Science proves homeopathy
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An integral approach to substance abuse.,Amodia DS, Cano C, Eliason MJ.
/integral approach to substance abuse and addictions
Read MoreScientific evidence that homeopathy works. HRI Research Institute.
/“There is no scientific evidence that homeopathy works”
This is probably the most frequently quoted, completely inaccurate statement about homeopathy. Homeopathy research is a relatively new field, so it’s true to say that there are not a huge number of studies, but some evidence is very different from no evidence.
By the end of 2014, 189 randomised controlled trials of homeopathy on 100 different medical conditions had been published in peer-reviewed journals1. Of these, 104 papers were placebo-controlled and were eligible for detailed review:
- 41% were positive (43 trials) – finding that homeopathy was effective
- 5% were negative (5 trials) – finding that homeopathy was ineffective
- 54% were inconclusive (56 trials)
How does this compare with evidence for conventional medicine?
An analysis of 1016 systematic reviews of RCTs of conventional medicine had strikingly similar findings2:
- 44% were positive – the treatments were likely to be beneficial
- 7% were negative – the treatments were likely to be harmful
- 49% were inconclusive – the evidence did not support either benefit or harm.
Although the percentages of positive, negative and inconclusive results are similar in homeopathy and conventional medicine, it is important to recognise a vast difference in the quantity of research carried out; chart A represents 188 individual trials on homeopathy, whereas chart B represents 1016 reviews on conventional medicine, each analysing multiple trials.
This highlights the need for more research in homeopathy, particularly large-scale high quality repetitions of the most promising positive studies.
The difference in quantity is also not surprising when one considers the tiny amounts of funding made available for research into ‘complementary and alternative medicine’ (CAM). For example, in the UK only 0.0085% of the total medical research budget is spent on CAM, of which homeopathy is only one example3.
REFERENCES:
- http://www.facultyofhomeopathy.org/research/
- El Dib RP, Atallah AN, Andriolo RB. Mapping the Cochrane evidence for decision making in health care. J Eval Clin Pract., 2007;13(4):689-92 | PubMed
- Lewith GT. Funding for CAM. BMJ., 2007; 335(7627): 951. | PubMed
Mastitis
/Mastitis
Frequently indicated remedies for this condition include the following:
Phytolacca: the most frequently indicated remedy for mastitis. the breasts are often lumpy and will be caked with hard knots and nodules.
Bryonia: the breast pain is worse after any kind of movement.
Belladonna: mastitis with sudden onset, high fever and throbbing pain
Lac Caninum: the breasts are so sensitive that even the touch of clothing against the breasts is excruciatingly painful
Hepar Sulphuris: the breast is extremely painful and worse if exposed to drafts.
Silica: the breasts have painful cracks in the nipples
Give a 30C potency of the indicated remedy a few times per day until the problem resolves.
Also the topical application of calendula cream will help unblock the milk ducts.
Homeopathy on Vitality Link
/Meet Elena Cecchetto, a homeopath based in Vancouver, BC.
Elena discovered homeopathy as a student in Toronto at her wit’s end with eczema. She tried homeopathy as a last ditch effort, having experimented with countless treatments.
Elena says that’s how many people first discover the practice. “It was a last resort for me, like it is for many people. They’ve tried everything else.”
She explains that homeopaths get to know a client’s physical, emotional and behavioural profile and then recommend a remedy that is specifically matched to them. The remedies are made of natural ingredients and created in homeopathic pharmacies.
Elena got more than she bargained for from her first homeopathic experience. Her eczema began to go away when she took the remedy, and eventually disappeared altogether. But more than that, her experience of everyday life changed.
She says, “I just felt a level of inner joy and that the world was open to me. I wouldn’t even have been able to describe that I wanted to feel this way.”
That feeling is now what Elena aims to help her clients achieve. She gets feedback like, ‘I just feel lighter’ and ‘Things don’t bother me anymore’.
