Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that has increased in number of cases, from 3 in 10,000 in 1970 to 66 in 10,000 in 2002. Genetic factors alone cannot compensate for the level of increase in autism, so there must be some environmental effect. Or perhaps diagnoses for autism has changed. Whatever the cause of the increase in number, the result is that there is still more autism. One hypothesis of the development of autism is the redox/methylation hypothesis. Genetic risk factors and environmental exposure combine and lead to impaired sulfur metabolism, which results in increased oxidative stress. This stress takes a toll on cells, inducing decreased methylation which is important for activating gene expression and synchronization of neurons. These can lead to developmental delays and decreased attention and cognition, which are characteristic of autism.
The redox/methylation hypothesis presents a fascinating mechanism for autism, along with possible drug targets along the way. I wish to discuss one treatment that is being used currently: music and sound therapy. In the book titled The Mozart Effect by Don Campbell, the author tells several stories about cases where music was used to help a child with autism. One of my favorite stories features the use of “sonic rebirth,” where a simulated uterine environment is used to filter sounds. French physician, Alfred Tomatis, discovered that fetuses are capable of hearing sounds within the womb. He filtered out the low frequency sounds of the mother’s voice, mimicing the environment of the womb. An autistic child was brought to Tomatis by a colleague who had observed that children with autism are “not yet born.” Tomatis recorded the mother’s voice, filtered it, and then exposed the child to it. Instantly the child jumped up and turned off the lights. He then proceeded to interact with his mother for the first time in 10 years, sucking on his thumb and sitting on her knees with her arms around him. The boy had more treatments. After one treatment, he even retrieved his mother’s jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
The “sonic rebirth” is an interesting, fantastic, and heart-warming treatment. Other music aside from exposure to simulated uterine sounds benefits people with autism. Some autistic children are brilliant musicians, able to learn and recall melodies easily. The book The Mozart Effect provides many anecdotes about music. Perhaps music may play a role in reducing oxidative stress, enabling more methylation to take place?
Music Therapy: A Possible Treatment for Autism
