NCJ Number
50450
Date Published
1978
Length
22 pages
Annotation
THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MALADAPTIVE REACTIONS TO FOODS AND CHEMICALS AND PSYCHOTIC OR BIZARRE BEHAVIOR ARE EXAMINED. TESTING FOR FOOD ALLERGY IS RECOMMENDED AS A STANDARD PROCEDURE IN PSYCHIATRIC EXAMINATION.
Abstract
FOLLOWING A SERIES OF CASE HISTORIES WHICH ILLUSTRATE THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND BIOCHEMICAL REACTIONS TO FOODS, TOBACCO, ALCOHOL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS, THE CAUSES OF SUCH REACTIONS ARE DISCUSSED. NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY, PANENDOCRINE DISORDER, AND ENDOCRINE IMBALANCE ARE BRIEFLY DESCRIBED AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO BRAIN FUNCTION EXPLAINED. IT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF REACTIONS TO FOOD AND CHEMICALS DO NOT GIVE EVIDENCE OF ANTIBODIES, DO NOT EVOKE SKIN REACTIONS, AND ARE NOT IMMUNOLOGICAL REACTIONS SO THAT PSYCHIATRISTS ARE URGED TO CONDUCT EXTENSIVE ALLERGY TESTS AS PART OF THEIR STANDARD EVALUATION TECHNIQUE. STUDIES WITH RATS HAVE SHOWN THAT CERTAIN CHEMICALS, WHEN INJECTED INTO THE BODY, CAUSE A REVERSAL OF USUAL BEHAVIOR SO THAT HIGHLY LEARNED AND RECENTLY LEARNED RESPONSES ARE BLOCKED, AND RESPONSES THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED OUT EMERGE AGAIN. SIMILAR REACTIONS, REFERRED TO AS REVERSAL EFFECTS, MAY EXPLAIN SOME ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIORS. MEGAVITAMIN THERAPY, FOOD ROTATION, AND USE OF VACCINES ARE RECOMMENDED TREATMENTS. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (GLR)