Spectrum: Autism Research News

The changes may help explain the link between maternal infection and autism, though more research is needed.

The tool connects to electrodes implanted in people with epilepsy or other brain conditions and can monitor and regulate neurons during everyday activities.

The finding calls into question differences between autistic and non-autistic people on a decades-old theory-of-mind test involving interacting geometric shapes.

Having an infection during pregnancy is tied to a small increase in the chances of having an autistic child, but the connection may not be causal.

The in-depth approach shows mutations in the autism-linked gene disrupt neuronal growth and communication, as well as mitochondrial gene expression.

Psychiatric genomics promises to shed light on the genetic basis of autism, but it’s vital to include Africa in this research, Iyegbe and Okewole say.

The rare variants are also linked to ADHD and Tourette syndrome, two other conditions that disproportionately affect boys and men.

Common variants in five regions of the genome may determine whether someone has one condition versus the other.

The long-standing link between maternal infection during pregnancy and having a child with autism may reflect common genetic or environmental factors instead.

Mood, anxiety, personality and eating disorders more commonly affect autistic people diagnosed in adulthood than those diagnosed in childhood.