Timothy Buie

Last updated
Timothy M. Buie
NationalityAmerican
Medical career
InstitutionsBoston Children’s Hospital
Harvard Medical School

Timothy M. Buie is a pediatric gastroenterologist at Boston Children’s Hospital. Buie joined Harvard Medical School in 1998 after previously practicing at Pediatric Gastroenterology Associates for eight years. [1] He was also the director of Gastrointestinal and Nutritional Services at MGH's Lurie Center for Autism. [2] He is well known for his research pertaining to the possible connection between autism and gastrointestinal disorders, and has told the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee that over half of autistic children experience gastrointestinal symptoms, [2] whereas he stated that this was the case for "between 50 and 70%" of children with autism in an interview with ABC News. [3] He has also said that a subset of autistic children (though not the majority) may benefit from gluten-free, casein-free diets, and that more research is needed into this area. [4] [5] [6] Buie was honored as "Professional of the Year" by the Autism Society of America in 2009. [7]

Contents

Education

Buie received his bachelor's degree in biology in 1984 and his MD in 1988, both from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. [8] He then completed his fellowship at Yale University and his residency at Bridgeport Hospital. [9]

Research

Buie has published several papers regarding gastrointestinal problems in autistic children. These studies have usually concluded that gastrointestinal problems are not any more common in autistic children than they are in neurotypical children. [10] [11] [12] Buie also co-authored a paper with Mady Hornig which provided further evidence against a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. [13]

Views on autism

With regard to the cause of autism, Buie said, in an interview with PBS NewsHour, that "there are over 100 suspect genes that are associated with a higher frequency of autism. So there is clearly an underlying genetic predisposition to this condition in many children. But the possibility that there is some environmental factor or some extrinsic factor that affects those children, I think, still needs to sit on the table." He also said that scientific studies investigating the potential link between the MMR vaccine and autism have not supported the hypothesis of a link between the two. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Controversies in autism</span> Controversies about both the cause of autism and the nature of the diagnoses themselves

Diagnoses of autism have become more frequent since the 1980s, which has led to various controversies about both the cause of autism and the nature of the diagnoses themselves. Whether autism has mainly a genetic or developmental cause, and the degree of coincidence between autism and intellectual disability, are all matters of current scientific controversy as well as inquiry. There is also more sociopolitical debate as to whether autism should be considered a disability on its own.

Arthur Krigsman is a pediatrician and gastroenterologist best known for his controversial research in which he attempted to prove that the MMR vaccine caused diseases, especially autism. He specializes in the evaluation and treatment of gastrointestinal pathology in children with autism spectrum disorders, and has written in support of the diagnosis he calls autistic enterocolitis. The original study that tied the MMR vaccine to autism and GI complaints conducted by one of Krigsman's associates has been found to be fraudulent, and the diagnosis of "autistic enterocolitis" has not been accepted by the medical community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Causes of autism</span> Proposed causes of autism

The causes of autism are environmental or genetic factors that predispose an individual to develop autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many causes of autism have been proposed, but understanding of the theory of causation of autism is incomplete. Attempts have been made to incorporate the known genetic and environmental causes into a comprehensive causative framework. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by impairments in communicative ability and social interaction and restricted/repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities not suitable for the individual's developmental stage. The severity of symptoms and functional impairment vary between individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism therapies</span> Therapy aimed at improving quality of life and adaptive skills in autistic people

Autism therapies include a wide variety of therapies that help people with autism, or their families. Such methods of therapy seek to aid autistic people in dealing with difficulties and increase their functional independence.

The epidemiology of autism is the study of the incidence and distribution of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A 2022 systematic review of global prevalence of autism spectrum disorders found a median prevalence of 1% in children in studies published from 2012 to 2021, with a trend of increasing prevalence over time. However, the study's 1% figure may reflect an underestimate of prevalence in low- and middle-income countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mady Hornig</span> American psychiatrist

Mady Hornig is an American psychiatrist and an associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. A physician-scientist, her research involves clinical, epidemiological, and animal model research on autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. She directs the clinical core of an international investigation of the role of Borna disease virus in human mental illness and participates as a key investigator for the Autism Birth Cohort (ABC) project, a large prospective epidemiological study, based in Norway, that is identifying how genes and timing interact with environmental agents preceding the onset of autism spectrum diagnoses. In 2006, she was appointed as guest professor at the school of basic medical science of Beijing University in Beijing, China.

