Autism Spectrum Disorder

Epigenetic changes shed light on biological mechanism of autism

Scientists from King's College London have identified patterns of epigenetic changes involved in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by studying genetically identical twins who differ in autism traits. The study, published in ...

Autism spectrum disorders created Apr 23, 2013 | popularity 3 / 5 (1) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Learning disabilities affect up to 10 percent of children, study finds

Up to 10 per cent of the population are affected by specific learning disabilities (SLDs), such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and autism, translating to 2 or 3 pupils in every classroom according to a new study.

Psychology & Psychiatry created Apr 18, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Evolving genes lead to evolving genes

Researchers have designed a method that can universally test for evolutionary adaption, or positive (Darwinian) selection, in any chosen set of genes, using re-sequencing data such as that generated by the 1000 Genomes Project. ...

Genetics created Apr 18, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Detecting autism from brain activity

Neuroscientists from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the University of Toronto have developed an efficient and reliable method of analyzing brain activity to detect autism in children. Their findings ...

Autism spectrum disorders created Apr 17, 2013 | popularity 4 / 5 (2) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Drug could improve working memory of people with autism, study finds

People with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have trouble communicating and interacting with others because they process language, facial expressions and social cues differently. Previously, researchers found that ...

Autism spectrum disorders created Apr 15, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study reveals Rx target for HPV, Hep C and related cancers

New discoveries by a team of scientists at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans for the first time reveal the inner workings of a master regulator that controls functions as diverse as the ability of nerve cells to "rewire" ...

Medical research created Apr 10, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

In autism, age at diagnosis depends on specific symptoms

The age at which a child with autism is diagnosed is related to the particular suite of behavioral symptoms he or she exhibits, new research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison shows.

Autism spectrum disorders created Apr 09, 2013 | popularity 1 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Minocycline, an antibiotic, improves behavior for children with fragile X syndrome

Minocycline, an older, broad-spectrum antibiotic in the tetracycline family, provides meaningful improvements as a therapeutic for children with fragile X syndrome, a study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has ...

Pediatrics created Apr 08, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Autism linked to increased genetic change in regions of genome instability

(Medical Xpress)—Children with autism have increased levels of genetic change in regions of the genome prone to DNA rearrangements, so called "hotspots," according to a research discovery to be published ...

Autism spectrum disorders created Apr 03, 2013 | popularity 3.6 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

The risk of autism is not increased by 'too many vaccines too soon'

Although scientific evidence suggests that vaccines do not cause autism, approximately one-third of parents continue to express concern that they do; nearly 1 in 10 parents refuse or delay vaccinations because they believe ...

Pediatrics created Mar 29, 2013 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (5) | comments 1

Human emotion: We report our feelings in 3-D

Like it or not and despite the surrounding debate of its merits, 3-D is the technology du jour for movie-making in Hollywood. It now turns out that even our brains use 3 dimensions to communicate emotions.

Psychology & Psychiatry created Mar 26, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Older grandfathers pass on autism risk through generations, study says

Men who have children at older ages are more likely to have grandchildren with autism compared to younger grandfathers, according to new research. This is the first time that research has shown that risk factors for autism ...

Autism spectrum disorders created Mar 20, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Humanoid robot helps train children with autism

"Aiden, look!" piped NAO, a two-foot tall humanoid robot, as it pointed to a flat-panel display on a far wall. As the cartoon dog Scooby Doo flashed on the screen, Aiden, a young boy with an unruly thatch ...

Autism spectrum disorders created Mar 20, 2013 | popularity 3.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Atypical brain circuits may cause slower gaze shifting in infants who later develop autism

Infants at 7 months of age who go on to develop autism are slower to reorient their gaze and attention from one object to another when compared to 7-month-olds who do not develop autism, and this behavioral ...

Autism spectrum disorders created Mar 20, 2013 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Team finds age-related changes in how autism affects the brain

Newly released findings from Bradley Hospital published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry have found that autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect the brain activity of children and ad ...

Autism spectrum disorders created Mar 13, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast


The term "autism spectrum" is often used to describe disorders that are currently classified as pervasive developmental disorders. Pervasive developmental disorders include autism, Asperger syndrome, Childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. These disorders are typically characterized by social deficits, communication difficulties, stereotyped or repetitive behaviors and interests, and/or cognitive delays. Although these diagnoses share some common features, individuals with these disorders are thought to be "on the spectrum" because of differences in severity across these domains.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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