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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Tag: intellectual disability

October 2015

Gender disparities in psychiatric conditions

by  /  19 October 2015

Autism is not the only brain disorder that is more common in one sex than in the other.

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New clues connect chemical messenger to autism

by  /  16 October 2015

New evidence implicates the neurotransmitter glycine, which dampens brain signals, in autism.

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September 2015

Over next decade, cost of autism could escalate sharply

by  /  21 September 2015

Autism will cost the U.S. $268 billion this year — a price expected to balloon to $461 billion by 2025.

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June 2015

Enzyme’s discovery points to new approach for fragile X

by  /  16 June 2015

Researchers have discovered an enzyme that lowers brain levels of FMRP, the protein missing in people with fragile X syndrome. Blocking the enzyme may ease fragile X symptoms in people with the disorder who have low levels of FMRP and mild symptoms.

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Subtle differences separate autism from fragile X syndrome

by  /  2 June 2015

The social deficits and repetitive behaviors seen in boys with fragile X syndrome seem to stem from their cognitive difficulties, rather than arising independently as they do in autism.

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May 2015

Mathematical method may flag potential autism genes

by  /  20 May 2015

A new mathematical method confidently ranks genes based on their likely impact in a disorder. The approach may help researchers home in on important autism genes.

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What should define autism: deficits or abilities?

by  /  11 May 2015

The new diagnosis for intellectual disability emphasizes what children with the disorder can do rather than what they cannot. Some researchers are arguing for a similar ‘ability framework’ for autism.     

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April 2015

Database highlights genetic overlap among brain disorders

by  /  29 April 2015

An online catalog helps clarify the roles of thousands of spontaneous mutations in four neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism.

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March 2015

Questions for Eric Klann: Translating treatments for fragile X

by  /  30 March 2015

Treatments for fragile X syndrome may be more successful if they block direct targets of the key missing protein, says Eric Klann.

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Gene defect may signal distinctive form of autism

by  /  30 March 2015

Mutations in the gene DYRK1A underlie a type of autism marked by an unusually small head. The new work expands the breadth of symptoms included under the autism umbrella.

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