Brain-Directed Therapies for Autism Spectrum Disorders
A major barrier to autism recovery is the strong tendency for abnormal brain development. Common features of autism include a poverty of synaptic connections, a leaky blood-brain barrier (BBB), incomplete maturation of parts of the brain, narrowed cortical minicolumns, and improper connectivity of adjacent brain regions. In addition most ASD brains experience chronic inflammation, oxidative overload, and assault from toxic metals. Advanced brain-directed therapies are needed to enable improved cognition, speech, and socialization. An important first step is to normalize the brain’s environment by improving BBB function and eliminating inflammation and excessive oxidative stress. New epigenetic therapies have shown promise for normalizing activity at serotonin, dopamine, and NMDA receptors. In addition new approaches for enhancing brain plasticity have shown promise.
William J. Walsh, Ph.D., PhD, Chemical Engineering, Iowa State University
Dr. Walsh is president of the non-profit Walsh Research Institute near Chicago. He received his PhD in chemical engineering and is an internationally recognized expert on biochemical imbalances. His book Nutrient Power is the result of 30+ years of research and clinical experience. His recent autism research includes chemical analysis of autism brain tissues, studies focusing on oxidative damage and oxidative stress, and the role of epigenetics.
