Biochemical Explanation of Children with Autism and ADHD: Deletions in Electron Transport Chain.

Biochemical Explanation of Children with Autism and ADHD

The prevalence of children with Autism and children with ADHD is increasing exponentially. What is abundantly clear from a behavioral perspective is that these child are suffer from a biochemical disorder and not behavioral problems. So behavioral intervention is not only unwarranted but in many instances may be cruelty. A diabetic with an elevated blood sugar also has behavioral abnormalities but our society has progress to recognize that this is a biochemical problem and not a behavioral one. This leap in understanding should be applied to children with Autism and ADHD.

Although I was not able to obtain video of an explanation of how children with biochemical problems like mitochondrial cytopathies electron transport chain compensate with deletions in their electron transport chain of cellular respiration in their mitochondria. I am at least able to bring you videos of how typically developing peers biochemistry works within their bodies. This is thanks to the Khanacademy.

If you would follow the videos and pay particular attention to the mitochondria explanation of the Electron Transport Chain or ETC and recognize that the end result is the creation of energy throughout the intercellular and extra cellular membranes. I may be able to illuminate further in my conclusion.

I have been studying biochemistry for a decade. If you don’t understand at first don’t worry. It is like anything else it takes time to comprehend such sophisticated concepts. More over there is still serious scientific debates as these theories are ongoing.

But in order for me to explain my theory, you will have to have some basic knowledge of cellular respiration and the electron transport chain. These videos will help you understand. You may need to watch them more then once but they are a very good reference although not all inclusive.

Although scientific consensus has not been reached regarding the production of ATP within the body, I submit that children suffering for either Autism or ADHD have an a deletion in their mitochondrial electron transport chain in which they produce ATP from glycosis less efficiently subesequently causing lactic acid to be used as a compensatory fuel within their cells which is very harmful to their bodies long term and alters neurological function within the brain therefore creating Autism and ADHD. Children can be readily tested for lactic acidosis as the test runs about $12 but the pyruvate acid test is a bit higher. The gold standard for being tested for mitochondrial cytopathies is about $25K and there is no current cure. It involves a skin biopsy and a muscle biopsy as well as blood and urine tests.

It is estimated that one in every five thousand people have a a mitochondrial cytopathy but some people are more apparently effected than others.

My son was diagnosed with this disease and tested positive for it when he was two. At the time it was not believed he would live very long. My son is now 11 and 1/2. But I am very cautious and I follow the biochemistry and have studied for a decade because I have had to. I am ever vigilant against disease and I make certain my son is not over stressed, over heated and I seek medical advice when he has the sniffles. His quality of live is good. And while he has full blown Autism and Mitochondrial Cytopathies he is one of the lucky children that can run and play and is thriving. And as incredibly hard as this life has been on both of us, it has been an education. There is a lot of room for research in mitochondrial cytopathies as they related to Autism, ADHD and mental retardation. For guidelines to consider whether your child might have mitochondrial cytopathies please see the united mitochondrial disease foundation.