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I thought this article might be of interest --

Karin, mom to 3 kids with both Down syndrome and Celiac.


Broad Range of Neurologic Disorders Found in Patients With Celiac Disease


NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Jun 21 - The spectrum of neurologic disorders
that occur in patients with celiac disease (CD) is broader than
previously thought, according to a new study.

"During the past 2 decades, CD has been recognized as a multisystem
autoimmune disorder," Dr. Nathaniel Zelnik and colleagues from the
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, in Haifa, Israel, write in the
June issue of Pediatrics. "A growing body of distinct neurologic
conditions such as cerebellar ataxia, epilepsy, myoclonic ataxia,
chronic neuropathies, and dementia have been reported, mainly in
middle-age adults."

The researchers had 111 patients complete questionnaires on the presence
of neurologic disorders or symptoms, and the team reviewed their medical
charts. Those reporting neurologic symptoms underwent neurologic
examination and brain imaging or electroencephalogram. Their data were
compared with that of 211 matched controls.

The mean ages of the patients and controls were both 20.1 years.
Fifty-seven (51.4%) patients with CD developed neurologic disorders,
compared with only 42 (19.9%) control patients. These neurologic
manifestations included hypotonia, developmental delay, learning
disorders and ADHD, headache, and cerebellar ataxia.

Epileptic disorders were slightly more common among patients with CD.
The prevalence of tic disorders did not differ between the groups. The
effects of a gluten-free diet did differ among the various neurologic
disorders found. "Therapeutic benefit, with gluten-free diet, was
demonstrated only in patients with transient infantile hypotonia and
migraine headache," Dr. Zelnik and colleagues write.

Pediatrics 2004;113:1672-1676.

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