Autism's Cause May Reside in Abnormalities at the Synapse

摘要

No one knows what causes autism, which in its broad definition affects about 1 in every 150 children. The impaired social interaction, communication deficits, and restricted and repetitive behaviors seen in people with the condition have confounded scientists since it was first identified in 1943. Because only a minority of autistic persons have severe intellectual disability, and some show exceptional cognitive talents, relatively subtle changes in the brain are probably responsible. Now a flurry of new discoveries is pointing to one possible site of autism's origin: the synapse.