Rhi. (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rhivolution) wrote2010-07-16 02:32 pm
rhivolution) wrote2010-07-16 02:32 pm
OCD: reading material
A preface: I am not endorsing the current mental health system in the US or the diagnostic procedures currently in place with mental health. I do think, though, that the evidence in this proves that the establishment is slightly more in the right...you'll see what I mean.
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On yesterday's topic, apparently the main US doctor concerned with PANDAS (and with the Saving Sammy story) was linked to the highly problematic and debunked chelationbullshit treatment for autism. See this post from 2007 by Autism Diva, or this post from Respectful Insolence in 2008.
The first link that Autism Diva has in hir post, by the way, is a 2004 critical review of the literature to date at that time regarding PANDAS, which is very interesting. It's also interesting to see the gaps in research being pointed out in issues of the same (very well-respected) journal in 2008. This search string brings up all of them, all available in full-text.
Lest you think that this is all possibly superseded by more recent work, a 2009 study from Johns Hopkins concludes that it's still impossible to say whether autoimmune reactions (e.g. to strep) cause neuropsychiatric disorders. Likewise a study in London. A 2010 study at Columbia was able to induce disorders via strep in mice, but their very wording implies that they were working from the belief that they'd find something...how you tell if a mouse has OCD, I do not know. MRIs?
Even so, the Columbia study uses a new term: autoimmune brain disorders. I think this is a good thing; there needs to be differentiation between these conditions and the 'standard' OCD, TS, or other conditions. Fortunately, I'm not the first person to realize this.
The Dr. Swedo that Autism Diva mentions, by the by, continues to fight any naysayers of PANDAS in the medical community, according to my PubMed search. I am highly, highly concerned by her connection to chelation at NIMH; now she goes on to poke at the kids with OCD and TS, dosing them with antibiotics. And god forbid anyone listen to their stories.
I just can't even.
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On yesterday's topic, apparently the main US doctor concerned with PANDAS (and with the Saving Sammy story) was linked to the highly problematic and debunked chelation
The first link that Autism Diva has in hir post, by the way, is a 2004 critical review of the literature to date at that time regarding PANDAS, which is very interesting. It's also interesting to see the gaps in research being pointed out in issues of the same (very well-respected) journal in 2008. This search string brings up all of them, all available in full-text.
Lest you think that this is all possibly superseded by more recent work, a 2009 study from Johns Hopkins concludes that it's still impossible to say whether autoimmune reactions (e.g. to strep) cause neuropsychiatric disorders. Likewise a study in London. A 2010 study at Columbia was able to induce disorders via strep in mice, but their very wording implies that they were working from the belief that they'd find something...how you tell if a mouse has OCD, I do not know. MRIs?
Even so, the Columbia study uses a new term: autoimmune brain disorders. I think this is a good thing; there needs to be differentiation between these conditions and the 'standard' OCD, TS, or other conditions. Fortunately, I'm not the first person to realize this.
The Dr. Swedo that Autism Diva mentions, by the by, continues to fight any naysayers of PANDAS in the medical community, according to my PubMed search. I am highly, highly concerned by her connection to chelation at NIMH; now she goes on to poke at the kids with OCD and TS, dosing them with antibiotics. And god forbid anyone listen to their stories.
I just can't even.