The overproduction of proteins in brain cells called microglia causes social impairments, cognitive deficits and repetitive behavior in male mice, a new study has found.

Mice missing DLG2, a protein central to neuronal activity, are anxious, sleep poorly and overgroom themselves.

Toddlers who sleep poorly or overreact or underreact to sensory stimuli have more repetitive behaviors and other autism traits later in childhood.

A short, widely used screening survey for autism called the AQ-10 may not be reliable for measuring traits of the condition in the general population.

‘Autistic burnout’ is the intense physical, mental or emotional exhaustion, often accompanied by a loss of skills, that some adults with autism experience.

Autistic people who are hyperactive or have difficulty controlling their own impulses are the most likely to show ongoing self-injury.

Associated primarily with its role in movement, the striatum may also influence the social difficulties of autistic people.