Autism

Presentation Slides

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Review Article

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation during the prenatal and perinatal period could have a protective effect on neurodevelopmental disorders including ADHD, ASD, and MDD in youth.

2020 Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience Nutritional Neuroscience as Mainstream of Psychiatry: The Evidence- Based Treatment Guidelines for Using Omega-3 Fatty Acids as a New Treatment for Psychiatric Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Chang JPC, Su KP

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

The study found that the Kampo formula Kami-shoyo-san (KSS) can ameliorate autism spectrum disorder-like behaviors in female mice.

2019 Journal of Ethnopharmacology Kami-shoyo-san ameliorates sociability deficits in ovariectomized mice, a putative female model of autism spectrum disorder, via facilitating dopamine D1 and GABAA receptor functions
Guo Q, Ebihara K, Fujiwara H, Toume K, Awale S, Araki R, Yabe T, Dong E, Matsumoto K

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Animal Study

The traditional Kampo formula, Kami-shoyo-san (KSS), has potential in treating autism spectrum disorder-like behaviors by enhancing dopamine receptor-mediated mechanisms.

2019 PLOS One Kami-shoyo-san improves ASD-like behaviors caused by decreasing allopregnanolone biosynthesis in an SKF mouse model of autism
Guo QY, Ebihara K, Shimodaira T, Fujiwara H, Toume K, Dibwe DF, Awale S, Araki R, Yabe T, Matsumoto K

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Systematic Review

The efficacy of acupuncture for some pediatric conditions is promising, such as for cerebral palsy, nocturnal enuresis, tic disorders, amblyopia, and pain reduction.

2015 Pediatric Research Efficacy and safety of acupuncture in children: an overview of systematic reviews
Chunsong Yang, Zilong Hao, Ling-Li Zhang & Qin Guo

Chinese Medicine Research Hub

Systematic Review

Acupuncture might result in improvement in some outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorders.

2011 Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Acupuncture for autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
Cheuk DKL, Wong V, Chen WX

Executive Summary

Write an executive summary in the form of a blog article on the topic of "Research into Chinese medicine treatment for Autism" summarising the research below and using language that can be easily understood by patients and avoiding medical jargon using a professional and caring tone of voice.

Write an executive summary in the form of a blog article on the topic of "Researched Chinese medicine treatments for Autism" summarising the research below in an objective and easy to understand way, and using language that can be easily understood by patients. Group the article into Chinese medicine treatments first, followed by nutrition and other treatments. Avoid using medical jargon and use a professional and caring tone of voice.

Write me a concise but easy to understand executive summary on the topic of "Chinese medicine treatments for Autism" based on the following research that I will give you. Your summary should be 2 paragraphs long in Australian English spelling and include references to the studies.

A Review Article published in 2020 in the journal Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neuroscience found that Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation during the prenatal and perinatal period could have a protective effect on neurodevelopmental disorders including ADHD, ASD, and MDD in youth. The research implemented supplementation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids also known as Omega-3 PUFAs, in different quantities and durations to youth with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This was carried out based on suggested dosage and duration from various randomized controlled trials and systemic literature reviews. It was observed that omega-3 PUFAs were essential nutrients not just for physical health but also for mental health, more so during the prenatal and perinatal stages of development. The results demonstrated that clinical symptoms improved in youth with ADHD, MDD and ASD after they were supplemented with Omega-3 PUFAs, especially in cases where there was high inflammation or low baseline Omega-3 index present. The research showed very promising evidence that Omega-3 PUFAs had positive effects on lethargy and hyperactivity symptoms in ASD. There was also an inclination that Omega-3 PUFAs levels and inflammation could be potential markers for treatment response in ADHD and MDD.

