Scientists Identify Gene Linked to Autism’s Core Traits—Without Affecting Learning or Memory

A new study suggests social and repetitive behaviors may follow a different biological pathway than other developmental challenges often associated with autism.

A new study suggests some of autism’s core social and repetitive behaviors may be linked to a distinct biological pathway, raising new questions about how different autism traits develop and how future treatments could be targeted.

For decades, autism researchers have searched for the genetic factors that contribute to autism spectrum disorder. Hundreds of genes have been linked to autism, helping scientists better understand how the condition develops and why autistic individuals can have such diverse experiences.

Most of those discoveries, however, have come with a familiar challenge. The same genetic changes associated with autism often affect many other aspects of development, including learning, memory, attention, language, and intellectual functioning. As a result, researchers have struggled to separate the biology underlying autism’s core characteristics from the biology involved in broader developmental disabilities.

A new study may offer an important clue.

Researchers have identi…