Study shows that a compound found in broccoli can improve autism symptoms
The research, led by scientists from John Hopkins University in the US, tested a chemical known as sulforaphane, which is found in broccoli sprouts and has previously been associated with cancer fighting properties.
The compound was given to 26 males aged between 13 and 27 who had moderate to severe autism. In the majority of participants, the compound led to “substantial improvements” in their verbal communication and social interaction, along with a decrease in repetitive ritualistic behaviours compared to those who took placebo tablets. The results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA this week.
“We believe that this may be preliminary evidence for the first treatment for autism that improves symptoms by apparently correcting some of the underlying cellular problems," said Paul Talalay, a pharmacologist from John Hopkins University, in a press release.
It’s estimated that autism spectrum disorders affect around 1 to 2 percent of the world’s population, and affects more boys than girls. But despite the prevalence of the disease, scientists have struggled to understand the biological causes of the behavioural and social symptoms of the disease.
“We are far from being able to declare a victory over autism, but this gives us important insights into what might help," says co-investigator Andrew Zimmerman, who is now at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Centre in the US, in the release.
So far studies have shown that there are some biochemical abnormalities linked to people with autism spectrum disorders, in particular those related to the efficiency of energy generation in cells.
In particular, the cells of people with autism spectrum disorders often have high levels of oxidative stress - this means a buildup of the harmful byproducts of the cell’s use of oxygen, which can cause inflammation, damage DNA and lead to cancer and other chronic diseases.
Back in 1992, Talalay conducted research that found that sulforaphane could help to bolster the body’s natural defences against oxidative stress, inflammation and DNA damage, and it was from there that the idea of testing the compound against autism was born.
In the trial, which involved 40 participants, 26 were given 27 milligrams of sulforaphane daily, and 14 received placebos. Behavioural assessments were conducted for four, 10 and 18 weeks, while treatment continued. After the 18 weeks, treatment stopped, and a final assessment was conducted around four weeks later.
Out of the 26 participants given the broccoli compound, 46 percent experienced noticeable improvements in social interactions, 54 percent saw improvements in unusual behaviour, and 42 percent had improved verbal communication.
Those judging the improvement in behaviour didn’t know which patients were taking placeboes and which were taking the medication.
Although not all patients responded to the treatment, those who did generally saw benefits after just four weeks of the compound, and it continued to improve from there. After they stopped taking the chemicals, all participants returned to their original level of symptom severity.
Previous studies suggest that sulforaphane works by improving the body’s heat-shock response - which is a cascade of events that protect cells from the stress caused by high temperatures. Interestingly, around half of parents with autistic children report that their child’s symptoms improve noticeably when they have a fever, and then revert back when the fever is gone, a statistic that has clinically been found to be true.
The next step is to test the compound more widely, and investigate its role in autism symptoms further. Although this is only a small-scale short-term study, the results are extremely promising, and pave the way for a better understanding of the complex disorder
http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20141410-26330.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
