Search Results for: blog researchers find autism genes

Study Provides Clues to How Autism and Schizophrenia Develop

A study done with mice may have provided some clues about how disorders such as autism and schizophrenia develop. It seems that the genes that are connected to these two disorders might only be active for a short period of time while brain is developing. This could be a first step towards understanding more about the genetic links to the disorders. What causes autism? There have been several studies that have tried to determine the cause of autism. Many different potential factors have been identified that may, or may or may not, be a clue in the quest to find … Continue reading →

A Brief Review of Things Said to Cause Autism

Scientists in Australia have developed a genetic test to predict autism spectrum disorder in children. This might sound like the “breakthrough” that some parents are looking for. Personally, I’ve heard so many different things that are said to be the cause of autism that I have grown jaded. Here is a quick round-up of a few of them. Let’s start with the most recent story. Scientists in Australia used United States data from more than 3,000 people who have autism in a recent study. The scientists identified 237 genetic markers and 146 genes and related cellular pathways. The scientists say … Continue reading →

Another Study Finds Children of Older Fathers at Increased Risk of Autism

A new study shows that older fathers are more likely to transmit new DNA variations to their children than younger fathers are. The researchers report that this means that older fathers have a higher risk of having children who have an autism spectrum disorder. There have been several different studies that result in data that indicates that older fathers have a higher chance of having children who have autism than fathers who are younger do. Previous to these studies, it was presumed that the age of the mother was the significant factor in determining the risk of having a child … Continue reading →

Children of Older Fathers Have Increased Risk of Autism

A new study finds that children who have older fathers are more likely to be diagnosed with autism, schizophrenia, and other neuropsychiatric or developmental disorders. Researchers found this by studying mice. The genomes of mice and humans are about 85% identical. The study was trying to discover why children who have older fathers are more likely to be diagnosed with autism, schizophrenia, and other disorders. Previous studies have connected autism with the age of the father. A study published in 2006 concluded that children who had fathers that were in their thirties when the child was conceived have a one … Continue reading →

Autism and Epilepsy Have Genetic Mutation in Common

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Researchers have found a gene that predisposes people to both autism and epilepsy. This discovery is a world first, which is rather exciting. It could explain why many children and adults who have been diagnosed with autism also suffer from epilepsy. A study was done by researchers from the CHUM Research Centre in Montreal, Canada. They focused on one, large, French-Canadian family. This family had several members who were suffering from epilepsy. Some of these people also had autism, and some did not. Another part of this study analyzed data taken from two groups of individuals from Quebec. The researchers … Continue reading →

Researchers Find Autism Genes

In a recent press release from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, it was declared that recent research is showing that autism spectrum disorders may be linked to “Combination of Inherited and New Genetic Mutations Acting Together.” Quoted in the press release: “We are finding that both inherited and new, or de novo, genetic mutations are scattered throughout the genome and we suspect that differentcombinations of these variations contribute to autism susceptibility,” saidco-author Maja Bucan, Ph.D., professor of Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Chair of the Steering committee for Autism Speaks’ Autism Genetic Resource Exchange (AGRE).” … Continue reading →

Do You Have BOTH Juvenile Diabetes and Autism in Your Family?

A few days ago, I received an email from a mother in Florida who was responding to my blog entitled, Autism, Juvenile Diabetes, and Autoimmune Factors. She explained that like me, she has both of these diagnoses in her family. She has one child on the autism spectrum and another with juvenile diabetes. She also has a child who is considered “high risk” for contracting juvenile diabetes, but so far is free of the disease. She told me that she is aware of four other families living in her general vicinity who have children with autism and diabetes. However in … Continue reading →

What Genetic Factors May Cause Autism?

Even with a tremendous amount of study and research, we are still very much in the dark about what causes Autistic Spectrum Disorder in children. Clearly there are genetic factors involved in some cases. In my own family, I have noticed that a few of my other children exhibit mild autistic-like traits, barely noticeable, but curious still. Studies have shown that this can sometimes be the case, where siblings of autistic children will have small traces of the disorder. Often the parents, when studied, also have mildly autistic behaviors. (Who me?) A Flawed Gene? A gene involved in the production … Continue reading →

Risk of Anorexia May Be Genetically Determined

Anorexia Nervosa is a psychological disorder that typically affects adolescent girls, but can also affect adolescent boys, and adult women and men. It is an eating disorder that distorts body image, and effects a person’s health in a very negative way. There have been many theories about why anorexia occurs, and why some people develop it while others do not. A new study reveals that there may be a genetic link that increases a person’s risk of having anorexia. It has been estimated that 9 out of 1000 women in America have anorexia nervosa. Patients with this disorder have an … Continue reading →

Second Grade is Too Young to Become a Hairdresser

Warning: Rant follows. Aaargggh! There, I feel better now. Sort of. What is it, you ask? Well, the short answer is…my mother. I know that’s not terribly original. I don’t even have that much to complain about. My mother really loves my kids. And even though she sends me newspaper clippings on tragic accidents that can happen to children when their parents aren’t careful, I know (though my husband may not believe it) how many times she restrains herself. So what happened? I was the one who started out worrying this time. My mother is a retired teacher. She specialized … Continue reading →