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.

Placenta and Hormone Levels in the Womb May Have Been Key Driver in Human Evolution, Say Researchers

The placenta and the hormones it produces may have played a crucial role in the evolution of the human brain, while also leading to the behavioral traits that have made human societies able to thrive and expand, according to a new hypothesis proposed by researchers from the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford.

18 Jun 2025

Study Finds Shared Brain Signature Across Autism Variants

New research from the University of Minnesota Medical School suggests that different genetic forms of autism may lead to similar patterns in brain activity and behavior. The findings were recently published in Nature Neuroscience.

16 Jun 2025

Shared Brain Activity Patterns in Diverse Genetic Forms of Autism

Research from the University of Minnesota identifies common neural patterns in autism, suggesting genetic variants influence brain activity and behavior.

16 Jun 2025

New Frontier in Understanding Brain Development and Rare Diseases

A groundbreaking study identifies unknown genetic disorders affecting brain development, offering new insights into neurodevelopmental conditions and diagnoses.

11 Jun 2025

Study Reveals How Genetic Differences in TRIO Affect Neurodevelopment

Researchers have identified how variations in a gene called TRIO can influence brain functions and result in distinct neurodevelopmental diseases.

24 May 2025

Study Reveals Epigenetic Clues Behind Autism Development

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition affecting the brain's development and often affects the ability of a person to perceive sensory information and social cues and socialize with others.

22 May 2025

Study Unveils Molecular Mechanism Behind Synapse Maturation

Researchers from the lab led by Prof. Joris De Wit (VIB-KU Leuven) have discovered an important clue to how connections between brain cells, known as synapses, mature.

21 May 2025

Same Gene Mutations Can Require Different Treatments in Autism and Schizophrenia

For patients with disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, mutations in the same gene could require different treatments, according to new research from Yale School of Medicine (YSM).

6 May 2025

Study Reveals Shared Genetic Basis for Autism Spectrum Disorder and DM1

Researchers from the University of Las Vegas Nevada (UNLV) and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have discovered a genetic connection between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), a rare genetic disorder.

23 Apr 2025

New Genetic Insights From Long Read Sequencing in a Teen With Complex Psychiatric Conditions

In a manuscript published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry titled Long-Read Genome Sequencing in Clinical Psychiatry: RFX3 Haploinsufficiency in a Hospitalized Adolescent With Autism, Intellectual Disability, and Behavioral Decompensation, authors describe how they leveraged long-read genomic sequencing (LRS) to make a genetic diagnosis in a17-year-old male with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and acute behavioral decompensation that would not have been possible by standard methods.

12 Apr 2025

Genetic Sequencing Leads to Major Discovery in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

A seminal study from researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and their collaborators in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, and Iceland has uncovered a new genetic cause of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs).

11 Apr 2025

Brain Research Offers Fresh Insights into the Nature Versus Nurture Debate

Riddle me this: how can it be that reading these words activates nearly identical word-sensitive patches of the brain's visual system in you and nearly every other reader of this story? And that a different set of face-sensitive visual regions-again in almost identical positions in each reader's brain-would activate to process the faces of the researchers, should you meet them?

18 Mar 2025

Study Reveals How Syngap1 Gene Affects Touch-Based Perception in Mice

You may scarcely notice it, but much of what you do every day requires your brain to engage in perceptual learning.

14 Mar 2025

Rare ITSN1 Gene Variants Found to Significantly Elevate Parkinson's Risk

A new study published in Cell Reports reveals a breakthrough discovery linking genetic variants in the gene ITSN1 to a significantly elevated risk of Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative condition that affects nearly 2% of adults older than 65 years.

10 Mar 2025

Study Reveals How Evolving DNA Powers Human Brain Development

A study of artificial human and chimpanzee nerve cells revealed how faster-evolving DNA gives neurons the ability to build increasingly complex brain power.

27 Feb 2025

Targeting NMDA Receptor Subunit Shows Promise for Fragile X Syndrome

Building on more than two decades of research, a study by MIT neuroscientists at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory reports a new way to treat pathology and symptoms of fragile X syndrome, the most common genetically-caused autism spectrum disorder.

21 Feb 2025

Unlocking the Genetic Secrets Behind Human Vocal Communication

The origins of human language remain mysterious. Are we the only animals truly capable of complex speech? Are Homo sapiens the only hominids who could give detailed directions to a far-off freshwater source or describe the nuanced purples and reds of a dramatic sunset?

19 Feb 2025

Research Reveals Key Mitochondrial Role in Social Recognition Memory

Virginia Tech neuroscientists have uncovered a mitochondrial process that supports the brain cells critical for learning, memory, and social recognition.

10 Feb 2025

Understanding How α2δ Protein Mutations Influence Brain Development in Autism

A recent study has uncovered how specific genetic mutations in α2δ-1 and α2δ-3 proteins linked to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) alter neuronal functionality. These mutations significantly reduce the proteins’ membrane expression and synaptic targeting but do not impair calcium channel activity or trans-synaptic signalling.

3 Feb 2025

Neuropilin2 Gene Disruption Impacts Brain Circuitry in Autism and Epilepsy

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.

10 Jan 2025