In Brief

A single gene mutation leads to Rett syndrome, but other variants may modify the severity of an individual's symptoms, according to a study published 28 February in PLoS One.

A 36-question survey detects features of autism in as much as 23 percent of parents of children with autism and 9 percent of control parents, researchers reported 20 February in Autism Research.

Maternal antibodies that raise the risk of autism when a fetus is exposed to them in utero may lead to elevated head size in the child, according to a study published 8 February in Brain, Behavior and Immunity.

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.