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arbaclofen (r-baclofen LA) - autism

Phener

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 28, 2010
Messages
251
NEWS that is more relevant to ADD so posted here

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727783.900-autism-drug-aims-to-balance-brain-signals.html

THE first trial of a drug intended to rebalance the brain chemistry of people with autism has helped symptoms in most of the 25 volunteers who tested it - with reductions in irritability and tantrums, and improvements in social skills.

The announcement coincides with news that the US federal government has finalised its financial package for Hannah Poling. In 2008 the government concluded that vaccinations may have resulted in her autism-like symptoms. The family will receive $1.5 million, plus $500,000 annually to cover the costs of caring for her.

Her case, however, is likely to be unique - she has a rare underlying genetic condition affecting her mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell. This was judged to account for the symptoms she developed after vaccination.

As the debate over vaccination and autism rumbles on in the US, the results from the drug trial of arbaclofen are encouraging. Although doctors sometimes prescribe drugs for autism, they are usually antidepressants and anti-psychotics and aimed at specific symptoms.

Arbaclofen, by contrast, is intended to rebalance brain chemistry, said to be awry in people with autism spectrum disorders. "We are trying to normalise signalling functions within the brain," says Randall Carpenter of Seaside Therapeutics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The firm is developing arbaclofen as a generic under the name STX209.

Previous studies suggest that people with autism produce too much of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain, which ramps up neural activity. They may also make too little gamma- amino butyric acid (GABA), which dampens activity down. ............and continues

It seems not only the alcoholics are jumping on the GABA-b - baclofen bandwagon. Well if they are PATENTING this medicine, willing to give it to autistic CHILDREN - I would say common sense thing would be trial it in alcoholics (ADULTS with potentially messed up livers due to alcohol) to proove/disproove the baclofen/alcoholism arguement once and for all. THEN AGAIN they give METH, AMPHETAMINE and METHYLPHENIDATE to kids but are often hessitant to give it to adults. ?? time will tell ?? (ha just thought to myself if this was the legal high industry they would have ripped this idea the minute this thread was made!)

related threads:

http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=501228&highlight=baclofen

http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=520327&highlight=arbaclofen [first mention of arbaclofen on bluelight]

My main concerns:

  • "rebalance the brain chemistry" / or very similar terminology has been used before re:antidepressants (think lack of serotonin for SSRIs etc)
    [*] methylphenidate shown to improve symptoms of ADD - evidence now points towards a lack of efficacy after 2years of use. [completely different receptor I know! BUT these trials sometimes tend to look at ACUTE outcomes rather than long term goals - which is not reason to avoid use but reason to be cautious over sensationalising a CURE]
 
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^^^ Bit fuzzy but does that mean Autistic people shouldn't really take Baclofen as its similiar too Arbaclofen? AS I think I'm quite Autistic and prescribed Baclofen.
 
That's not what it says at all. All the study claims is that baclofen is not a good treatment for the symptoms of autism caused by Fragile X. Doesn't mean that autistics can't take it for other reasons, and it doesn't mean it doesn't work for those indications.
 
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