BodyTune Health
Unlocking Human Potential
Summary comparison of traits of autism and mercury poisoning
Social deficits, shyness, social withdrawal
Repetitive, perseverative, stereotypic behaviours;
obsessive-compulsive tendencies
Depression/depressive traits, mood swings, flat
Psychiatric disturbances
affect; impaired face recognition
Anxiety; schizoid tendencies; irrational fears
Irritability, aggression, temper-tantrums
Lacks eye contact; impaired visual fixation
(HgP)/problems in joint attention (ASD)
Loss of speech, delayed language, failure to
develop speech
Speech and language deficits
Dysarthria; articulation problems
Speech comprehension deficits
Verbalizing and word retrieval problems (HgP);
echolalia, word use and pragmatic errors (ASD)
Abnormal sensation in mouth and extremities
Sensory abnormalities
Sound sensitivity; mild to profound hearing loss
Abnormal touch sensations; touch aversion
Over-sensitivity to light; blurred vision
Flapping, myoclonal jerks, choreiform movements,
circling, rocking, toe walking, unusual postures
Motor disorders
Deficits in eye-hand coordination; limb apraxia;
intention tremors (HgP)/problems with intentional
movement or imitation (ASD)
Abnormal gait and posture, clumsiness and
incoordination; difficulties sitting, lying, crawling
and walking; problem on one side of body
Borderline intelligence, mental retardation – some
cases reversible
Poor concentration, attention, response inhibition
(HgP)/shifting attention (ASD)
Uneven performance on IQ subtests; verbal IQ
higher than performance IQ
Cognitive impairments
Poor short term, verbal and auditory memory
Poor visual and perceptual motor skills; impairment
in simple reaction time (HgP)/lower performance on
timed tests (ASD)
Deficits in understanding abstract ideas &
symbolism; degeneration of higher mental powers
(HgP)/sequencing, planning & organizing (ASD);
difficulty carrying out complex commands
Self injurious behaviour, e.g. head banging
ADHD traits
Unusual behaviours
Agitation, unprovoked crying, grimacing, staring
spells
Sleep difficulties
Hyper or hypotonia; abnormal reflexes; decreased
muscle strength, especially upper body;
incontinence; problems chewing; swallowing
Rashes, dermatitis, eczema, itching
Physical disturbances
Diarrhea; abdominal pain/discomfort, constipation,
colitis
Anorexia; nausea (HgP)/vomiting (ASD); poor
appetite (HgP)/restricted diet (ASD)
Lesions of ileum and colon; increased gut
permeability
Mercury exposure
Autism
Biochemistry
Biochemistry
Binds SH groups; blocks sulphate
Low sulphate levels
transporter in intestines, kidneys
Low levels of glutathione; decreased ability
Reduces glutathione availability, inhibits
of liver to detoxify xenobiotics; abnormal
enzymes of glutathione metabolism;
glutathione peroxidase activity in
glutathione needed in neurons, cells and
erythrocytes
liver to detoxify heavy metals; reduces
Purine and pyrimidine metabolism errors
glutathione peroxidase and reductase
lead to autistic features
Disrupts purine and pyrimidine metabolism
Mitochondrial dysfunction, especially in
Disrupts mitochondrial activities, especially
brain
in brain
Immune System
Immune System
Sensitive individuals more likely to have
More likely to have allergies and asthma;
allergies, asthma, autoimmune-like
familial presence of autoimmune diseases,
symptoms, especially rheumatoid-like ones
especially rheumatoid arthritis; IgA
Can produce an immune response in CNS,
deficiencies
causes brain/MBP autoantibodies
On-going immune response in CNS;
Causes overproduction of Th2 subset;
brain/MBP autoantibodies present
kills/inhibits lymphocytes, T-cells and
Skewed immune cell subset in the Th2
monocytes; decreases NK T-cell activity;
direction; decreased response to T-cells
induces or suppresses IGNg & IL-2
mitogens; reduced NK T-cell function;
increased IFNg & IL-12
CNS structure
CNS structure
Selectively targets brain areas unable to
Specific areas of brain pathology; many
detoxify or reduce Hg induced oxidative
functions spared (36)
stress
Pathology in amygdala, hippocampus, basal
Accumulates in amygdala, hippocampus,
ganglia, cerebral cortex; damage to Purkinje
basal ganglia, cerebral cortex; damages
and granule cells in cerebellum; brain stem
Purkinje and granule cells in cerebellum;
defects in some cases
brain stem defects in some cases
Neuronal disorganization; increased
Causes abnormal neuronal cytoarchitecture; neuronal cell replication, increased glial
disrupts neuronal migration, microtubules
cells; depressed expression of NCAMs
and cell division; reduces NCAMs
Progressive microcephaly and
Progressive microcephaly
macrocephaly
Neuro-chemistry
Neuro-chemistry
Prevents presynaptic serotonin release and
Decreased serotonin syntheses in children;
inhibits serotonin transport; causes calcium
abnormal calcium metabolism
disruptions
Either high or low dopamine levels; positive
Alters dopamine systems; peroxidine
response to peroxidine, which lowers
deficiency in rats resembles mercurialism in
dopamine levels
humans
Elevated norepinephrine and epinephrine
Elevates epinephrine and norepinephrine
Elevated glutamate and asparate
levels by blocking enzyme that degrades
Cortical acetylcholine deficiency; reduced
epinephrine
muscarinic receptor binding in hippocampus
Elevates glutamate
Demyelination in brain
Leads to cortical acetylcholine deficiency;
increases muscarinic receptor density in
hippocampus and cerebellum
Causes demyelinating neuropathy
Neurophysiology
Neurophysiology
Causes abnormal EEGs, epileptiform
Abnormal EEGs, epileptiform activity,
activity, variable patterns, e.g. subtle, low
variable patterns, including subtle, low
amplitude seizure activities
amplitude seizure activities
Causes abnormal vestibular nystagmus
Abnormal vestibular nystagmus responses;
responses; loss of sense of position in
loss of sense of position in space
space
Autonomic disturbance: unusual sweating,
Results in autonomic disturbance:
poor circulation, elevated heart rate
excessive sweating, poor circulation,
elevated heart rate