Pervasive Developmental Disorder--Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) is a developmental disorder on the autistic spectrum. Other autistic spectrum disorders--abbreviated as ASD--include autism and Asperger's syndrome. Symptoms of autism or PDD-NOS typically appear within a child's first three years. Several researchers believe that autism is related to gut malfunction, so enzymatic therapy can work as a complementary treatment for a child with autism or PDD-NOS.
Symptoms
Autism and PDD-NOS share several key symptoms. A child with either of these developmental disorders will typically have problems with social interaction. She may struggle to interpret other people's emotions and facial expressions. The child with autism or PDD-NOS will often wish to avoid or break eye contact. Other autistic behaviors, such as repetitive physical movements or frequent tantrums, may be apparent in the child with autism or PDD-NOS.
Theories and Speculation
Various biological, psychological and geographical theories exist regarding the causes of autistic spectrum disorders. Writing in the October 2003 issue of the journal "Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients," Mark Brudnak notes that children with autism are often diagnosed with poor functioning of the digestive tract. In particular, there is a proven link between autism and a child's reduced ability to properly digest the peptides and proteins found in dairy and wheat. When dairy and wheat proteins are digested incompletely, compounds called exorphins are formed. If these exorphins travel to the brain, they have a toxic effect. The effect of exorphins on a child's brain is similar to that of opioid substances. Opioids are a class of chemicals which cause sedation, slower breathing and constipation. Opium, heroin, methadone and certain kinds of painkillers are all types of opioids. The theory of exorphins acting like opioids on a child's brain is one possible explanation for autistic behaviors and symptoms involving developmental delay.
Function
An enzymatic therapy works in one of two ways. The first way is to remove existing exorphins from the child's body. This can be done using peptidase -- an enyzme that breaks down proteins. Types of peptidases used in this kind of enzyme therapy are typically based on zinc, cystein, serine, acid or carboxyl peptidases. However, this approach has found only limited success to date. The second kind of enzyme therapy tries to prevent exorphins from forming in the first place. Brudnak's own study, conducted in 2003, works on this principle. Brudnak used the enzyme Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP), which works in the stomach to break large proteins down into smaller peptides. Brudnak found that the AFP enzyme forced any exorphins to form in the stomach, not the intestine. Although this therapy is not 100 percent successful in preventing exorphins from forming, it does have the benefit of causing the exorphins to form at a reduced rate, and further from the gut. Exorphin formation further from the gut is preferable as they are absorbed into the blood stream through the gut wall rather than the stomach.
Benefits
If your child has been diagnosed with a malfunctioning gut as a possible contributory factor in his autism or PDD-NOS, another therapeutic option is to eliminate dairy and wheat proteins from his diet. In comparison to such an elimination diet, enzymatic therapy has several benefits. According to Brudnak, it is almost impossible to totally eliminate all foods containing dairy and wheat proteins from the diet. Writing in the November 2003 issue of the journal "Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities," Ann-Mari Knivsberg reports the success of a study in which children with autism were placed on a diet free of the milk protein casein. However, Knivsberg acknowledges the difficulty of making a child comply with a strict exclusion diet, so enzymatic therapies offer potential benefits over the exclusion diets. Children can continue to eat a relatively regular diet, while therapeutic enzyme consumption prevents the formation, absorption, or continuing presence of the exorphins, which are toxic to the brain.
Warning
Enyzmatic therapies for autistic spectrum disorders are a relatively new development. The effectiveness and efficiency of enzyme therapies may vary, and none of the enzyme-based therapies have been proven fully effective as of October 2010. Significant changes in diet or enzyme consumption can have multiple, and perhaps unexpected, effects on your child's nutrition and physical function. Enzymatic therapies should only be attempted with a doctor's approval and supervision, and should not be considered a replacement for conventional treatments for autistic spectrum disorders.
References
- "Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients"; Beneficial Effects of Enzyme-based Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorders; M.A. Brudnak et al.; 2003
- "Journal of Medical Microbiology;" Differences Between the Gut Microflora of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and that of Healthy Children ; H. Parracho et al.; 2005
- "Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities"; Effect of a Dietary Intervention on Autistic Behavior; A.M. Knivsberg et al.; November 2003