Elena sees many children in her East Vancouver practice and has special certification to treat autistic kids. She also immunizes children for a wide variety of illnesses.
She treats adult clients for many common maladies. A lactose intolerant client came in for a remedy and was able to eat ice cream and cheese the next day without any problem.
She’s helped clients navigate the spring and summer months allergy-free without taking any drugs.
She’s also treated people with addiction, depression and anxiety. In one case, a client unable to work for two weeks solid because of panic attacks was quickly back to the office after seeing Elena.
Homeopathy is generally not an overnight cure. Elena explains it takes time for the remedies to work. If you’ve been dealing with a health issue for a long time, or it occurs frequently, you should anticipate the healing process will take longer.
Elena says, “The homeopathic approach is that every person is different. There is no one cause of any condition. We look for the core thing that’s happening with this person and everything else connects to that. Homeopathy says everything is connected. We match one remedy to the whole person.”
Special Offer: Elena is offering 25% off the first intake appointment for the homeopathic immunization protocol. In this 1.5 hour appointment, Elena takes down the child’s entire background (including information about pregnancy and delivery) so she’s well positioned to help down the road as the child proceeds through life.
The regular price of the homeopathic immunization protocol is: $195.
Contact Elena at: (604) 568-4663 or info@accessnaturalhealing.com
For more information, please visit Elena’s VitalityLink profile. http://snip.ly/t9u44
--
Your Holistic Team, ~Access~
Web: http://www.AccessNaturalHealing.com/
Email: info@accessnaturalhealing.com
Phone: (604) 568-4663
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top/
“The information contained in this message is for educational purposes and constitutes a response to a private request for information only and does not constitute a solicitation for services and makes no claim or promise that any product or service that may cure any condition or ailment,”
Homeoprophylaxis
/Japanese Encephalitis
American Journal of Infectious Diseases 6 (2): 24-28, 2010 ISSN 1553-6203 © 2010 Science Publications
Decreased Intensity of Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection in Chick Chorioallantoic Membrane Under Influence of Ultradiluted Belladonna Extract
1Bhaswati Bandyopadhyay, 2Satadal Das, 1Milan Sengupta, 3Chandan Saha, 4Kartick Chandra Das, 4Debabrata Sarkar and 5Chaturbhuj Nayak 1Department of Microbiology, Virology Unit, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata-700073, India 2Department of Pathology and Microbiology, D.N. De H. Medical College, West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata-700046, India 3Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata-700073, India 4Drug Proving Research Centre, CCRH, Government of India, Kolkata-700 046, India 5Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health, CCRH, Government of India, JLN Anudandhan Bhawan, 61-65 Intitutional Area, Janakpuri, New Delhi 110058
Abstract: Problem statement: No specific antiviral therapy is currently available despite an emergence and resurgence of Japanese encephalitis in South-East Asian Countries. There are only few recent studies, which were aimed to treat Japanese encephalitis with newer drugs. There is thus a real need for study on antiviral agents that can reduce the toll of death and neurological sequelae resulting from infection with this virus. Approach: Optimum dilution of the JE virus was determined which could produce significant number of pocks on Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM). Then ultradiluted belladonna preparations were used to see their inhibitory action on JE virus infection in CAM. Results: Ultradiluted belladonna showed significantly decreased pock count in CAM in comparison to JE virus control. Conclusion: Ultradiluted belladonna could inhibit JE virus infection in CAM, which may be mediated through glycosidase inhibitory role of calystegines present in belladonna.
