In the rest of the world coeliac disease is recognised as having many neurological complications from gluten ataxia and the effects of exorphins on the brain and CNS to neuromuscular problems. 

e.g.

http://acta.uta.fi/pdf/951-44-5681-5.pdf

http://pgmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprint/78/921/393.pdf

http://jnnp.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/72/5/560

http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/318/7200/1710

The UK does not recognise any of these complications, indeed a recent article in crossed grain suggested coeliacs get depressed because of lack of choice in supermarkets. 

Can Dr. Jones explain why this is ignored in the UK (even though much of the research is carried out here) or is it just taking time to filter through. 

Was Dr. Jones previously aware of this research? 

Can someone please comment:  Is this research valid, is it know by Dr's and if so why are we given blank looks when we talk about gluten induced depression or mood swings?  Why when many coeliacs report this are we ignored and told it is unrelated when research clearly illustrates this? 

Note:

Marios Hadjivassiliou, Senior registrar in neurology
Department of Neurology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital,
Sheffield S10 2JF, United Kingdom
m.hadjivassiliou@sheffield.ac.uk

1/ Danish study on schizophrenia

The scientists recommended a gluten-free diet to treat coeliac disease and said some clinical trials had shown that cutting out cereals also alleviated symptoms of schizophrenia.

The study, a collaboration between Johns Hopkins medical institutions in the United States and Denmark's Aarhus Universities and Aarhus Psychiatric Hospital, tested 7,997 schizophrenic patients in a Danish psychiatric unit.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1050036.htm

2/

Depressive symptoms in adult coeliac disease
by
Ciacci C, Iavarone A, Mazzacca G, De Rosa A.
Dept. of Gastroenterology,
University of Naples Federico II, Italy.
Scand J Gastroenterol 1998 Mar; 33(3):247-50

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Psychic symptoms and depression have been reported in coeliac disease (CD). The aim of this study was to explore depression in a large cohort of adult CD patients. METHODS: Depressive symptoms were evaluated in 92 adult coeliacs, 100 normal controls (NC), and 48 chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) patients by means of a modified version of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (M-SDS). CD patients were evaluated for the level of knowledge about CD and the compliance with diet. RESULTS: The M-SDS score differentiated CD patients from NC. Age at diagnosis and duration of and compliance with diet did not correlate with depression. Three main factors could be identified with the M-SDS: 'reactiveness', 'pessimism', and 'anhedonic-asthenic'. CONCLUSION: Depressive symptoms are a feature of CD; they are present to a similar extent in patients with childhood- and adulthood-diagnosed CD. The results underline the relevance of personal psychologic resources, which play a fundamental role in determining and sustaining depression.

 

 

 

1. Chiaravalloti G, Marazziti D, Batistini A, Favilli T, Ughi C, Ceccarelli>>

M, Cassano GB Platelet serotonin transporter in coeliac disease.  Acta>>

Paediatr 1997 Jul;86(7):696-699 >>

 >>

2. Hernanz A, Polanco I Plasma precursor amino acids of central nervous>>

system monoamines in children with coeliac disease.    Gut 1991>>

Dec;32(12):1478-1481 >>

 >>

3. Challacombe DN, Wheeler EE   Are the changes of mood in children with>>

coeliac disease due to abnormal serotonin metabolism? Nutr Health>>

1987;5(3-4):145-152 >>

>+ Countless others if you hgave time to read them.  >

>> 

BMC Psychiatry. 2005 Mar 17;5(1):14. Related Articles, Links


Gluten-free diet may alleviate depressive and behavioural symptoms in adolescents with coeliac disease: a prospective follow-up case-series study.

Pynnonen PA, Isometsa ET, Verkasalo MA, Kahkonen SA, Sipila I, Savilahti E, Aalberg VA.

Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. paivi.pynnonen@pp.fimnet.fi

BACKGROUND: Coeliac disease in adolescents has been associated with an increased prevalence of depressive and disruptive behavioural disorders, particularly in the phase before diet treatment. We studied the possible effects of a gluten-free diet on psychiatric symptoms, on hormonal status (prolactin, thyroidal function) and on large neutral amino acid serum concentrations in adolescents with coeliac disease commencing a gluten-free diet. METHODS: Nine adolescents with celiac disease, aged 12 to 16 years, were assessed using the semi-structured K-SADS-Present and Lifetime Diagnostic interview and several symptom scales. Seven of them were followed at 1 to 2, 3, and 6 months on a gluten-free diet. RESULTS: Adolescent coeliac disease patients with depression had significantly lower pre-diet tryptophan/ competing amino-acid (CAA) ratios and free tryptophan concentrations, and significantly higher biopsy morning prolactin levels compared to those without depression. A significant decrease in psychiatric symptoms was found at 3 months on a gluten-free diet compared to patients' baseline condition, coinciding with significantly decreased coeliac disease activity and prolactin levels and with a significant increase in serum concentrations of CAAs. CONCLUSION: Although our results of the amino acid analysis and prolactin levels in adolescents are only preliminary, they give support to previous findings on patients with coeliac disease, suggesting that serotonergic dysfunction due to impaired availability of tryptophan may play a role in vulnerability to depressive and behavioural disorders also among adolescents with untreated coeliac disease.

PMID: 15774013 [PubMed - in process]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14984816

Am J Med. 2004 Mar 1;116(5):312-7.

The real problem is I know you will have done your research before coming here yet most of us have to see Dr's who (quite rightly) are more concerned over the patient they just had to tell had a terminal disease or needed an urgent operation etc. 

CD simply isn't high profile and hence most of this research never makes it to Dr's who tend to need to rely on drug companies to keep them abreast of new developments.  When the new devlopment is a diet the drug companies are hardly interested! 

10 years ago I was told there was no link between acid reflux and CD.  Yet over 50% of CD patients have it! 

Many also have gluten induced depression and mood swings once they can fully isolate themselves it becomes easier to spot. 

Unfortunately much of this work is not making it through and the researchers in it are not enterologists and hence largely ignored. 

Meanwhile many of us realise this and have problems explaining this to Dr's who think we are making it up... 

Yes of course its all in my head!  That doesn't help me feel better though. 

If I use the words brainfog or disassociation many coeliacs immediately recognise these symptoms which are obviously somewhat difficult to quantify without DMSV-IV  testing. 

Depression can be associated with any physical illness & CD is a physical illness so obviously coeliacs can have depression due to CD.

The problem with diagnosing depressive illnesses is that you cannot see depression, unlike a broken leg or a rash & not all GPs are good at spotting depressive illness.

Yes, there is a wealth of research which shows gluten can cause problems -not only for coeliacs but for those with autism etc.

Not all people with autism can be helped by GF (and casein free) diet but many do.

On a personal level I know the terrible migraines I had before CD was diagnosed & my GFdiet was well-established have now vanished.

This may be a co-incidence but I don't think so.