We are on the verge of a seismic shift in the definition of autism spectrum disorders, says David Skuse. Under proposed guidelines for autism diagnosis, the canard that most people with the disorder cannot speak, or have such disordered language that they cannot sustain a conversation, has been abandoned.
Four new studies of neuroligin-1 (NLGN1), a gene linked to autism, unravel its complex role in regulating the connections between neurons.
Geographical differences in autism prevalence can largely be accounted for by socioeconomic factors, according to research published 31 October in Environmental Health. The study confirms the importance of controlling for variables such as parents’ educational status when searching for environmental links to autism.
Most cases of Rett syndrome in China are the result of mutations on the paternal copy of MeCP2, according to a study published 27 August in the European Journal of Medical Genetics.
By merging genetic data from two large clinical repositories, from a total of more than 30,000 children, researchers have identified 18 copy number variants (CNVs) — DNA deletions or duplications — that play a role in autism. The findings appeared 9 October in Molecular Psychiatry.
Female mice of two different genetic backgrounds consistently model the behavioral features of Rett syndrome, according to a study published 9 October in Human Molecular Genetics. Although Rett syndrome presents almost entirely in girls, researchers have thus far relied mostly on male mice to model the disorder.
The risk of developing autism increases for every week short of 37 weeks of gestation, according to a large epidemiological study published 1 September in The Journal of Pediatrics.
Young adults with autism are more likely than those with other developmental disabilities to choose to study science and engineering.
The brains of individuals with autism express low levels of genes involved in metabolism and protein assembly, according to a postmortem study published 12 September in PLoS One.
Two healthcare organizations have pooled their data to create a registry of 20,000 people with autism, a resource that may help speed up clinical trials and other research.