Posted on 06/01/2025 6:18:02 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
A research team has unveiled the cause and molecular mechanism of chronic brain inflammation that results in repetitive behavioral disorders. The research team demonstrated that an inflammatory response by immune cells in the brain induces overactivity in certain receptors, which may, in turn, lead to the meaningless repetitive behaviors observed in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
The research involved mice with a mutated NLRP3 gene. This gene mutation stimulates a chronic inflammatory response by immune cells in the brain that are called microglia. Prolonged inflammation overactivates N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors, which are important for excitatory neurotransmission. The consequences are meaningless repetitive behaviors and anxiety symptoms.
Having noted that overactivated NMDA glutamate receptors cause repetitive behaviors, the research team administered a drug called memantine, a commercially available treatment for Alzheimer's disease, to the mice with the NLRP3 gene mutation and found that the drug significantly reduced meaningless repetitive behaviors and that NMDA glutamate activity returned to normalcy. These results indicate that overactivated NMDA glutamate receptors directly cause repetitive behaviors.
The researchers also found clues about how brain inflammation stimulates NMDA glutamate receptors. They have revealed that inflamed microglia release a pro-inflammatory substance (cytokine) called interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), which affects NMDA glutamate receptors. When the mice were injected with a drug that blocks the activity of interleukin-1 receptors (interleukin-1RA), it suppressed overactivity in the NMDA glutamate receptors, and the repetitive behaviors disappeared.
Memantine and interleukin-1RA (product name: Anakinra), which were used in the study, are treatments that are approved by the FDA and are currently used to manage Alzheimer's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. These readily available drugs of proven safety and efficacy can be repurposed to treat ASD and OCD, negating the need to develop new drugs.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
“obsessive-compulsive disorder”
Bah, humbug!
As it pertains to me, because I am Obsessive-Compulsive, but as far as I am concerned it is NOT a disorder. I refer to myself as, “Obsessive-Compulsive-Blessing-Perfectionist! What’s more is that I cannot understand why ANYONE is not a perfectionist in everything they say and do, period!
Interesting. My Mother in law is at later stage of dementia. Namenda has helped a lot. I have some OCD stuff like throat clearing etc. Wonder if it would help me?
Inflammation from vaccines, perhaps?
Like... playing Tetris for hours?
Asking for a friend.
Several years ago I went through a period of if I turned off a light I would have to go back to make sure I turned off the switch “all the way”. I was compelled to do it...couldn’t stop. I knew it was weird and was so grateful to be able to track it down to when I started taking Ambien for sleep. When I stopped taking it, this compulsive behavior stopped.
That’s one theory. Overactivation of microglia in the brain, possibly from vaccines. But I am not a neurobiologist, just someone with an autistic family member.
bookmark.
I wonder if “immunizations” could cause immune cells in the brain to become chronically inflamed?
I read about this in a book called The Bain’s Way of Healing, by Norm Doidge.
This is not new news.
Which could explain how vaccines are implicated in autism. If the immune response creates an inflammatory response, than if that does not subside like it ought, it could lead to the brain being chronically inflamed.
Repetitive scrolling on devices?
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