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Inherited Variations in Noncoding Sections of DNA Associated with Autism
A new study has identified an association between paternally-inherited rare structural variants in noncoding segments of genes and the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study, funded in part by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and published in Science, adds to a...
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Suspect Molecules Overlap in Autism, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder
Most medical disorders have well-defined physical characteristics seen in tissues, organs and bodily fluids. Psychiatric disorders, in contrast, are not defined by such pathology, but rather by behavior. A UCLA-led study, published in Science, has found that autism, schizophrenia and bipolar...
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What Kind of Research Can Guide the Growth of ASD Services?
Most of my 25-year career in ASD has centered on providing services. Throughout that time, I have tried to draw straight lines from research findings to practice, and show how science benefits children with ASD. On the way, I learned is that not all research is equally relevant to service...
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Autism Science Foundation Announces Expansion of the Autism Sisters Project – 3 New Grants Awarded to Search for the Female Protective Effect
The Autism Science Foundation (ASF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to catalyzing innovative autism research, announced the launch of three new multi-year research grants to expand the Autism Sisters Project at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) and the Broad Institute in...
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Parental Age Ups Rate of New Mutations Passed to Children
Men and women both transmit an increasing number of new mutations to their children as they age, according to a study published recently in Nature (Jónsson H. et al., 2017). The finding is based on an analysis of whole genomes from nearly 5,000 people. The increase in these ‘de novo’ mutations...
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Key Advances in Autism Research
Over the past decade, there has been a great deal of research dedicated to understanding the underlying etiology of Autism. There have been tremendous strides in the knowledge of the genetics, neuroanatomy, neurobiology and ultimately biochemical aberrations of this disorder. Additional research in...
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Addressing the Needs of Under-Resourced Families of Children with Autism
The Autism Intervention Network on Behavioral Health (AIR-B) is a network of researchers whose goal is to improve access to evidenced-based treatments for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in under-resourced communities. The AIR-B network consists of two related studies: Mind the Gap...
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Prevalence, Assessment, and Treatment of Psychiatric Comorbidities in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Living in Residential Care – A Literature Review
Despite the existence of severe and challenging behavioral presentations for many children with autism spectrum disorders living in residential and inpatient settings, children with complex ASD continue to be underrepresented in the literature (Siegel, et al. 2015) and there is a marked lack of...
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Researchers Link Increased Infant Brain Fluid to Autism
MRIs show a brain anomaly in nearly 70 percent of babies at high risk of developing the condition who go on to be diagnosed, laying the groundwork for a predictive aid for pediatricians and the search for a potential treatment. A national research network led by UNC School of Medicine’s Joseph...
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Simons Foundation: Funder of Basic Science Research, Early Mover in Autism Science
In 2003, Simons Foundation co-founders Marilyn and Jim Simons set out to understand the state of autism science. Having recently awarded a grant or two to scientists working in autism genetics, they were eager to understand how the field as a whole was faring. They convened a small gathering of...
