Autism-World

by Teresa Binstock

Several subsequent posts shall delineate a remarkable parallel between three
traditional areas of research: Landau-Kleffner Syndrome (LKS) and a virus that is
known (i) to impair language in some persons, and (ii) to induce seizures or other
epileptiform atypicalities. We not that items i and ii are also seen in LKS.
      A post beginning "2 LKS" will provide a portrait of LKS, derived primarily
from citations.  Then, two posts will show that herpes simplex virus (HSV) can
induce language impairments as well as seizures and/or other atypical epileptiform
patterns.   A post beginning "3 LKS" will provide a portrait of HSV and language,
and a post beginning "4 LKS" will provide citations about HSV and seizure-like
activity. The overall gist of the following three posts is to provide documentation
for asking two questions:

I.    ARE SOME CASES OF LKS CAUSED BY HSV WITHIN THE CNS?
II.   OUGHT DIAGNOSTICS & INITIAL TREATMENTS BE CHANGED IN LKS?

Keeping in mind that HSV can be within the CNS and, while there, may be generating
*no* external signs or symptoms (1-3), the literature that shall be presented in the
following three posts suggests the *possibility* that at least some cases of LKS are
caused by subacute HSV within the CNS.    If that is a causal mechanism in some
cases of LKS, then altering the LKS diagnostic algorithm and modifying initial-
treament protocols might lead to significant improvements and reduction of further
deterioration.
      Let us keep clear: This and the following three posts present a *hypothesis*
regarding HSV as the basis of some cases of LKS. Although anecdotal evidence (eg,
successful treatment with Acyclovir) is consistent with an HSV/LKS model, the
connection remains primarily hypothetical. However, as the citations indicate, the
hypothesis that some cases of LKS are caused by a subacute, intra-neuronal HSV
infection within the CNS is based upon numerous studies already in med literature.

Thus, the questions are re-iterated:

I.    ARE SOME CASES OF LKS CAUSED BY HSV WITHIN THE CNS?
II.   OUGHT DIAGNOSTICS & INITIAL TREATMENTS BE CHANGED IN LKS?

REFERENCES

1) Whitley RJ, Lakeman F. Herpes simplex virus infections of the central nervous
system: therapeutic and diagnostic considerations. Clinical
Infectious Diseases 20.414-20 1995.

2) Kimura H et al. Detection of viral DNA in neonatal herpes simplex virus
infections: frequent and prolonged presence of serum in cerebrospinal fluid. J
Infectious Diseases 164.289-93 1991.

3) Domingues RB et al. Evaluation of the range of clinical presentations of herpes
simplex encephalitis by using polymerase chain reaction of cerebrospinal fluid
samples. Clinical Infectious Diseases 25.86-91 1997.

Technorati : Landau-Kleffner Syndrome

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 9:20 pm and is filed under Landau-Kleffner Syndrome.