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Autism as an electrical disorder.

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metalab
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13 Jan 2013, 8:53 pm

I was thinking about what is really the core issue behind autism, the singular thing that stems into the vast array of symptoms across the board.

And I began to wonder, what if autism at it's root is really an electrical disorder? As in our nervous system. That whatever function in the body converts chemicals into electricity to run our nervous system, that process is just on over drive. How some people have hyper-active sweat glands, or over production of some hormone. What if we just produce too much electricity?

This results in hyper-sensitivity, the over-stimulation, resulting in the shutting down of incoming perceptions concerning things that are too intense (other people), resulting in lack of social development. This would explain why we end up with more brain cells, our brain is always being exercised more.

Also if someone happened to be producing too much electricity that there physiology couldn't adapt to it, this would end up being highly debilitating, resulting in the people who appear more damaged by autism.

What do you all feel about this thought?

Of course I use the term 'disorder', not really believing that we are disordered, perhaps I should more say an electrical mutation.



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13 Jan 2013, 9:07 pm

I have also speculated that autism (and, perhaps, other neurological disorders) are due to some hyper-activity in the nervous system. I am also developing a theory that the increased levels of electromagnetic forces in our daily world due to the increase in wireless internet, cell phone usage, and so forth is increasing the amount of "electricity" in our nervous systems, thus being a possible explanation for the increase of diagnoses for autism, ADHD, Tourette's, epilepsy, and so forth.



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13 Jan 2013, 9:14 pm

This is an interesting theory. But how would you therefore explain those with autism who are under-reactive (hyposensitive) and seek out stimulation?


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13 Jan 2013, 9:25 pm

whirlingmind wrote:
This is an interesting theory. But how would you therefore explain those with autism who are under-reactive (hyposensitive) and seek out stimulation?


[I apologize if you had intended this question solely for the OP.]

Is it possible that such individuals have a degree of difficulty processing most of the sensory stimulation they receive? In this case, they would still have an increase in "electricity" but a decreased ability for their nervous systems to decode what the electrical impulses mean. Therefore, they may seek out the sensory information that their nervous systems understand how to decode so that they can make some sense of the world around them.

It may also be possible that certain parts of the brain absorb "electricity" differently than other parts of the brain and, in some individuals, so much of the electricity may be filtered to one part of the brain that other parts receive much less electricity than normal-- thus, certain sensory information gets pushed to the background by other cognitive and sensory processes.

Of course, I am no expert on either neurology or Sensory Processing Disorder and am simply proposing theories.



metalab
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13 Jan 2013, 9:26 pm

whirlingmind wrote:
This is an interesting theory. But how would you therefore explain those with autism who are under-reactive (hyposensitive) and seek out stimulation?


You could say that to deal with an overactive electrical system, some people end up not fully connecting their nervous system to all the senses. Meaning they would be more electrically intense internally, but less external stimuli would register.

It does seem to me that most autistic tend to have alot more intensity going on internally across the board.

Of course theres no real way to test this...

Unless could you somehow plug a voltmeter into someones spine?



eric76
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13 Jan 2013, 9:33 pm

metalab wrote:
I was thinking about what is really the core issue behind autism, the singular thing that stems into the vast array of symptoms across the board.

And I began to wonder, what if autism at it's root is really an electrical disorder? As in our nervous system. That whatever function in the body converts chemicals into electricity to run our nervous system, that process is just on over drive. How some people have hyper-active sweat glands, or over production of some hormone. What if we just produce too much electricity?

This results in hyper-sensitivity, the over-stimulation, resulting in the shutting down of incoming perceptions concerning things that are too intense (other people), resulting in lack of social development. This would explain why we end up with more brain cells, our brain is always being exercised more.

Also if someone happened to be producing too much electricity that there physiology couldn't adapt to it, this would end up being highly debilitating, resulting in the people who appear more damaged by autism.

What do you all feel about this thought?

Of course I use the term 'disorder', not really believing that we are disordered, perhaps I should more say an electrical mutation.


The notion makes no sense at all.

Recent research indicates that people with autism are born with more brain cells, as much as 79% more in some regions of the brain. And the number of brain cells you have is not dependent on the amount of electrical activity in the brain.

Also, the neurons do not act as wires conducting electricity from one place to another. Neurons fire in spikes. Between the neurons, the action potential is transmitted by the release and uptake of ions, not electricity.



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13 Jan 2013, 9:34 pm

WerewolfPoet wrote:
I have also speculated that autism (and, perhaps, other neurological disorders) are due to some hyper-activity in the nervous system. I am also developing a theory that the increased levels of electromagnetic forces in our daily world due to the increase in wireless internet, cell phone usage, and so forth is increasing the amount of "electricity" in our nervous systems, thus being a possible explanation for the increase of diagnoses for autism, ADHD, Tourette's, epilepsy, and so forth.


I wouldn't waste my time.

In any event, it would not be a "theory". At best, it is a conjecture. It can only be a theory if the evidence solidly supports it, which it will not.



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13 Jan 2013, 9:38 pm

metalab wrote:
whirlingmind wrote:
This is an interesting theory. But how would you therefore explain those with autism who are under-reactive (hyposensitive) and seek out stimulation?


You could say that to deal with an overactive electrical system, some people end up not fully connecting their nervous system to all the senses. Meaning they would be more electrically intense internally, but less external stimuli would register.

It does seem to me that most autistic tend to have alot more intensity going on internally across the board.

Of course theres no real way to test this...

Unless could you somehow plug a voltmeter into someones spine?


