Top autism research for psychiatrists

The month of April marks National Autism Awareness month, with World Autism Awareness day commencing on April 2.

A recent MMWR report indicated 1 in 68 children in the United States is affected by autism spectrum disorder. Although this rate remains unchanged from the previously reported year, researchers said it is too soon to determine if ASD prevalence is stabilizing.

In the spirit of National Autism Awareness month, Healio.com/Psychiatry collected the top research articles regarding autism.

Lower brain levels of vitamin B ₁₂ may indicate aging, autism, schizophrenia

Recent findings indicated vitamin B₁₂ levels in the brain decrease with aging and are lower in individuals with autism or schizophrenia, compared with age-matched healthy controls. Read more

ASD, ADHD risk may be influenced by antidepressant-related factors, not antidepressant use

Recent findings suggest risk for autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may be influenced by factors associated with prenatal antidepressant use, but not antidepressant use itself. Read more

Air pollution increased children’s risk for autism

Exposure to regional pollution and pollution from local traffic sources during pregnancy and the first year of life has been associated with more than a twofold risk for autism in children, according to recent study results. Read more

RANBP1 gene may increase risk for severe ASD subtypes

Recent findings suggest the RANBP1 gene may have a significant role in increasing risk for severe subtypes of autism concurrent with other genetic diseases. Read more

New self-assessment accurately measures repetitive behaviors among adults with autism

Results from two studies suggest that the Repetitive Behaviors Questionnaire-2 may be a useful self-report measure of restricted and repetitive behaviors among adults with autism spectrum disorder. Read more

For more information:

http://www.autism-society.org/get-involved/national-autism-awareness-month/