... Bear and other scientists have also identified several drugs that seem to correct the problem. The drugs don't replace the missing brakes in the brain. Instead, they limit acceleration by reducing the activity of a group of receptors on brain cells known as mGluR5 receptors.The idea is that neuronal connectivity is a delicate, dynamic, balance. Too much connectivity, or too little, can both prevent cognition from working correctly.
The drugs have reversed most of the effects of Fragile X in mice. They are now being tried in humans. And at least one small study found that a single dose of a drug had an effect....
So now there's research on modulating neuronal interconnectivity. If they worked safely these drugs would inevitably be used on "normal" brains, probably illegally, but they could be of enormous benefit to persons with impaired cognition.
Note in this review the implication that autism and schizophrenia may be, in a simplistic sense, two sides of one coin.
A Switch to Turn Off Autism?: Scientific AmericanDrugs to treat these disorders are years away from common use -- if ever. In the near term understanding the protein products of these genes may help us better classify and organize brain disorders, though we can also expect that prenatal testing will lead to more abortions.
Scientists say they have pinpointed a gene in the brain that can calm nerve cells that become too jumpy, potentially paving the way for new therapies to treat autism and other neurological disorders...
... The brain is continually trying to strike a balance between too much and too little nerve cell activity. Neurologists believe that when the balance tips, disorders such as autism and schizophrenia may occur. They are not sure why neurons (nerve cells) go berserk. But Greenberg says he and his colleagues located a gene in mice and rats that helps keep neural activity in check—and may one day be manipulated to prevent or reverse neurological problems.
Researchers report in Nature that they discovered a gene called Npas4 churns out a protein that keeps neurons from becoming overexcited when they fire (communicate with one another through connections known as synapses). When scientists blocked the protein, the nerve cells fired or sent out more signals than normal; when they beefed up production, the neurons quieted down...
As scientists learn more about how brain cells stay balanced, Greenberg says they will be able to identify people who are genetically at risk for neurological disorders and develop new drugs to prevent and treat them. He notes that some of the other genes that Npas4 affects also have been linked to autism...
These developments may also increase the value of doing genetic testing on persons with cognitive disorders, so that if appropriate trials are available one might, very carefully, consider enrolling.
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