Latest news in trials of Gaba B agonist

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Thought I would post this: http://www.roche.com/media/media_releas ... -06-19.htm

This is the latest in the saga of baclofen use for an "anxiety" disorder and the discovery that it helps some with autistic sympoms. The drug mentioned is arbaclofen which is the right hand side of the baclofen molecule. Baclofen itself is now the subject of a double blind trial sponsored by the French government and conducted by doctors at the Descartes Sorbonne University Hospital and Paris and in Geneva after an initial trial showed positive results for baclofen as a treatment for alcoholism. The hypothesis is that alcoholism has a neurological cause associated with a disorder of the motorneurone center.

It's definitely interesting.

If there was something I could take that would make me stop being so much, well, me...

...fuzzy-headed, forgetful, misunderstood, easily overstimulated...

...would I do it???

Grudgingly, but I would. I would feel obligated to do so. If it could make me easier for everyone around me, make me like them so I wouldn't always be upsetting or offending or silent and always, always, always on the brink of being thrown away again...

...yeah, in a heartbeat. I'd line up for that sucker and I'd do whatever I had to to afford it.

I notice there is, so far, no mention of side effects.

Guess it can't be any worse than risperidone.

Read the article - thought I recognized gene location mentioned - went back through my research on the subject - and found that GABRB3 that maps to chromosomal region 15q11.2-q12 in humans. To Quote.... "GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult brain. During neurotransmission GABA activates the GABA-A receptor on the postsynaptic neuron. When this happens, the GABA-A receptor changes shape – thereby opening a pore in the postsynaptic dendrite. This allows chloride ions, which carry an electric charge, to enter the dendrite. As a result, the charge in postsynaptic dendrite becomes more negative, which makes it more difficult to generate an action potential. This is one of the fundamental processes of learning."

Though GABA-A and GABA-B are involved with mental function and learning and the GABRB3 Gene has been named a Candidate gene for Autism - it has NOT been proven to have any effect on Autism - Some studies may have indicate some connection yet other studies have failed to show any connection at all to Autism. Nor have there been any identified mutations of this gene in Autistic people. If and when we have valid proof that this gene is somehow involved in Autism we may actually get some studies that may try to determine how it is involved.

1. We have no proof that the GABRB3 gene is involved in Autism in anyway - Because of the lack of definitive results despite several studies a good guess for this gene is that at best its connection to Autism will be minor.
2. We still do not have any indication of any mutation of this gene in any Autistic individuals.
3. While we do have a decent idea of basic functions of the receptors and transmitters this gene encodes for work - we have absolutely no idea of how Autism affects this system if at all.
4. This drug is primary being tested for Fragile X - the company is telling us that Fragile X is the most common form of inherited autism, really! I have found multiple sources placing Fragile X at around 1 in 5000 births. Depending on the source Autism spectrum individuals rate is from about 1 in 150 to 1 in 44. The numbers do not support this wild claim. Makes one wonder if other claims made are just as unsupported.
5. I noticed that while at least some studies were completed - these people published no results - the begs the question - why? I did go to the web site clinicaltrials.gov and did a search for GABRB3 related trials - what I found was about 30 trials dealing with GABA of those only one posted results and that one did show a voluntary drop out of participants of about 50%. Therefore you can assume that the side effects were outweighing the benefits and were unpleasant.
6. In many ways this is the new snake oil -- trials were trying to see if GABA affecting drugs was going to cure just about everything going - from Alcoholism, drug addiction, diabetes, depression, even looking at it for a new sleeping pill. Nearly all of these studies were completed but the firms involved had declined to publish results.

In that results must be published before the FDA will approve a new drug - why withhold results? Likely the results were not positive or at least positive enough to warrant approval.

Not only did this article not mention side effects - it was totally unclear as to what symptoms it was going to mask.

This Seaside Pharmaceuticals - looks to be in the business of mining government and other companies for funds.

I won't hold my breath!

There's a newer study: Imaging shows low levels of Gaba in autism. (2013)

I found this because I googled for Low levels of Gaba and Aspergers. This came about because yesterday I was flooded with anxiety which culminated in a panic attack and then a sequel of emotional and physical exhaustion. This morning, still feeling totally flat battery, I took 0.5mg of Clonazepam (Klonopin) and the result was immediate and astonishing: calm, energy, motivation, it was like going from being trapped in a dark cave to a brilliant summer's day. The anxiety that had been pounding me for weeks just vanished. I was so astounded that I began to research how Clonazepam works - it increases Gaba in the brain, a neurotransmitter.

The study at the top suggests that things like dyspraxia from birth are caused by an inherited insufficiency of Gaba.

Gaba is a neurotransmitter, not a gene.