{{Short description|American family medicine doctor}} '''Daniel A. Rossignol''' is an American family medicine doctor.<ref name="latimes1">{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-dec-07-la-hew-autism-day-two7-2009dec07-story.html |title=On shaky ground with alternative treatments to autism - Los Angeles Times |publisher=Articles.latimes.com |date=2009-12-07 |access-date=2014-03-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-daniel-rossignol-2488w |title=Dr. Daniel Rossignol - Melbourne, FL - Family Medicine |publisher=Healthgrades |access-date=2014-03-03}}</ref> Rossignol runs the Rossignol Medical Center, with offices in Melbourne, Florida and in Aliso Viejo, California.<ref name=RMC/> He also works at the Wisconsin Integrative Hyperbaric Center in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, and is a member of the physician advisory board for The Autism Community in Action (TACA; formerly Talk About Curing Autism).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://tacanow.org/who-we-are/physician-advisory-board/dan-rossignol/ | title=Dr. Dan Rossignol | publisher=TACA | access-date=10 September 2021}}</ref> Rossignol is known for his promotion of various discredited or unproven autism therapies.<ref name="latimes1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2010/03/04/doctors-sued-over-dangerous-autism-treatment/ |title=Doctors sued over 'dangerous' autism treatment - Chicago Tribune |publisher=Articles.chicagotribune.com |date=2010-03-04 |access-date=2014-03-03}}</ref>
==Education== Rossignol received his MD from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and completed his residency in family medicine at the University of Virginia.<ref name=Rossignol>{{cite web | url=http://www.danrossignolmd.com/ | title=Dan Rossignol, MD | access-date=11 October 2013}}</ref>
==Research== Rossignol's website states that he has published 47 scientific papers,<ref name=RMC>{{cite web|url=http://www.rossignolmedicalcenter.com/ |title=Home |publisher=Rossignol Medical Center |date=2014-02-15 |access-date=2014-03-03}}</ref> whereas Google Scholar lists 37. Also according to Google Scholar, Rossignol has an h-index of 12.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=p0q-l8oAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&pagesize=100 | title=Dan Rossignol | work=Google Scholar | access-date=15 October 2013}}</ref> He is best known for publishing randomized clinical trials of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for children with autism, having originally proposed their use for the condition in a 2006 non-peer reviewed paper in ''Medical Hypotheses''.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Rossignol | first1 = D. A. | last2 = Rossignol | first2 = L. W. | doi = 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.02.009 | title = Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may improve symptoms in autistic children | journal = Medical Hypotheses | volume = 67 | issue = 2 | pages = 216–228 | year = 2006 | pmid = 16554123| citeseerx = 10.1.1.575.2062 }}</ref> These trials have usually concluded that it is safe, and that it may be effective, but that further study is needed before it can be said to have been proven effective.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Rossignol | first1 = D. A. | last2 = Rossignol | first2 = L. W. | last3 = Smith | first3 = S. | last4 = Schneider | first4 = C. | last5 = Logerquist | first5 = S. | last6 = Usman | first6 = A. | last7 = Neubrander | first7 = J. | last8 = Madren | first8 = E. M. | last9 = Hintz | first9 = G. | last10 = Grushkin | first10 = B. | last11 = Mumper | first11 = E. A. | title = Hyperbaric treatment for children with autism: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial | doi = 10.1186/1471-2431-9-21 | journal = BMC Pediatrics | volume = 9 | article-number = 21 | year = 2009 | pmid = 19284641| pmc =2662857 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Rossignol | first1 = D. A. | last2 = Rossignol | first2 = L. W. | last3 = James | first3 = S. J. | last4 = Melnyk | first4 = S. | last5 = Mumper | first5 = E. | title = The effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on oxidative stress, inflammation, and symptoms in children with autism: An open-label pilot study | doi = 10.1186/1471-2431-7-36 | journal = BMC Pediatrics | volume = 7 | article-number = 36 | year = 2007 | pmid = 18005455| pmc =2244616 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Rossignol | first1 = D. A. | last2 = Bradstreet | first2 = J. J. | last3 = Van Dyke | first3 = K. | last4 = Schneider | first4 = C. | last5 = Freedenfeld | first5 = S. H. | last6 = O'Hara | first6 = N. | last7 = Cave | first7 = S. | last8 = Buckley | first8 = J. A. | last9 = Mumper | first9 = E. A. | last10 = Frye | first10 = R. E. | doi = 10.1186/2045-9912-2-16 | title = Hyperbaric oxygen treatment in autism spectrum disorders | journal = Medical Gas Research | volume = 2 | issue = 1 | pages = 16 | year = 2012 | pmid = 22703610 | pmc =3472266 | doi-access = free }}</ref> With regard to one of these studies, published in 2009, Rossignol said, "We wanted to do a formal study that looked to see if this was even a valid treatment," and "We hoped to stimulate more research."