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A younger looking set of hands holds an older looking set of hands.

New catalog charts familial ties from autism to 90 other conditions

The research tool reveals associations stretching across three generations.

By Charles Q. Choi
17 October 2024 | 4 min read

New resource maps gene expression, regulation in neuron subtypes

The catalog could help researchers understand the effects of autism-linked DNA variants that fall outside genes.

By Chloe Williams
1 July 2022 | 4 min read
Young woman sitting alone at window in the shadows.

Autistic LGBTQ+ people report frequent mental health problems

The co-occurring conditions may stem from the heightened stress people in minority communities experience.

By Niko McCarty
16 May 2022 | 2 min read
Book cover conceptual illustration of chromosome superimposed with genetic tree.

A whisper of autism: Fragile X carriers and the autism phenotype

Among people who carry the fragile X premutation, about 14 percent of boys and 5 percent of girls meet the criteria for autism, but the ‘broad autism phenotype’ may be far more common.

By Anne Skomorowsky
21 April 2022 | 14 min read
Overhead view of crowd of people walking in Copenhagen city square.

Population study downgrades some copy number variants’ impact on autism

Some copy number variants may boost a person’s chances of having autism, but to a lesser extent than previously thought.

By Charles Q. Choi
28 January 2022 | 5 min read
Pregnant woman holding two white pills in her hand.

Prenatal exposure to antipsychotic medication does not increase odds of autism, ADHD

Children born to mothers who take antipsychotic drugs during pregnancy are not more likely to have autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or to be born preterm or underweight.

By Peter Hess
20 August 2021 | 2 min read
Teen girl up at night, looking at her computer.

Childhood autism traits linked to hypomania in adolescence

Children with autism traits tend to show agitation, excitability, decreased sleep and other mild signs of mania in adolescence; the association is higher in identical twins than fraternal twins, suggesting that genetics plays a role.

By Laura Dattaro
10 May 2021 | 4 min read
Brain hemispheres color-coded.

Autism shares brain structure changes with other psychiatric conditions

Atypical development of a particular type of neuron explains the structural similarities seen in the brains of people with autism, schizophrenia and other conditions, according to a new study.

By Angie Voyles Askham
1 October 2020 | 5 min read
Variants linked to multiple conditions, including autism, tend to appear in genes that influence brain development, as shown in this chart in blue and grey.

Autism may share inherited variants with other psychiatric conditions

Some of the inherited variants implicated in autism also increase the odds of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
13 January 2020 | 4 min read
A young teen woman sits on stairs with her head hanging down, her face hidden by her hair.

Adolescent anxiety predicts later psychiatric diagnoses in autistic people

People with autism are at increased odds of having other psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety and depression, but the links can be counterintuitive.

By Michael Marshall
2 January 2020 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Coding error caused layoffs at National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke this week, source says

Thirty employees—including 11 lab heads—at the institute should “immediately return to work,” according to an email the institute’s Office of Human Resources sent to top administration at the institute Wednesday evening.

By Sydney Wyatt
3 April 2025 | 3 min read

PTEN problems underscore autism connection to excess brain fluid

Damaging variants in the autism-linked gene cause congenital hydrocephalus—a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain—by turbocharging a downstream signaling pathway that promotes the growth of cells, according to a new study.

By Holly Barker
3 April 2025 | 4 min read

U.S. health agency purge includes 10 lab heads at National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

The reasons for selecting these researchers—who have led work on neuronal migration, dopamine receptors in neuronal signaling and the structure of ion channels, among other areas—remain unclear.

By Angie Voyles Askham, Sydney Wyatt
2 April 2025 | 5 min read