Latent autistic syndrome associated with Herpes Simplex virus

A link between maternal herpes and a doubling of the risk of autism has been hypothesized in recent years, as well as pre-2000' 'medical reports, largely ignored by the mainstream media, of an extremely rare, postencephalitic transient autism-like disease associated with herpes simplex infections at any age of life, that go back as far as the 1970's.

No to be mistaken with Childhood disintegrative disorder , which is the same symptomatology but not reversible. This "herpes-induced autism" encephalopathy is somehowalways reversible on its own and merely temporary. It is the only condition in which autism can be considered a "disease", because it is caused from an infection, is neurodegenerative, and eventually completely reverses. Age may be a factor on the symptomatology and prognosis of the illness. It can affect children, adolescents and adults.

Pediatric phenotype:  
 * Severe agitation, anxiety and hyperactivity
 * Loss of social, adaptive and communicative skills
 * Social withdrawal
 * Obsessive fixations
 * Disinhibtion, oral hyperexploration, eloping and intrusiveness
 * Decreased attentiveness
 * Inability to recognize and respond to language, gestures, emotions and people
 * Agressive, explosive and self-injurious behaviors
 * Perseverative, intrusive, bizarre and self-stimulatory stereotypies
 * Passivity, apathy and lethargy
 * Apathy
 * Echolalia
 * <p lang="FR-CA" lang="FR-CA" paraid="181868437" paraeid="{d1bbfb5e-69c5-4329-a348-da6503ea5e97}{49}">Fecal smearing

<p lang="FR-CA" lang="FR-CA" paraid="1636255308" paraeid="{d65a6a01-a4ac-4e35-8d5d-348105d4a23c}{113}">Adult phenotype:  <p lang="FR-CA" lang="FR-CA" paraid="639083226" paraeid="{d65a6a01-a4ac-4e35-8d5d-348105d4a23c}{191}">
 * <p lang="FR-CA" lang="FR-CA" paraid="895746703" paraeid="{d65a6a01-a4ac-4e35-8d5d-348105d4a23c}{124}">Loss of the ability to recognize emotional significance in objects and persons
 * <p lang="FR-CA" lang="FR-CA" paraid="605564657" paraeid="{d65a6a01-a4ac-4e35-8d5d-348105d4a23c}{126}">Absence of sustained, purposeful activity
 * <p lang="FR-CA" lang="FR-CA" paraid="639083226" paraeid="{d65a6a01-a4ac-4e35-8d5d-348105d4a23c}{191}">Inability to adopt in social relationships

<p lang="FR-CA" lang="FR-CA" paraid="191233856" paraeid="{78e9afe5-129c-4a4e-bcce-7e317552d7db}{103}">Prognosis: Sudden extreme rapid regression, with a state of profound illness lasting several months with rapidly changing symptoms and then followed by a complete recovery. The core symptom is a severe autistic regression; with some or all of the symptoms.

<p lang="FR-CA" lang="FR-CA" paraid="1419419549" paraeid="{4d497bbe-bb22-4c5c-b88c-100e324c60d3}{148}">Etiology: Severe global damage to the temporal lobes (bilateral or left side) and lower parietal regions caused by an autoimmune encephalopathy associated with the herpes simplex virus.

<p lang="FR-CA" lang="FR-CA" paraid="1522082295" paraeid="{d1bbfb5e-69c5-4329-a348-da6503ea5e97}{10}">

<p lang="FR-CA" lang="FR-CA" paraid="835421584" paraeid="{1104a6d6-ac8c-4417-85ef-729c5e57947e}{70}">Sources: 

<p lang="FR-CA" lang="FR-CA" paraid="1085980823" paraeid="{c9cf3726-379a-4784-b3b9-130abb8e6ff8}{223}">Acquired Reversible Autistic Syndrome in Acute Encephalopathic Illness in Children, DeLong et al. (1980)

<p lang="FR-CA" lang="FR-CA" paraid="507722970" paraeid="{c9cf3726-379a-4784-b3b9-130abb8e6ff8}{200}">Alasbimnjournal article (1999)

Mahic et al., "Maternal Immunoreactivity to Herpes Simplex Virus 2 and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Male Offspring"