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Spectrum: Autism Research News

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Science & Society

From funding decisions to scientific fraud, a wide range of societal factors shape autism research.

April 2010

Future of autism genetics is all in the family

by  /  30 April 2010

Two independent teams have identified the genetic culprits of three rare, inherited diseases by sequencing the genomes of several members of the same family. As the cost of whole-genome sequencing plummets, this family-based approach will reveal candidate genes not just for rare diseases but for common, complex disorders such as autism, experts say.

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Best-laid plans

by  /  28 April 2010

Despite dozens of studies, researchers have not been able to agree on whether people with autism have trouble with planning skills. The inconsistency in results may be because of differences in short-term memory, according to a new study.

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Researchers probe genetic overlap between ADHD, autism

by  /  22 April 2010

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism may have more in common than childhood onset and a few similar symptoms. New research suggests the conditions share genetic roots.

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Random genetic changes may explain variability in autism

by  /  13 April 2010

Random changes in gene expression can cause genetically identical embryos to develop different traits, according to a study of worms published in Nature. The findings suggest that haphazard movements of molecules could partly explain why autism-associated mutations don’t always cause the same symptoms.

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Psychiatry’s new game plan

by  /  12 April 2010

Writing in Science, leading scientists call for a 10-year, $2 billion international scheme that would combine the latest in genetics and animal research to combat psychiatric diseases.

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Disclosing DNA data

by  /  8 April 2010

Ethicists ask, should participants of autism genomic studies have access to their own DNA?

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Scandals in the news

by  /  2 April 2010

Two high-profile autism researchers have been accused of fraud.

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March 2010

Happy birthday, genome

by  /  31 March 2010

This summer will mark ten years since scientists sequenced the human genome. What have we gained from knowing those 3 billion base pairs?

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Researchers seek patterns in the sounds of autism

by  /  15 March 2010

Scientists have created machines to detect distinctive speech patterns in children with autism that go unnoticed by the naked ear.

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On the right track

by  /  10 March 2010

Moving a drug from the lab bench to the pharmacy’s shelves takes about 10 years. But for one controversial autism treatment, the process might be much quicker.

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