Autism Recovery Telesummit

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Charles Wilkins
5 years ago
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2 *Acknowledgement: Many slides here come from Peter Sullivan, who brought me into the EMF area and with whom I collaborate closely and I want to express gratitude to him here for all his work and contributions. *Peter s slides will be a different color.

3 *Figuring out how EMF impacts autism will help us understand HOW autism WORKS *Figuring out HOW autism WORKS will sharpen how we look at EMF impacts. 3

4 REIFICATION means TREATING A PROCESS AS A THING. but What if autism is not a thing? 4

5 * Not a broken brain * Many with autism are highly gifted * Issues are often expression and coordination, not capability * Not purely genetic * Environment plays big role * Number actually going up * Not just brain * Whole body, multi-system involvement * Not life sentence * Variable, changeable, treatable, some who lose diagnosis * Great potential 5

6 *From belief that autism is mainly to entirely sculpted or hardwired in utero TO *Idea that autism is GENERATED in an ongoing, moment-to-moment fashion by a physiologically challenged brain *AND EMF CAN BE A MOMENT-TO-MOMENT CHALLENGE TO AN ALREADY CHALLENGED BRAIN 6

7 Manifestations of dynamism: Variable, changeable, treatable, some who lose diagnosis *This variability should be familiar to the environmental medicine community *It suggests that many of autism s features may be related to environmental sensitivity *And/or reversible obstructions 7

8 *This is consistent with a variable, dynamic model of autism *If autism were totally hardwired you wouldn t see this kind of impact *At this point this claim comes from clinical observation. It has big implications and needs to be tested and applied in daily life.

9 We Live Inside Man-made Fields 9

10 Constant Wireless Sources Start with devices that are constant emitters Cordless phone base station Wi-Fi Baby monitors Wireless alarms Wireless video cameras Wireless weather stations Smart meters (intermittent wireless/constant dirty electrical) 10

11 Electrical Noise (Dirty Electricity) Some devices create noise on A/C power Like the noise/turbulence when you start and stop a hose Microsurges/noise from solar, dimmers, etc. Heard in buzzing lights, refrigerator and music Even small changes are felt by our children 11

Radio Radar 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975

12 Volts Per Meter Rise of EMF in Our Lifetime LTE 4G Wi-Fi DECT Cordless Phones Cellular Network Television Radio Radar

13 This Is Assumed to Be Safe However, the WHO (The World Health Organization) classified EMF as group 2B - possible carcinogen However, other countries have wireless limits that are 1000 times lower than the United States However, no insurance company will provide liability insurance for the wireless industry Because of these liability issues, wireless companies have moved to protect themselves 13

14 *The slogan in autism research used to be: Genes, Brain, Behavior *Now the whole body-brain approach is gaining hold: Multisystem Metabolic-Immune-Microbiome Body < > Brain 14

15 15

16 Emerge Underlying Functions VISIBLE Social & Behavioral SYMPTOMS are OUTPUT DISTURBANCE OF CORE UNDERLYING BODY FUNCTIONS are GENERATORS Ziggarut model: 16

17 THE METABOLIC BRAIN 17

18 FUNCTIONAL 18

19 Biomed TREATMENT BANDWIDTH; Better Reception Allows Better Discernment of Differences and More Spontaneous Learning 19

20 Autism As a State of Overload Many factors total load Not just the kids the entire family For example, raising taxes impacts everyone, but will be felt more by those living paycheck to paycheck This is also like a balloon with more sandbags than lift 20

Safety Environment Time in nature Clean water Love Poor sleep Acidic ph EMF GMOs 287 toxins Low energy Low immune Infections

21 Balanced ph Oxygen level Melatonin Glutathione Healthy gut Balloon Model: Total Load Pulls You Down Body Brainwave coherence Synchronization Neural reach Cellular voltage Thriving Add positive factors Adaptive response Environment Fresh air Organic food Safety Environment Time in nature Clean water Love Poor sleep Acidic ph EMF GMOs 287 toxins Low energy Low immune Infections Inflammation Low melatonin Non-adaptive Response Fight Flight Freeze Toxins Noise MSG Light flicker Surviving 21

22 Hangover/Concussion Experience Sensitive to light, sound and noise Inflammation = electrical noise = fuzzy thinking Overloaded liver/detox system Do you feel like being social? What if the impact is greater than repair rate? If the impact is invisible and constant, this could appear like a permanent condition 22

