Pregnenolone is the true mother hormone, being derived from cholesterol and
the precursor of all steroid hormones.
It is a potent
anti-inflammatory agent. It is also claimed
that supplementing with Pregnenolone will increase IGF-1, which I found
interesting, given my very recent post on IGF-1 therapy in autism.
In the late 1940’s and 1950’s successful
studies were carried out into the use of Pregnenolone in the inflammatory
condition of arthritis.
As we found in recent posts regarding
the vagus nerve, all inflammatory conditions (autism included) share much in
common. A treatment that is effective
against neuroinflammation in one condition should be tested in the others.
Interest was high in Pregnenolone because
it was cheap and free of troubling side effects. Alternative steroid treatments, for example with Prednisone,
can have major side effects.
In an earlier post I referred to the
successful use of the steroid Prednisone in ASD in the US.
Wider adoption, and the lack of clinical trials, are held back by the fear
of side effects.
"... Dr
Michael Chez, of the Pediatric Neurology and Autism
Neurodevelopmental Program, Sutter Neuroscience Institute in Sacramento
California. He
wrote a paper I have already referred to in this blog called:-
In
that paper he talks of his knowledge of the effects of prednisone on children
with autism and he mentions the dosage used.
Treatment was usually prescribed with daily prednisone doses of 2 mg/kg/day for
3 to 6 months. Limitations to therapy were usually Cushingoid side effects. As
in other chronic conditions requiring steroids, pulse dosing was tried with
steroids in the form of prednisone or prednisolone at 5 to 10 mg/kg twice per
week.
Long-term success with no dependence or minimal Cushingoid
effects has been noted in several hundred patients treated in this manner
(Chez, unpublished data, personal communication).
In
all, 17 of 32 patients showed response to prednisone after 2 to 4 months of
treatment (53%). Improvements were seen on EEG and in language skills of the
patients. Other steroid treatment series of regressed language in autistic
spectrum patients diagnosed with LKS variant showed improved language with
pulse-dose steroids."
If
effect, Pregnenolone seems to be a weaker, but much safer, alternative to
Prednisone. Some people with arthritis currently take it.
Pregnenolone
is indeed already one of hundreds of fringe treatments for autism. There are some very good reasons why it
should be effective. Stanford University are currently running a clinical trial of Pregnenolone on adults with autism. It is the same researcher that worked on their study on NAC in children with autism. It is nice to know that the adults with ASD have not been forgotten; after all, children have a habit of growing up.
A Study of Pregnenolone in the Treatment of Individuals With Autism
Conclusion
The
next time I receive a question on this blog asking for a potentially effective OTC anti-neuroinflammatory
“supplement” for autism, I will know what to suggest trying.