Comments on: Evidence for gene-autism link just published https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/ Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:48:22 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.8 By: Kathryn https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538678 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:48:22 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538678 Luna the cat: Thanks for the linked article! This looks very, very significant. If it’s (eventually) possible to use their findings as a basis for a treatment–rather than just a marker for genetic screening–this could be a huge breakthrough in improving the lives of children with autism. High-functioning autism can be viewed as a difference rather than a disorder, but the kids with severe autism don’t seem to enjoy their lives.

]]> By: Azkyroth https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538677 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:01:40 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538677

Did they really have to refer to the controls as ‘disease-free’?

Of course they did. There was a recent study that indicated that people with ASDs are less prone to having their decisions affected by manipulative emotional appeals; the mental gymnastics that many of those reporting on the study went through in order to characterize this as a “deficiency” were practically olympic material.

]]> By: Luna_the_cat https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538676 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:36:55 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538676 Another bit of research on the genetics of autism also came out this week, albeit with less fanfare:

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mediareleases/release.php?id=1870

Rearrangements of the gene EIF4E in severe autism.

]]> By: daedalus2u https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538675 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:41:19 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538675 Sorry to be down on this study, but most of the individuals with the copy number variants didnâ??t have autism. If you look at supplement table 2, among the deletions and duplications there were more unaffected family members with the CNVs than people with autism.

There were only 5 CNVs (out of 361) that had zero unaffected carriers.

A smoking gun for autism, this isnâ??t.

]]> By: Jason Thibeault https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538674 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:28:33 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538674 I’ve been waiting for this for a while! Not that this will shut up Jim and Jenny but still. Evidence-based science for the win!

Lucas: agreed, I thought autism was considered a “condition”, not a “disease”. But I’ve also been told I’m too much a stickler for word meanings.

]]> By: Lucas McCarty https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538673 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:58:23 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538673 Did they really have to refer to the controls as ‘disease-free’?

]]> By: Jay Kanta https://gregladen.com/blog/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538672 Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:48:31 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2009/06/26/evidence-for-gene-autism-link/#comment-538672 An incredible study with massive implications for the future of autism. Too bad it is overshadowed by the death of a washed up pop star.

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