23 What does that SPECIFICALLY mean in the BRAIN? 23

24 ONGOING TOXICANT Altered METABOLISM Altered ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY EMF/RFR altered sensation, cognition, emotion, behavior EVERY DAY Not just altered brain development Herbert, Sage, Autism: Plausibility of a Pathophysiological Link, Pathophysiology 2013 (see also ) 24

26 * *For more details see: *Herbert, M. R. and C. Sage (2013). "Autism and EMF? Plausibility of a pathophysiological link - Part I." Pathophysiology 20(3) (publications page, *or Herbert and Sage section in 26

27 * Connections in Our Environment: Sizing up Electromagnetic Fields, by Martha R Herbert PhD MD *in Autism Notebook Spring 2015 pages at the link 361

28 *Cellular stress *Stress protein responses (heat shock proteins) *Membrane and channel dysfunction *Calcium channel dysfunction *Junctions between cells break apart causing leakiness through barriers (like blood-brain barrier and gut-blood barrier) *Genetic alterations / mutations can be caused by EMF

29 Injury at the cellular level James 29

30 *Mitochondrial dysfunction *Melatonin regulation dysfunction *Disturbed immune function *Degradation and even death of brain cells *Impacts on brain glucose metabolism

31 EMF + Toxins = Increased Inflammation Martin Pall, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry at Washington State University, is speaking on this topic tomorrow: Voltage gated calcium channels on cell membranes EMF -> calcium influx into cells -> nitric oxide Chemicals/toxins activate NMDA receptors Both of these mechanisms lead to increased inflammation 31

32 The physiological domain is characterized by small-amplitude oscillations in mitochondrial membrane potential (delta psi(m)) showing correlated behavior over a wide range of frequencies. Under metabolic stress, when the balance between ROS [reactive oxygen species, or free radicals] generation and ROS scavenging [as by antioxidants] is perturbed, the mitochondrial network throughout the cell locks to one main low-frequency, highamplitude oscillatory mode. This behavior has major pathological implications because the energy dissipation and cellular redox changes that occur during delta psi(m) depolarization result in suppression of electrical excitability and Ca2+ handling 32

33 *Regulation of circadian rhythms *Metabolic and regulatory roles in relation to cellular protection, mitochondrial malfunction and glutathione synthesis *Helps prevent the breakdown of the mitochondrial membrane potential, decrease electron leakage, and thereby reduce the formation of superoxide anions *Pharmacological doses of melatonin not only scavenge reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, but enhance levels of glutathione and the expression and activities of some glutathione-related enzymes 33

34 * * Association with large immunohistological changes in mast cells * E.g., increased histamine, chymase, tryptase * Relation to cellular damage and impaired tissue repair * Benchmark immune indicators occur under low level exposures * Genetic and epigenetic contributors * Heterogeneous manifestations * Some autoimmune * Some rarely get sick * Rashes, eczema, allergies, psoriasis common * Neuroinflammation and glial activation * Association of immune response of infection in pregnancy to autism risk * Immune and behavior changes associated 34

35 THE METABOLIC-MOLECULAR BRAIN Biochemistry, Immunochemistry, Bioenergetics, Biotransformation 35

36 Extracellular matrix Fluids ph Proximity Tortuosity Viscosity Membranes Permeability Friability 36

37 FUNCTIONAL Individual synapses Dendritic connections Gap junctions Calcium waves Oscillations Oscillatory networks Coherence Phase synchrony 37

38 Structure Altered Brain Function Behavior Molecular Pathophysiology Electromagnetic Pathophysiology Perturbation of Biophysical Parameters Underlying Genetic Biases & 38 Environmental Information, Insults

39 Think of EMF as a brain irritant. 39

40 * * Disrupted sleep architecture * Changes in sleep spindles * Changes in coherence and correlation across sleep stages and power bands during sleep * Insomnia * Bedtime resistance * Sleep onset delay and shorter duration * Night wakings * Sleep architectre less efficient sleep * Prolonged REM latency * All worse in setting of children who regress into autism 40

41 * * Heterogenous differences from neurotypical * Multileveled * Multiple sensory systems * Possibly modulated by glial, metabolic, immune, perfusional and other processes 41

