Dr. Clark's Brain Based Blog

Recovering From Autoimmune Autism--William One Year Later

Dr. David Clark, DC shares a progress update on William, who is recovering from Autoimmune Autism.

I first shared Willam's autism story with you in 2010. You can read that post here.

Below is  a video from summer 2011...a one year update on William and his progress and recovery from Autoimmune Autism.

David Clark:    Cool, so it's been – when did I first see you guys?

Dad:    A year, about a year, 15th of April.

Mom:    The fifteenth of last year, April last year.

David Clark:    Man, really?  Time has flown. 

Mom:    The difference is a big change in him in a year.

David Clark:    Yeah?  So well me about it.

Mom:    Oh, wow, it was like –

Dad:    The swim team.

Mom:    Yeah, the swim team.  He follows directions, he waits, he still gets a little anxious when the buzzer, unless it's his turn, you know?

David Clark:    Um-hum.

Dad:    Still likes the sound.

Mom:    When it's his turn, he –

David Clark:    Still likes the sound a little bit?

Dad:    Still likes the sound.

Mom:    Yeah. 

David Clark:    Okay.

Mom:    But not, yeah, gets a little anxious, but –

David Clark:    Is it, now how bad is the biting of the hand compared to a year ago?  Is it the same or is it less?

Mom:    No, it's easier.  It's less.  When he gets real anxious is when his – when he –

Dad:    The hand biting.

Mom:    The hand biting, but he hasn't been – he went there for I guess a couple of months without even doing it and then all of a sudden he got anxious again.  It might have been that time when we – I think it started back in when we were off of the fish oil for a couple of months; actually, he ended up about three months without it.

David Clark:    Um-hum......Well, I gotta tell you, he's way more calm.

Mom:    Oh, golly, yeah, well, you know, you told us last year to get off the milk and soy.

David Clark:    Right, right.

Mom:    And even before we got home I saw another difference where he was just – he was even saying a couple more words.

David Clark:    Yeah?

Mom:    And, you know, and then once we got off of everything else that he was on we saw another different change in him.

David Clark:    Yeah, because he was on one supplement that he  shouldn't have been on.

Mom:    Shouldn't have been – exactly.  Exactly.

David Clark:   Tell me about his verbal communication these days.

Mom:    Oh, so much better.

David Clark:    Well, I can already –

Mom:    So much better, I mean he just, he speaks in more sentences at one time, more at one time.

David Clark:    Right.

Mom:    And it's just – and it's appropriate talk, too.

David Clark:    It's spontaneous and appropriate?

Mom:    Um-hum.

David Clark:    Not scripting, necessarily?  If you had to say, I mean, if you had like – it's always hard to put a number on things, but what kind of percent improvement would you say over last year?

Mom:    Oh, gosh.

David Clark:    Whatever you think is fine.

Mom:    Sixty, seventy?

Dad:    Fifty or sixty, I'd say.

David Clark:    Yeah?  Cool.  Good.  And obviously we still have things we gotta work on, but I'm super pleased.

Mom:    Oh, yeah.  Well even now, we got him back – he had a swim – get out of swimming and he gets swimmer's ear.

David Clark:    Right.

Mom:    He went swimming without having to be on practice.  Well, since then he hasn't taken the melatonin.

David Clark:    Um-hum.  The melatonin, right, we talked about getting off of that, yeah?

Mom:    He's off of it.

Dad:    He's off of it.

David Clark:    And is he sleeping okay?

Mom:    Oh, yeah.

David Clark:    See, now that is awesome.

Mom:    It's just like a – I mean, at least eight hours.

David Clark:    You see, now that is awesome because that means that he didn't need it, first off.

Mom:    No.

David Clark:    And second of off, you kept him from being dependent on it forever, which is cool.

Mom:    I know, that's, yeah.

David Clark:    It's much better for him to have his own normal rhythm.  Well, the good thing is – here's what I'm hearing, more verbal in an appropriate way, less hyperactive, engaging in more social activities, and we're gonna call that the swim team.

