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Autism spectrum disorders news

Neuroscience

Study links gene-regulating brain circuit formation to autism and seizures

The gene neuropilin2 encodes a receptor involved in cell-cell interactions in the brain and plays a key role in regulating the development of neural circuits. Neuropilin2 controls migration of inhibitory neurons as well as ...

Autism spectrum disorders

Study shows autistic individuals enrolled in Medicaid and receiving federal housing support grew 70% from 2008–16

Affordable and stable housing is critical to improving health across a person's lifespan. People with disabilities, including autism, comprise a significant share of people in need of housing assistance. However, the intersection ...

Genetics

New findings expand genetic knowledge of autism underpinnings

Hundreds of novel genetic variants across an ancestrally diverse cohort of 195 families, including 222 people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), have been identified by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center, expanding ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Autism diagnoses rising among U.S. children, adults

Big surges in new autism diagnoses among young adults, as well a rise in diagnoses for girls and young women, have driven a near-tripling of U.S. autism cases in just over a decade, researchers report.

Medications

Drug shown to alleviate autism-associated behavior in mice

The behavioral disorders observed in autism are associated with a multitude of genetic alterations. Scientists from the Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR) have now found another molecular cause for ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Stress levels sky high for families of neurodiverse kids

New Curtin University-led research has found caregivers of neurodivergent children are more likely to experience clinically significant levels of stress, poor mental health, financial hardship, and negative relationships.

Autism spectrum disorders

Electronic health record data may predict early autism

Autism detection using electronic health record (EHR) data achieves clinically meaningful accuracy by age 30 days, which improves by age 1 year, according to a study published online Feb. 2 in JAMA Network Open.

Psychology & Psychiatry

Research to reduce insomnia in autistic adults

Researchers from La Trobe University have conducted a world first pilot study investigating a sleep intervention for autistic adults, showing promising evidence at reducing insomnia and co-occurring anxiety symptoms.

Genetics

Risk of autism associated with when and where forebears lived

When and where are often vital clues for epidemiologists, the medical detectives who help solve the underlying mysteries of disease. The technique dates back to at least 19th century London, where a physician named John Snow ...