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autism spectrum disorder

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 18, 2020·4 min read

Autism risk estimated at 3 to 5% for children whose parents have a sibling with autism

Children whose mothers had a sibling on the autism spectrum were three times as likely to be diagnosed with ASD than those whose mothers had no siblings with autism. Fathers with one or more siblings diagnosed with ASD were twice as likely to have a child diagnosed as autistic.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·May 15, 2020·5 min read

Group of Genes Have Altered Expression in Autism

Study points to a common gene expression profile, regardless of DNA mutations, applicable to any person on the autism spectrum. The dysregulation occurs in neural progenitor cells. While the genetic cause of ASD may be different between individuals, the behavior of the genes is similar in people with autism, and differ from those who are not on the autism spectrum.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·May 13, 2020·4 min read

Children with autism face higher risk of eating disorders

Children with autistic traits at age seven were 24% more likely to develop weekly eating disorders, including fasting, purging, and binge eating, by age 14.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 4, 2020·5 min read

New insight on maternal infections and neurodevelopmental disorders

Maternal inflammation has been linked to a range of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders in children, including autism and schizophrenia. A new mouse study reveals maternal responses and subsequent developmental disorders are based on the mother's immunoreactivity to infection.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 29, 2020·5 min read

How could Covid-19 and the body’s immune response affect the brain?

Mounting evidence suggests coronavirus affects the brain, in addition to the lungs. Researchers are examining the threat COVID-19 posses to long term brain health. They speculate maternal inflammation could lead to an increased risk of autism-like behaviors and neurodevelopment deficits in children born to mothers diagnosed with coronavirus. Other studies are exploring how the virus may spread in the nervous system via synaptic transmission.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·April 27, 2020·5 min read

Vasopressin levels could be a potential biomarker for autism in babies

Lower levels of vasopressin were present in the cerebrospinal fluid of infants who later went on to be diagnosed with autism.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 27, 2020·5 min read

Lithium may treat behavior linked to autism gene

Findings support the idea that lithium, a drug more commonly associated with the treatment of bipolar disorder, may help treat those with SHANK3 related autism.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·April 15, 2020·5 min read

Autism in males linked to defect in brain immune cells and microglia

An over-production of eIF4E impairs microglial cells, hampering their ability to effectively prune synapses and leading to autism-like behaviors in male mouse models of ASD.

Autism Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·April 8, 2020·3 min read

Genes sow seeds of neuropsychiatric diseases before birth and in early childhood

Researchers identify genetic variations in the prefrontal cortex during different stages of development to assess how psychiatric conditions, such as autism and schizophrenia, may arise in individuals.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·April 8, 2020·4 min read

Brain discovery suggests source of lifelong behavioral issues

Study identifies AIM1 inflammasomes as crucial players in the development of a properly formed central nervous system by removing genetically compromised cells. The findings shed light on neurodevelopmental dysfunctions which occur and give rise to behavioral related disorders.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·April 6, 2020·3 min read

Changes in brain attention may underlie autism

Those on the autism spectrum had atypically smaller pupil dilation compared to the control group during distracting conditions while taking a push-button test. The findings suggest those with ASD may have dysregulation in locus coeruleus activity. The dysregulation of the LC may explain the exaggerated responses to environmental stimuli and fixated behaviors many with ASD experience.