Do terbutaline- and mold-association impairments of the brain and lung relate to autism?

Kaye H. Kilburn, Jack D. Thrasher and Nina Immers.  Toxicology and Industrial Health, 26, 2009

Abstract
Increased prevalence of the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and the failure to find genetic explanations has pushed the hunt for environmental causes. These disorders are defined clinically but lack objective characterization. To meet this need we measured neurobehavioral and pulmonary function in terbutaline in utero exposed 8 ASD boys ages 8 to 19 years diagnosed clinically and compared them to 145 unaffected children from a community with no known chemical exposures.  Also, six of 35 consecutive mold/mycotoxin (m/m) exposed children ages 5 to 13 years had ASD, and we compared them to the 29 non ASD mold exposed, and to the 8 ASD boys.  Comparisons were adjusted for age, height, weight and grade attained in school. We report neurophysiological and neuropsychological measurements, pulmonary function tests and affective status. The 8 ASD boys averaged 6.8 abnormalities compared to 1.0 in community control boys. The 6 mold exposed ASD children averaged 12.2 abnormalities.  The most frequent abnormality in both groups was balance, followed by visual field quadrants and then prolonged blink reflex latency.  Neuropsychological abnormalities were more frequent in mold exposed than in terbutaline exposed and included digit symbol substitution, peg placement, fingertip number writing errors and picture completion.  Profile of mood status scores averaged 26.8 in terbutaline exposed, 52 in mold exposed and 26 in unexposed.  Frequencies of 35 symptoms means were 4.7 in Terbutaline, 5.4 in mold/mycotoxins exposed and 1.7 community controls.
Summary 1. Neurobehavioral abnormalities were increase in children with ASD.
2. Several tests showed impaired brain performance on 14 ASD children. Balance was most frequently abnormal. 3. Exposure to terbutaline in-utero in eight and mold and mycotoxins at home in six were associated with abnormal behavioral tests.  None were exposed to both mold/mycotoxins and terbutaline. 4. Both exposure may delay development of the cerebellum and amygdala, hippocampus, and other temporal lobe structures of memory and association of the brain.