Twins

Recent articles

Remembering child psychiatrist Michael Rutter

Sir Michael Rutter, widely hailed as the ‘father of child psychiatry,’ was part of the team that first showed autism has a genetic component. He died 23 October at age 88.

By Peter Hess
1 November 2021 | 6 min read
Twin boys sleeping on green sheets.

Genetic roots of sleep issues, autism may be entwined

The same genetic factors may underlie both autism and autistic people's tendency to have sleep problems, such as insomnia.

By James Prudden
9 August 2021 | 4 min read
Image shows two young girls, identical twins, covering their faces with leaves while facing each other.

Q&A with John Constantino: Solving the biomarker conundrum

Biological factors that reflect autism’s roots may differ from those that influence how severe the condition is. Failure to make a distinction has stymied the search for biomarkers.

By Alla Katsnelson
3 August 2021 | 7 min read
DNA helix inside the human body

Autism genetics, explained

The more scientists dig into DNA, the more intricate its contribution to autism seems to be. Here, we unravel the complex genetics of autism.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
28 May 2021 | 5 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
Twin sisters spending their time using laptop and smart phone at home

Genes drive autistic people’s reactivity to environmental cues

Genes influence how autistic people react to sights, sounds and other sensory cues, whereas environmental factors shape their tendency to notice and seek out such stimuli, a new study in twins suggests.

By Jonathan Moens
2 April 2021 | 4 min read
twins seated at a table in bright red chairs.

Environment may have outsized effect on brain structure in autism

Environmental factors influence brain structure in autistic children more than in non-autistic children, according to an analysis of imaging data from twins.

By Alla Katsnelson
12 January 2021 | 3 min read
Approximately 24 month old twin girls, one of them reaching for something.

Genes’ influence on social behaviors shifts with age

Some social behaviors associated with autism are heritable, but the extent to which genes and the environment influence these behaviors changes as a child grows.

By Laura Dattaro
14 December 2020 | 5 min read

Environmental factors unlikely to account for rise in autism prevalence

The relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to autism have held steady over multiple decades, according to a large twin study.

By Peter Hess
18 May 2020 | 4 min read
Teenage girl with headache

Autistic people have increased incidence of neurological problems

People with autism have more brain-related health problems, such as headaches and epilepsy, than typical people do.

By Laura Dattaro
23 January 2020 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

People help each other climb up a supersized human brain.

As federal funders desert mentorship programs for marginalized students, trainee-led initiatives fill the gap

Grassroots organizations, led by graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, are stepping up to provide neuroscience career training and guidance for students from marginalized backgrounds—and they need your support.

By Christian Cazares, Maribel Patiño
11 April 2025 | 5 min read
Research image of two mouse brain slices.

Split gene therapy delivers promise in mice modeling Dravet syndrome

The new approach overcomes viral packaging limitations by delivering SCN1A piecemeal and stitching it together in target cells.

By Holly Barker
10 April 2025 | 5 min read
Screenshot of NeMO website with banner reading This repository is under review for potential modification in compliance with Administration directives.

U.S. human data repositories ‘under review’ for gender identity descriptors

Researchers associated with the repositories received an email from the U.S. National Institutes of Health in March noting that they must comply with a 20 January executive order from President Trump that recognizes only two sexes: male and female.

By Angie Voyles Askham
9 April 2025 | 4 min read