Spectrum: Autism Research News

The technique involves editing the cellular instructions to make MECP2 protein and partially restores its levels in the brainstem.

A 341-repeat mutation from a person with fragile X does not lead to the syndrome’s traits or function the same way in mice, highlighting a need for different animal models.

Sleep disruption early in life has long-lasting consequences for mice missing a copy of the autism-linked gene SHANK3.

Mice with a mutated copy of SHANK3 fail to establish normal sleep patterns during development.

Oxytocin therapies have failed to consistently benefit autistic people, but their effects in people with two autism-linked conditions may yield new insights, experts argue.

The catalog of rare copy number variants tied to autism and other conditions could help researchers identify which genes account for the mutations’ effects.

Prenatal exposure to topiramate increases a child’s autism odds, according to the study that prompted the inquiry, but experts caution that pregnant people with epilepsy have few other options for controlling seizures.

Researchers have long studied subgroups of people who share genetic variants, but the newly formed ‘CNV Commission’ is also looking at people with shared traits across different neurodevelopmental conditions.

Here is a roundup of news and research for the week of 8 August.

Some clinicians say the term describes a subtype of autism, but others dispute its validity and say it is harmful to the autistic community.