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International Meeting for Autism Research 2017

IMFAR 2017
Spiral DNA against a dark background

Patterns of DNA tags mark candidate genes for autism

by  /  15 August 2019
Children with autism who carry mutations in the chromosomal region 16p11.2 or the gene CHD8 — two of the leading risk factors for autism — show distinct patterns of chemical tags on their DNA.
IMFAR 2017

Having smart father raises child’s risk of autism

by  /  9 May 2019
Children whose fathers are highly intelligent are at a higher risk of autism than those whose fathers are of average intelligence.
IMFAR 2017

Long-term study shows language’s role in easing autism features

by  /  31 August 2018
Difficulties with social communication appear to wane as toddlers with autism mature into young adults, perhaps due in large part to improvements in language ability.
April 2018
child with brain scan test
IMFAR 2017

Top autism gene may alter sensory perception

by  /  16 April 2018

An unusual brain response to sound may distinguish children with mutations in SCN2A, a leading candidate gene for autism.

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February 2018
rat behind bars
IMFAR 2017

Rats with autism mutation turn deaf ear to playful entreaties

by  /  20 February 2018

Male rats missing an autism candidate gene called SHANK3 spend less time sniffing, nuzzling and chasing their peers than controls do.

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October 2017
Grid of 8 portraits of children with characteristic facial features
IMFAR 2017

Small head, speech delay characterize mutations in autism gene

by  /  16 October 2017

Children with mutations in a gene called DYRK1A, a leading autism candidate, have a distinct set of features, including intellectual disability, speech delay, motor problems and a small head.

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May 2017
IMFAR 2017

Common variants, rare mutations combine to shape autism risk

by  /  15 May 2017

Children with autism inherit a greater burden of common genetic variants associated with autism than would be expected by chance. These variants combine with rare, spontaneous mutations to boost autism risk.

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IMFAR 2017

Persistent motor problems may flag autism in ‘baby sibs’

by  /  14 May 2017

Infant siblings of children with autism who also have the condition show motor problems into their second year.

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IMFAR 2017

Adolescence unmasks autism traits in girls

by  /  13 May 2017

Autism traits may become more apparent as girls reach adolescence but stay stable in boys.

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IMFAR 2017

Altered circuit may underlie repetitive behaviors in autism

by  /  13 May 2017

A brain circuit that controls movement is altered in people with autism, a postmortem brain study suggests.

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IMFAR 2017

Anxious children’s head movement may mar brain-imaging results

by  /  13 May 2017

Children with autism who are highly anxious tend to move their heads during brain scans and so may be excluded from important studies.

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IMFAR 2017

Autism signature found in trio of blood-borne proteins

by  /  13 May 2017

The activity of a set of proteins in the blood may distinguish people with autism from those without the condition.

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IMFAR 2017

Brain scans of babies reveal how nerve tracts mature

by  /  13 May 2017

Bundles of nerve fibers that bridge brain areas develop rapidly during the first six months of life. Fibers that connect language regions mature more slowly than those linking motor regions.

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