The analysis of thousands of urine samples supported Dr Paul Shattock's* hypothesis that OPs can damage the lining of the digestive tract, permitting peptides (parts of proteins) to cross into the bloodstream and damage the central nervous system. He believes this could be the cause of the perceptual and behavioural disorders of autistic people, and is developing a diet for such people based on his findings.

Two books reflect Paul's work:

• Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and PDD – A Mother’s Story of Research and Recovery, by Karyn Seroussi

• Special Diets for Special Kids by Lisa S. Lewis, PhD

* Director of the University of Sunderland's Autism Research Unit

A Dutch study involving 800 people found a link between exposure to pesticides and mild brain dysfunction. Results from colour-word tests, verbal learning and recall tests, fluency and letter-digit tests showed that exposure to pesticides gave up to a fivefold increased risk of dysfunction.