Mom:    Um-hum.

Dad:    Yeah.

David Clark:    Let's see, what else are we hearing?  Sleeping better.

Mom:    Um-hum.

David Clark:    That's all good stuff, just got more to work on.

Dad:    And he will be on the swim team this summer.

David Clark:    All right, well that's great.

Dad:    Yeah, there's a summer – it's like, six weeks, it's not much, but just to get him on there.

David Clark:    That's great.  And then the physical activity of the swimming is actually very important for his brain, too, because it's basically a crawling pattern.  I mean, you're basically crawling in the water is what you're doing when you're swimming and that's fantastic for him.

Mom:    He – we saw a huge difference, which we were down in Daytona for fall break and he swam two or three – three, four hours a day.

David Clark:    Wow.

Mom:    He was in the pool.

Dad:    Constantly.

Mom:    In and out just, you know, constantly.

Dad:    He'd go into the ocean and then in the pool.

Mom:    Oh, I saw another difference, improved talking then just during that one week was just unreal.

David Clark:    And that's why you should let him keep doing that.  That's what I was just telling you about that.

Mom:    Yeah.

David Clark:    Because that's what we call – that swimming motion is kind of what we call a pattern generator motion.  It's just kind of a developmental thing.  It's very good for him.  It's very good stuff.

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Recovering-from-Autoimmune-Autism-William-One-Year-Later

 

© 2012 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

THE PLACE FOR ANSWERS™
Dr. David Clark, DC
Functional Neurologist
Diplomate College of Clinical Nutrition
Functional Endocrinology
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
Vestibular Rehab Specialist
214-341-3737

URL: http://www.doctordavidclark.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DrDavidClark
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dallas-TX/Dr-David-Clark-Functional-Neurologist/92451382182

Vitamin D Deficiency and Psychotic Disorders in Children

DoctorDavidClark.com

Dr. David Clark, DC explains why new research connecting Vitamin D Deficiency and pschotic disorders in children could help children with Autism, ADDH, Depression, Bipolar Disorder....

I want to share with you important new information about the connection between Vitamin D deficiency and psychotic disorders in children.

Recently, at the annual meeting of The American Psychiatric Association there was a interesting study presented that investigated the vitamin D levels of children that required residential care (so these are kids with severe psychotic disorders.) 

And here's what they discovered....

21 percent of the kids in this study--21 percent -- had Vitamin D levels less than 20 ng/dl. These are extremely deficient levels of Vitamin D.

They also discovered that the prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency in kids with psychotic disorders was 43 percent.

So, their point is there’s an unequivocable, undeniable connection between Vitamin D deficiency and these kids that have these severe psychotic disorders. 

Now what the study authors didn’t do, which I’m going to fill in for you, is

1. Give you some reasons WHY Vitamin D and psychotic disorders are connected

and

2. What you should  do with this information about Vitamin D and psychotic disorders in children.

The Brain has receptors for  Vitamin D.  Vitamin D affects brain development---and if you look around some of my other posts, you’ll probably find some information on that--

So, in a simple way of looking at it...

Deficient Vitamin D often leads to abnormal brain development and brain function....psychotic disorders are just one example.

But there are some other reasons why low Vitamin D levels could lead to psychotic disorders in children.

Vitamin D is critical for the normal regulation of your immune system.  Vitamin D deficiency is strongly associated with autoimmune disorders.

Here's a few: Multiple sclerosis, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Celiac disease, Type1 Diabetes, many cases of Autism

"Autoimmune" means the immune system is attacking and attempting to destroy some part of the body. The immune system could attack the brain; it can attack any organ, any tissue. 

When you have low Vitamin D levels, your immune system can dis-regulate and literally become unbalanced. Become overzealous and can start attacking things that it shouldn’t attack. 

It can lead to what we call “neural inflammation," “neuroinflammation,"  or "neurodegeneration." This is inflammation inside the brain, inflammation in the central nervous system. 

