Whiz kids
For many years, autism was considered synonymous with intellectual disability. A new study shows that perception is inaccurate.
Autism’s core symptoms accompany a constellation of subtle signs that scientists are just beginning to unmask.
A neurotransmitter called VIPR2, or vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor, is a candidate gene for schizophrenia and, potentially, autism, according to a study published in February in Nature.
In the new diagnostic manual for psychiatric disorders, Asperger syndrome will be folded into autism spectrum disorder. Francesca Happé, a member of the committee that made the recommendation, explains the rationale behind the decision.
Activity in the mirror neuron system may improve with age in people who have autism, according to a study published in February in Biological Psychiatry. The finding could help resolve contradictory reports on the involvement of mirror neurons in the disorder.
A gene that regulates the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in the brain could help explain why males are more susceptible to autism than are females, according to a study published in PLoS One in February.
By shining a beam of light on a single brain circuit, researchers can compel mice to overcome their natural fears and boldly explore a new space, according to a study published 9 March in Nature.
Neuroligin-4, a protein associated with autism, is located at synapses — the junctions between neurons — that inhibit signals in the brain, according to a study published in February in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The protein can also single-handedly induce neurons derived from human stem cells to form synapses, according to another study in the same issue.
Adults with autism benefit in many ways from choosing their own activities: A new study says they get better at decision-making and their social skills improve.
Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1, or DISC1— a protein associated with both autism and schizophrenia — is involved in the transport of mitochondria, the power-houses of the cell, to their correct locations in neurons, according to a study published in February in Molecular Psychiatry.