<ref name=ABC>{{cite web | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/AutismNews/story?id=7070353&page=1 | title=Hyperbaric Autism Treatment Shows Possible Promise | work=ABC News | date=13 March 2009 | access-date=12 October 2013 | author=Brownstein, Joseph}}</ref> He has received the Edgar End Memorial Award from the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society for his HBOT-related research.<ref name=Rossignol/> Some of Rossignol's other research has focused on the prevalence of mitochondrial disease in autistic children, and has concluded that mitochondrial disorders are more common among autistic children than neurotypical children.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Rossignol | first1 = D. A. | last2 = Frye | first2 = R. E. | doi = 10.1038/mp.2010.136 | title = Mitochondrial dysfunction in autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis | journal = Molecular Psychiatry | volume = 17 | issue = 3 | pages = 290–314 | year = 2011 | pmid = 21263444| pmc =3285768 }}</ref> With regard to this study, Cecilia Giulivi of the University of California, Davis agreed that it appeared from Rossignol's paper that there is indeed a higher incidence of mitochondrial disease among autistic individuals.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/736560 | title=Mitochondrial Dysfunction Linked to Autism | work=Medscape | date=31 January 2011 | access-date=11 October 2013 | author=Brooks, Megan}}</ref> In addition, Rossignol and Richard E. Frye teamed up to conduct a meta-analysis on the efficacy of melatonin supplements as a treatment for autism. They published their findings in 2011, and while they concluded that it is associated with "improved sleep parameters, better daytime behavior, and minimal side effects," they also called for more research to confirm their findings.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Rossignol | first1 = D. A. | last2 = Frye | first2 = R. E. | doi = 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.03980.x | title = Melatonin in autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis | journal = Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology | volume = 53 | issue = 9 | pages = 783–92 | year = 2011 | pmid = 21518346| doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/treatment-of-melatonin-dysfunction-in-children-with-autism-shows-improvement-in-sleep-and-daytime-behaviors-120696014.html | title=Treatment of Melatonin Dysfunction in Children With Autism Shows Improvement in Sleep and Daytime Behaviors | work=PR Newswire | date=26 April 2011 | access-date=15 October 2013}}</ref> A follow-up paper by the same two authors, published on September 20, 2013, as an Epub ahead of print, came to similar conclusions.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Rossignol | first1 = D. A. | last2 = Frye | first2 = R. E. | title = Melatonin in Autism Spectrum Disorders | journal = Current Clinical Pharmacology | volume = 9 | issue = 4 | pages = 326–34 | year = 2013 | pmid = 24050742 | doi=10.2174/15748847113086660072 }}</ref>
===Criticism=== Rossignol's best-known paper is a clinical trial of HBOT published in 2009, which received widespread media attention.<ref name=ABC/><ref name=Medscape/><ref name=Novella/> Critics of this research include Steven Novella, who has noted that Rossignol provides HBOT in his clinical practice and therefore "stands to gain personally if its effectiveness is proven."