In Brief

People with autism, unlike controls, do not show distinct patterns of brain activity when evaluating scenarios that require them to infer others’ thoughts, according to two studies published in the past two months.

Chromosomal duplications or deletions may influence autism-linked genes indirectly, by altering fragments of RNA that regulate gene expression, according to a study published 25 February in PLoS One. 

The onset of Rett syndrome, which is marked by the sudden loss of speech and motor skills, is more gradual than previously believed, according to two studies published in the past few months.

Prenatal exposure of rats to the epilepsy drug valproic acid leads to behavioral and brain features that resemble autism, in males more than in females, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Neurochemistry.

Infants at high risk of developing autism do not show the typical tendency to shift their language processing ability to one side of the brain around 9 months of age, according to a study published in December in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.