A published in 2019 in the journal Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that The study found that the Kampo formula Kami-shoyo-san (KSS) can ameliorate autism spectrum disorder-like behaviors in female mice. In this research, ovariectomized female mice (six-week-old ICR breed) were given the Kampo formula Kami-shoyo-san (KSS) an hour before each behavioural test. The behavioural tests included the resident-intruder test to analyze sociability, the mirror chamber test for social anxiety-like behavior, and the open field test for self-grooming behavior. Brain ALLO content was measured using ELISA after the behavioral experiments. Further, the impact of ovariectomy on neuro-signaling pathways in the prefrontal cortex and striatum was examined using Western blotting. The study found that the ovariectomy led to deficiencies in sociability, alterations in social anxiety-related behavior, but not changes in repetitive self-grooming behavior. These behavioral changes were accompanied by a decrease in brain allopregnanolone levels and an impairment of complex neuro-signalling activity in the prefrontal cortex. The Kampo formula, however, was found to significantly ameliorate the behavioural and neurochemical changes wrought by the ovariectomy, but it did not affect the brain allopregnanolone level. The study therefore suggests that KSS could have potential therapeutic benefits for treating ASD-like symptoms in females.

A Animal Study published in 2019 in the journal PLOS One found that The traditional Kampo formula, Kami-shoyo-san (KSS), has potential in treating autism spectrum disorder-like behaviors by enhancing dopamine receptor-mediated mechanisms. In this study, the researchers utilized male mice that were treated with a selective type I 5α-reductase inhibitor SKF105111 (SKF) to simulate an autism spectrum disorder animal model. Kami-shoyo-san (KSS), a traditional Kampo formula comprising 10 different crude drugs, was examined as a potential therapeutic strategy for ASD. KSS was observed to lessen sociability deficits and prevent the increment of grooming behaviors in SKF-treated mice without having any effects on the content of allopregnanolone, an enhancer of the GABAA receptor, in the prefrontal cortex. During the process, the scientists also used the dopamine D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390, dopamine D2 receptor antagonist sulpiride, and GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline to assess the reactions of the mice and to understand the mechanism of KSS's effects better. D1 receptor antagonism reversed the effects of KSS, while D2 and GABAA receptor antagonism only mitigated the effect on self-grooming behaviors. The results from the research study suggest that Kami-shoyo-san (KSS) can mitigate autism spectrum disorder-like behaviors. This was concluded from KSS's ability to lessen sociability deficits and excessive grooming behaviors in the mice treated with SKF. KSS showed these effects without changing the levels of allopregnanolone, a neurosteroid enhancing the GABAA receptor, in the prefrontal cortex, suggesting that KSS's mechanism may be majorly through dopamine receptor-mediated mechanisms. These findings suggest that KSS is a potentially effective candidate for treating autism spectrum disorder.

A Systematic Review published in 2015 in the journal Pediatric Research found that The efficacy of acupuncture for some pediatric conditions is promising, such as for cerebral palsy, nocturnal enuresis, tic disorders, amblyopia, and pain reduction. This overview identified 24 systematic reviews, providing us with a comprehensive picture of acupuncture for pediatric conditions. Although most of the included studies could not draw firm conclusions because of the small size of the included trials or their low methodological quality, the efficacy of acupuncture for some pediatric conditions is promising, such as for cerebral palsy, nocturnal enuresis, tic disorders, amblyopia, and pain reduction. However, the efficacy of acupuncture for hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mumps, and myopia is unclear and the efficacy for ASD, asthma, and nausea/vomiting is controversial. Current evidence does not support the use of acupuncture for pediatric epilepsy. In this overview, we found that acupuncture was well tolerated and no fatal side effects were reported.

A Systematic Review published in 2011 in the journal Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found that Acupuncture might result in improvement in some outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorders. When needle acupuncture plus conventional treatment was compared to sham acupuncture plus conventional treatment, the intervention seemed to result in better language comprehension, cognition, self‐care, social function and a higher likelihood of greater than or equal to 25% improvement in global function. Compared to conventional treatment alone, needle acupuncture plus conventional treatment might result in an overall improvement in autistic features, speech, cognition, global functioning, self‐care, sensory functioning, imitation, repetitive behaviour, and physical health. Compared to conventional treatment alone, acupressure plus conventional treatment might result in improvement in overall global functioning, communication attitude, non‐verbal communication and matching, and language and social interaction.

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