Claims of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism have been extensively investigated and found to be false. The link was first suggested in the early 1990s and came to public notice largely as a result of the 1998 Lancet MMR autism fraud, characterised as "perhaps the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years". The fraudulent research paper authored by Andrew Wakefield and published in The Lancet falsely claimed the vaccine was linked to colitis and autism spectrum disorders. The paper was retracted in 2010 but is still cited by anti-vaxxers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Wakefield</span> Discredited British former doctor (born 1956)

Andrew Jeremy Wakefield is a British anti-vaccine activist, former physician, and discredited academic who was struck off the medical register for his involvement in The Lancet MMR autism fraud, a 1998 study that fraudulently claimed a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. He has subsequently become known for anti-vaccination activism. Publicity around the 1998 study caused a sharp decline in vaccination uptake, leading to a number of outbreaks of measles around the world. He was a surgeon on the liver transplant programme at the Royal Free Hospital in London and became senior lecturer and honorary consultant in experimental gastroenterology at the Royal Free and University College School of Medicine. He resigned from his positions there in 2001, "by mutual agreement", then moved to the United States. In 2004, Wakefield co-founded and began working at the Thoughtful House research center in Austin, Texas, serving as executive director there until February 2010, when he resigned in the wake of findings against him by the British General Medical Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Classic autism</span> Neurodevelopmental condition

Classic autism, also known as childhood autism, autistic disorder, (early) infantile autism, infantile psychosis, Kanner's autism,Kanner's syndrome, or just autism, is a neurodevelopmental condition first described by Leo Kanner in 1943. It is characterized by atypical and impaired development in social interaction and communication as well as restricted, repetitive behaviors, activities, and interests. These symptoms first appear in early childhood and persist throughout life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autism spectrum</span> Neurodevelopmental disorder

Autism, formally called autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction, and repetitive or restricted patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities, which can include hyper- and hyporeactivity to sensory input. Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that it can manifest very differently in each person. For example, some are nonspeaking, while others have proficient spoken language. Because of this, there is wide variation in the support needs of people across the autism spectrum.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) or autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) describe a range of conditions classified as neurodevelopmental disorders in the DSM-5, used by the American Psychiatric Association. As with many neurodivergent people and conditions, the popular image of autistic people and autism itself is often based on inaccurate media representations. Additionally, media about autism may promote pseudoscience such as vaccine denial or facilitated communication.

<i>Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services</i> Legal case in United States Court of Federal Claims, decided February 12, 2009

Michelle Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services, also known as Cedillo, was a court case involving the family of Michelle Cedillo, an autistic girl whose parents sued the United States government because they believed that her autism was caused by her receipt of both the measles-mumps-and-rubella vaccine and thimerosal-containing vaccines. The case was a part of the Omnibus Autism Proceeding, where petitioners were required to present three test cases for each proposed mechanism by which vaccines had, according to them, caused their children's autism; Cedillo was the first such case for the MMR-and-thimerosal hypothesis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vijendra K. Singh</span> Neuroimmunologist

Vijendra Kumar Singh is a neuroimmunologist who formerly held a post at Utah State University, prior to which he was a professor at the University of Michigan. While affiliated with both institutions, he conducted some controversial autism-related research focusing on the potential role of immune system disorders in the etiology of autism. For example, he has testified before a US congressional committee that, in his view, "three quarters of autistic children suffer from an autoimmune disease."

Paul Ashwood is an associate professor of immunology at the MIND Institute at the University of California Davis. His lab conducts research regarding the potential role of immune system disorders in autism, as well as other neurodevelopmental disorders such as Fragile X syndrome, Tourette syndrome, schizophrenia and mood disorders.

The development of an animal model of autism is one approach researchers use to study potential causes of autism. Given the complexity of autism and its etiology, researchers often focus only on single features of autism when using animal models.

Karoly Horvath is a Hungarian-American pediatrician and gastroenterologist who was formerly the director of the Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Laboratory at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is best known for proposing a link between secretin, gastrointestinal disorders and autism and for, as a result, proposing that secretin might be an effective treatment for autism.