42 * * Fair number of negative studies * Increased heart rate variability and other disturbances documented * Increase in German village of stress hormones and drop in dopamine after installation of cell tower * Neonatal vulnerability * Increased stress in utero may have lifelong impacts * Tendency for high tonic sympathetic arousal at baseline * Cortisol disturbances documented * Maternal increased stress associated with greater risk of child with autism * Poorer brain coherence improved with betablocker propranolol 42

43 Fight or Flight Mode EMF exposure promotes fight or flight response More stimming Autism runaways Fight or flight causes further inflammation Body becomes pro-inflammatory Non-critical functions are de-prioritized or turned off to save energy: detox, digestion, repair, growth Reduced detox will increase toxic load and compound the cycle of inflammation and overload 43

44 Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Group 7 no symptoms sleep disturbance, tiredness, depressive mood headaches, restlessness, dazed state, irritability, disturbance of concentration, forgetfulness, learning difficulties, difficulty finding words frequent infections, sinusitis, lymph node swellings, joint and limb pains, nerve and soft tissue pains, numbness or tingling, allergies tinnitus, hearing loss, sudden hearing loss, giddiness, impaired balance, visual disturbances, eye inflammation, dry eyes tachycardia, episodic hypertension, collapse other symptoms: hormonal disturbances, thyroid disease, night sweats, frequent urge to urinate, weight increase, nausea, loss of appetite, nose bleeds, skin complaints, tumors, diabetes

45 *Whether the brains of people with autism show changes in the ways they function after EMF exposure as compared with before exposure *Whether people with autism have different reactions to EMF than neurotypical people *Whether people with Autism had greater EMF/RFR exposures in utero and infancy *Whether there are physiological measures either in brain or systemically that correlate with brain responses to EMF, * potentially independent of autism diagnosis (or with a physiology-by-diagnosis interaction) 45

46 PROPERTIES EMERGENT *A more parsimonious model: More struggle more severe autism *Autism EMERGES when the brain s resources are depleted and it can t produce information integration *RECOVERY FROM AUTISM can happen if brain resources are substantially repleted / restored 46

47 The Autism Puzzle Genetics Wireless & EMF Overload Biological Capacity Chemical Toxins 47

48 We Created this Problem Which means we can uncreate it Rollback to previously known good state Some of our exposure is out of our control The closest sources have the greatest impact We control the closest sources in our homes 48

49 Creating Space Work from the child outward Start with the sleep environment Wireless (microwave radiation) is light at a frequency slower than we can see Exposure = power x duration Focus on constant sources first 49

50 What You Can Do Today EMF Reduction Protocol (Calming Protocol)* At night, turn off: Baby monitor which emits a lot of EMF right next to your baby s head/brain Cordless phone base station Wi-Fi router Circuit breaker to bedroom No cell phones in bedroom Two week trial no cost to try Measure before and after (survey, video, etc.) *Created by Dr. Toril Jelter and Cindy Sage 50

52 Don t put cell phones right next to your head Cell phones are even less safe for kids No cell phones in pants pockets can mutate genes in sperm cells Wean yourself from your microwave and stay away from microwave ovens when they are on

53 EMF is part of our total load Antioxidants help your cells and brain protect themselves EMF makes sleep and stress problems worse Making every choice a health choice protects your resiliency

54 What to Expect More than 80% of children improve Most show slow improvement over period of months About 10% show rapid improvement (within days) Remaining 20% may be because of a complex EMF issue or other factors EMF may still be an issue Multiple loads may need to be lifted If you don t at first notice a change, you may notice a regression if you go back to your previous levels of EMF 54

55 Come to our clinic! Read my book! Look at oir clinic model! Learn about our research! Watch our trailer!!

56 Support Peter Sullivan - Clear Light Ventures clearlightventures.com Facebook: Autism and EMF Group Subscribe to our list to receive updates about the emerging link between EMF and autism Building Biology Environmental Consultants Alex Stadtner Healthy Building Sciences Barbara Bobbitt IE Diagnostics Emil DeToffol - LessEMF Largest selection of EMF meters, shielding and books Alan Maher - Alan Maher Designs Grounding products for electrical noise reduction 56

Submission to Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Health. Evidence Indicates Plausible Link between Autism and RF Radiation Exposure

Submission to Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Health April 28, 2015 Evidence Indicates Plausible Link between Autism and RF Radiation Exposure Martha Herbert, PhD, MD I am a board-certified