Converging lines of evidence suggest that the earliest events in brain development play a role in autism. On 12 September, the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative brought together a group of scientists to discuss the latest findings on early brain development’s relevance to autism, based on studies ranging from structural imaging in children to analysis of postmortem brains and mouse models.

The chromosomal region 16p11.2, which spans about 29 genes, is strongly linked to autism.  On 27 April, SFARI hosted a workshop to discuss the consequences of duplications or deletions of this region.

Studies suggest that a subset of children with autism make significant social and language gains in the first year of life, and then experience a dramatic loss of skills, termed regression. On 13 February, SFARI hosted a workshop to explore whether children with regression are a unique subgroup, and concluded that most children with autism show a gradual decline in skills rather than an abrupt loss of abilities.

Researchers can use biomarkers to diagnose individuals with autism and to hone in on the underlying causes of the disorder. In July, SFARI held an informal meeting of minds at Stony Brook University to discuss biomarkers for autism.

Preliminary studies suggest that the so-called ‘love hormone’ oxytocin could improve some of the social deficits characteristic of people with autism. On 11 April, SFARI hosted a workshop to explore oxytocin’s relationship to social behavior and its potential as a therapy for autism.

Children with autism often have behaviors that suggest problems with attention. It is unclear whether this attention deficit causes the other symptoms of autism or is a consequence of the disorder. On 4 February, SFARI hosted a workshop to discuss the nature of differences in attention in people with autism.

Researchers need reliable methods to interpret autism candidate genes, including rodent models to assess the impact of genes on behavior. On 4 February, SFARI hosted a workshop to discuss the role of mouse models and behavioral assays in autism research. The participants concluded that the field should invest in techniques that can be standardized across laboratories and emphasized the importance of mouse models for identifying biomarkers and testing therapies.

Much of the recent advances in autism have been on the genetic and behavioral levels of dysfunction present in the disorder. Comparatively little is known about altered function in the underlying neural circuitry. Aiming to generate discussion on the best avenues to pursue in order to better understand the circuitry in autism, SFARI on 17 May held a one-day workshop.

On 5 February 2010, the Simons Foundation gathered a panel of experts to discuss what initially appears to be a surprising and unrelated pair of subjects: autism and fever. Anecdotal reports have found that fever can improve cognitive function and behavior in individuals with autism.

As the number of available DNA samples continues to increase and the cost of sequencing continues to drop, one can't help but want to capture all of the genetic variation that might be contributing to autism susceptibility in these families. Toward this end, SFARI organized a one-day workshop on the prospects for sequencing samples from the Simons Simplex Collection.