
Genomically Targeted Interventions May Lead to Meaningful Improvements in ASD
Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of a Gene Could Be Key For New Treatments As often recognized in autism research, there are currently no pharmacological treatments approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat the core symptoms of the disorder. Given this sobering fact, new research from an international team of scientists that focuses […]

Differences Discovered Between Brains of Girls and Boys with ASD
Gender-Specific Autism Diagnostics May Be Needed According to a new Stanford study, girls with autism differ in several brain centers compared to boys with the disorder. These differences were discovered by analyzing hundreds of brain scans using artificial intelligence techniques. The Stanford researchers found that girls had different patterns of connectivity than boys did in […]

Pharmacological Treatment Given in First Weeks of Life Prevents Symptoms of Autism
New Rodent Research Shows a Specific Window to Support Cerebellar Development A study released last month shows that timing is critical when treating developmental disorders like autism. Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have discovered that blocking an overactive signaling pathway during the first five weeks of life prevents symptoms of autism […]

Specific RNA Biomarkers Linked to GI Issues Found in Children with ASD
Study’s Finding May Lead to Individualized Treatments to Ease GI Discomfort Two researchers, one from the University of Missouri Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders and the other from Penn State University, have recently discovered that children with autism who suffer from gastrointestinal issues have specific RNA biomarkers in their saliva. The pair’s new […]

Routine Prenatal Ultrasound May Identify Early Signs of Autism
Imaging Method Found Anomalies in the Heart, Kidneys, and Head of Fetuses Who Later Developed ASD According to a new study from Israel, a routine prenatal ultrasound can identify early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To arrive at this intriguing conclusion, researchers surveyed data from hundreds of prenatal ultrasound scans from the fetal anatomy […]

Nonshared Environmental Factors Pose Risk for Neurodevelopmental Conditions
Study Uses Identical Twins to Investigate Environmental Influences on the Etiology of ASD Nonshared environmental effects (NSE) are exposures unique to different children within the same family. NSE, or indicators of NSE, include prenatal factors such as gestational hypertension and diabetes, gestational bleeding, or maternal use of medications; perinatal factors such as breech presentation, fetal […]