A single dose of cannabidiol, a component of marijuana, eases seizures and improves learning and sociability in mice with mutations in an autism gene called CDKL5.

Autism and epileptic seizures often go hand in hand. What explains the overlap, and what does it reveal about autism’s origins?

A single seizure early in life leads to enduring behavioral problems, including diminished sociability, in mice.

Deleting an autism gene called TRIO derails neurons’ journey to their destination.

An experimental drug silences a DNA segment and seems to prevent seizures and death in a condition related to autism.

Certain patterns of electrical activity in the brain may signal autism in children with tuberous sclerosis complex, a related genetic condition.

A drug that treats tumors and epilepsy in people with tuberous sclerosis complex does not boost their intelligence or ease autism traits.

Adults with autism are nearly 50 percent more likely to die in the hospital than their typical peers.

Families of children with mutations in a gene called SYNGAP1 have spurred research into the effects of the mutations on people — and how to treat them.