Often they are successful in professions that thrive on competition, such as successful leading of a company, running for president, or pursuing a sports career. Also, a few psychologists have suggested that females are not necessarily less aggressive than males; rather, they display a different kind of aggression. Females are more likely to show non-violent types of aggression such as ostracizing their peers or spreading false rumors with the intent to cause pain. Thus, while there does seem to be a connection between testosterone and physical aggression, a person's testosterone level will not necessarily be a good predictor of aggressive behavior.

Several lines of converging evidence indicate that the neurotransmitter serotonin plays a key role in mediating aggressive and violent behavior. Mice with a selective knockout of the serotonin 1B receptor show an increase in aggression. Similarly, depleting serotonin levels in vervet monkeys increases their aggressive behavior, whereas augmenting serotonin levels reduces aggression and increases peaceable interactions like grooming. Serotonin has also been implicated in human aggression. For example, pharmacological interventions that augment serotonergic efficacy have been shown to reduce hostile sentiment and violent outbursts in aggressive psychiatric patients. Also, people with a history of impulsively violent behavior, such as arsonists, violent criminals, and people who die by violent methods of suicide show low levels of the serotonin in their cerebral spinal fluid. These findings represent an interesting correlation, but it is important to remember that the direction of effect is unclear. It may be that aggressive behavior induces low serotonin levels in the cerebral spinal fluid rather than vice versa.

Measures of brain functioning such as the EEG have long suggested that violent criminals have impaired neurological processes, but the recent advancement of neuroimaging techniques has allowed researchers to examine violent offenders' brains in more detail. Adrian Raine and colleagues have conducted the largest and most thorough study to date, in which they used positron emission tomography (commonly called a PET scan) to compare brain activity in 41 convicted violent offenders to activity in 41 age matched control subjects. They found that the people convicted of murder had reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex and increased activity in subcortical regions such as the thalamus. This finding fits nicely with previous research showing that the damage to the prefrontal cortex impairs decision making and increasing impulsive behavior. Indeed, Raine's work is perhaps the best evidence yet that impaired brain functioning may underlie some types of violent aggression. However, it is important to remember that his subjects lie at the extreme end of a spectrum and are may not be typical of most aggressors. Also, there are plenty of examples of people with prefrontal cortex damage who do not commit violent acts, so PET scans cannot be used to ferret out potential murders.

The Biological Basis of Aggression
Reducing Violent Behavior

Researchers have been successful in identifying biological factors associated with aggression but have had less luck figuring out how these factors might contribute to pathological aggression and violence. At this point, there is no neurological marker to identify a person at risk for violent behavior, and it seems unlikely that a definitive test will ever exist. As the example of high testosterone males illustrates, aggression can often be channeled into healthy and beneficial behaviors. Thus it seems the best road to reducing dangerous kinds of aggression is learning more about the factors that shape aggressive behavior. Many people point to the media as a key instigator of violence, citing statistics about the thousands of dramatized murders American children watch on television each year, and there is some evidence to support this idea. However, television cannot possibly be the sole mediator of violent behavior. Toronto receives the same television programming as Chicago but the crime rate in the Canadian city is not even a tenth of the American one. The hard truth about pathological aggression is that it does tend to propagate through families, and once started, the cycle can be very difficult to break. Research on the neurobiology of aggression has already provided some valuable clues about possible targets for biological intervention, but there is no quick fix. The good news is that scientists in the fields of psychology, sociology and biology are increasingly aware of their mutual interest in this topic. Each brings a piece of the puzzle to the table, and their unique combination offers our best hope for understanding the complex behavior of pathological aggression.

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ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.