Hello -- I've read that astrocytes are good candidates for both causing and spreading epilepsy: causing, by developing an over-active production of extracellular ATP with an attendant decrease in the ratio of ATP to adenosine; and spreading, via gap junctions which perhaps convey ATP synthase or signals that increase ATP production as well as astrogliosis, the over-production of astrocytes. Wrong-acting astrocytes and wrong levels of ATP might be part of autism too. To balance ATP and calm one might block the adenosine receptor A2a, keeping adenosine in extracellular play and reducing the signals that lead to the astrocytes' producing the synthase that generates ATP.

Caffeine blocks the A2a receptor. Moderate amounts of caffeine, then, might slowly restore proper astrocyte activity and proper ratios of ATP/adenosine. (I can imagine late-night caffeine or large amounts having extraneous effects -- disturbing sleep, creating general excitability around local epileptic sites, etc.)

I give my 8-yr-old daughter about 120mg caffeine daily, as a cup of green tea. Before I started doing so she had what looked like a couple of seizures; since starting the tea I haven't noticed any. Has anyone reading this experimented with caffeine, and if so, what amounts, taken when, seem to do what?