SSRIs linked to (some) cases of autism?

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AardvarkGoodSwimmer
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13 Nov 2011, 8:23 pm

SSRIs are Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors, and are currently one of the most common medications to treat depression.

Antidepressants in Pregnancy and Autism: A Possible Link
Posted by Dr. Claudia M Gold November 13, 2011
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/ ... ncy_a.html

And Dr. Gold quotes from a journal article:
“ . . . results suggest that exposure, especially during the first trimester, may modestly increase the risk of ASD. Further studies are needed to replicate and extend these findings. . . ”

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Antidepressants tentatively linked to autism
BY STACEY SINGER, Cox Newspapers, WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Friday, Nov. 11, 2011
http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/11/11 ... d.html#tvg#ixzz1ddc3tp8p

“ . . . Rodents exposed to the antidepressant Celexa displayed autismlike changes in their brain structure and their pups' behavior, especially the males, according to the study, published last month in Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences. . . ”

[Now, with animal studies, experimenters sometimes go heavy with the dosage. Again, it's all tentative.] <-- This is my comment, AardvarkGoodSwimmer.

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Perinatal antidepressant exposure alters cortical network function in rodents, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA,
Simpson, Weaver, et al., September 30, 2011.
http://www.pnas.org/content/108/45/1846 ... bc93a629ef

"Serotonin (5-HT) has long been postulated to play a trophic role in brain morphogenesis, including cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. It is also known to be one of the first neurotransmitters to appear in the central nervous system. . . "

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Antidepressant Use During Pregnancy and Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorders, Arch Gen Psychiatry, Croen, Grether, et al., 2011;68(11):1104-1112.
http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/conten ... 68/11/1104

. .
" . . . A total of 298 case children with ASD (and their mothers) and 1507 randomly selected control children (and their mothers) . . . "
"Results Prenatal exposure to antidepressant medications was reported for 20 case children (6.7%) and 50 control children (3.3%). In adjusted logistic regression models, we found a 2-fold increased risk of ASD associated with treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors by the mother during the year before delivery (adjusted odds ratio, 2.2 [95% confidence interval, 1.2-4.3]), with the strongest effect associated with treatment during the first trimester (adjusted odds ratio, 3.8 [95% confidence interval, 1.8-7.8]). No increase in risk was found for mothers with a history of mental health treatment in the absence of prenatal exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors."

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Okay, this is something we should be honest about and lay on the table and discuss as interested in. I'm going to go somewhat slow on this. I mean, for starters, 6.7% of the kids on the autism spectrum have mothers who took antidepressants during pregnancy (as perhaps one contributing cause). That still leaves 93.3% of the kids whose being on the spectrum was caused by something else! :D

And then we have from the above Nat’l Academy of Sciences article (results section): “ . . . It is well established that children with ASD display an inability to engage in play behavior with peers, avoid novelty, and have a compulsive need for an unchanging environment. . . ”
Come again! I mean, talk about stereotypes. These stereotypes are packed so densely, I’m not even sure how to unpack it. These scientists might know some brain chemistry, but they sure don't seem to know too much about autism as lived from the inside out. I like interaction with others just fine. Sometimes I long for meaningful interaction so much it hurts, and then I might then overtry in a clumsy way and get hurt if it's not well-received (which can happen just by plain luck even if I'm not overtrying). So, I like play. It’s just I like to play in my own way, thank you very much.



Last edited by AardvarkGoodSwimmer on 13 Nov 2011, 9:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Callista
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13 Nov 2011, 9:03 pm

They need to control for the high comorbidity of autism spectrum disorders and depression.

If a child is autistic, then the child's mother is likely to be autistic, or to have autistic traits.

If the child's mother is autistic, she is also likely to have depression.

And if she has depression, she is likely to take SSRIs.


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AardvarkGoodSwimmer
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13 Nov 2011, 9:36 pm

Very good point. A mother on the spectrum is BOTH more likely to have a child on the spectrum AND more likely to seek treatment for depression (caused by the low-grade background of social exclusion if nothing else).



AardvarkGoodSwimmer
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13 Nov 2011, 9:57 pm

I like the idea of antidepressants. That is, I do believe in better living through chemistry.

I have struggled with bouts of depression, some rather serious. And other people here at WP I suspect have probably struggled and suffered even more.

I might have been open to trying medication before if a psychiatrist I saw in 1989 was not such a jerk and so huffy after answering my simple, straightforward questions.

I am open to medication now if I need it, and will find a decent reasonable doctor as need be. Even knowing that something like Zoloft or Prozac might work great for some people and not do a thing for others, and that's just the way it is. I now think it's worth a try, and if need be, try a second, third, fourth medication. That's just the way the game's played and won.

At the same, we should be open to new information, such as the above. Even when it is tentative.