The Efficacy And Safety Of Low Glycemic Index Diet On The Treatment Of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Background and Objective:There is no specific treatment method for autism spectrum disorder(ASD)so far,but there are a few studies suggesting that dietary therapy is effective in ASD cases.Therefore,this study aims to treat children with ASD with a low glycemic index diet(LGIT).By comparing the efficacy and safety between the two groups with and without the addition of LGIT,we aim to improve the core symptoms of ASD,improve the quality of life of children with ASD,and provide new ideas for ASD treatment.Methods:From May 1,2021 to September 31,2022,44 children with ASD admitted in the Department of Neurology of Jiangxi Children’s Hospital were enrolled,who were randomly divided into an experimental group and an control group with 22 cases in each group.The control group only received ASD special education and training,while the experimental group added LGIT diet to the control group.All patients will receive at least 3 months of follow-up,with outpatient follow-up once a month.The Child Autism Rating Scale(CARS),Autism Behavior Checklist(ABC),and Clancy Autism Behavior Scale(CABS)scores,as well as height,weight,blood routine,and liver function,will be recorded during the monthly follow-up.Compare the efficacy and safety of two groups of the patients,and explore the influencing factors of LGIT treatment for ASD efficacy and severity of ASD.Results:1、 There was no statistically significant difference in the demography characteristics,comorbidities with epilepsy,cranial MRI and EEG between the experimental group and the control group,and the sex composition ratio of the two groups was 4.5:1.There was no statistically significant difference in CARS scores between the two groups before treatment,except for the lower scores of ABC and CABS scales in the experimental group compared to the control group(t=-2.78,P=0.01;t=-2.54,P=0.02).2、 After 3 months of treatment,the CARS,ABC,and CABS scores of the experimental group were lower than those of the control group(t=-3.10,P=0.00;t=-5.88,P=0.00;t=-5.76,P=0.00).Further analysis revealed that the experimental group had significantly lower scores on all three scales after 3 months of treatment(t=7.75,P=0.00;t=8.43,P=0.00;t=6.22,P=0.00),with differences occurring at CARS and CABS after 2 months of treatment,ABC after 1 month of treatment,while the control group had no significant differences(t=-0.93,P=0.36;t=-0.72,P=0.48;t=-0.26,P=0.80).3、 Gender,age,urban-rural distribution,comorbidities with epilepsy,cranial MRI,and EEG showed no statistically significant effects on the efficacy of LGIT(P=0.36,P=1.00,P=0.31,P=1.00,P=1.00).4、 The impact of gender,age,urban-rural distribution,comorbidities with epilepsy,cranial MRI,and EEG on pre-treatment ASD scale scores was analyzed,and only cranial MRI and gender had statistical significance.The CARS score of37.00 ± 3.37 in the abnormal head MRI group was higher than that of 32.25 ± 4.24 in the normal group,with statistical significance(t=-2.17,P=0.04);There are differences in gender scores in the ABC scale.The ABC score for girls is 69.63 ±13.38,which is statistically significant(t=-2.15,P=0.04)compared to 56.33 ± 14.8for boys.5、 The main adverse events in the experimental group were diarrhea(1/22)and nausea and vomiting(1/22),which were not statistically significant compared to the occurrence of adverse events in the control group;And the adverse events all occurred within the first month of treatment,and were relieved after dietary adjustment and intermittent supplementation.Conclusions:1、 LGIT is a new safe and effective treatment method for ASD,and its efficacy is not affected by gender,age,urban-rural distribution,comorbidities with epilepsy,and abnormalities in head MRI and EEG.The adverse reactions are mild and mainly occur in the early stages of treatment,with gastrointestinal symptoms as the main symptom.They can be relieved without intervention or dietary adjustments or intermittent supplementation.The developmental structure of the brain and gender may be influencing factors for ASD.2、 Abnormal MRI structure of the head and females are risk factors for the severity of ASD.It is worth mentioning that the incidence of ASD in females is significantly lower than in males.However,once ASD is diagnosed,the severity of clinical symptoms is significantly greater than in males.