Abstract
Treatments targeting metabolic abnormalities in children with autism are limited. Previously we reported that a nutritional treatment significantly improved glutathione metabolism in children with autistic disorder. In this study we evaluated changes in adaptive behaviors in this cohort and determined whether such changes are related to changes in glutathione metabolism. Thirty-seven children diagnosed with autistic disorder and abnormal glutathione and methylation metabolism were treated with twice weekly 75 µg/Kg methylcobalamin and twice daily 400 µg folinic acid for 3 months in an open-label fashion. The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS) and glutathione redox metabolites were measured at baseline and at the end of the treatment period. Over the treatment period, all VABS subscales significantly improved with an average effect size of 0.59, and an average improvement in skills of 7.7 months. A greater improvement in glutathione redox status was associated with a greater improvement in expressive communication, personal and domestic daily living skills, and interpersonal, play-leisure, and coping social skills. Age, gender, and history of regression did not influence treatment response. The significant behavioral improvements observed and the relationship between these improvements to glutathione redox status suggest that nutritional interventions targeting redox metabolism may benefit some children with autism.
Highlights
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant impairment in reciprocal social interaction and communication as well as restricted interests and repetitive behaviors
We report the change in communication, daily living, and social skills domains of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS) associated with the three-month intervention as well as investigate whether improvement in glutathione redox status was related to any change in VABS behavior scores
The VABS was used to examine the impact of the intervention on measures of core behaviors associated with autism
Summary
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant impairment in reciprocal social interaction and communication as well as restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. An estimated 1 of 88 individuals in the United States is affected with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [1]. Other areas of novel research have concentrated on systemic physiological abnormalities, such as mitochondrial dysfunction [3, 4], oxidative stress [5– 7], and inflammation/immune dysregulation [8–10]. These novel areas of research have substantially grown over the last decade [11]. These emerging areas of research have provided a new understanding of the diverse mechanisms involved in ASD and have promoted the idea that the autism spectrum is composed of several subgroups or endophenotypes [12]
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