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Our Research Publications

Study 1

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Prevalence of prenatal, neonatal and postnatal complications among healthy children and children diagnosed with ASD in Central Asia and Eastern Europe

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Kenneth Alibek, Sean Farmer, Albina Tskhay, Alibek Moldakozhayev  & Terence Isakov

Journal of Gynaecology and Neonatal

 

For this study, we have surveyed 89 parents of children with autism and 207 parents of healthy children in order to find out how the frequency of pregnancy and delivery complications differed in these groups. As well, the questions about children's behavior in the first few months after birth were asked in order to confirm the presence of autistic symptoms in early infancy.  

 

We found out that The mothers of children later diagnosed with ASD had significantly higher rates of infections (56.2% vs. 24.6%, p<0.001) and placental detachment (9% vs. 3.4%, p<0.05) during pregnancy than mothers of healthy children. Children later diagnosed with ASD had higher rates of hypoxia (58.4% vs. 13.5%, p<0.001), asphyxia (23.6% vs. 3.4%, p<0.001), active congenital infection (15.7% vs. 1.4%, p<0.001), and different types of CNS damage (15.7% vs. 4.3%, p<0.001) at birth. Children later diagnosed with ASD were significantly more often characterized as withdrawn (59.6% vs. 13%, p<0.001), and having frequent episodes of health problems (18.1% vs. 3.9%, p<0.001) during the first three months after birth.

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These results confirm that autism is initiated before birth and additionally supports that maternal infections play a role in this disorder.

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The graphs indicating the main findings of the study are below.

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Study 2. Case Series of 57

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Autism Spectrum Disorder Children from Central Asia and Eastern Europe

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Kenneth Alibek, Sean Farmer, Albina Tskhay, Alibek Moldakozhayev & Terence Isakov 

Journal of Neurology and Psychiatric Disorders

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We conducted an assessment of 57 ASD children through web-mediated communication, questionnaires, and laboratory analyses of blood parameters. The results show that 57 children from Central Asia and Eastern Europe diagnosed with ASD had multiple signs of infections, inflammation, immune system disruption, and folate deficiency. In particular, we found that most children had chronic multi-infections varying from 2 to 5 infections of mostly viral origin.

 

As well, in most children, blood and immune parameters, indicating chronic inflammation, were altered.

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Our collected information gives us an assumption that initial negative changes resulting in the autistic phenotypes in these children were initiated during the mother’s pregnancy producing a number of negative etiopathogenic changes resulting in the disorder.

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The graphs indicating the main findings of the study are below.

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Y-axis indicates the number of children having multi-infections

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Study 3. Series of 30 Cases

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Treatment of Chronic and Latent Infections Combined with Nutritional

Supplementation Positively Affects Quality of Life of ASD Children

 

Kenneth Alibek, Sean Farmer, Albina Tskhay, Alibek Moldakozhayev & Terence Isakov 

Journal of Nutrition and Diet Supplements

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In this study, we describe the treatment results of 30 children. The treatment included antiviral therapy combined with nutritional supplementation, which resulted in a tendency of the blood and immune parameters to shift towards normalization and in some positive changes in symptoms and signs related to ASD in all 30 children. There were no significant side effects observed, except for mild side reactions that continued for no longer than 14 days. 

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The table indicating the changes observed in children is below:

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Study 4. Series of 6 Cases

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Etiotropic and Pathogenetic Therapy of Autism Spectrum Disorder:

Case Series of 6 Children 

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Kenneth Alibek, Sean Farmer, Albina Tskhay, Alibek Moldakozhayev & Terence Isakov

Journal of Neurology and Psychiatric Disorders

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In this study, we presented six cases of ASD treatment, which included antiviral medication Valacyclovir and five nutritional supplements. The presented results are based on five cycles of treatment continued for 5 months. In all six cases, the treatment resulted in social communication skills and behavioral improvements as well as positive changes in the physical and psychological conditions. These improvements covariate with a tendency to normalization of blood and immune parameters. Social communication skills, behavioral, physical and psychological improvements also positively affected parents whose subjected quality of life increased over the course of the treatment. According to the parents of these children, the proposed treatment had superior efficacy compared to other types of treatment that their children underwent before.

 

The graphs indicating the main findings of the study are below.

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The maximum possible score is 60, indicating the most severe form of autism and the minimal score is 15, indicating the complete absence of autistic symptoms. 

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Each child's results are indicated in a different color.

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The possible score range is 0-100. Each line represents the changes in the quality of life of every parent. The color of the line corresponds to the case of the study.

 

All parents were experiencing a steady increase in their quality of life over the courses of treatment.

Study 5. Behavior and Blood Parameters

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Tendencies in Changes of Blood Parameters and in Autistic Symptoms Improvements as a Result of Antiviral Treatment: Descriptive Case Series of 11 Children from Eastern Europe and Central Asia

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Kenneth Alibek, Sean Farmer, Albina Tskhay, Alibek Moldakozhayev, Kira Alibek & Terence Isakov

Journal Clinical Case Reports and Clinical Research

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In this descriptive series, 11 ASD cases with detected chronic viral infection and inflammation were treated by standard anti-viral regimen for 6-12 months. It was observed that in all 11 children the antiviral treatment resulted in normalization of blood parameters which indicate infection and inflammation. At the same time, the decrease in the CARS-2 scores and positive behavioral changes observed by parents had a tendency to occur after the normalization of these parameters. Further studies are needed to make clear conclusions about this effect of antiviral treatment on autism.

 

The graphs indicating the main findings of the study are below.

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