Vanguard Neurologist

I’ve just begun perusing your site and agree with most of what I’ve read, including the fact that excessive television viewing is “dumbing down” our society, particularly a subset of individuals who are genetically at risk for this effect (my words, not yours of course). A while back I read about the study you reference in the above post, and as I recall, it was horribly flawed. Again, this is from a few months ago (and I’m too tight on time to review it again), but I believe the researchers in question made far-fetched extrapolations from the data to arrive at their conclusion. As I recall (and please correct me if I’m wrong), they compared autism rates in areas of the country with higher rainfall versus areas with lower rainfall. They then made the huge leap of saying that because children were obviously watching more television in the areas with more rain, and because the rates of autism were higher in those areas, television must be the culprit for that statistic. Aside from all the common arguments (such as considering the chicken and egg scenario of whether extreme television viewing causes autism or autism causes extreme television viewing (and I’d vote for the latter), what kind of research can be called valid when there are so many holes in the research method used? I mean, it’s quite a jump to assume that increased rain always equates to increased television watching. I mean, why not at least make it a minor leap instead of a major one? Why not say it was the rain itself that caused the autism rather than the supposed forced indoor activity of television watching? And speaking of activities, are there no other alternatives for these researchers to have considered aside from television viewing? I mean, I suspect that quite a few other activities increase when kids are forced to stay inside because of rain. Why not examine skating, mall shopping, bowling, playing board games, playing a musical instrument, reading, arts-and-crafts, and so forth? Of course, some kids may not actually bend to the supposed incarceration by rain, and actually have a little fun in the mud puddles…so maybe that’s the cause after all…the mud puddles caused by the rain. Or is that throwing yet another kink into the very weak link that’s been made? Again, this is not to question your body of work, but to question the study to which you refer in this post. I welcome rebuttal. Thanks, though, for putting together such a nice blog. I look forward to examining the rest of it. Kathy

http://library.niehs.nih.gov/consumer/toxsub.htm

The above site lists EMF’s (electromagnetic fields) as TOXIC.

Certainly sitting or standing very close to a TV for extended periods of time would not be good.

However, the issues surrounding reduction of Melatonin and restoration of circadian rhythm, etc. — adverse effects of improper sleep all related to sleeping close to electrical items at night is “a major concern!!”

Electric and gas meters, ANY electric clock, monitors, fans, touchlamps, lamps with dimmer switches, power supply boxes for games and cordless phones, and much more including but not limited to improper wiring or waterpipes carrying currents over or under beds are all potentially deadly depending upon proximity and amount of chronic prolonged exposure.

Night after night of improper sleep/lack of sleep contributes to every health problem from poor sleep to cancer.

I am a non-accredited EMF/EMR researcher with over 15 years’ experience as a victim myself (high voltage powerlines only 50 ft. from front of our house), grandmother of two boys diagnosed w/rare immune deficiencies AND research in my own home exposing guinea pigs to our back bedroom wall — exactly where our children slept while growing up and our grandchildren after that (daycare).

Bottom line: when “close sleeping exposures” were reduced, lab results confirmed improvement that was also being observed and documented.

Similar circumstances re guinea pig exposures, however, one out of each set of two guinea pigs tragically died within 30 days’ exposure.

The guinea pigs’ tests revealed a “collapse of immune function” — severe neutropenia and lymphocytosis!!!

I moved my husband’s electric clock radio. He had been diagnosed w/Alzheimers about two years ago.

My husband is now said not to have Alzheimers!! He is, however, still suffering moderate to severe memory and cognitivie impairment.

I believe the electric clock radio increased damage I did not know was occurring due to taking statins.

While this part of my commentary may not seem to pertain to concerns re autism, additional research I have done re certain vitamins and supplements indicate persons need to be very aware that, under circumstances of chronic EMF/EMR exposure — particularly when one’s body is trying to restore circadian rhythm/function of hormones, etc., even Vitamin C can become a free radical.

My concerns relate both to things consumed during the prenatal period but also anything prescribed for newborn, toddlers, or children or persons of any age regarding a combination of exposures that have the potential to wreak havoc on particularly the central nervous system.

While this website is important and interesting, I do not think the EMF issue is being given the serious attention needed in order to help the persons the government is trying to keep “uninformed.”

Best wishes to all for better health!!! Joanne C. Mueller, Guinea Pigs R Us, 731 – 123rd Ave. N.W., Minneapolis, MN 55448-2127 Phone: 763-755-6114….email: jcmpelican@aol.com

In reference to the above post, I find that you using a study that comments on the ADAPTIVE RESPONSES of established autistic children to be misleading and to quote it as factual as being disingenous. What I mean for the average reader that the study is commenting on the limited abilities of autistic children to interact and than blaming these activities as the causes of their illness. It has been already well documented that children with autism have extreme hypersensitvity and disassociation of their nervous systems and will act out when there are changes in the weather. This is also noted in a host of other neurologic disease and may indeed be of reflexive or an escape mechanism in nature. Based on the logic of the paper I wonder if Dr. Perlmutter would equally, but politely, indeed that would be professional, blame the crutch that a crippled person used for causing their illness. Indeed using the same logic and ignoring that he is talking about adaptive behavior in prexisting illness, he might be inclined to fault the wheelchair that a stroke victim might use as being the cause of his illness, as well as the increased amount of time spent watching tv and lanquishing in his illness. This is the inherent flaw in the study itself and the fact that it was published in the first place. It is criminal to dismiss individuals as the cause of their illness and immoral for professionals to adopt such standards. By publishing a study on adaptive responses as the cause of an illness you have participated, promulgated and contributed to the underlying biogotry that we have come to accept as the standard of professionalism in this country. Indeed to mislead the public based on ones quthority, liscense or credentials without a thorough explaination of the facts is an abomination in and of itself. The study is flawed because it examines adaptive responses as the cause of disease. What we do not need is another wheelbarrel of manure masquerading as objective science.

So, let’s be clear. I posted this article as I thought it was interesting. I am well aware of the multitude of purported etiologies for autism including mercury toxicity, stealth infection, immune system challenges from immmunizations, other heavy metals, abnormalities of specific vitamins and metabolism, and other environmental toxins, to name a few, and clearly we will be exploring these issues. Nowhere is there any statement indicating that this posting is “definitive and authoritarian” as Dr. Goldgerg states above. These posts are designed to stimulate constructive discussion. So let’s chill out and try to be supportive and positive. Obviously Dr. Goldberg is a learned individual and we all look forward hearing more from people like him who have important ideas to contribute.

Interesting thought. Medline search however reveals no correlation of autism rates to latitude. Nonetheless, this doesn’t detract from the possible role of vitamin D.

nice site