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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: CNTNAP2

June 2011

Solving the complex causes of a multi-hit disorder

by ,  /  7 June 2011

What’s known about the genetics of autism supports the ‘snowflake’ hypothesis — that the molecular underpinnings of disease are essentially unique from individual to individual — says human geneticist Brett Abrahams.

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May 2011

Networks of genes altered in autism brains, study says

by  /  25 May 2011

Two networks of genes are abnormally expressed in the brains of people with autism, according to a study published today in Nature.

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New tool links gene to function in zebrafish

by  /  25 May 2011

Researchers have devised a way to inactivate genes in zebrafish embryos, creating a collection of hundreds of mutant fish lines in which gene function can be explored. The technique was published online 8 May in Nature Methods.

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Language gene mouse model could help test autism drugs

by  /  16 May 2011

Mice lacking CNTNAP2, a gene linked to autism and language impairment, show behaviors and brain abnormalities that reflect those seen in people with disorder, according to new findings presented Thursday at the International Meeting for Autism Research in San Diego.

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Family sequencing study boosts two-hit model of autism

by  /  15 May 2011

A new analysis of children with autism and their unaffected parents provides the best evidence to date that mutations in multiple genes may work together to cause autism and related disorders.

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Scientists probe puzzling overlap of epilepsy and autism

by  /  12 May 2011

Large studies on the epidemiology and genetics of epilepsy and autism have uncovered commonalities between the two disorders. But scientists are only beginning to untangle the biological roots of the overlap.

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March 2011

Genetics: Cell communication pathway linked to autism

by  /  16 March 2011

Mutations in a gene that organizes synapses — the junctions between neurons — may increase the risk of autism, according to a study published in February in Autism Research. The study bolsters evidence linking a pathway involved in cell-to-cell communication to autism.

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Genetics: Autism language gene affects general population

by  /  8 March 2011

Genetic risk factors for specific language impairment and autism affect the timing of language learning in the general population, according to a study published in February in Genes, Brain and Behavior.

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Researchers catalog crucial complex in neurons

by  /  2 March 2011

Researchers have identified nearly 1,500 proteins present in the postsynaptic density — a complex collection of proteins that enables quick and flexible signaling across the brain. The results were published 14 January in Nature Neuroscience.

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February 2011

Cognition and behavior: Anxiety in speech linked to autism

by  /  2 February 2011

A rare childhood speech disorder related to social anxiety is associated with a gene linked to autism, according to a study published in December in Biological Psychiatry. The results suggest that the two disorders share a common mechanism.

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