Autism Treatment

Within hours of a poster presentation at a meeting in London, different versions of the following incorrect information spread like a wildfire world-wide, breathlessly on the internet: “Cover Up Continues: Monkeys Given Vaccines Develop Autism.” (Andrew Higgins Blog) and “Infant Vaccines Produce Autism Symptoms in New Primate Study by University Of Pittsburgh Scientists. Routine Safety Study That Government Scientists Refused to Do Illustrates Vaccine Program and Mercury Health Risks,” this one from the Vaccine Risk Awareness Network.

Lead investigator Laura Hewitson of the University of Washington, formerly of the University of Pittsburgh and colleagues presented study results at the International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) in London. Even if the studies had been well conducted, which they weren’t, the monkeys didn’t develop autism. The amgydala, a small walnut shaped structure on each side of the brain, is often dysfunctional among individuals with autism. Hewlitson reported that the amygdalae of her 9 vaccinated monkeys were smaller than those of her two non-vaccinated monkeys. That’s it. No autism. It’s important to note that amydgala size alone is not very informative. In humans, there is an almost four-fold range in normal amydala size, from 1050 mm3 to 3880 mm3 (Brain Research Reviews, 39: 84-105), which means one would expect normal variation in amygdala size and it is very unlikely the amygdalas in the brains of two controls mean anything as a “normal” reference. That's right, only two comparison monkey amygdalae.

All of Hewitson’s findings have been previously reported at three prior IMFAR Poster Sessions (usually meaning they had not been accepted in print journals) beginning in 2008. Poster Sessions are often viewed as places graduate students or post-doctoral fellows first present their scientific findings. There is nothing new here. No cover up, no one has tried to conceal anything.

Regarding these poster presentations of exactly the same data: On July 16, 2010 Steven Novella of Neurology Blog States: “The number of infant monkey subjects (9) and controls (2) is far, far too small to determine anything.”

But another problem has been uncovered. In her article claiming the amygdala of the vaccinated monkeys were smaller, she also reported: "For the exposed group there was a nonstatistically significant increase in right amygdala volume over time. For the unexposed group there was a significant drop in right amygdala volume over time." In other words the two control brain amygdale shrunk! That is just opposite the main claim. What gives? Something doesn't add up.

Hewitson also published an article in 2009 claiming delayed development of some infant reflexes in monkeys exposed to Hepatitis B vaccine, on which the discredited British gastroeneterologist Andrew Wakefield was a co-author. The reflexes, such as rooting for the nipple, had nothing specifically to do with autism. She withdrew the article and resubmitted it to a different journal with Wakefield’s name removed.

One of the scientific peer reviewers of her poster submission for the 2012 IMFAR remarked that, though she says the vaccine dose was the same as that typically used in the 1990s, it was actually four times the usual dose.

Then there’s the little problem of Conflict of Interest. On May 18, 2008 Kev at LeftBrain/RightBrain “Laura Hewitson's Stinker, on all 3 IMFAR poster presentations:  Hewitson has severe and significant conflicts of interests (COI) that were not revealed, contrary to the IMFAR requirements”.

• Her partner is a employee of Thoughtful House, a litigant in the vaccine case,
• Her co-author, Andrew Wakefield is (at the time of publication) chief researcher at Thoughtful House
• Her partner is on the Board of Directors of SafeMinds (the "thimerosal causes autism" organization)
• Hewitson's son has autism
• Hewitson and her partner are part of the Omnibus Proceeding--in other words, the Hewitson family is suing the government for compensation for their son's alleged vaccine-caused autism, and has a huge financial motive to try to show vaccines are unsafe.
  

OK, you can exhale now, cancel your child’s exorcist appointment and get a refund for your family’s trip on the Ark. Sorry, false alarm, no apocalypse, no expose' after all. Same old, same old.

References
Influence of pediatric vaccines on amygdala growth and opioid ligand binding in rhesus macaque infants: A pilot study. Hewitson L, Lopresti BJ, Stott C, Mason NS, Tomko J.
Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars). 2010;70(2):147-64

WITHDRAWN: Delayed acquisition of neonatal reflexes in newborn primates receiving a thimerosal-containing Hepatitis B vaccine: Influence of gestational age and birth weight. Hewitson L, Houser LA, Stott C, Sackett G, Tomko JL, Atwood D, Blue L, White ER, Wakefield AJ. Neurotoxicology. 2009 Oct 2. [Epub ahead of print]

Laura Hewlitson: is a primate researcher noted for her work reproductive biology. She has a PhD in Biology from York University,UK. She did post-doctoral studies in the Department of Meat and Animal Sciences at the University of Wisconsin and the Department of Zoology. She is an Affiliate Scientist at the Washington National Primate Research Center in Seattle, WA. From 2002 to 2010 she was an Adjunct Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. As noted above she is affiliated with Thoughtful House in Austin Texas, a facility that promotes alternative autism treatments. It has changed its name to the Johnson Center for Child Health & Development.