Mike's Blog (2)

A Genetic Clue to Why Autism Affects Boys More Among the many mysteries that befuddle autism researchers: why the disorder affects boys four times more often than girls. But in new findings reported online today by the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers say they have found a genetic clue that may help explain the disparity. The newly discovered autism-risk gene, identified by authors as CACNA1G, is more common in boys than in girls (why that's so is still not clear), and the authors su… Continue

Tuesday, Apr. 28, 2009 Genetic Variations That Play Key Role in Autism Are Identified in New Studies By Claudia Wallis Eileen Muniz of Mohegan Lake, New York, cannot imagine what bizarre twist of fate caused all three of her children to be afflicted with autism spectrum disorders. There's no family history of autism, she says. "You always ask yourself: is it me? Is it him [her ex-husband]? I had my kids late — in my mid-30s. Was I on the birth control pill too long? I never did drugs. I don't s… Continue