In fact, a lot of researchers believe – I shouldn’t say a lot.  Some researchers believe that Vitamin D deficiency is THE cause of autism.  I don’t believe that Vitamin D Deficiency is THE cause of autism--- BUT, it’s certainly the cause for several cases that I’ve seen personally in my practice.

How would a child get to be that Vitamin D deficient? 

Is it the fact that they don’t go out in the sun enough?  Probably not.  I’ll give you some other reasons why this could happen. 

This is what I want you to pay close attention to....

Vitamin D deficiency is often caused by gastrointestinal malabsorption. 

Now let's ask the next question...

Why would a child not be able to absorb things correctly through their intestines?

The number one reason is gluten sensitivity.  I’ve said this a million times, and I’ll say it a million and one times more... 

If there was only one thing you could do for a person that is diagnosed with some type of psychiatric disorder – the best thing you could do--- a gluten-free and dairy-free diet. 

I’ve made some posts on this before... if you have an inflammatory response in your gut, you do not absorb correctly. 

I can’t tell you how many cases; I’ve lost count of how many autistic spectrum kids I've seen that had Vitamin D levels in the toilet---less than 20 ng/dl--- that, when we corrected their diet (and a few other things), their Vitamin D levels increased beyond "normal" and into the "optimal" range. 

So that’s one likely reason why these kids in the study have Vitamin D deficiencies--gastrointestinal inflammation. (The detective in me must tell you that a good doctor won't stop there, though. He/she will investigate and determine WHY there's inflammation)

The other probablity is that these kids may have autoimmune disorders.  There are certain genetic propensities that make you not be able to store and use Vitamin D normally.  And you end up with a unregulated immune system and/or disordered brain development. 

Okay, so what are you going to do with this information? 

If there's a child that’s been diagnosed with any sort of psychotic disorder, they’ve got to get checked for Vitamin D deficiency.  You have to find a doctor who understands that  just because the child is in a residential care facility doesn’t mean that the child can't be helped. With the right help, the child may be able to leave.

If you don’t have a child with any type of psychotic disorder  this important information may still be able to change a child's life...

If you have child with ADHD, Autism, Bipolar disorder, depression... you need to have  their Vitamin D levels checked by a doctor who understand what I'm talking about. 

Really, you should get the appropriate testing and determine if the child is gluten sensitive.  But, let me save you some money...just save your money and put the child on a gluten-free and dairy-free diet.

And third, you gotta find a doctor who can help guide you through all this  because these get complex quickly.

Please, don’t just go run out and start supplementing Vitamin D.

Here's why... because if your child’s got low Vitamin D, you have to figure out WHY.  Do they have an autoimmune condition?  Do they have gluten sensitivity?  What exactly is happening?  Do some investigating.

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Vitamin-D-Deficiency-and-Psychotic-Disorders-in-Children

© 2011 David Clark. All Rights Reserved.

THE PLACE FOR ANSWERS™
Dr. David Clark, DC
Functional Neurologist
Diplomate College of Clinical Nutrition
Functional Endocrinology
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
Vestibular Rehab Specialist
214-341-3737

URL: http://www.doctordavidclark.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DrDavidClark
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dallas-TX/Dr-David-Clark-Functional-Neurologist/92451382182

Omega 3 Fatty Acids Prevent Psychotic Disorders

Dr. David Clark, DC Functional Neurologist in Dallas, Texas shares new information about natural prevention of psychotic disorders.

Today I want to tell you about a fantastic study that came out of Vienna, Austria, last year.   It says is that...

Omega-3 fatty acids prevent the progression to psychotic disorders. 

What they did is they took about 100 different people in a hospital that were at ultrahigh risk for psychotic disorder. They had a placebo group and a treatment group. The placebo group, of course, didn’t receive anything.  The treatment group received 1.2 grams per day of omega-3 fatty acids for 12 weeks. Then they stopped and monitored both groups of people for another 40 weeks.