Key words: Japanese Encephalitis (JE), Chorioallantoic Membrane (CAM), pock, belladonna
--
Your Holistic Team, ~Access~
Web: http://www.AccessNaturalHealing.com/
Email: info@accessnaturalhealing.com
Phone: (604) 568-4663
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top/
“The information contained in this message is for educational purposes and constitutes a response to a private request for information only and does not constitute a solicitation for services and makes no claim or promise that any product or service that may cure any condition or ailment,”
Inhibition of basophil activation by histamine: a sensitive and reproducible model for the study of the biological activity of high dilutions
/Homeopathy
Volume 98, Issue 4, October 2009, Pages 186-197
Special Issue: Biological models of homeopathy Part 1
doi:10.1016/j.homp.2009.09.009 | How to Cite or Link Using DOI
Copyright © 2009 The Faculty of Homeopathy Published by Elsevier Ltd. Cited By in Scopus (5)
Permissions & Reprints
Inhibition of basophil activation by histamine: a sensitive and reproducible model for the study of the biological activity of high dilutions
J. Sainte-Laudy1, Corresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author and Ph Belon2
1CHU, Limoges 87042, France
2CRDT, 45 cours A Briand, 69300 Caluire, France
Received 8 July 2009;
revised 21 September 2009;
accepted 23 September 2009.
Available online 27 November 2009.
Background
At the beginning of this series of experiments we were looking for a model based on the use of purified commercially available compounds based on a fully described and accepted pharmacological model to study of the biological effect of high dilutions. Negative feedback induced by histamine, a major pro-inflammatory mediator, on basophils and mast cells activation via an H2 receptor me these criteria. The simplest way of measuring basophil activation in the early 1980's was the human basophil activation test (HBDT).
Objectives
Our major goal was first to study the biological effect of centesimal histamine dilutions beyond the Avogadro limit, on the staining properties of human basophils activated by an allergen extract initially house dust mite, then an anti-IgE and N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP). Technical development over the 25 years of our work led us to replace the manual basophil counting by flow cytometry. The main advantages were automation and observer independence. Using this latter protocol our aim was to confirm the existence of this phenomenon and to check its specificity by testing, under the same conditions, inactive analogues of histamine and histamine antagonists. More recently, we developed an animal model (mouse basophils) to study the effect of histamine on histamine release.
Methods and results
For the HBDT model basophils were obtained by sedimentation of human blood taken on EDTA and stained with Alcian blue. Results were expressed in percentage activation. Histamine dilutions tested were freshly prepared in the lab by successive centesimal dilutions and vortexing. Water controls were prepared in the same way. For the flow cytometric protocol basophils were first labeled by an anti-IgE FITC (basophil marker) and an anti-CD63 (basophil activation marker). Results were expressed in percentage of CD63 positive basophils. Another flow cytometric protocol has been developed more recently, based on basophil labeling by anti-IgE FITC (fluorescein isothiocyanate) and anti-CD203 PE (another human basophil activation marker). Results were expressed in mean fluorescence intensity of the CD203c positive population (MFI-CD203c) and an activation index calculated by an algorithm. For the mouse basophil model, histamine was measured spectrofluorimetrically.
The main results obtained over 28 years of work was the demonstration of a reproducible inhibition of human basophil activation by high dilutions of histamine, the effect peaks in the range of 15?17CH. The effect was not significant when histamine was replaced by histidine (a histamine precursor) or cimetidine (histamine H2 receptor antagonist) was added to the incubation medium. These results were confirmed by flow cytometry. Using the latter technique, we also showed that 4-Methyl histamine (H2 agonist) induced a similar effect, in contrast to 1-Methyl histamine, an inactive histamine metabolite.
Using the mouse model, we showed that histamine high dilutions, in the same range of dilutions, inhibited histamine release.
Conclusions
Successively, using different models to study of human and murine basophil activation, we demonstrated that high dilutions of histamine, in the range of 15?17CH induce a reproducible biological effect. This phenomenon has been confirmed by a multi-center study using the HBDT model and by at least three independent laboratories by flow cytometry. The specificity of the observed effect was confirmed, versus the water controls at the same dilution level by the absence of biological activity of inactive compounds such as histidine and 1-Methyl histamine and by the reversibility of this effect in the presence of a histamine receptor H2 antagonist.
