1.5 — 2 autism Flashcards
(12 cards)
T/F? GI symptoms and disorders are common in children with ASD but are NOT shown to be significantly correlated with the degree of behavioral and cognitive impairment
False, they are significantly correlated
T/F? children with ASD who have an underlying GI disorder, but who are unable to express what they are feeling, are known to manifest GI symptoms as extremes of behaviors, such as aggression, self-injury, and excessive self-repetitive behaviors
True
research indicates more than __% of children on the spectrum don’t make enough digestive enzymes
50%
- they don’t have a good mix of beneficial bacteria in the GI tract and are more prone to infection and dysbiosis in the GI tract
- many need digestive enzymes and probiotics
what are the “Unholy 3” symptoms that children and adults with ASD and underlying GI disorders present with?
- constipation/diarrhea
- frequent night awakenings
- irritability or aggression
aside from the “Unholy 3”, what are other symptoms that children and adults with ASD and underlying GI disorders present with?
- pale and pasty
- dark under-eye circles, puffiness
- pale mucosa, allergic salute
- often have a “bleary, tired” look
- foggy, spacey
- eczema
- foul breath, burp a lot
- bloated bellies
- restless or hyperactive
- addictive eating habits
- high pain tolerance
- pica-type behavior
what are some gastro-intestinal abnormalities reported in autism?
- inflammation (esophagitis, gastritis, duodenitis, enterocolitis) with or without autoimmunity
- lymphoid nodular hyperplasia
- increased intestinal permeability
- low activities of discharidase enzymes
- impairement of detoxification
- dysbiosis with bacterial overgrowth
- food intolerance or exorphin intoxication (by opioid derived from casein and gluten)
what is SIBO?
an increase in the number and/or alteration in the type of bacteria in the upper GI tract
what are symptoms of SIBO?
- bloating
- diarrhea
- malabsorption
- weight loss
- malnutrition
how is SIBO diagnosed?
- the gold standard is culturing of jejunal aspirates
- most common and also non-invasive method: hydrogen and methane breath tests using glucose or lactulose
why are children and adult with ASD often “addicted” to foods like mac-n-cheese, nuggets, pizza, milk, goldfish, etc?
they cause opioid-like neuropeptides that are addictive
they are also constipating, affect language areas of the brain, affect behavior, dull cognition, slow processing time, decrease ability to feel pain
What cytokines are increased and decreased in children with ASD?
increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and decreased anti-inflammatory cytokines
causes inflammation and oxidative stress
an exploratory population-based, case-control study found the __ out of 10 children with autism had higher plasma pyruvate, indicating mitochondrial dysfunction
8 out of 10
