Spectrum: Autism Research News

Long-term treatment with antipsychotic drugs and mood stabilizers can change the structure of the brain.

By studying pregnant women who already have a child with autism, researchers hope to understand how epigenetic changes — those that affect gene expression but don’t directly alter DNA — during pregnancy influences risk of the disorder.

Two new studies on oxytocin, the so-called ‘trust hormone,’ suggest new avenues for using the drug to treat autism.

A pilot project highlights how adult stem cells could be used to test and select personalized therapies.

Child psychiatrist and epidemiologist Eric Fombonne digs through the latest report on the prevalence of autism, suggesting reasons for the apparent increase in the disorder’s rates. 

The past few years have seen an unprecedented number of clinical trials for experimental drugs to treat autism-related disorders, most notably for fragile X syndrome. But as the trials progress, scientists are calling for better methods to measure the drugs’ effectiveness.

Clinical trials for fragile X drugs should include a behavioral therapy component, says a parent of a child with the disorder.

A genetic defect in the synthesis of carnitine, a molecule that is essential for proper mitochondrial function, might slightly increase risk for autism in some children, according to research published 8 May in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Identifying genetic and other factors that protect children at risk of autism from developing the disorder could provide new avenues for treatment.

As the use of induced pluripotent stem cells grows, researchers are searching for ways to make them behave more predictably.