News / Spectrum

Gray-matter volume; 3q29 deletion syndrome; random eye movements

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 22 January.

By Jill Adams
23 January 2024 | 2 min read
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https://doi.org/10.53053/WEOH6369 https://doi.org/10.53053/WEOH6369 - opens a new tab Cite this article
  • People with 3q29 deletion syndrome have behavioral and developmental issues and a higher likelihood of psychiatric diagnoses than those without the syndrome. Spectrum has previously reported that 3q29 deletion is associated with autism, especially in girls. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
  • A replication study in an independent cohort has found much more variability in site-specific gray-matter volume differences between autistic and non-autistic people than did the initial study. Molecular Autism
A set of brain scans showing gray-matter volume.
Location, location: A replication study found differing patterns in gray-matter volume in two cohorts of autistic people: ENIGMA (top row) and LEAP (bottom row).
  • Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the FOX2 and OXTR genes, which are linked to autism, are associated with altered social behaviors in bonobos, according to a preprint. bioRxiv
  • Autistic children exhibit more random eye movements while watching movie clips than do non-autistic children. Autism Research
  • The Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program, which supports postdoctoral scientists, is accepting applications through 28 February. Howard Hughes Medical Institute
  • Of 64 children diagnosed with autism after screening, 76 percent demonstrated evidence of another neurodivergent condition, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or a movement condition, but only 26 percent of those were evaluated further, according to a U.K.-based study. PLOS ONE
  • A cohort of autistic people have variants of the X chromosome’s DDX53 gene, which has no functional ortholog in mice, according to a preprint. medRxiv
  • The development of spinal sensory circuits influences whether altered responses to touch in autistic people emerge during embryonic growth or later in life. Nature Neuroscience

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