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3 April 2012

A Newsletter from the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative

NEWS Analysis of new diagnostic criteria for autism sparks debate Brain imaging reveals simple organization for neural wires VIEWPOINT In defense of childhood disintegrative disorder IN BRIEF Genetics: Rare, common autism variants may function together Molecular mechanisms: Extra MeCP2 affects brain signaling Clinical research: Signs of autism emerge in infancy TOOLBOX Researchers make neurons from blood cells BLOG Rising rates Uncommon testing

NEWS

Analysis of new diagnostic criteria for autism sparks debate

A new analysis of proposed changes to the diagnostic criteria for autism suggests that the revision could exclude a substantial number of people with high-functioning autism. But critics say the study is fundamentally flawed.

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Brain imaging reveals simple organization for neural wires

Rather than a tangled bowl of spaghetti, the neural wiring in the brain is

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arranged in an orderly fashion, like a woven piece of cloth, according to research published today in the journal Science.

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VIEWPOINT

In defense of childhood disintegrative disorder

Childhood disintegrative disorder represents a distinct entity within the autism spectrum and it should remain a separate diagnostic category, says Kevin Pelphrey.

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IN BRIEF

Genetics: Rare, common autism variants may function together

Researchers have mapped networks of genes expressed at the same time and place in the brain and shown that rare and common autism-linked mutations are likely to function in the same pathways. The results were published 8 March in PLoS Genetics.

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Molecular mechanisms: Extra MeCP2 affects brain signaling

Mice with an extra copy of MeCP2, the Rett syndrome gene, have impaired signaling between neurons in the hippocampus, a brain region that plays an important role in memory, according to a study published 29 February in The Journal of Neuroscience.

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Clinical research: Signs of autism emerge in infancy

Warning signs of autism, such as deficits in social ability and fine motor skills, are apparent as early as 6 months of age, according to a large longitudinal study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

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TOOLBOX

Researchers make neurons from blood cells

Researchers have generated neurons from the blood cells of individuals with autism, according to a study published 7 March in Neuroscience Letters.

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BLOG

Rising rates
A new report from the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention finds that autism rates have risen 23 percent since 2009, from 1 in 110 children to 1 in 88.

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Uncommon testing
A new study published in the Journal of Genetic Counseling confirms the relative infrequency of genetic testing for autism.

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