Women who carry genetic variants tied to autism have an elevated chance of experiencing pregnancy-related events linked to the condition in their children.

Long cast in supporting roles in the brain, astrocytes are now emerging as primary players in certain characteristics of autism and related conditions.

Having a genetic predisposition to inflammation is linked to structural changes in brain regions implicated in neurodevelopmental conditions.

The temporary organ may hold clues about the origins of autism and brain development, Anna Penn says — if only researchers would study it.

A brain area called the tail of the striatum may account for the shift.

The gene, dubbed NHIP, is in a chromosomal region that shows unusually low levels of DNA methylation in placentas from women who gave birth to autistic children.

Inspired by watching her autistic nephew grow up, Croen has also been an advocate for bolstering research and services for autistic adults.

In this edition of Null and Noteworthy, a large clinical trial goes sideways, while memory and emotions hold up.

Given the known link between severe maternal infections and autism, some scientists are investigating whether COVID-19 during pregnancy can affect a child’s neurodevelopment.

The fact that autism seems to affect more boys than girls is often attributed to diagnostic gaps, but the skew remains largely unexplained. Some scientists are turning to basic biology for answers.