Sex and gender differences in autism exist regarding prevalence, presentation, and diagnosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Walker-Smith</span>

John Walker-Smith is a gastroenterologist well known for his work in pediatrics. From 1985 until his retirement in 2001, he was professor of pediatric gastroenterology at the University of London. He also formerly served as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

The Lancet MMR autism fraud centered on the publication in February 1998 of a fraudulent research paper titled "Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children" in The Lancet. The paper, authored by now discredited and deregistered Andrew Wakefield, and twelve coauthors, falsely claimed causative links between the MMR vaccine and colitis and between colitis and autism. The fraud was exposed in a lengthy Sunday Times investigation by reporter Brian Deer, resulting in the paper's retraction in February 2010 and Wakefield being struck off the UK medical register three months later. Wakefield reportedly stood to earn up to $43 million per year selling diagnostic kits for a non-existent syndrome he claimed to have discovered. He also held a patent to a rival vaccine at the time, and he had been employed by a lawyer representing parents in lawsuits against vaccine producers.

Extensive investigation into vaccines and autism spectrum disorder has shown that there is no relationship between the two, causal or otherwise, and that the vaccine ingredients do not cause autism. Vaccinologist Peter Hotez researched the growth of the false claim and concluded that its spread originated with Andrew Wakefield's fraudulent 1998 paper, with no prior paper supporting a link.

References

  1. ↑ Timothy M. Buie Massachusetts General Hospital
  2. 1 2 "IACC Gains Troubling Insights Into GI Disorders". Autism Speaks website. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "Gastrointestinal Disorders and Autism?". ABC News . 25 August 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  4. ↑ Dominus, Susan (20 April 2011). "The Crash and Burn of an Autism Guru". New York Times . Retrieved 30 January 2014. Timothy Buie, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Harvard Medical School, felt that the press ignored other key implications in their findings: that there might be a subsection of autistic patients who would benefit from dietary interventions and that the role of the immune system in gastrointestinal dysfunction in children with autism "warrants additional investigation."
  5. ↑ "Special diets unnecessary for autistic children". NBC News . 28 January 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  6. 1 2 Macneil, Robert (18 April 2011). "Autism Now: Dr. Timothy Buie Extended Interview". PBS NewsHour . Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "In General Awards and Honors". Massachusetts General Hospital. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  8. ↑ Dr. Timothy Buie to present at Bloch Executive Hall Archived 2014-01-30 at archive.today
  9. ↑ Timothy M. Buie, Newton-Wellesley Hospital
  10. ↑ Buie, T.; Campbell, D. B.; Fuchs Gj, G. J.; Furuta, G. T.; Levy, J.; Vandewater, J.; Whitaker, A. H.; Atkins, D.; Bauman, M. L.; Beaudet, A. L.; Carr, E. G.; Gershon, M. D.; Hyman, S. L.; Jirapinyo, P.; Jyonouchi, H.; Kooros, K.; Kushak, R.; Levitt, P.; Levy, S. E.; Lewis, J. D.; Murray, K. F.; Natowicz, M. R.; Sabra, A.; Wershil, B. K.; Weston, S. C.; Zeltzer, L.; Winter, H. (2010). "Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders in Individuals with ASDs: A Consensus Report". Pediatrics. 125: S1–18. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.692.4329 . doi:10.1542/peds.2009-1878C. PMID   20048083. S2CID   318955.
  11. ↑ Buie, T.; Fuchs Gj, G. J.; Furuta, G. T.; Kooros, K.; Levy, J.; Lewis, J. D.; Wershil, B. K.; Winter, H. (2010). "Recommendations for Evaluation and Treatment of Common Gastrointestinal Problems in Children with ASDs". Pediatrics. 125: S19–S29. doi: 10.1542/peds.2009-1878D . PMID   20048084.
  12. ↑ "Autism 'leaky gut' rejected". CBC.ca . 4 January 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  13. ↑ Hornig, M.; Briese, T.; Buie, T.; Bauman, M. L.; Lauwers, G.; Siemetzki, U.; Hummel, K.; Rota, P. A.; Bellini, W. J.; O'Leary, J. J.; Sheils, O.; Alden, E.; Pickering, L.; Lipkin, W. I. (2008). Cookson, Mark R (ed.). "Lack of Association between Measles Virus Vaccine and Autism with Enteropathy: A Case-Control Study". PLOS ONE. 3 (9): e3140. Bibcode:2008PLoSO...3.3140H. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003140 . PMC   2526159 . PMID   18769550.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.