Autism News and Research

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Autism (sometimes called “classical autism”) is the most common condition in a group of developmental disorders known as the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Experts estimate that three to six children out of every 1,000 will have autism. Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.

Study finds more information about how gene linked to ASD affects the brain

New preclinical research shows a gene already linked to a subset of people with autism spectrum disorder is critical to healthy neuronal connections in the developing brain, and its loss can harm those connections to help fuel the complex developmental condition.

18 Jun 2018

Zika Virus: What Does the Future Hold?

Following the Zika virus epidemic that swept across Brazil between 2015-2016, Dr. Julia Clarke and her team begun working to establish the long-term effects of Zika, and recently discovered that TNF-a inhibitors can be used to prevent microencephaly.

18 Jun 2018

Study: Antipsychotic treatment increases body fat and decreases insulin sensitivity in youth

The prevalence of childhood obesity has more than tripled from 1971 to 2011 and is now at epidemic proportions, contributing to rising rates of type 2 diabetes in youths.

14 Jun 2018

Study provides evidence of link between autism and homelessness

The first peer-reviewed study into autism and homelessness has been published, in the journal Autism.

13 Jun 2018

Special issue focuses on how endocrine-disrupting chemicals influence behavior

Rutgers School of Public Health Professor Dr. Emily Barrett, PhD, and North Carolina State University Professor Dr. Heather Patisaul, PhD, have guest edited a special issue of the journal Hormones and Behavior.

13 Jun 2018

Unlicensed young adults with ASD may have more difficulty in developing basic driving skills

When first learning to drive, young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have more difficulty with basic driving skills compared to those with typical development (TD), reports a study in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

12 Jun 2018

Our brains perceive wrinkles around the eyes as more sincere emotions, shows research

Researchers at Western University have shown that our brains are pre-wired to perceive wrinkles around the eyes as conveying more intense and more sincere emotions.

12 Jun 2018

Children with ASD more likely to suffer from food allergy, study finds

A new study from the University of Iowa finds that children with autism spectrum disorder are more than twice as likely to suffer from a food allergy than children who do not have ASD.

8 Jun 2018

New autism screening app appears to be caregiver-friendly and reliable

A study of an iPhone app used to screen young children for signs of autism shows that the app is a novel, easy to use, and scalable method for collecting high-quality and scientifically valid data, according to a new study published June 1 in the journal npj Digital Medicine.

1 Jun 2018

Researchers discover three genes that may have contributed to evolution of large human brain

Three genes involved in nerve cell generation in the brain emerged roughly 3.5 million years ago and may have contributed to the rapid evolution of the large human brain, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigator David Haussler and colleagues report on May 31, 2018, in the journal Cell.

1 Jun 2018

Zinc and copper metabolism in baby teeth may help predict ASD risk

Using evidence found in baby teeth, researchers from the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report that cycles involved in zinc and copper metabolism are dysregulated in autism spectrum disorder, and can be used to predict who will later develop the disease.

30 May 2018

Early-life seizures prematurely switch on key brain synapses related to autism

Early-life seizures prematurely switch on key synapses in the brain that may contribute to further neurodevelopmental delay in children with autism and other intellectual disabilities, suggests a new study from researchers at Penn Medicine published online in Cell Reports.

29 May 2018

Research shines spotlight on placenta's critical role in genetic risk for schizophrenia

Hiding in plain sight, new research shines a spotlight on the placenta's critical role in nature versus nurture debate and how it confers risk for schizophrenia and likely other neurodevelopmental disorders including ADHD, autism, and Tourette syndrome.

28 May 2018

Researchers call for new genetic tests for congenital diseases

Researchers have discovered that genetic mutations called epivariations are the cause of certain neurodevelopmental disorders and congenital diseases.

25 May 2018

Researchers identify novel epigenetic mutations as cause of neurodevelopmental, congenital disorders

Researchers have identified a type of genetic aberration to be the cause of certain neurodevelopmental disorders and congenital diseases, such as autism and congenital heart disease, which are undetectable by conventional genetic testing.

25 May 2018

$2.3 million NIH grant to support new project on oxytocin neurons and social behavior

A team of Penn State researchers is planning to create a new map of the brain that will establish a neural circuit diagram of oxytocin, a compound often associated with affection and emotional behavior. Researchers hope the map will give them insight into how oxytocin in the brain drives social behavior.

24 May 2018

Compassion meditation training may increase brain’s resilience to suffering of other people

It can be distressing to witness the pain of family, friends or even strangers going through a hard time. But what if, just like strengthening a muscle or learning a new hobby, we could train ourselves to be more compassionate and calm in the face of others' suffering?

23 May 2018

Scientists identify new inherited neurodevelopmental disease

Researchers have identified a new inherited neurodevelopmental disease that causes slow growth, seizures and learning difficulties in humans.

23 May 2018

Scientists identify cell types underlying schizophrenia

Scientists at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and University of North Carolina, USA, have identified the cell types underlying schizophrenia in a new study published in Nature Genetics. The findings offer a roadmap for the development of new therapies to target the condition.

21 May 2018

Fish-eating habits of pregnant women not linked to autistic traits in their children

A major study examining the fish-eating habits of pregnant women has found that they are not linked to autism or autistic traits in their children.

21 May 2018

Autism News and Research

Further Reading

Study finds more information about how gene linked to ASD affects the brain

Zika Virus: What Does the Future Hold?

Study: Antipsychotic treatment increases body fat and decreases insulin sensitivity in youth

Study provides evidence of link between autism and homelessness

Special issue focuses on how endocrine-disrupting chemicals influence behavior

Unlicensed young adults with ASD may have more difficulty in developing basic driving skills

Our brains perceive wrinkles around the eyes as more sincere emotions, shows research

Children with ASD more likely to suffer from food allergy, study finds

New autism screening app appears to be caregiver-friendly and reliable

Researchers discover three genes that may have contributed to evolution of large human brain

Zinc and copper metabolism in baby teeth may help predict ASD risk

Early-life seizures prematurely switch on key brain synapses related to autism

Research shines spotlight on placenta's critical role in genetic risk for schizophrenia

Researchers call for new genetic tests for congenital diseases

Researchers identify novel epigenetic mutations as cause of neurodevelopmental, congenital disorders

$2.3 million NIH grant to support new project on oxytocin neurons and social behavior

Compassion meditation training may increase brain’s resilience to suffering of other people

Scientists identify new inherited neurodevelopmental disease

Scientists identify cell types underlying schizophrenia

Fish-eating habits of pregnant women not linked to autistic traits in their children

Zika Virus: What Does the Future Hold?

Investigating Enamel Nanostructure with Nanoindentation

Vitamin D and Diabetes: What You Need To Know

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