Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Research roundup: Moving kids onto Medicaid; competitive markets

Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.

26 Aug 2013

Research suggests gene therapy approach may be feasible option to treat Rett Syndrome

The concept behind gene therapy is simple: deliver a healthy gene to compensate for one that is mutated. New research published today in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests this approach may eventually be a feasible option to treat Rett Syndrome, the most disabling of the autism spectrum disorders.

21 Aug 2013

RI-CART receives $1.2M grant to create confidential registry of every individual diagnosed with autism

The Rhode Island Consortium for Autism Research and Treatment (RI-CART), a group of the state's leading experts on autism research, education, health and services, has received a $1.2 million grant to create a first-of-its-kind confidential registry of every individual diagnosed with autism in Rhode Island.

20 Aug 2013

Study examines ASDs recurrence risk for full and half-siblings

A Danish study of siblings suggests the recurrence risks for autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) varied from 4.5 percent to 10.5 percent depending on the birth years, which is higher than the ASD risk of 1.18 percent in the overall Danish population, according to a study published by JAMA Pediatrics, a JAMA Network publication.

20 Aug 2013

Caltech biologists identify mechanism by which beneficial bacteria reside, thrive in gastrointestinal tract

The human body is full of tiny microorganisms-hundreds to thousands of species of bacteria collectively called the microbiome, which are believed to contribute to a healthy existence. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract-and the colon in particular-is home to the largest concentration and highest diversity of bacterial species.

20 Aug 2013

Children with ASD chose to play that provides strong sensory feedback, repetitive motions

Play is critical to children's development, including children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Kathy Ralabate Doody, assistant professor of exceptional education at SUNY Buffalo State, observed different play options to determine those most likely to appeal to children with ASD.The findings were published in the North American Journal of Medicine and Science.

17 Aug 2013

Autistic children demonstrate superior math skills compared with normal children in same IQ range

Children with autism and average IQs consistently demonstrated superior math skills compared with nonautistic children in the same IQ range, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

17 Aug 2013

Individuals with ASD display altered brain activations when processing facial images

Difficulty in registering and responding to the facial expressions of other people is a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Relatedly, functional imaging studies have shown that individuals with ASD display altered brain activations when processing facial images.

16 Aug 2013

Study supports new diagnostic structure in toddlers with ASD

A study published in the August 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry demonstrates support for the changes in autism symptom structure for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD found in the newly released Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)).

14 Aug 2013

Pregnant women with thyroid hormone deficiency are 4 times likelier to produce autistic children

Pregnant women who don't make nearly enough thyroid hormone are nearly 4 times likelier to produce autistic children than healthy women, report scientists from the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute and Erasmus Medical Centre in an upcoming Annals of Neurology (online today).

14 Aug 2013

UCSB to host 6th Annual International PRT Autism and Asperger's Conference next month

Autism experts from around the world will gather at UC Santa Barbara next month for the 6th Annual International Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) Autism and Asperger's Conference.

13 Aug 2013

Researchers identify clear genetic risk factors in patients with severe epilepsy

Neurologists and epilepsy researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center were among scientists who have 329 random genetic mutations associated with two of the most severe forms of epilepsy, according to a paper published today in Nature.

13 Aug 2013

Study reveals new genetic mutations that cause epilepsy

Results from a landmark international study using state of the art technology has revealed new genetic mutations that cause epilepsy. The findings could help to advance treatments for the most severe forms of epilepsy.

13 Aug 2013

Advocates for disability, autism care brace for impact of health law provisions

The result of some elements of the health law that were initially viewed as victories are now not so clear-cut.

13 Aug 2013

Emory’s Yerkes Research Center receives $9.5M grant to establish research center to study oxytocin

The Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, has received a five-year, $9.5 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to establish a Silvio O. Conte Center in Neuroscience Research to study oxytocin, a brain chemical known for forming bonds between mother and baby.

13 Aug 2013

Augmentation during childbirth appears to be linked with increased odds of autism

An analysis of North Carolina birth and educational records suggests that induction (stimulating uterine contractions prior to the onset of spontaneous labor) and augmentation (increasing the strength, duration, or frequency of uterine contractions with spontaneous onset of labor) during childbirth appears to be associated with increased odds of autism diagnosis in childhood, according to a study by Simon G. Gregory, Ph.D., of Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C., and colleagues.

13 Aug 2013

Study of childhood epilepsies links two new genes to severe forms of disease

A genetic study of childhood epilepsies has linked two new genes to severe forms of disease and provides a novel strategy for identifying therapy targets. This study used a cutting-edge genetic technique, called exome sequencing, to search for new mutations that are not inherited.

12 Aug 2013

Study shows schizophrenia, bipolar disorder share the most common genetic variation

The largest genome-wide study of its kind has determined how much five major mental illnesses are traceable to the same common inherited genetic variations. Researchers funded in part by the National Institutes of Health found that the overlap was highest between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; moderate for bipolar disorder and depression and for ADHD and depression; and low between schizophrenia and autism.

12 Aug 2013

The Estate of Charles Meixner awards $3M to Autism Speaks to discover treatments for ASD

Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today announced that the estate of Charles Meixner has donated $3 million to support Autism Speaks' Translational Research Initiative in the hopes of accelerating the discovery of treatments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

12 Aug 2013

Autism affects men and women differently

Autism affects different parts of the brain in females with autism than males with autism, a new study reveals. The research is published today in the journal Brain as an open-access article.

9 Aug 2013

Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Research roundup: Moving kids onto Medicaid; competitive markets

Research suggests gene therapy approach may be feasible option to treat Rett Syndrome

RI-CART receives $1.2M grant to create confidential registry of every individual diagnosed with autism

Study examines ASDs recurrence risk for full and half-siblings

Caltech biologists identify mechanism by which beneficial bacteria reside, thrive in gastrointestinal tract

Children with ASD chose to play that provides strong sensory feedback, repetitive motions

Autistic children demonstrate superior math skills compared with normal children in same IQ range

Individuals with ASD display altered brain activations when processing facial images

Study supports new diagnostic structure in toddlers with ASD

Pregnant women with thyroid hormone deficiency are 4 times likelier to produce autistic children

UCSB to host 6th Annual International PRT Autism and Asperger's Conference next month

Researchers identify clear genetic risk factors in patients with severe epilepsy

Study reveals new genetic mutations that cause epilepsy

Advocates for disability, autism care brace for impact of health law provisions

Emory’s Yerkes Research Center receives $9.5M grant to establish research center to study oxytocin

Augmentation during childbirth appears to be linked with increased odds of autism

Study of childhood epilepsies links two new genes to severe forms of disease

Study shows schizophrenia, bipolar disorder share the most common genetic variation

The Estate of Charles Meixner awards $3M to Autism Speaks to discover treatments for ASD

Autism affects men and women differently

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Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Clue's CEO Rhiannon White on the Future of Femtech and PCOS

Freezing Point Osmometry in Life Science Applications

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

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