Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

New approach to genetic diagnosis in autism

A practical, stepwise approach to diagnosing genetic causes of autism and related disorders is proposed in the January issue of Genetics in Medicine, official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG), published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

7 Feb 2008

Brain study suggests way to measure, treat autism

Researchers have pinpointed subtle deficits in the brains of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that they say could aid more precise diagnoses and perhaps improve treatment of ASD.

7 Feb 2008

Infants' bodies expel thimerosal mercury much faster than originally thought

February's issue of Pediatrics offers another reason to rethink blaming the spike in autism diagnoses on thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative routinely used in several childhood vaccines until the late '90s.

4 Feb 2008

Accelerated head growth a risk factor for autism

Children with autism have normal-size heads at birth but develop accelerated head growth between six and nine months of age, a period that precedes the onset of many behaviors that enable physicians to diagnose the developmental disorder, according to new research from the University of Washington's Autism Center.

31 Jan 2008

Cell signaling in cervical cancer; gene variant impairs glycogen synthesis

The March of Dimes and seven former directors of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today urged parents not to be frightened of childhood vaccines by the suggestion in an upcoming episode of the ABC-TV drama, "Eli Stone" that the mercury-based preservative thimerosal -- which is no longer used in vaccines may lead to autism.

30 Jan 2008

Dairy-free diets may put boys with autism at risk for thin bones

Results of an early study suggest that dairy-free diets and unconventional food preferences could put boys with autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at higher than normal risk for thinner, less dense bones when compared to a group of boys the same age who do not have autism.

29 Jan 2008

New approach to detect autism earlier

A new way of understanding autistic disorders, incorporating both psychological and biological factors, could lead to the conditions being picked up earlier, research from UNSW has found.

25 Jan 2008

Previously unknown chromosomal abnormalities play substantial role in autism

Genome-wide scans of families affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have revealed new evidence that previously unknown chromosomal abnormalities have a substantial role in the prevalent developmental disorder, according to a report published online Jan. 17th in the American Journal of Human Genetics, a publication of Cell Press.

18 Jan 2008

Maryland Court rejects Thimerosal - autism link

Wyeth has announced that The Honorable Stuart R. Berger of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City in Baltimore, Maryland, has granted Wyeth's motion to preclude plaintiffs' expert witnesses in an alleged vaccine injury case from testifying that exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccines can cause autism..

16 Jan 2008

Researchers move 2 steps closer to understanding genetic underpinnings of autism

Today's issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics (AJHG), describes what might be a corner piece of the autism puzzle the identification and subsequent validation of a gene linked to the development of autism by three separate groups of scientists.

11 Jan 2008

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis - potential clues into the treatment and diagnosis

Studies published in the Jan. 10 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) are providing clues into the treatment and diagnosis of LAM, or lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a progressive and deadly lung disease that affects women in their childbearing years.

11 Jan 2008

Chemical first found on Easter Island could treat tuberous sclerosis

A new study has shown promising results in fighting a severe genetic disorder which can create tumours throughout the body.

11 Jan 2008

Discovery of gene variant that raises autism risk

Scientists have found a variation in a gene that may raise the risk of developing autism, especially when the variant is inherited from mothers rather than fathers.

11 Jan 2008

Discovery of chromosomal abnormality that appears to increase susceptibility to autism

A multi-institutional study involving Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers has identified a chromosomal abnormality that appears to increase susceptibility to autism.

10 Jan 2008

New research links autism to genetic disorder

New research from the United States suggests that autism may be caused by a genetic disorder.

10 Jan 2008

Discovery of a core mechanism underlying Fragile X syndrome

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are uncovering how brain cells are affected in Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of inherited mental retardation and the most common genetic cause of autism.

9 Jan 2008

Loss of a small portion of chromosome 16 linked to autism

Loss of a small portion of chromosome 16, known as 16p11.2, is significantly associated with autism report researchers from the University of Chicago Medical Center, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in an article, published Dec. 21, 2007, online by the journal Human Molecular Genetics.

9 Jan 2008