Of Mice and Men: Characterization of a new autism gene

4th May, 2012 - Posted by admin - No Comments

Malfunctioning single proteins can cause disruptions in neuronal junctions leading to autistic forms of behavior. A new study comes to this conclusion after examining genetically altered mice. Read More

Genetic systems disrupted in autistic brain

2nd May, 2012 - Posted by admin - No Comments

Autism has a strong genetic basis, but so far efforts to identify the responsible genes have had mixed results. The reason for this is that autism is influenced by many different genes, and different genes are involved in different individuals, making it hard to find the common genetic ground between patients. Read More

Neurodevelopmental disorders: How human cells ‘hold hands’

1st May, 2012 - Posted by admin - No Comments

Biologists have advanced the knowledge of human neurodevelopmental disorders by finding that a lack of a particular group of cell adhesion molecules in the cerebral cortex — the outermost layer of the brain where language, thought and other higher functions take place — disrupts the formation of neural circuitry. Read More

Women who smoke in pregnancy more likely to have child with high functioning autism

27th April, 2012 - Posted by admin - No Comments

Women who smoke in pregnancy may be more likely to have a child with high-functioning autism, such as Asperger’s Disorder, according to preliminary findings. Read More

Agent reduces autism-like behaviors in mice: Boosts sociability, quells repetitiveness

26th April, 2012 - Posted by admin - No Comments

Researchers have reversed behaviors in mice resembling two of the three core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders. An experimental agent increased social interactions and lessened repetitive self-grooming behavior in a strain of mice that normally display such autism-like behaviors. Since the same class of agents is being tested in patients with a related syndrome, the » Read More

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