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Are There Genetic Causes of Autism?
Autism was recognized as a disease and was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM in 1980. Since then, much research has been conducted on the causes of autism with the hope that if a cause is found, it will lead the way to a cure. As of now, there are no known cures and the causes are still being debated. There is a lot of speculation that there are genetic causes of autism and medical science is making strides in proving this. If genetic causes of autism are found and proven, there is the possibility that tests can be done to see if someone is predisposed to autism and possibly to help find medication to help alleviate symptoms or even cure the disease. Recently researchers working on the Utah Autism Research Project at the University of Utah have made strides in finding genetic causes of autism. The experiment was conducted on an extended family with an unusually high occurrence of autism in their family. DNA tests were conducted and the findings are revolutionary. The researchers discovered a gene that seemed to be a link to autism. An independent study in Finland came to the same conclusions. This leads scientists to believe that there are genetic causes to autism and they may be very close to identifying what those are. To continue this type of research to discover genetic causes of autism, the Yale School of Medicine Child Study Center, in conjunction with several other institutions, have accepted a donation to further research. The goal of the project is to create a data bank of DNA samples from people who have been diagnosed with autism from around the country. These samples will be used to further studies on autism. If genetic links can be found, this information can be used to further develop treatment plans. Because the reported diagnoses of autism throughout the country are growing substantially, it is on the radar and in the public eye. This is a good thing because increased awareness means increased funding and increased research. As of now, there is a debate as to whether or not there are genetic causes of autism, whether there are environmental factors or a combination of both. Most scientists seem to theorize that there is some evidence of genetic causes of autism simply because families with a history of it seem to have a higher occurrence of it in future generations. But nothing is confirmed yet. The continued research scientists throughout the country are conducting, though, may make strides in finding a definitive answer.
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This intel was contributed by taxman
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May, 2012
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