Sacramento doctor takes unconventional approach to autism

In the controversial world of autism treatment, mainstream medical doctors are increasingly pitted against alternative providers in the quest to figure out causes and develop treatments.

Dr. Michael Chez, a neurologist specializing in child autism, likens talking about the neurodevelopmental disorder to discussing politics or religion.

"Many times, I have wanted to give it up, because it's hard to keep your ego from being beaten up all the time," said Chez, who practices at Sutter Health and holds a teaching position at UC Davis. "You're portrayed as part of the Evil Empire of the Darth Vader Medical Society."

Chez has weighed in with a book which explores traditional and alternative theories and approaches to autism, including his own, unconventional drug therapies. "Autism and its Medical Management" is an effort to educate parents of autistic children and the professionals who take care of them.

Coinciding with the release of Chez's book in early April are National Autism Awareness Month and the 10-year anniversary of the UC Davis MIND Institute in Sacramento, also known for innovative research into autism.

The milestones reflect a dynamic time in autism diagnosis, research and treatment. While the causes of the disorder are not yet understood, autism cases continue to mount, as do efforts to unravel its many mysteries.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 7 in 1,000 children 8 years old are diagnosed with the illness. The number of diagnosed cases served by the California Department of Developmental Services has grown from 6,527 in 1995 to 36,952 last year.

Chez wrote his book as a user-friendly overview of what is known and what is not yet understood. The book details therapies that show promise, and others, such as detoxification treatments, that he says remain unproven.

Chez believes that once an autism diagnosis is made, parents often mistakenly delay medical intervention.

"Most people don't understand the complexities of the medical aspects of autism," Chez said. "I wanted a program that allows people to get help from a medical point of view that is scientifically based and available in the community."

Chez said autism is multifaceted with numerous subtypes and symptoms, many of which overlap with those of other ailments, including epilepsy.

Up to 30 percent of autistic children may have seizures, he said, and in one study as many as 70 percent showed abnormal patterns on an electroencephalograph test, used to measure electrical brain activity.

Treatment of those children with valproic acid, an anti-convulsant drug, he reported, has demonstrated vast improvement in language function.

Chez is working with Robert Hendren, psychiatrist and MIND Institute executive director, on a larger-scale study on use of the drug in autistic children.

Jennifer McCain brought her 3-year-old daughter to Chez a year ago because she was way behind in language development and seemed unable to process information she was hearing.

"We were concerned it was autism, but she didn't fit all the autistic criteria," said McCain, of Elk Grove. Chez found the girl had irregular brain activity and prescribed an epilepsy drug.

"We started to notice a change within a week," McCain said. "She all of a sudden started acquiring language and trying to more frequently interact with us verbally." McCain said her daughter continues to improve and has not been diagnosed with autism.

Similarly, Chez has been using the drug, memantine, an Alzheimer's disease drug, for some of his young autistic patients.

Preliminary research suggests the drug, which protects nerve cells against chemicals that cause brain damage, also is effective in improving language, social interaction and self-stimulatory behaviors in autistic children.

One of Chez's current memantine patients is the son of Dr. Louis Vismara, a cardiologist and another parent founder of MIND.

Vismara said the medication has helped his 15-year-old, in terms of his behavior and cognitive skills. He said he appreciates Chez's scientific, yet novel approach to autism treatment.

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