NEWS

Extra copies of a gene called BOLA2 predispose people to autism and may protect against iron deficiency.

Neurons in mice that lack an autism gene called CNTNAP2 do not differentiate well between social and nonsocial smells — an issue that seems to stem from haphazard neuronal firing.

The hemispheres in autistic people’s brains are more symmetrical than those of their typical peers, but it is unclear what this difference means.

How well autistic children perform daily-living tasks tracks with their language skills and autism traits.

Pregnant women’s use of acetaminophen may increase the odds of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in their children.

People who have mutations in a gene called PHF21A tend to have a constellation of traits and conditions, including autism.

A mix of two drugs eases hypersensitivity to noise in mice missing an autism gene — offering the promise of a similar treatment for autistic people.

People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may carry certain rare, harmful mutations in many of the same genes as people with autism.

Adults with autism are more than twice as likely as neurotypical people to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

Blocking one form of an enzyme implicated in autism eases unusual behaviors and seizures in mice missing a top autism gene.