Many autistic people have a little-known trait called alexithymia, defined as having difficulty identifying one’s own emotions. New research suggests that the overlap has been confounding studies of emotional issues in people with autism for decades.
Autism involves mutations in noncoding portions of the genome in at least 3 percent of people with the condition. The mutations occur in regions that help regulate known autism-linked genes.
Common and rare variants in or near autism-associated genes can have opposite effects on cognition.
Fallout over two recent studies highlights the potential power of social media to shape science, and the shifting dynamics between researchers and the autistic community.
After imposing a pause in November 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the way for a clinical trial of a gene therapy for Angelman syndrome.
A drug that helps promote gene expression reduces repetitive behaviors and improves memory and sociability in a mouse model of autism.
Children born to people given an epidural during labor do not have an increased chance of having autism, according to two new studies.
Spontaneous genetic mutations contribute to autism in 30 to 39 percent of all people with the condition, and 52 to 67 percent of autistic children whose siblings do not also have the condition.
Here is a roundup of news and research for the week of 20 September.
In this edition of Null and Noteworthy, tests of intranasal oxytocin and an Angelman syndrome treatment fail to see results.