Keywords: Human basophil; Mouse basophil; High dilutions; Homoeopathy; Histamine; Flow cytometry; Histamine release; IL4 release
Article Outline
Introduction
Human basophil pharmacology
Preparation of high dilutions
Analysis of human basophil activation by their metachromatic properties
Analysis of human basophil activation by flow cytometry
Relationships between results and hypotheses related to the mode of action of high dilutions
Hypothesis derived from biological experiments
Hypotheses derived from physical experiments
Conclusions
Acknowledgements
Figure 1. Human basophil stained by Alcian blue among unstained Polymorphonuclear cells.
Figure 2. Effect of histamine dilutions from 10−10 to 10−120 M, showing recurrent inhibition of activation. Basophil activation triggered by house dust mite extract. *p
Figure 3. Set up of flow cytometric protocol based on the double anti-IgE and anti-CD63 staining.
Figure 4. Effect of histamine dilutions from 10CH (10) to 20CH (20) on anti-IgE induced human basophil activation versus the water controls diluted in the same conditions. Compared to water control 16C, the effect of histamine 16C was significant (p
Figure 5. Inhibition of anti-IgE induced human basophil activation by histamine 15CH and 16CH. Results expressed in %CD63 ± SD versus the positive and negative controls prepared with water 16C.
Figure 6. Comparison of the effect of high dilutions of histamine and histidine on anti-IgE induced human basophil activation (mean of 13 experiments in triplicates). Results expressed in% CD63 ± SD versus positive and negative controls prepared in water 16C. NS = not significant.
Figure 7. Antagonist effect of lithium 10 μg/ml on inhibition of anti-IgE induced human basophil activation by histamine 15CH and 16CH. Results expressed in %CD63 ± SD, NS = not significant.
Figure 8. Set up of flow cytometric protocol for the analysis of CD203c up-regulation on activated human basophil membrane.
Figure 9. Inhibition of fMLP-induced basophil activation by histamine 16CH and histamine 2CH. Results expressed versus negative and positive controls prepared in water 16 C and expressed in MFI-CD203c ± SD. Negative controls set at 10. Statistical significance calculated on the raw data by Wilcoxon rank test.
Figure 10. Effect of 1, 3, 4-methyl histamine 16CH and histamine 16CH on fMLP-induced basophil activation. Basophil activation expressed in MFI-CD203c ± SEM, mean of 10 experiments in triplicates. Negative controls (not shown) were set at 10 to compare the different experiments performed on different blood donors. NS = not significant.
Figure 11. Effect of histamine 15CH and 16CH on histamine production by mouse total bone marrow cells stimulated by IgE versus water controls tested at the same dilution level.
View Within Article
Table 1.
Published results related to the inhibition of basophil activation by histamine dilutions
View table in article
ND = not done, NS = not significant.
1 significance calculated versus the related water control.
2 Not significant versus the whole series of water controls.
Corresponding Author Contact Information Correspondence: J Sainte-Laudy, Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Hôpital universitaire Dupuytren, 2, avenue Martin-Luther-King, 87042 Limoges, Cedex, France.
