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Autism spectrum disorders news

Genetics

Knocking out one key gene leads to autistic traits, mouse study shows

More than 70 genes have been linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a developmental condition in which differences in the brain lead to a host of altered behaviors, including issues with language, social communication, ...

Autism spectrum disorders

National data indicate that autistic birthing people are at increased risk for postpartum anxiety and depression

American women have the highest rate of maternal deaths among high-income countries, with outcomes worse for minoritized groups.

Autism spectrum disorders

Sibling secrets: Autism's impact on family ties

A recent study provides fresh insights into the dynamics of sibling relationships in families with a child diagnosed with autism. This research explores the unique perspectives of both mothers and siblings, unveiling fascinating ...

Neuroscience

Cancer drug could ease cognitive function for some with autism

An experimental cancer drug could make thinking easier for individuals with Rett syndrome, a rare disorder linked to autism, according to new research from the University of California San Diego—a discovery that could lead ...

Neuroscience

Researchers discover a new face-detecting brain circuit

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have uncovered a brain circuit in primates that rapidly detects faces. The findings help not only explain how primates sense and recognize faces, but could also have implications ...

Neuroscience

Researchers explore perceptions of touch in people with autism

For many people, simple sensations such as the gentle caress of a loved one or walking barefoot through the grass feel pleasant. For individuals with autism, the feeling of light pressure on the skin may be perceived as aversive ...

Genetics

Rare recessive mutations pry open new windows on autism

Over the past decade, autism spectrum disorder has been linked to mutations in a variety of genes, explaining up to 30 percent of all cases to date. Most of these variants are de novo mutations, which are not inherited, affect ...

Neuroscience

Processed foods may hold key to rise in autism

With the number of children diagnosed with autism on the rise, the need to find what causes the disorder becomes more urgent every day. UCF researchers are now a step closer to showing the link between the food pregnant women ...

Neuroscience

Brain anatomy links cognitive and perceptual symptoms in autism

Neuroscientists at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS) and University College London have found an anatomical link between cognitive and perceptual symptoms in autism. Published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the study ...

Genetics

Discovery of new mutations may lead to better treatment

Developmental disorders are neurologically-based conditions that affect the acquisition of specific skills such as attention, memory, language and social interaction. Although they have a genetic cause, this is often difficult ...

Autism spectrum disorders

Early autism screening has limited effect

Screening for autism at three years of age only identifies those with significant developmental delay, and not those with less severe autism. Early screening may therefore not be as beneficial as previously thought, according ...

Autism spectrum disorders

Bullying gets worse as children with autism get older

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to experience bullying than children without ASD and this bullying gets worse with age, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of ...

Neuroscience

Heart rate variation due to stress affects auditory attention

Sudden hearing loss can be experienced in highly stressful situations, usually lasting a short time. Researchers at São Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil, collaborating with colleagues at Oxford Brookes University ...

Medical research

Exercise eases autism spectrum disorder in mouse model

A mouse model of autism has revealed how exercise changes the structure of the brain by eliminating the excess connections between neurons characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). After one month of voluntary running ...

Autism spectrum disorders

Gut bacteria influence autism-like behaviors in mice

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects an estimated one in 59 people in the United States, causing a variety of difficulties with social communication and repetitive behavior. Many factors, including genetic and environmental ...

Genetics

Research confirms gut-brain connection in autism

People with autism often suffer from gut problems, but nobody has known why. Researchers have now discovered the same gene mutations—found both in the brain and the gut—could be the cause.