Neurobiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism is a set of developmental disorders that affects more than a million children in the US. It is characterized by difficulty in learning language, repetitive movements, limited interests, and social and cognitive difficulties. Autism costs billions of dollars to treat and exacts a large toll on patients, families and educational systems. Even though autism is common, we know very little about its causes, and our behavioral and medical treatments are still woefully inadequate. The last few decades have been devoted to the discovery of genes that contribute to the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Despite the discovery of many susceptibility genes, little is know about the how these genes drive the neurological mechanisms of the disorder, exactly what those mechanisms are, and which pharmacological treatments might work.
Stanford scientists are taking several approaches to understanding the neural circuit dysfunctions that cause autism. They are using state-of-the-art imaging techniques and genetic analysis to study patients. They are developing animal models that express the same genetic abnormalities as human patients so that they can study brain function at the molecular, cellular, circuit and behavioral level. And they are using a new technique in which they take skin cells from children with autism and convert them into neurons, thereby allowing researchers to study individual’s brain cells in a controlled laboratory setting. With these capabilities, Stanford is in a unique position to develop new ideas for understanding autism and new therapies to treat it.
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