Thursday 10 June 2010

Autism and genetics

Autism made the front page of The Independent today with the story that a link between autism and genetics has been discovered for the first time.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/autism-and-genetics-a-breakthrough-that-sheds-light-on-a-medical-mystery-1996221.html

In this article in the same paper the link between testosterone levels and autism discovered by Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues is mentioned - yet it is put in the context of diagnostic testing and the point about testosterone being involved in the mechanism that causes autism fails to be seen - ah well - it will come to light in due course.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/jeremy-laurance-the-biggest-puzzle-is-the-rise-in-cases-in-the-past-30-years-1996222.html

For clarification about how testosterone levels change the DNA transcription and the structure of the left brain you cn do no better than read Left in the Dark by Tony Wright.  For a basic explanation click here.

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