Autism Spectrum Disorders

New discovery in autism-related disorder reveals key mechanism in brain development and disease

A new finding in neuroscience for the first time points to a developmental mechanism linking the disease-causing mutation in an autism-related disorder, Timothy syndrome, and observed defects in brain wiring, according to ...

Neuroscience created Jan 14, 2013 | popularity 4 / 5 (2) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Bullying harms kids with autism, parents say

(HealthDay)—Nearly 70 percent of children with autism suffer emotional trauma as a result of bullying, according to a new study.

Autism spectrum disorders created Jan 11, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1

Overactive brain keeps autistic teens from adjusting to social situations

(Medical Xpress)—A new University of Michigan study finds that an overactive part of the brain hinders autistic teens from coping in unfamiliar social settings, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and anxious.

Autism spectrum disorders created Jan 09, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Analyzing babies' expressions could help children at risk for developmental disorders

Parents and babies smile, laugh and coo at each other, but scientists still have a lot of questions about how these interactions help infants develop.

Psychology & Psychiatry created Jan 08, 2013 | popularity 1 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers provide definitive proof for receptor's role in synapse development

Jackson Laboratory researchers led by Associate Professor Zhong-wei Zhang, Ph.D., have provided direct evidence that a specific neurotransmitter receptor is vital to the process of pruning synapses in the brains of newborn ...

Neuroscience created Dec 31, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Survival of 'Obamacare' tops list of biggest health news in 2012

(HealthDay)—With millions of Americans watching and waiting, the U.S. Supreme Court largely upheld the Obama Administration's health care reform legislation, making the survival of "Obamacare" this year's ...

Other created Dec 28, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Neuroscientists find excessive protein synthesis linked to autistic-like behaviors

Autistic-like behaviors can be partially remedied by normalizing excessive levels of protein synthesis in the brain, a team of researchers has found in a study of laboratory mice. The findings, which appear in the latest ...

Autism spectrum disorders created Dec 23, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (8) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Genomic 'hotspots' offer clues to causes of autism, other disorders

An international team, led by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has discovered that "random" mutations in the genome are not quite so random after all. Their study, ...

Genetics created Dec 20, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

High-throughput sequencing shows potentially hundreds of gene mutations related to autism

Genomic technology has revolutionized gene discovery and disease understanding in autism, according to an article published in the December 20 issue of the journal Neuron.

Genetics created Dec 19, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Mental health lags behind global health and lifespan improvements

A leading international expert on autism at the University of Leicester has been involved in contributing to a major new study of global health.

Psychology & Psychiatry created Dec 17, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Experts: No link between Asperger's, violence

(AP)—While an official has said that the 20-year-old gunman in the Connecticut school shooting had Asperger's syndrome, experts say there is no connection between the disorder and violence.

Autism spectrum disorders created Dec 16, 2012 | popularity 2.8 / 5 (4) | comments 0

Video-based test to study language development in toddlers and children with autism

Parents often wonder how much of the world their young children really understand. Though typically developing children are not able to speak or point to objects on command until they are between eighteen ...

Autism spectrum disorders created Dec 14, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Fragile X protein linked to nearly 100 genes involved in autism

Doctors have known for many years that patients with fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited intellectual disability, are often also diagnosed with autism. But little has been known about how the two diagnoses ...

Genetics created Dec 12, 2012 | popularity 4 / 5 (4) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Does the brain become unglued in autism?

A new study published in Biological Psychiatry suggests that autism is associated with reductions in the level of cellular adhesion molecules in the blood, where they play a role in immune function.

Autism spectrum disorders created Dec 11, 2012 | popularity 3 / 5 (1) | comments 0

In vitro study finds digested formula, but not breast milk, is toxic to cells

Free fatty acids created during the digestion of infant formula cause cellular death that may contribute to necrotizing enterocolitis, a severe intestinal condition that is often fatal and occurs most commonly ...

Pediatrics created Dec 10, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (12) | comments 1 | 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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