Fascinating article on Aspergers/Autism and fevers

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http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/04/02 ... /5122.html

"The new autism theory stems from decades of anecdotal observations that some autistic children seem to improve when they have a fever, only to regress when the fever ebbs. A 2007 study in the journal Pediatrics took a more rigorous look at fever and autism, observing autistic children during and after fever episodes and comparing their behavior with autistic children who didn’t have fevers. This study documented that autistic children experience behavior changes during fever.
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The locus coeruleus has widespread connections to brain regions that process sensory information. It secretes most of the brain’s noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in arousal mechanisms, such as the “fight or flight” response. It is also involved in a variety of complex behaviors, such as attentional focusing (the ability to concentrate attention on environmental cues relevant to the task in hand, or to switch attention from one task to another). Poor attentional focusing is a defining characteristic of autism.
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Drs. Purpura and Mehler believe that, in autistic children, fever stimulates the LC-NA system, temporarily restoring its normal regulatory function. “This could not happen if autism was caused by a lesion or some structural abnormality of the brain,” says Dr. Purpura.

“This gives us hope that we will eventually be able to do something for people with autism,” he adds.

The researchers do not advocate fever therapy (fever induced by artificial means), which would be an overly broad, and perhaps even dangerous, remedy. Instead, they say, the future of autism treatment probably lies in drugs that selectively target certain types of noradrenergic brain receptors or, more likely, in epigenetic therapies targeting genes of the LC-NA system."

MY NOTE:
This is highly fascinating. I do actually notice that my DS5 (dx PDD-NOS) behaves calmer and more agreeable when sick with fever. As soon as Tylenol kicks in and his temperature goes down, he is back to his usual disagreeable and chaotic mood. When the Tylenol wears off and fever spikes again, he is back to being Mr. Mellow.

When I have a cold, I don't feel so anxious or depressed. I actually feel more relaxed, focused, and cheerful. It's true.

fascinating

I would expect someone who feels like sh*t to be calmer and less "chaotic," not because the fever relieved the Autistic symptoms, but because when you feel like death, you don't have enough energy to argue. Personally, I have never noticed any difference whatsoever in any of my autistic handicaps during a fever, because a fever makes me feel so bad in general, those things don't matter.

I have noticed that cold medicines with pseudoephedrine, while they are effective as antihistamines, make my sensory issues even more acute than normal. Even many small and normally innocuous sounds become excruciatingly irritating and I will jump out of my skin at the unexpected movement of a shadow.

I can't concentrate whenever I have a cold since my senses/brain seems to go into overdrive/be more than normal.

I agree with this and feel that anyone would be the same; even a neurotypical person who is very unwell feels too lousy to be difficult or get mad about something they normally would. I think illness and fever dampening someone's capacity for feist or vigor is pretty universal among humans, whether autistic or not.

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I mc be calmer with a fever, but that is because I feel too poorly to move, much less do anything more energetic than moan. I cannot even make a fuss for food when I am hungry, which means that I loose unhealthy amounts of weight unless someone is aware that I am sick (and thus need more help) and makes me eat. I am calmer and ore compliant because I cannot assert myself.