Cytotoxic effects of ultra-diluted remedies on breast cancer cells
/homeopathy and breast cancer cells
Cytotoxic effects of ultra-diluted remedies on breast cancer cells
MOSHE FRENKEL1, BAL MUKUND MISHRA2, SUBRATA SEN2, PEIYING YANG1, ALISON PAWLUS1, LUIS VENCE3, AIMEE LEBLANC2, LORENZO COHEN1, PRATIP BANERJI4 and PRASANTA BANERJI4
1Integrative Medicine Program, 2Department of Molecular Pathology, 3Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA;
4P. Banerji Homeopathic Research Foundation, Kolkata, India Received May 28, 2009; Accepted July 23, 2009 DOI: 10.3892/ijo_00000512
Abstract. The use of ultra-diluted natural products in the management of disease and treatment of cancer has generated a lot of interest and controversy. We conducted an in vitro study to determine if products prescribed by a clinic in India have any effect on breast cancer cell lines. We studied four ultra-diluted remedies (Carcinosin, Phytolacca, Conium and Thuja) against two human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and a cell line derived from immortalized normal human mammary epithelial cells (HMLE). The remedies exerted preferential cytotoxic effects against the two breast cancer cell lines, causing cell cycle delay/arrest and apoptosis. These effects were accompanied by altered expression of the cell cycle regulatory proteins, including downregulation of phosphorylated Rb and upregulation of the CDK inhibitor p27, which were likely responsible for the cell cycle delay/arrest as well as induction of the apoptotic cascade that manifested in the activation of caspase 7 and cleavage of PARP in the treated cells. The findings demonstrate biological activity of these natural products when presented at ultra-diluted doses. Further in- depth studies with additional cell lines and animal models are warranted to explore the clinical applicability of these agents.
MYTHs of Homeopathy:
/“Homeopathy is just a placebo effect”
It is frequently argued that homeopathic medicines are ‘just sugar pills’ that don’t contain any active ingredients, so any benefits patients report are due purely to the placebo effect i.e. people believe the pills are going to help and this belief alone triggers a healing response.
With any medical treatment there is likely to be some degree of ‘placebo effect’ and in this respect homeopathy is no different, but the theory that homeopathy’s effects are only a placebo response is not supported by the scientific evidence.
If homeopathy is really just a placebo effect, how does one explain:
- The existence of positive high quality placebo-controlled trials?
These trials are designed specifically to separate out the placebo effect from the real clinical effect of the treatment being tested. - Homeopathic medicines having effects in laboratory experiments?
Effects have been seen on white blood cells, frogs and wheat plants to name just a few examples. - The fact that homeopathy works in animals?
A rigorous research study found that homeopathy can prevent E. coli diarrhoea in piglets1 – a big problem in commercial farming
References https://www.hri-research.org/resources/homeopathy-faqs/the-best-studies-have-shown-homeopathy-is-just-placebo/
About 70-80% of patients taking homeopathic treatment for chronic disease report improvement.
/About 70-80% of patients taking homeopathic treatment for chronic disease report improvement, and in at least one study they prefer it over conventional treatment, according to a collection of studies written up by our friends down under, Homeopathy Plus.
Possibly you are aware of the six-year Bristol Homeopathic Hospital study, which showed that out of 6,544 patients with chronic disease, sometimes of many years’ duration, 70.7 per cent reported positive health changes.
But there’s more.
A study on several alternative health modalities in Northern Ireland shows homeopathy narrowly edging out acupuncture with 79 per cent of patients reporting positive outcomes.
A study carried out at a health clinic in Dorset, England shows 84 per cent of patients reported improvement, and 81 per cent attribute their improvement to homeopathy.
A German study found that most parents with cancer-stricken kids who had them treated homeopathically rated their satisfaction rate as “very high” and would recommend homeopathy to other parents.
A large-scale Swiss study comparing patient satisfaction with homeopathic treatment to conventional medicine for chronic disease showed homeopathy scoring significantly better, with greater improvement and fewer side effects.
Finally, a 103-centre study in Switzerland and Germany followed 3,079 patients over eight years, and found:
* On average, disease severity decreased dramatically and improvements were sustained
* Three in ten patients stopped treatment because of major improvement
* Mental and physical quality of life scores increased substantially
* Biggest and fastest improvements happened for children and the patients who started out the most sick.
Conditions treated ran the gamut, covering both physical and emotional afflictions.
Those who wonder why homeopathy continues to grow in popularity worldwide despite a mechanism of action that defies common “wisdom” and a well-funded and highly-motivated opposition should take note of these studies.
Read the original article, which has more details and full citations, here.
How Does Homeopathy Work?
