Skip to main content

Spectrum: Autism Research News

topic /

Environment

From parental age to infection during pregnancy, environmental elements can influence autism risk.

November 2018
Two white mice, one on a wheel, sniff noses.

Infection during childhood may aggravate autism risk from mutation

by  /  7 November 2018

Triggering an immune defense in newborn male mice missing a copy of TSC2, a gene linked to autism, impairs the mice’s social memory.

Comments

Inflammation in womb may spawn autism-like traits in males

by  /  6 November 2018

Chronic exposure to inflammation in the womb alters autism gene expression and disrupts social behavior in male mice, but not females.

Comments
Illustration shows a maze of elements: human brain, medicine, chromosome, factory, clouds and lightning bolts

Environmental risk for autism, explained

by  /  5 November 2018

Autism results from an interplay between genetics and the environment, but it has been tough to nail down the environmental factors involved.

Comments
A white lab rat on a grey background.

Brain scans of rats reveal molecular clues to autism’s link

by  /  4 November 2018

Rats exposed prenatally to a cocktail of ‘autoimmune’ molecules have altered levels of two types of compounds needed for brain development.

Comments

Fever in pregnant rats alters pups’ social skills

by  /  3 November 2018

Fever in pregnant rats around the time of delivery disrupts their pups’ communication and social behavior.

Comments

Decoy protein defangs immune molecule linked to autism

by  /  3 November 2018

A specially made ‘decoy’ protein prevents an immune molecule from crossing the placenta; the strategy may prevent the brain changes that lead to autism.

Comments
October 2018
Two children picking mushrooms in a field.

Genetics plays outsized role in autism, large study shows

by  /  15 October 2018

Autism is more heritable than anorexia, alcohol dependence, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, according to an analysis of data from nearly 4.5 million people.

Comments
Two women seen from behind with arms around each other.

Overlap in traits of autism, attention deficit persists into adulthood

by  /  8 October 2018

Traits linked to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder tend to co-occur even in adulthood.

Comments
September 2018

Webinar: Janine LaSalle describes gene-environment interactions in autism

 /  19 September 2018

Watch the complete replay of Janine LaSalle discussing gene-environment interactions and autism.

Comments

The link between antidepressants and autism, explained

by  /  6 September 2018

Taking antidepressants during pregnancy is unlikely to raise the risk of having a child with autism.

Comments