Research adds to evidence that autism is a brain 'connectivity' disorder - 1 views
www.physorg.com/news182327031.html
autism research autism spectrum autism spectrum disorders brain miswiring
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Now, researchers led by Mustafa Sahin, MD, PhD, of Children's Department of Neurology, provide evidence that mutations in one of the TSC's causative genes, known as TSC2, prevent growing nerve fibers (axons) from finding their proper destinations in the developing brain.
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Sahin and colleagues showed that when mouse neurons were deficient in TSC2, their axons failed to land in the right places.
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Further investigation showed that the axons' tips, known as "growth cones," did not respond to navigation cues from a group of molecules called ephrins.
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Although the study looked only at retinal connections to the brain, the researchers believe their findings may have general relevance for the organization of the developing brain. Scientists speculate that in autism, wiring may be abnormal in the areas of the brain involved in social cognition.