A mild form of fragile X syndrome that can lead to the full syndrome in one generation is more common than previously thought, according to a large study published 21 December in Genome Medicine.
Researchers have used protein and drug interaction networks to identify drugs approved for one disorder that may be useful for treating another, they reported 18 January in Bioinformation.
A growing number of studies suggest connections between Alzheimer’s disease, fragile X syndrome and autism, which could point the way to potential treatments.
People with autism who inhaled regular doses of the hormone oxytocin were better at recognizing others’ emotions and reported a higher quality of life than those who took a placebo, according to a small study published 5 December in Molecular Autism.
Elevated levels of EIF4E, which plays a key role in protein synthesis, lead to autism-like behaviors and abnormal neuronal signaling in mice, according to a study published 17 January in Nature.
Treating mice that model Rett syndrome with acetyl-L-carnitine delays the onset of symptoms until adulthood, according to a study published 5 December in PLoS One.
Bumetanide, a drug that’s long been used to treat high blood pressure, modestly improves social behaviors in children with mild forms of autism, according to the results of a small trial published in December in Translational Psychiatry.
Husband and wife research team Andrew Meltzoff and Patricia Kuhl have shown that learning is a fundamentally social process, beginning in early infancy.
Helen McCabe reports that China’s political and economic climate affects the quality of autism interventions. How do culture and policy affect autism treatment in other countries?