<ref name=Novella>{{cite web | url=http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/hyperbaric-oxygen-for-autism/ | title=Hyperbaric Oxygen for Autism | work=Neurologica Blog | date=16 March 2009 | access-date=12 October 2013 | author=Novella, Steven | author-link= Steven Novella}}</ref> Its methodology was also subject to some criticism, for example by Paul Offit, who argued that "it was possible that at least some parents could tell whether the treatment was active or not, leading to possible observer bias that was not controlled in the study,"<ref name="gever" /> in contrast to Rossignol et al.'s claim that the parents in the study did not know whether their child had received real HBOT as opposed to the sham version. In addition, John Gever<ref name="gever">{{cite web | url=http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/Autism/13245 | title=Hyperbaric Therapy Called Effective Against Autism | work=MedPage Today | date=12 March 2009 | access-date=9 January 2019 | author=Gever, John}}</ref> and Steven Novella<ref name=Novella/> noted that this study only measured autistic symptoms for four weeks. Additionally, the Committee for the Advancement of Scientific Skepticism wrote that Rossignol's 2009 study "...measured a baseline level of ASD based on three indices [one of which has been discredited]<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Granpeesheh | first1 = D. | last2 = Tarbox | first2 = J. | last3 = Dixon | first3 = D. R. | last4 = Wilke | first4 = A. E. | last5 = Allen | first5 = M. S. | last6 = Bradstreet | first6 = J. J. | doi = 10.1016/j.rasd.2009.09.014 | title = Randomized trial of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for children with autism | journal = Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders | volume = 4 | issue = 2 | pages = 268–275 | year = 2010 }}</ref> and then measured the degree of improvement within the two groups. There were no comparisons between the placebo and treatment groups, which is essential to determine if there was any benefit for treatment with HBOT. As a result, no firm conclusions about the usefulness of HBOT in the treatment of ASD can be made based on the results of this study."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scientificskepticism.ca/media/articles/hyperbaric-oxygen-treatment-autism-clearing-air-0#sthash.cgZ5quGV.dpu |title=Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment for Autism - Clearing the Air | Committee for the Advancement of Scientific Skepticism |publisher=Scientificskepticism.ca |date=2010-06-01 |access-date=2014-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122001028/http://www.scientificskepticism.ca/media/articles/hyperbaric-oxygen-treatment-autism-clearing-air-0#sthash.cgZ5quGV.dpu |archive-date=2014-01-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Similarly, Aetna released a policy brief on HBOT in which they stated that, in this study, "There were no significant differences between treatment and control groups in total score, and in the subscales for speech, sociability, and health,"<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/100_199/0172.html | title=Clinical Policy Bulletin: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy | publisher=Aetna | access-date=15 October 2013}}</ref> and Richard Mills noted that because "children with autism often struggle with other medical issues," "it is difficult to discern exactly which condition hyperbaric therapy might benefit."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://sfari.org/news-and-opinion/news/2009/experts-question-study-touting-hyperbaric-therapy-for-autism | title=Experts question study touting hyperbaric therapy for autism | publisher=Simons Foundation | date=13 April 2009 | access-date=17 October 2013 | author=Basu, Paroma}}</ref> In response to this criticism, Rossignol has said that "kids who receive the same number of sessions outside of research settings often remain better for longer [than the four week period during which their symptoms were monitored in the study],"<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=can-hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-help-2009-03-13 | title=Can hyperbaric oxygen therapy help autistic kids? | work=Scientific American | date=13 March 2009 | access-date=11 October 2013 | author=Lite, Jordan}}</ref> and that "You wouldn't anticipate a physician who wasn't doing hyperbaric-oxygen therapy to actually conduct a study of it. Oftentimes when things are new — and this is kind of a new finding — the people who do the studies are going to be those who are involved in it to begin with."<ref name=Medscape>{{cite web | url=http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/590537 | title=Hyperbaric Therapy May Improve Autism Symptoms | work=Medscape | date=2 April 2009 | access-date=12 October 2013 | author=Anderson, Pauline}}</ref>
