Brains of people with autism spectrum disorder share similar molecular abnormalities
December 5, 2016
Brains typically have a standard pattern for which genes are active and which are inactive (left). In the brains of people with autism (right), genes don’t follow that pattern, but they do have their own consistent patterns from one brain to the next.
Neelroop Parikshak/UCLA Health
A recent UCLA study published has reported findings of a distinctive pattern of unusual gene activity in the brain of people with autism. The study helps to paint a clearer picture of what may occur at the molecular level in the brains of those with the disorder, one that is distinguished by impeded social interactions and cognitive and behavioral issues. The paper’s senior author, Dr. Daniel Geschwind (Neurology and Psychiatry) shares that the identified pattern may indicate possible targets for future autism drugs to treat the disorder.
Read more at UCLA Newsroom