/What should I expect in a homeopathic consultation?
The choice of homeopathic medicine is based on the patient’s specific symptoms and not the disease itself. Because of this, in the first consultation the homeopath will seek a complete and accurate picture of the health status and symptoms of the patient.
The homeopath will ask you about your condition, physical, physiological, mental and emotional. He or she will ask you to describe what factors improve and what factors worsen the symptoms, how you react to heat and cold, different weather, different body positions, etc. He or she will ask you about your food preferences and aversions, how you sleep, your lifestyle and habits, your personality, your medical history and your family’s medical history, etc. The first homeopathic consultation can easily last two hours. Subsequent ones last a shorter time, often half an hour, and usually happen about once a month as needed.
Water Research Laboratory What is this project about?
/Water Research Laboratory
What is this project about?
Current research points towards the likely existence of water structures which, although being largely unexplored, in principle have the necessary characteristics to explain the mechanism of action of homeopathic medicines.
The Water Research Laboratory aims to investigate these new water structures using a multidisciplinary approach involving theoretical physics, mathematical modelling and experimental exploration.
In the field of the physics of high dilutions, which has immediate relevance to homeopathy, many research groups have reported interesting findings. In particular, Prof Luc Montagnier (who won the Nobel Prize for discovering the HIV/AIDS virus), has shown homeopathic dilutions to have electromagnetic properties which differ from those of normal water1,2.
Benveniste was a eminent French immunologist, adviser to the French government on scientific issue, he was the director of INSERM unit 200, directed at immunology, allergy and inflammation.
In a seminal paper published in the prestigious journal Nature in 1988, Dr Benveniste’s team of reported their results investigating the effects of high-dilutions on human basophils (a type of white blood cell). They diluted a solution of human anti-IgE antibodies in water to such a degree that there was virtually no possibility that a single molecule of the antibody remained in the water solution. They reported, human basophils responded to the solutions just as though they had encountered the original antibody (part of the allergic reaction). The effect was reported only when the solution was shaken violently during dilution.
This publication led to a large controversy around ‘the memory of water‘. Since then 28 scientific papers have been published in this area, 23 of which reported positive results. Of the 11 publications judged to be of high quality, 8 (72%) reported positive results.4
The initial efforts of the HRI/WRL collaboration are centered around repeating the famous basophil degranulation experiments of the late Dr Jacques Benveniste (1935-2004)3, with the aim of making the experiment more easily reproducible in standard laboratory setting and of studying important physical parameters crucial to the phenomenon. In particular we aim to study the influence of electromagnetic fields on the system, in line with Prof Luc Montagnier’s recent results.
- Montagnier, L., Aïssa, J., Ferris, S., Montagnier, J.-L. & Lavalléee, C. Electromagnetic signals are produced by aqueous nanostructures derived from bacterial DNA sequences. Interdiscip. Sci. Comput. Life Sci. 2009, 1, 81–90. | Pubmed
- Montagnier, L. et al. DNA waves and water. J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 306, 012007 (2011). | Link
- Davenas E, et al. Human basophil degranulation triggered by very dilute antiserum against IgE. Nature. 1988 333(6176):816-8. | Pubmed
- Witt CM, Bluth M, Albrecht H, Weisshuhn TE, Baumgartner S, Willich SN. The in vitro evidence for an effect of high homeopathic potencies–a systematic review of the literature. Complement Ther Med. 2007 Jun;15(2):128-38. | Pubmed
Lead researcher
Alexander Tournier BSc DIC MASt Cantab PhD
Dr Tournier studied physics at Imperial College, London, and theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge. He wrote his PhD on the biophysics of water-protein interactions at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. For the last 10 years he has been conducting interdisciplinary research at the boundaries between mathematics, physics and biology, as an independent researcher for Cancer Research UK (5th institute worldwide for molecular biology).
Why is this project important?
