Autism News and Research

Latest Autism News and Research

Missing a key protein in the brain can cause autism-like behaviors

Scientists at Rutgers University-Newark have discovered that when a key protein needed to generate new brain cells during prenatal and early childhood development is missing, part of the brain goes haywire - causing an imbalance in its circuitry that can lead to long-term cognitive and movement behaviors characteristic of autism spectrum disorder.

9 Jan 2020

Addressing resilience, emotional health within families of children with chronic conditions

Be it autism, sickle cell or other life-disrupting health conditions, being the parent of a child with a chronic condition takes a psychological toll. For too many families, however, emotional and behavioral health support has been far too difficult to obtain.

9 Jan 2020

Judo holds promise for reducing sedentary behavior among children with autism

Judo may be just the right sport to increase the physical activity level among children with autism spectrum disorder and holds promise for reducing sedentary behavior, which is linked to obesity and diabetes, according to a new study from the University of Central Florida.

9 Jan 2020

Poor early life environment leaves permanent mark on adult brain

A severely deprived child may never really recover from the impact of deprivation early in life, finds a new study.

9 Jan 2020

Researchers study the effects of antidepressants to identify the least harmful drugs

About one in ten women in Québec will suffer from depression during pregnancy. Without treatment, the illness carries risks for both mother and child.

8 Jan 2020

Families of autistic children experience high physical, mental and emotional burdens

Families of children with autism face high physical, mental and emotional burdens, are sometimes ridiculed and even accused of child abuse, according to a Rutgers study.

6 Jan 2020

Diet significantly influences mental health and wellbeing, review confirms

A new expert review confirms that diet significantly influences mental health and wellbeing, but cautions that the evidence for many diets is comparatively weak.

3 Jan 2020

Researchers identify key biomarkers for predicting autism in newborns

Because early detection of autism is linked to significantly improved outcomes, the discovery of early predictors could make all the difference in a child's development.

2 Jan 2020

Identical twins with ASD have large differences in symptom severity

Identical twins with autism spectrum disorder often experience large differences in symptom severity even though they share the same DNA, according to an analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health.

28 Dec 2019

Autism risk in children could be predicted by mutations in paternal sperm

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, have found that mutations present in the sperms of the father could be predictors of autism in the offspring, in a landmark study. These mutations, if quantified could help ascertain the risk say the researchers. The new study appears this week in the latest issue of the journal Nature Medicine.

23 Dec 2019

Study highlights value of self-determination for young adults with autism

The independence that comes with growing up can be scary for any teenager, but for young adults with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers, the transition from adolescence to adulthood can seem particularly daunting.

19 Dec 2019

Different mutations in a single gene can have myriad effects on a person's health

Mount Sinai researchers have found that different mutations in a single gene can have myriad effects on a person's health, suggesting that gene therapies may need to do more than just replenish the missing or dysfunctional protein the gene is supposed to encode, according to a study published in Nature Genetics in November.

18 Dec 2019

Social and visual neural networks do not connect in some children with autism

Among the first and most-documented symptoms of autism spectrum disorder is a child's aversion to interaction with others. Specifically, they appear uninterested in social activities and stimuli that would normally attract a young child's attention, such as watching other children play, sing or dance.

17 Dec 2019

New autism guidelines target early detection

Pediatricians should initiate treatment of children showing signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) even before tests confirm a diagnosis, the newest recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics reports.

17 Dec 2019

Stroke drug improves stem cell therapy in rat spinal cord injury models

Four months after treating them, Yasuhiro Shiga, MD, PhD, checked on his rats. Walking into the lab, he carried minimal expectations.

17 Dec 2019

Researchers find many psychiatric disorders share the same gene variants

An international team of researchers has found that many psychiatric disorders share a common and specific set of gene variants.

13 Dec 2019

Precision epigenome editing can repair genetic syndrome of intellectual disability

Using a targeted gene epigenome editing approach in the developing mouse brain, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers reversed one gene mutation that leads to the genetic disorder WAGR syndrome, which causes intellectual disability and obesity in people.

13 Dec 2019

Study reports case-specific monetary estimates for childhood illness linked to air pollution

A new study by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health is the first to compile the estimated per-case costs of six childhood health conditions linked to air pollution--estimates that can be incorporated into benefits assessments of air pollution regulations and climate change mitigation policies.

12 Dec 2019

Epigenome editing could repair genetic brain disorder

A new study published in the journal Nature Communications shows that it may be possible to reverse gene mutations that cause brain disorders, using a very precisely targeted epigenome editing technique. This type of gene editing does not change the gene’s DNA sequence itself but is focused on correcting epigenome changes only. The condition that was corrected in the study is called the WAGR syndrome and is associated with obesity and intellectual disability in people.

11 Dec 2019

Genetic alteration increases risk of Autism and Tourette's impacts on the brain

Lancaster University researchers have discovered, for the first time, how a genetic alteration that increases the risk of developing Autism and Tourette's impacts on the brain.

10 Dec 2019