NEW STUDY on ADHD and Celiac Disease

[jcc]

Gluten sensitivity can also be present without biopsy proven Celiac Disease. Although this truth is not universally accepted, the shift in thinking and supportive research is well underway, particularly in regard to neurologic symptoms. One step at a time, and this is a big step!


A preliminary investigation of ADHD symptoms in persons with celiac disease. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17085630&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum)
PMID: 17085630 J Atten Disord. Nov 2006

Objective: Several studies report a possible association of celiac disease (CD) with psychiatric and psychological disturbances, such as ADHD.Method: The authors assess 132 participants from 3 to 57 years of age (M = 19.3 years) affected by CD for the possibility of an associated ADHD-like symptomatology, using the Conner Scale Hypescheme, a behavioral scale similar to the Conners Rating Scales, before their gluten-free diet was started and 6 months later.Results: The overall score improves significantly as well as most of the ADHD-like symptomatology specific features (Bonferroni-corrected, paired-sample t tests).Conclusion: The data indicate that ADHD-like symptomatology is markedly overrepresented among untreated CD patients and that a gluten-free diet may improve symptoms significantly within a short period of time. The results of this study also suggest that CD should be included in the list of diseases associated with ADHD-like symptomatology.

PMID: 17085630


What is Celiac Disease?
Detecting Celiac Disease in Your Patients by Harold T. Pruessner, MD (http://www.aafp.org/afp/980301ap/pruessn.html)

For more on ADHD and gluten sensitivity/celiac disease~
http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/adhd


Cara

[vette]

Hi, I'm VERY interested to read this...How long has that discussion gone on for "ADHD - Autism, is there a link?" My son (11 Dec, 01) is currently under investigation re. ADHD/Autism. I, myself, have (amongst MANY other things!) Aspergers Syndrome, as does my daughter (24 feb '92).Both my older brothers are almost certainly Aspie, and my mum has many, MANY traits!!! Despite having a physical disability, i am very ADHD-like, but the H-bit limits to fiddling & twitching etc, as i'm unable to run around.

In the UK there's the Autism Research Unit at Sunderland University where Paul Shattock et al are performing urinalysis on people who provide samples, and the findings appear to generally show that ASD-folk have a Leaky-Gut - that they respond like a coeliac. The wheat/milk transform & become gluto/caso-morphine.

It's all incredibly interesting! I've just sent my kids' samples off, will update when i have the results. Here's a link:

http://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism/

Be well,

'Vette

[jcc]

If you are interested in the leaky gut information, you might be interested to read about zonulin, if you have not. They have found that people with Coeliac Disease, Diabetes, MS have higher levels of zonulin, which is an enzyme that regulates the "tight junctions" of the intestine and the brain. (leaky gut, AND leaky brain???)

They are working on a new drug to block zonulin production, and in rats (gotta start somewhere) they have been able to PREVENT diabetes in predisposed rats, and I believe the trials are going well in humans. Human trials are currently underway for both Coeliac and Diabetes. I read somewhere they are even doing a trial on dogs with bowel disease.

How this may relate to other autoimmune disease, and possibly autism remains to be seen, but it is very interesting to watch as it plays out. First steps first.

Zonulin is discussed here~
http://www.autismone.org/uploads/Owens%20Susan.doc

And more in TGF:
http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/zonulin


Cara

[Marciab]

My ADHD was actually the first thing to go away went I took the gluten out of my diet. By the end of the first day, I no longer felt hyper. I had always been told that I was just antsy ...

Unfortunately, being a rookie, I unknowlingly got gluten back into my diet, and the ADHD came back. That is until I wized up and figured out in was in my nutrional supplement ...

With the alarming rate that kids today are being diagnosed with ADHD, I am surprised that gluten sensitivity is not being considered more often ...

I am interested in how many physical manifestations there are of untreated celiac or gluten intolerance. I am a new person... No more myoclonus, ataxia, ADHD, brain zaps, insomnia, muscle weakness, orthostatic hypotension ...

I'm just waiting for the brain fog and fatigue to let up.

Marcia