At the end of the year they looked and they asked how many people out of each one of these groups transitioned into actual psychotic disorders? 

In the treatment group 2 out of 41 people transitioned into the psychotic disorder. 

In the placebo group that got no omega-3 fatty acids at all 11 out of 40. 

So when you do the statistical analysis, what they found is the difference between the two groups and their risk to progression was 22 percent, and that is statistically significant.

They also found  that the omega-3 fatty acids improve "positive" symptoms and "negative" symptoms as well as overall functioning. 

The onclusion of the study is that Omega 3 Fatty Acids are safe.  This could be an important effective way of preventing the transition to psychotic disorder in people that are already at ultrahigh risk. 

These researchers deserve out loud applause.

It shouldn’t be too surprising that we don’t see a lot of these studies happening here in America.  There’s a few here and there, but a lot of these are happening in Europe.  They’re willing to do those trials and I guess we’re not.

The takeaway is is that omega-3 fatty acids have a lot of important functions. 

1. They make receptors in the body work. Omega-3 fatty acids make those receptors fluid and make it possible for them to do their job, you know, receiving signals.
2. Omega 3 Fatty Acids are in every cell in your body.  Every cell has a cell membrane, and that membrane is made up of omega-3 fatty acids.  So if you don’t have enough omega-3 fatty acids, then these membranes don’t function correction.  Molecules don’t traffic inside and outside of the cell correctly, and that can monkey-wrench your entire body.  This could show up as headaches, depression, pain. It doesn't show up only as a psychotic disorder.
3. Your brain is made of Omega 3 fatty acids.  Depending on who you ask, about 70 to 80 percent of the brain is fat.  This study bears out something that we’ve known for a long time--- people that have psychiatric disorders or neurological disorders just in general, a lot of these people can benefit from omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. 

And why is that? 

Well, a fourth reason I didn’t even tell you about is that omega-3 fats are anti-inflammatory. 

So we don’t even know which of those mechanisms is what caused these people to not transition to psychotic disorder ---but we do know that it happened. 

I think all physicians should be counseling their patients on Omega 3 fatty acids.

So if know someone that’s dealing with the threat of Azheimer's, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia...make sure you talk with them about Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

WARNING: Please don’t go buy some Omega 3 fatty acids and supplement yourself without working with a doctor who understands--really understands---the biochemistry and physiology. 

I am a stickler on making sure you get a full evaluation from someone that’s trained in a functional model. 

For example, functional neurology is one of my specialties.  Functional neurology looks at the nervous system and brain and finds ways to change it for the better without using drugs or without using surgery. 

And I would hope that you would find someone who’s looking at the brain in this way. Frankly, if you go see probably 90 percent of your garden variety neurologists or general practitioners, they’re just not gonna know about this study because, unfortunately, a lot of them don’t read. 

To be exact, they only read what that pharmaceutical company gives them to read--about the products that the pharmaceutical company is making. 

Now, what I just told you about, there’s no pharmaceutical interest in that.  It’s a natural product, so they

Interestingly, there is pharmaceutical interest in Omega 3 Fatty Acids---they find a way to chemically modify them, patent it, then offer it as a prescription only "medicine." Crazy. Just stick with the natural stuff. 

Omega-3 fats are safe, especially in dosages of 1.2 grams per day---and it was just for 12 weeks I might add.  For 40 weeks they didn’t do anything else. So it has a long-lasting effect. 

Nature’s given us what we need, and all we have to do is  get out of the way and start using it.

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Omega 3 Fatty Acids Prevent Psychotic Disorders

© 2011 Dr. David Clark, DC. All Rights Reserved.

THE PLACE FOR ANSWERS™
Dr. David Clark, DC
Functional Neurologist
Diplomate College of Clinical Nutrition
Functional Endocrinologist
Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist
Vestibular Rehab Specialist
214-341-3737

URL: http://www.doctordavidclark.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DrDavidClark
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dallas-TX/Dr-David-Clark-Functional-Neurologist/92451382182