Facial measurements resurface in search for autism clues
A group of scientists is using fast, accurate and minimally invasive measurement systems to revive the once-tedious trade of dysmorphology, or the study of unusual facial features, in autism.
A group of scientists is using fast, accurate and minimally invasive measurement systems to revive the once-tedious trade of dysmorphology, or the study of unusual facial features, in autism.
Each child with autism is different from the next. One approach rapidly gaining momentum makes sense of this diversity by grouping children together based on their genetics, then looking for patterns in their symptoms. The long-term aim: personalized treatments for each subtype of autism.
A new study points to a possible link between inflammation in the womb, brain overgrowth and the behavioral impairments seen in autism.
People with autism who have mutations in a gene called PTEN have a distinct profile of cognitive impairments and structural abnormalities in the brain. The profile, published 7 October in Molecular Psychiatry, points to a subtype of autism with these features.
Deletion or duplication of 16p11.2, a chromosomal region linked to autism, may trigger symptoms via the interactions of genes both within and outside the region at a key point in development. Researchers presented these preliminary results Sunday at the 2014 American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting in San Diego.
Having an enlarged head in early childhood is not a reliable marker of autism, according to two new studies that tracked changes in head and body size in children over time.
Mice with mutations in the autism-linked gene WDFY3 have enlarged brains reminiscent of those seen in some children with autism, according to a study published 8 September in Nature Communications.
CHD8, a gene that regulates the structure of DNA, is the closest thing so far to an ‘autism gene,’ suggests a study published today in Cell. People with mutations in this gene all have the same cluster of symptoms, including autism.
Cell biologist Nicholas Katsanis explains why zebrafish have been key in studying a chromosomal region linked to autism.
There are no available medications for treating autism’s core symptoms, but there are several candidates in clinical trials. Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele describes the factors researchers must take into account when developing drugs for the disorder.