Confirming the existence of structured phase of water would have considerable ramifications not only for homeopathy, but could also lead to completely novel therapeutic and diagnostic techniques.
Dr Alexander Tournier PhD
Autism Is A Research Growth Area: No Profit in Finding the Cause
/February 19, 2012 by admin in Autism, Featured, Science
http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2012-02-19/autism-is-a-research-growth-area-no-profit-in-finding-the-cause/
The Mind of the Autism Researcher
Attempts to prove that autism is genetic, physical, or chemical in nature continue unabated. It’s proven to be a most lucrative specialty for researchers. However, the studies that promote the genetics-not-vaccine concept tend to show only the effects of autism. They demonstrate nothing to indicate the actual cause, though they often imply, or even outright state, otherwise.
That alone should tell us what’s become of most autism research: it’s a growth area. Autism research has become very much the same as Big Pharma-based medicine. In fact, much of it is funded by pharmaceutical corporations.
To find a disease cause and solution to prevent disease isn’t profitable. However, to find even the most minuscule physical, genetic, or chemical change in someone with an existing disease means that even more money can be squeezed out of the research funders like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), agencies funded by taxpayers. Anything that leads away from causes and focuses on the physiochemical effects of autism always leads to more questions and more research funds.
Gaia Health recently documented an autism study demonstrating that it shows the opposite of what is claimed. The authors attempt to demonstrate that physical changes in the brains of autistics shows that vaccines could not be the cause. In reality, the study shows a close parallel between those changes and autism’s development. That fact, though, could not be mentioned. It would likely have resulted in the researchers’ funding sources drying up.
Study: White Matter Changes in Autism
A recent study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry(1) says that children defined as high risk for developing autism become autistic because of changes in the brain’s white matter, and that autism can be predicted in advance based on MRIs showing such changes. This is all fine and dandy—but it says precisely nothing about what causes these changes.
This study has a continuing medical education couse associated with it on MedPage Today. Passing the related test of two simple questions provides the reader, who is presumed to be a doctor, with .25 CME units. The doctor can easily collect these training credits within a few minutes, never leaving the comfort of home or office, or more significantly, without even having to bother reading the study itself. No thought process is required to determine whether the study holds any validity. The single-page course simply summarizes and regurgitates the study’s claims with no attempt to analyze whether it’s meaningful.
The result of this is sure to be yet more MRI tests on infants, which will, of course, further increase the cost of medicine and will likely produce no benefit to children—unless yet another toxic drug is considered helpful.
Study: Genetic Changes in Autism
Another study, published in PLoS Genetics(2), states that functional mutations in the SHANK2 gene, resulting in changes in synapses, are associated with some, but not all, autism. A functional mutation is not a birth defect. It is caused by something.
However, the study researchers weren’t interested in what causes the SHANK2 gene to be damaged. They were quite satisfied with the idea that the damage was just spontaneous. One would have thought that the researchers would at least be curious about what causes these changes—but apparently curiosity that doesn’t bring in big financial payments has been bred out of researchers.
Their interest was only in the idea where the finding indicates that several genes acting in combination must be associated with autism. Author Bergeron states:
There are so many combinations that might be important. We still have a lot of work to do at the genetic level.
Wow! Those researchers may have found a mother lode of research grants for all the follow-up research that they can now claim should be done. Just imagine the money that’s going to be made by Big Pharma in vaccines or drugs to treat the broken SHANK2 genes. Obviously, finding the cause of those broken genes would interfere with the profits to be made in attempts to fix them.
Study: Brain Activity Changes in Face Recognition
A study published in Nature Neuroscience(3) claims that functional MRIs can examine the fusiform gyrus, a part of the brain believed to focus on face identification, and that it will be able to study people—specifically, autistics—who are too unresponsive to cooperate in such studies. Author J.D. Gabrieli told the Simons Foundation:
Functional brain studies have been limited to the most high-functioning individuals, because we had to use active tasks that required following instructions. This method may open ways to look at the many autism patients who cannot follow task instructions.
