Autism & Schizophrenia as the opposite poles of NMDAr dysregulation / dysfunction?
Disclaimer: I know it's speculative, there are always countless other factors, etc.
I'm pretty sure to be autistic. Due to my extensive 'research' about the effects of NMDA antagonists and the comparison with the reports of others, I've not only experienced normality* in a way I never could without chemical aid, but also what happens when one pushes it too far. There comes a state that is strikingly similar to schizophrenia.
* (with all these small little things that make up a personality "disorder" like not understanding chit-chat, jokes etc.. then how it is to be able to do normal social interaction, conversation, processing subtle body talk etc. with no effort like all the normal people out there.. or on the other end of the range, deprivation of thoughts, schizo-perception / vision etc)
| autistic --------- normal --------- schizophrenic (negative symptoms) |
Think of it as a range of intensity of NMDA mediated transmission. Normal humans are in the middle. When you add a NMDA antagonist, it shifts to the right. Now take someone with however caused hyperactivity of NMDA, experiencing autism spectrum symptoms. Give him a NMDA antagonist in the right dosage, and he'll approach the middle, normality. Give him more, and he'll also develop schizo like symptoms. Other way round, NMDA agonists do a shift to the left. That will help against (negative?) symptoms of schizophrenia. Like sarcosine.
NMDA mediates association <-> dissociation (somehow this is about ego perception and the intensity thereof) but also excitation.
Too much NMDA current means a strong ego, separation from the outside world, sensory overload, hyper-focus to details and awkwardness due to too much excitatory inhibition (blank mind in social situations). Also it means strong personal drive, energy. Being isolated behind some wall, yet having no 'buffer zone' and little things hitting you so hard deep directly emotional.
Too little NMDA current means dissolution of the ego, dimmed sensory input, forgetting about things that are far away, diminished cognitive abilities and due to the lack of a strong ego, little self-related drive and energy. Nothing touches you, one is like just an empty shell or non-existant. The surrounding is a scenery made out of paper and reality feels like a prank. I do understand now why schizophrenics tend to develop certain delusions.
(Also this is just an over-generalization, as there are of course many different brain areas with NMDAr's all over, and these symptoms can mix & match as they desire. My mother certainly is autistic too, but she also has some symptoms of schizophrenia & is misdiagnosed as such.)
Sorry as English isn't my mother tongue, hope it's more or less understandable. Don't know whether this already is a settled theory or not but it's so dazzling to experience all this by myself, puzzling things together and all .. I think very few concerned people (autists / schizophrenics) have the chance to experience the other side and to draw conclusions about all that.
At least it's why I can't rest and accept my natural state. It's not drug delusions (and oh well, I have had them too). This is real. And I can't talk about to these who should be professionals of this subject - psychiatrists, neurologists etc.. I'm searching desperately for someone who could understand me. But I also fully understand that if I begin to talk about me having experienced reality differently when taking drugs, especially research drugs, well.. nobody will believe me.
But the relevant question is, why don't these receptors work as they should? Biology is so genious in always restoring equilibrium. So is it genetically predicted, or an infection, an inflammation, whatever?
Disclaimer: I know it's speculative, there are always countless other factors, etc.
I'm pretty sure to be autistic. Due to my extensive 'research' about the effects of NMDA antagonists and the comparison with the reports of others, I've not only experienced normality* in a way I never could without chemical aid, but also what happens when one pushes it too far. There comes a state that is strikingly similar to schizophrenia.
* (with all these small little things that make up a personality "disorder" like not understanding chit-chat, jokes etc.. then how it is to be able to do normal social interaction, conversation, processing subtle body talk etc. with no effort like all the normal people out there.. or on the other end of the range, deprivation of thoughts, schizo-perception / vision etc)
| autistic --------- normal --------- schizophrenic (negative symptoms) |
Think of it as a range of intensity of NMDA mediated transmission. Normal humans are in the middle. When you add a NMDA antagonist, it shifts to the right. Now take someone with however caused hyperactivity of NMDA, experiencing autism spectrum symptoms. Give him a NMDA antagonist in the right dosage, and he'll approach the middle, normality. Give him more, and he'll also develop schizo like symptoms. Other way round, NMDA agonists do a shift to the left. That will help against (negative?) symptoms of schizophrenia. Like sarcosine.
NMDA mediates association <-> dissociation (somehow this is about ego perception and the intensity thereof) but also excitation.
Too much NMDA current means a strong ego, separation from the outside world, sensory overload, hyper-focus to details and awkwardness due to too much excitatory inhibition (blank mind in social situations). Also it means strong personal drive, energy. Being isolated behind some wall, yet having no 'buffer zone' and little things hitting you so hard deep directly emotional.
Too little NMDA current means dissolution of the ego, dimmed sensory input, forgetting about things that are far away, diminished cognitive abilities and due to the lack of a strong ego, little self-related drive and energy. Nothing touches you, one is like just an empty shell or non-existant. The surrounding is a scenery made out of paper and reality feels like a prank. I do understand now why schizophrenics tend to develop certain delusions.
(Also this is just an over-generalization, as there are of course many different brain areas with NMDAr's all over, and these symptoms can mix & match as they desire. My mother certainly is autistic too, but she also has some symptoms of schizophrenia & is misdiagnosed as such.)
Sorry as English isn't my mother tongue, hope it's more or less understandable. Don't know whether this already is a settled theory or not but it's so dazzling to experience all this by myself, puzzling things together and all .. I think very few concerned people (autists / schizophrenics) have the chance to experience the other side and to draw conclusions about all that.
At least it's why I can't rest and accept my natural state. It's not drug delusions (and oh well, I have had them too). This is real. And I can't talk about to these who should be professionals of this subject - psychiatrists, neurologists etc.. I'm searching desperately for someone who could understand me. But I also fully understand that if I begin to talk about me having experienced reality differently when taking drugs, especially research drugs, well.. nobody will believe me.
But the relevant question is, why don't these receptors work as they should? Biology is so genious in always restoring equilibrium. So is it genetically predicted, or an infection, an inflammation, whatever?
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