Patterns found in DNA sequences associated with autism

Summary: Researchers have examined the sequence of more than 650 genes associated with autism and discovered characteristics that distinguish them from other brain specific genes.
Source: American Associates Ben-Gurion University.

Andrew Lavin Neuroscience News

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers are a step closer to understanding the genetic basis of autism, which they hope will lead to earlier diagnosis of what is rapidly becoming the most prevalent developmental disorder worldwide. In the study published in Behavior Genetics, the researchers examined the sequences of more than 650 genes associated with autism and discovered characteristics that distinguish them from other brain-specific genes and genes of other diseases.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 50 children in the United States is diagnosed with autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder which can severely impair communication and social skills. These figures have skyrocketed since the 1980s, when only one in 5,000 were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)...........when the researchers studied families that have a child diagnosed with ASD, they found a unique genomic signature shaped by negative selection, an evolutionary process that purifies and removes disruptive mutations from genes and prevents them from replicating over generations...........To Read More....