Carn-aware- found info for those interested

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What is Carnosine?

The supplement that you are interested in learning

more about contains 200mg

powdered carnosine, as well as powdered Vitamin E (25

IU) and powdered Zinc

(2.5 mg). The exact doseage that is correct for your

child should be

established by your doctor in coordination with Dr.

Chez, who

pioneered of the use of this supplement in children

with developmental

delays.

L-carnosine, or " carnosine " is an amino acid dipeptide

made up of histidine

and alanine. The naturally-occuring amino acid is

found within the human

body, a by-product of proteins digested within the

body. The deep frontal

part of the brain (entorhinal cortex) is believed to

be a site where

carnosine tends to accumulate. It may interact with

zinc in that area, as

well as having effects on GABA, a brain

neurotransmitter, which by a complex

chemical reaction forms homo-carnosine.

What Studies Have Been Done with Carnosine?

Rat and animal studies have been done with carnosine

looking at

" neuroprotection. " These investigations aimed to

examine protective action

since carnosine may be protective of muscle and nerve

function. There have

been no studies that have shown any evidence of

toxicity or teratogenicity

in animals where carnosine has been studied. Few

scientifically-validated

human studies have been conducted, however, and most

of the information one

finds about carnosine's claims are of the quality

found on the intenet.

Claims have been made for generic carnosine/carnosine

formulations aiding in

combatting a range of maladies from Alzheimer's to

body building.

Why Carnosine, then?

Recent MRI studies by Petroff and colleagues (2001)

examining levels of

brain chemistry showed a relationship between

homo-carnosine and GABA in

temporal lobe and generalized myoclonic epilepsies.

These authors described

homo-carnosine levels that may correlate with seizure

control even when GABA

response is defective in human studies. Dr. Chez was

intrigued by the

results of this study, and thus began a study in June,

2001 that aimed to

test if supplementing carnosine orally could enhance

seizure protection in

children who were already on anticonvulsants and who

had recurrent seizures

despite being on standard drug therapy. He

hypothesized that the addition

of carnosine could decrease seizure frequency and so

began an open-label

study of carnosine which he acquired via an industrial

chemical company.

The Open-Label Study

A total of 75 children, who had " failed " multiple

antiepileptic medications

in an effort to stop their seizures (including

steroids and the Ketogenic

diet) with histories of partial or generalized

epilepsy entered the

open-label study. The majority had fronto-temporal

lobe seizures, or

generalized epilepsy. Approximately 25% had EEGs to

directly compare before

and after starting the carnosine. Many patients had

reductions in seizure

frequency, but without EEG correlation. Two sisters

with

hypsarrythmia/Lennox-Gastaut variant both showed

dramatic improvements in

EEG amplitude, spike frequency, and background

activity. In three other

patients with primary or secondary generalized spike

and wave patterns or

Lennox-Gastaut type patterns, EEG amplitude and spike

frequency improved

with carnosine in dosages of 800-2,000 mg. per day.

Dosage was titrated

upward depending upon bodyweight. No side effects

were reported.

Unexpectedly, parental diaries showed a pattern of

comments related to gains

in cognitive domains including language, alertness,

energy levels, and even

gross motor ability. Dr. Chez was motivated by such

reports in addition to

comments from other professionals that worked

simultaneoulsy with the

children (e.g., speech therapists) who, unaware that

children were on the

new supplement, spontaneoulsy stated that individual

children were showing

incremental gains not previously seen. Expressive

language was described as

more fluent, eye contact more frequent, and interest

in the environment was

more prominent. Dr. Chez thought that this supplement

could be of benefit

to children with autism or PDD and so began to give it

to children with such

diagnoses in an open-label trial. Indeed, parents

reported benefits in

their children after as few as 2 weeks, in the areas

of socialization,

expressive language, alertness level, energy level,

adaptation to change,

and curiously, gross motor planning.

The Double-Blind Study

Because of the remarkable cognitive improvements in

language, speech

production and school performance as well as social

alertness, Dr. Chez felt

it important to study the effect of the supplement in

children with Autistic

Spectrum Disorders. Children were included in this

study if they had

histories of abnormal EEG, and had previously

responded to

cognitive-enhancing dementia medications (as part of a

controlled study at

the office) or to anti-convulsants. A double-blind

placebo controlled study

with carnosine was begun. Children were randomly

placed on either active

carnosine or placebo. Expressive and receptive

language measures, two

autism rating scales, and parent rating analog scales

were administered at

the start and completion of the study. Results of

this study indicated

clinically meaningful changes in many aspects of

autistic features, and also

showed that the carnosine supplement improved

children's expressive and

receptive language significantly. This is the only

dietary supplement to

date studied in a double-blind fashion in autism.

Who Benefits and What are the Side Effects?

The majority of children with either epilepsy or

autism treated in open

label studies by Dr. Chez benefitted from carnosine

supplementation. Dr.

Chez estimates that approximately 10% of children who

have been on the

carnosine supplement have had reports of no

improvement. A very small

percentage (less than 5% of children with epilepsy or

autistic spectrum

disorders) have shown increased physical hyperactivity

or verbal

hyperactivity, but we are unable to ascertain if these

reports are directly

related to the carnosine supplement. No sleep

disturbances were reported as

a result of carnosine therapy even in dosages up to

3,000 mg. a day. No

abdominal side effects, skin rashes, or any changes in

anticonvulsant blood

levels, liver functions or hematological studies. No

patients had any

urinary changes or bowel habit changes from the

carnosine. Many children on

the autistic spectrum were reported to increase their

range of food choices

with an improved range of appetite. Responses have

been seen in generalized

epilepsies, focal seizure disorders, autism, PDD, and

head injury to date.

Because of its effect on entorhinal cortex,

improvements in Alzheimer's

disease or other frontal lobe encephalopathy may be

possible. Any syndrome

that involves apraxia or expressive language delay may

benefit from this.

Concurrent studies are currently being run or planned

in areas of attention

disorder, Tourette's syndrome, and various learning

disability syndromes of

the nonverbal type.

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