Shreyas Saride

ISM
9/27/18

Research Assessment #3

Subject:​​ Sulforaphane and ​Autism

MLA Citation:

Otto, M. Alexander. "Sulforaphane tied to improved social interaction in autism." Clinical

Psychiatry News, June 2018, p. 16. Health & Wellness Resource Center,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A546188126/HWRC?u=j043905002&sid=HWRC&x

id=1d473de5. Accessed 28 Sept. 2018.

"Sulforaphane tied to improved social interaction in autism." refers to a study regarding the

effects of Sulforaphane on patients with autism. The studies proved that there is a substantial

improvement on social interaction with these patients. This chemical is found in many natural

product, the most common being broccoli. The results were astounding and could potentially

have widespread applications in the future. Researchers have identified that this chemical also

could help with patients of schizophrenia, prostate cancer, and other indication.

This is very relevant to neurology today because of the increase of autism patients in the

United States today. Autism has become a huge issue in the last decade and has evolved into a

wide-range spectrum, ​affecting 1 in 68 children. ASD or Autism Spectrum Disorder is

characterized by impaired social interaction and communication as well as restricted or repetitive

behaviors, and varies widely with respect to its causes and presentations. There are no validated

pharmacologic treatments for the core symptoms of ASD. The social, medical, and economic
Shreyas Saride
ISM
9/27/18

burdens of ASD on families and caregivers are profound.​This new household treatment could

potentially improve the lives of many affected. Personally, this affects me because I have been

affected by autism. Throughout my life, I have encountered many with this disability and many

families who have had to cope with this challenge. This study can give hope to these families

that there could be substantial improvement in the social aspect of their kids’ lives. In pediatric

neurology, autism is one of the most common cases. As I am very interested in pediatric

neurology, this could very well shape my ISM career. Many neurologists also indulge

themselves in groundbreaking research such as this.

This research could also highlight the shift to natural ways to combat disorders like

autism. Yoga therapy and a better diet have increasingly been incorporated into the daily life of

many and the results have begun to show. People with a long history of migraines record that

changing up their schedules and eating times have proved to be beneficial. This is a major

breakthrough especially considering the fact that natural methods have been shunned for the last

century. Many people have seemed to have forgotten the importance that natural methods have

on daily life, and how reintroducing it can prove to be very beneficial for people in the long term.

In regards to autism and the medical field, ​There is no cure for ASD, and despite advances in

clinical therapies, there are no validated pharmacologic treatments for the core symptoms of

ASD. Physicians often prescribe atypical antipsychotics to treat irritability and aggression in

persons with autism. There are the only 2 medications currently approved in the United States by

the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat ASD. However, side effects of these drugs

include extrapyramidal symptoms and can pose considerable risks such as dyskinesias,

gynecomastia, fatigue, and increased risk for diabetes. Predicting the frequency and magnitude
Shreyas Saride
ISM
9/27/18

of these side effects is difficult, but the consequences are grave. Switching to natural methods

could further decrease the amount of complications that these drugs produce.

Some questions I have regarding this topic are, “Are there any side effects of too much

intake of Sulforaphane?” This question is still important because too much of anything can cause

side effects that can negatively affect one’s body. Another question I have is, “Are there any

other household items that can be used to improve social interaction among autism patients?”

In the end, the potential of newly discovered natural products could shape the way we

view medicine, in this case broccoli and autism.

Shreyas Saride
ISM
9/27/18

LOS ANGELES -- Researchers reported favorable results for the dietary supplement

sulforaphane in a small, ongoing trial of children with autism.

Sulforaphane is a compound in cruciferous vegetables, especially 3-day-old broccoli sprouts. It's

sold widely online and in stores, often as broccoli sprout extract, for anticancer and other effects.

The idea of using it for autism came about after investigators noticed that, in the lab, it induced

some of the cellular changes associated with fever, including upregulation of heat shock proteins,

according to Kanwaljit Singh, MD, a pediatrics instructor at the University of Massachusetts,

Worcester.

Fever has been reported to improve autism symptoms. So, several years ago, "we decided to do a

pilot study with sulforaphane" to see if it had a similar effect, Dr. Singh said at the annual

meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

At 18 weeks, 29 young autistic men randomized to the supplement outperformed 15 randomized

to placebo on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and other measures. It was the first study of

sulforaphane for autism, and it got a good deal of press attention when it was published in 2014;

Dr. Singh was the lead author (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2014 Oct 28; 111[43]: 15550-5).
Shreyas Saride
ISM
9/27/18

"Because we had a very good signal in our pilot study, we decided to do a slightly larger, slightly

more complex clinical trial, which is ongoing right now," he said. The results aren't due until the

second half of 2018, but he gave an interim report at the meeting.

There are 50 children with autism in the new study, aged 3-12 years. Half are randomized to

sulforaphane, half to placebo, for the first 15 weeks, then all are switched to open-label

sulforaphane for 15 weeks more, followed by a 6-week washout period, Andrew Zimmerman,

MD, and associates reported in Neurology.

The randomized portion is still blinded. But so far, 31% have responded positively at 15 weeks,

meaning a much or very much improved score in at least two domains on the Ohio Autism

Clinical Global Impressions Scale; domains cover social interaction, violent behavior,

communication, and other areas.

Among the patients who have completed the study, the response rate at week 30 almost doubled,

to 56%. "We don't know which patients were on sulforaphane and which were on placebo" in the

randomized phase, Dr. Singh said. "But we think because the response doubled" when the

second half of the children were switched to sulforaphane, "there should probably not be a very

large placebo effect here."

Meanwhile, after the washout period, "some patients still do well, but many more [go] back to

baseline," added Dr. Singh, the senior investigator in the new trial.
Shreyas Saride
ISM
9/27/18

The most common side effects are insomnia (28%), vomiting (19%), flatulence (17%), diarrhea

(15%), and constipation (13%).

A few patients have dropped out because of insomnia and diarrhea; more have dropped out

because they simply didn't want to take the pills - 125 mg of broccoli seed powder three to eight

times a day, depending on weight.

Other groups are looking into sulforaphane, Too--not just for autism, but also for schizophrenia,

prostate cancer, and other indications.

The U.S. Department of Defense is funding the research. The investigators said they have no

relevant disclosures.