tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post6538233212015902020..comments2024-03-14T18:26:18.208-07:00Comments on autism's gadfly: interesting parallels between FTD and autismjonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14972394536850151087noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-39439007797790496472016-08-01T09:37:11.104-07:002016-08-01T09:37:11.104-07:00Thank you both for this information six years ago...Thank you both for this information six years ago our nightmare started. There is myself mum my brother. I have 2 kids. My brother has 2 boys. <br />Six years ago my brothers boys that are both twins where diagnosed with severe autism. They are 8 now and both hardly speak and they are both incompetent. Both having to wear nappies. They have obsessions and routines that they like to keep. Ie watching certain programs and eating certain things. Going to bed at a certain time etc. <br />A year after my nephews where diagnosed, my mum was diagnosed with FTD frontal lobe dementia, which you have spoken about. I was my mum's full time carer. My displayed autistic tendencies before she was diagnosed. She loved following a routine and had to have things done at certain times. She also had to watch certain programmes. Mum was very pretictable. When she got ill these character traits became much more magnified. Also her motor skills where diterating. Mum and the twins where showing parallel behaviours which myself and my brother noticed. <br />My brother also has certain behaviour traits which are very similar also. He doesn't like eating in front of people. He has terrible difficulties taking in a conversation or information. <br />With myself I have suffered with depression from a child. I'm highly sensitive and get very easily over whelmed by things around me. I also feel others pain and cry and feel distressed when something bad happens. I cry hard. My brother mum and me all suffer from this. I ended up turning to drink because I needed something to numb the pain. I really do feel strongly all of this is interlinked. I would love someone to do a study on all of us to see what this all is?? I wouldn't know where to start though. Thanks for this article something to mule over. Empowermenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13694319078492838347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8353442983052145851.post-9667204130289082692015-06-23T08:29:52.587-07:002015-06-23T08:29:52.587-07:00There may be possible connections between frontote...There may be possible connections between frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD) and autism. Some familes tend to have both. FTLD is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in several genes, most notably progranulin and microtubule associated protein tau (MAPT). A recent Saudi study of 40 children showed that the autistic children tended to have lower progranulin levels than typically developing children. Other studies have implicated progranulin deficiency in depression as well as autism. Environment may play a role too. For example, it has been proposed that some cases of autism with folate receptor autoimmunity respond to folinic acid which can cross the blood-brain barrier without engaging the folate receptor. The connection is that folic acid is a promoter for progranulin. Sun burns can also deplete folic acid in pregnant women with neurological consequences for the baby such as hydrocephalus. A recent Chinese study showed the complex relationship between progranulin, disabetes, and blood vessel disease - in short, more is not necessarily better. Single studies require validation, but I think that we are on the right track in recent years. Autistic symptoms are like a fever with many possible causes. It is exceptionally promising research because there are drugs that can modify both progranulin and microtubules.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com