Thus, this study has been performed to pave the way for yet more studies of autistic people. Whether it might actually benefit them is … well, that doesn’t seem to be the issue.
The Third Rail of Medical Research
There exists just one thing that autism researchers won’t touch: the cause. It’s the third rail of medical research. Autism has developed into a huge money-maker for modern medicine and its supporting agencies. Big Pharma is now selling drugs to send autistic kids to oblivion and further damage their brains. Doctors have a huge group of children whose parents are conditioned to take them back over and over again for tests and treatments, none of which help. Agencies and charities have organized to promote awareness of the condition and, in most cases, to promote the well-being of the top-line managers’ pay. Researchers and medical journals all help feed into this newly profitable condition. None of them actually help. For that, you must leave the modern medical system and find alternatives.
If the cause of autism were officially found. The focus would be on prevention. But then, none of this enormous pool of money could be tapped by any of these groups. Their bottom line is benefited by putting on blinders to the most likely cause, vaccines. To that end, they’ve established a PR campaign to convince the public—not to mention their own members—that vaccines aren’t the cause of autism and that autism isn’t truly a new disorder, but one that was previously unrecognized. Of course, as most parents of autistic children can state without reservation, there is no possibility that what’s happened to their children could ever have gone unnoticed.
So, they’ve developed a most magnificent arrangement of patting each others’ backs:
The doctors get to take absurdly simple CME courses that tell of phony breakthroughs, thus getting that nuisance requirement of continuing education out of the way without stress.
Medical websites that take most of their money from Big Pharma can pump out these nonsensical courses, pulling doctors to their sites for the easy ride.
Doctors get more and more patients.
Medical suppliers get to sell more and more equipment for tests.
Big Pharma gets to develop new drugs and find ways to push old ones on autism sufferers.
To support it all and give the seal of so-called “evidence based medicine” to these practices, medical researchers produce study after study, all of them focused on anything but finding the cause of autism.
It’s a cozy arrangement for everyone but the autistic children, their families, and society as a whole. Finding the cause would shut down the researchers’ gushing funding tap, and preventing autism would cut into all arenas of this exploding area of the medical industry.
Sources:
(1)Differences in White Matter Fiber Tract Development Present from 6 to 24 Months in Infants with Autism, doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.11091447.
(2)Genetic and Functional Analyses of SHANK2 Mutations Suggest a Multiple Hit Model of Autism Spectrum Disorders
(3)Anatomical connectivity patterns predict face selectivity in the fusiform gyrus, doi: 10.1038/nn.3001
—
Elena Cecchetto DCH, CCH, RSHom(NA)
604-568-4663
LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?trk=hb_tab_pro_top
“The information contained in this message is for educational purposes and constitutes a response to a private request for information only and does not constitute a solicitation for services and makes no claim or promise that any product or service that may cure any condition or ailment,”
Myth vs. Mythology;
/“Homeopathy research is poor quality, so you can’t trust the results.”
Only one study has compared the quality of homeopathy research with that of conventional medicine. Overall the homeopathy trials were found to be of higher quality than the conventional trials they were compared to.1
Researchers compared 110 homoeopathy trials and 110 matched conventional-medicine trials: 21 homeopathy trials and 9 conventional-medical trials were assessed as ‘higher quality’ (19% of homoeopathy trials and 8% of conventional-medicine trials).
This study shows that raising research standards is an ongoing issue for both homeopathy and conventional medicine.
It is also true that some homeopathy studies are poor quality, particularly those carried out some decades ago which fall short of today’s quality standards.
However it is clearly not true that all homeopathy studies are poor quality. There are good quality studies which have found that homeopathy is effective.
- Shang A, Huwiler-Muntener K, Nartey L, et al. Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. Lancet, 2005; 366: 726–32 | PubMed
