Autism Spectrum Disorders Health Center

News and Features Related to Autism

141. Autism Linked to Brain Protein
     

     Dec. 5, 2007 -- New autism research shows that a certain brain protein may affect brain development -- and possibly nudge the brain toward autism. The protein, called Cdk5, seems to pave the way for another protein, called CASK, to build synapses between brain cells. Brain cells communicate across s

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142. Report: Fever Improves Autism Symptoms
     

     Dec. 3, 2007 -- Children with autism appear to improve when they have a fever, according to intriguing new research that could lead to a better understanding of the disorder. Fever was associated with less hyperactivity, improved communication, and less irritability in the study involving children w

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143. New Insights Into the Autistic Brain
     

     Nov. 29, 2007 (Chicago) -- Using a novel imaging technique, researchers have found that autistic kids have more gray matter in the brain area that governs social processing and learning-by-seeing than children who don't have the developmental disorder. Basically, the "monkey see, monkey do" feature

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144. Routine Autism Screening Recommended
     

     Oct. 29, 2007 -- All children should be screened for autism at age 18 months and again at age 2 even if they show no signs of developmental delay, according to new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The hope is that universal screening during well-child pediatric checkups will

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145. Autism Improves in Adulthood
     

     Sept. 27, 2007 -- Most teens and adults with autism have less severe symptoms and behaviors as they get older, a groundbreaking study shows. Not every adult with autism gets better. Some -- especially those with mental retardation -- may get worse. Many remain stable. But even with severe autism, mo

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146. Gene Mutation Tied to Autism
     

     Sept. 6, 2007 -- Scientists today announced that they've found a new way to study a gene mutation linked to autism. The researchers report that they have genetically engineered mice with a genetic mutation seen in some people with autism spectrum disorders. The mutation involves a portion of a gene

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147. Caution Urged for Autism Treatments
     

     Aug. 20, 2007 -- Unproven treatments for autism have increased as the number of children with autism and related disorders has grown dramatically, according to a team of Ohio State University researchers. "Fad treatments have grown as the numbers have gone up," says James Mulick, PhD, a professor of

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148. New Theory on Autism and Genetics
     

     July 23, 2007 -- New research on the genetics of autism links most autism cases to spontaneous gene mutations. The findings, published in this week's early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, don't pinpoint specific autism genes. Instead, the study presents a general theory a

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149. Cues May Signal Autism in Toddlers
     

     July 5, 2007 -- A new study suggests that about half of all cases of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be diagnosable during the toddler years. The other half may be diagnosed later and may be a very different type of the behavioral and social disorder. Researchers found that certain early signs o

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150. Fragile X Study May Hold Autism Clue
     

     June 28, 2007 -- Scientists report reversing symptoms of fragile X syndrome, a common genetic cause of autism and mental retardation, in lab tests on mice. The findings may eventually lead to the development of drugs for fragile X syndrome and perhaps for autism, according to the researchers. "Our s

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