Miguel Frontera focused on the Study of Medicine and related sciences.

Miguel Frontera focused on the study of Bio-psychology.

Autism spectrum disorders affect approximately 1.5 million children in the U.S. alone, with more than a 10 percent increase in cases registered each year. This is likely attributable to increased awareness of autism among the public at large, leading to more diagnoses. Autism is generally identified by the time a child reaches the age of three, with parents often concerned about deafness, resistance to cuddling, inability to talk, and social avoidance. Boys are three to four times more likely to develop autism than girls, with an estimated 1 in 70 U.S. boys having an autism spectrum disorder. In rare cases, autism is accompanied by an extraordinary talent in specific areas such as math, music, or art.

ASD presents an important area for clinical research, as scientists lack definite knowledge of the cause of neuropsychiatric disorders. There are many manifestations of ASD and just as many possible contributing factors. Genetic attributes and the timing of environmental factors before and after birth constitute key sets of factors influencing neuropsychiatric development. A small number of autism cases are directly linked with environmental exposure to infectious and chemical agents. Genetic disorders linked to autism include tuberous sclerosis, fragile X syndrome, and Angelman syndrome.

Recent research has focused on the role the immune system plays in regulating and controlling brain and body functions. Inconclusive evidence over past three decades points to central nervous system inflammation as a key issue linked to autism spectrum disorders. Contrary to the common belief 50 years ago, poor parenting does not contribute to autism. Unfortunately, generations of mothers with autistic children were burdened with guilt, believing that they were inadequate or unloving parents. We now know better than to blame the parents of ASD children.

Miguel Frontera relinquished his medical license. He is presently retired from all research and medical/clinical activities.

[NOTE: CAMELOT: ASDAC is a non-profit organization that, as a public education consortium, is solely tasked with the dissemination of information about ASDs and their potential new treatments to the general population. CAMELOT DOES NOT CONDUCT RESEARCH NOR DOES IT TREAT ANY INDIVIDUALS WHETHER AFFECTED BY ASDS OR OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS AS IT IS NEITHER A RESEARCH NOR A MEDICAL ORGANIZATION.]

About the author: Miguel Frontera is a retired psychiatrist who spent his career studying and treating neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression. Before retiring, Frontera worked as the Medical Director of the child and adolescent outpatient psychiatry clinic at Clinical Associates in Baltimore. Frontera completed his internship and residencies at the University of Maryland. As a resident, Miguel Frontera researched and wrote an article titled “Unexpected Deaths in Depressed Medical Inpatients Treated with Fluoxetine,” which was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry in 1991.

Fluoxetine (commonly known as Prozac or Sarafem) is an antidepressant medication that is approved to treat several disorders. The drug works by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain. Fluoxetine is regularly prescribed to curb major depression, panic disorder, bulimia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. While fluoxetine has been a successful part of a treatment plan for many patients, the medication also has several adverse effects. All antidepressants may increase the risk of suicide in those under 25 years of age. Additional possible side effects include sexual dysfunction, insomnia, and anxiety. Weight loss, changes in appetite, nausea, drowsiness, dry mouth, and sore throat are also possible.

Fluoxetine was first presented to the FDA in 1977; it obtained FDA approval and appeared on the market under the name Prozac in 1987. Eli Lilly and Company’s patent on Prozac expired in 2001. Eli Lilly has since decided to rebrand fluoxetine as Sarafem and market it as a treatment for premenstrual dysphoric disorder to offset the loss of sales when the patent expired. Fluoxetine and its generic forms remain a popular choice to treat depression and other disorders.

Following the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Miguel Frontera utilized his professional experience to assist the general public in coping with the aftermath of the attacks. To this end, he created a program comprised of lectures and direct counseling designed to address the issue of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition that often strikes individuals who have witnessed extreme acts of violence. Collaborating with various educational institutions and local businesses in Maryland, Dr. Frontera employed his professional background and extensive knowledge of the field of disaster psychiatry to raise awareness of PTSD among target demographics deemed to be at high psychological risk.

Categorized as a pathological anxiety response to severe and often acute trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder was initially recognized with a formal psychiatric diagnosis in the 1980 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). In prior editions of the DSM, PTSD was simply labeled as a stress response syndrome, a reaction many psychologists and psychiatrists correlated with pre-existing emotional or intellectual instability. However, after much debate and study, the medical community came to view PTSD as a condition that takes root on a situational basis, most often spurred by an incident in which a person feels a marked threat to his or her overall well-being. Events that could possibly lead to the onset of PTSD in adults and children include exposure to natural disasters, becoming the victim of a physical or sexual assault, involvement in a terrible car accident, or being diagnosed with a terminal illness, to name a few.

Dr. Miguel Frontera: Coping With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (Part 2 of 2)