==Lawsuit== In 2010, Rossignol was sued in Cook County Circuit Court by James Coman, who alleged that Rossignol, along with another family practice physician, Anjum Usman of Naperville, had administered "dangerous and unnecessary experimental treatments", including chelation therapy, to Coman's son, who was 7 years old at the time.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-autism-therapy-lawsuit-20100304,0,5271734.story | title=Doctors sued over 'dangerous' autism treatment | work=Chicago Tribune | date=4 March 2010 | access-date=11 October 2013 | author=Callahan, Patricia |author-link=Patricia Callahan}}</ref> Chelation therapy has never been proven to be an effective autism treatment and has sometimes resulted in death or other serious complications when improperly administered to autistic children.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What Is Chelation Therapy & What Does It Treat? |url=https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/chelation-therapy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250815105837/https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/chelation-therapy |archive-date=2025-08-15 |access-date=2025-09-10 |website=Cleveland Clinic |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-06 |title=Be Aware of Potentially Dangerous Products and Therapies that Claim to Treat Autism |url=https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/be-aware-potentially-dangerous-products-and-therapies-claim-treat-autism |access-date=2025-09-10 |website=Food and Drug Administration |language=en}}{{Dead link|date=January 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lagan |first1=Niamh C. |last2=Balfe |first2=Joanne |date=2018-07-14 |title=Question 2: Does heavy metal chelation therapy improve the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder |journal=Archives of Disease in Childhood |volume=103 |issue=9 |pages=910–911 |doi=10.1136/archdischild-2018-315338 |issn=1468-2044 |pmid=30007948}}</ref>
==Personal life== Rossignol is married to Lanier Watkins Rossignol (formerly known as Elizabeth Lanier Watkins).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.advancedbackgroundchecks.com/d/elizabeth-rossignol/160035567 |title=Elizabeth L Rossignol, Age 42 – Free address, phone, and more on Advanced Background Checks (160035567) |publisher=Advancedbackgroundchecks.com |access-date=2014-03-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.instantcheckmate.com/people/florida/melbourne/32904/elizabeth-rossignol/002206038049/ | archive-url=https://archive.today/20140304011911/http://www.instantcheckmate.com/people/florida/melbourne/32904/elizabeth-rossignol/002206038049/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=2014-03-04 | title=Elizabeth Rossignol, Melbourne Florida - Instant Checkmate}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/time-531951-funding-word.html |title=Daniel Rossignol: More funding needed to study autism |publisher=Ocregister.com |access-date=2014-03-03|date=2013-10-19 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=My Experience Learning About Autism |pmc=3865379 | pmid=24349885 |doi=10.7453/gahmj.2013.090 |volume=2 |issue=6 |year=2013 |journal=Glob Adv Health Med |pages=74–7 | author = Rossignol DA}}</ref> They have two sons, Isaiah and Joshua, both of whom have autism.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.icdrc.org/aboutus.html | title=About Us | publisher=ICDRC | access-date=11 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/time-531951-funding-word.html | title=More funding needed to study autism | work=OC Register | date=18 October 2013 | access-date=1 November 2013 | author=Rossignol, Dan}}</ref> Lanier has been licensed as a registered nurse since 1996 and resides in Aliso Viejo, California.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://secure01.virginiainteractive.org/dhp/cgi-bin/search_publicdb.cgi?search_type=4&license_no=0001149706 |title=License Lookup |publisher=Secure01.virginiainteractive.org |date=1996-07-22 |access-date=2014-03-03}}</ref> Rossignol has said he was first introduced to HBOT when his wife suggested using it on their sons,<ref name=ABC/> which he then proceeded to do.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=127065 | title=Hyperbaric therapy shows promise for autism treatment | publisher=Medill School of Journalism | work=Medill Reports Chicago | date=23 April 2009 | access-date=12 October 2013 | author=Diffin, Elizabeth | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427095613/http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=127065 | archive-date=27 April 2009 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rossignol, Dan A.}} Category:Autism pseudoscience Category:Autism researchers Category:Living people Category:VCU Medical Center alumni Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:University of Virginia School of Medicine alumni Category:University of Virginia alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people)