Actually, d'you know what. You've now reminded me of something. Many years ago, when I was at this psychic fair, I had this thing done called a Kerlian photograph of my hand. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirlian_photography).

I was with a friend, and she had hers done first, it came out like a really weak outline of her hand. I then had mine done, and you should have seen mine! You know when iron filings get attracted to a magnet in a cluster, well it was like that but like really long filings in the shape of my hand, it looked like I had so much electricity coming off my hand. And this may or may not be connected, but I have always had a strange effect on computers. They frequently go wrong around me. In one job, the techies used to say "ooh I've never seen it do this before" when I had to call them out. It's almost like the amount of electricity I give off disrupts things.

Hmmn...


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metalab
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13 Jan 2013, 9:42 pm

eric76 wrote:
Recent research indicates that people with autism are born with more brain cells, as much as 79% more in some regions of the brain. And the number of brain cells you have is not dependent on the amount of electrical activity in the brain.


How can you be sure that increased electrical activity wouldn't stimulate brain growth?

A quick search on google shows that some studies have found a correlation between general activity of the brain and brain mass.

I wouldn't declare such a notion as true, but I don't see any reasons to qualify it for immediate dismissal.



Last edited by metalab on 13 Jan 2013, 9:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

metalab
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13 Jan 2013, 9:44 pm

whirlingmind wrote:
metalab wrote:
whirlingmind wrote:
This is an interesting theory. But how would you therefore explain those with autism who are under-reactive (hyposensitive) and seek out stimulation?


You could say that to deal with an overactive electrical system, some people end up not fully connecting their nervous system to all the senses. Meaning they would be more electrically intense internally, but less external stimuli would register.

It does seem to me that most autistic tend to have alot more intensity going on internally across the board.

Of course theres no real way to test this...

Unless could you somehow plug a voltmeter into someones spine?


Actually, d'you know what. You've now reminded me of something. Many years ago, when I was at this psychic fair, I had this thing done called a Kerlian photograph of my hand. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirlian_photography).

I was with a friend, and she had hers done first, it came out like a really weak outline of her hand. I then had mine done, and you should have seen mine! You know when iron filings get attracted to a magnet in a cluster, well it was like that but like really long filings in the shape of my hand, it looked like I had so much electricity coming off my hand. And this may or may not be connected, but I have always had a strange effect on computers. They frequently go wrong around me. In one job, the techies used to say "ooh I've never seen it do this before" when I had to call them out. It's almost like the amount of electricity I give off disrupts things.

Hmmn...


You would then think that maybe we'd be better at telekinesis :)



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13 Jan 2013, 9:46 pm

metalab wrote:
eric76 wrote:
Recent research indicates that people with autism are born with more brain cells, as much as 79% more in some regions of the brain. And the number of brain cells you have is not dependent on the amount of electrical activity in the brain.


How can you be sure that increased electrical activity wouldn't stimulate brain growth?

A quick search on google shows that some studies have found a correlation between general activity of the brain and brain mass.


If you want to learn a bit about how neurons really work, go to the library and check out a book on the subject and read it carefully. I recommend Neurobiology by Gordon M Shepherd.



Last edited by eric76 on 13 Jan 2013, 9:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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13 Jan 2013, 9:47 pm

metalab wrote:
And I began to wonder, what if autism at it's root is really an electrical disorder? As in our nervous system. That whatever function in the body converts chemicals into electricity to run our nervous system, that process is just on over drive. How some people have hyper-active sweat glands, or over production of some hormone. What if we just produce too much electricity?


Once at a museum there was this electricity meter thing where you put your hand on a plate. For my friend's mother it barely moved, for my friend it moved a little, for me it moved way over. I don't know what that meant.



metalab
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13 Jan 2013, 9:52 pm

eric76 wrote:
metalab wrote:
eric76 wrote:
Recent research indicates that people with autism are born with more brain cells, as much as 79% more in some regions of the brain. And the number of brain cells you have is not dependent on the amount of electrical activity in the brain.


How can you be sure that increased electrical activity wouldn't stimulate brain growth?

A quick search on google shows that some studies have found a correlation between general activity of the brain and brain mass.


If you want to learn a bit about how neurons really work, go to the library and check out a book on the subject. I recommend Neurobiology by Gordon M Shepherd.


A book published in 1994?

The research I found that pointed to an electrical activity brain mass correlation doesn't seem to go back any further than 2006. http://www.ncbs.res.in/sitefiles/Electr ... opment.pdf



metalab
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13 Jan 2013, 9:53 pm

hanyo wrote:
metalab wrote:
And I began to wonder, what if autism at it's root is really an electrical disorder? As in our nervous system. That whatever function in the body converts chemicals into electricity to run our nervous system, that process is just on over drive. How some people have hyper-active sweat glands, or over production of some hormone. What if we just produce too much electricity?


Once at a museum there was this electricity meter thing where you put your hand on a plate. For my friend's mother it barely moved, for my friend it moved a little, for me it moved way over. I don't know what that meant.


What was this system? Can a simple cheap one be purchased anywhere?



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13 Jan 2013, 9:59 pm

metalab wrote:

What was this system? Can a simple cheap one be purchased anywhere?


No idea. I'm not even sure what it was or what it was supposed to mean. I can't even think of what to search for on google about it. They had that and a bunch of other interactive stuff at the museum in my city at one time but they don't have them any more.



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13 Jan 2013, 10:37 pm

eric76 wrote:
In any event, it would not be a "theory". At best, it is a conjecture. It can only be a theory if the evidence solidly supports it, which it will not.


I had not realized that a theory was so contingent on being supported by evidence. Thank you for correcting me on this and for the other information you have provided in this thread.