The New Genetics of Autism – Why Environment Matters
By Thomas Insel on April 04, 2012
Dr. Insel discusses how new research may help tie together seemingly disparate findings in genetic vs environmental risk factors in autism spectrum disorders.
NIMH Pages about Genetics
Publications about Genetics
- Looking at My Genes: What Can They Tell Me?
- A fact sheet containing frequently asked questions about genome scans and genetic testing.
Science News about Genetics
- Spontaneous Gene Glitches Linked to Autism Risk with Older Dads
- Press Release • April 04, 2012
A trio of new studies have found that sequence changes in parts of genes that code for proteins play a significant role in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). - Friendly-to-a-Fault, Yet Tense: Personality Traits Traced in Brain
- Press Release • March 19, 2012
NIH scientists have used three different types of brain imaging to pinpoint a circuit hub buried deep in the front center of the brain in people with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by overly gregarious yet anxious behavior. - Gene Regulator in Brain’s Executive Hub Tracked Across Lifespan – NIH study
- Press Release • February 02, 2012
For the first time, scientists have tracked the activity, across the lifespan, of an environmentally responsive regulatory mechanism that turns genes on and off in the brain’s executive hub. Among key findings of the study by National Institutes of Health scientists: genes implicated in schizophrenia and autism turn out to be members of a select club of genes in which regulatory activity peaks during an environmentally-sensitive critical period in development. - Turning on Dormant Gene May Hold Key for Correcting a Neurodevelopmental Defect
- Science Update • January 05, 2012
Scientists working in cell culture and in mice have been able to correct the loss of gene activity underlying a rare but severe developmental disorder by turning on a gene that is normally silenced in brain cells. - Suspect Gene Variants Boost PTSD Risk after Mass Shooting
- Science Update • December 01, 2011
College students exposed to a mass shooting were 20-30 percent more likely to later develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms if they harbored a risk version of a gene, NIMH-funded researchers have discovered.
More Science News about Genetics
Posts about Genetics
NIMH’s Top 10 Research Advances of 2011
By Thomas Insel on December 23, 2011
Dr. Insel shares NIMH’s Top 10 Research Advances for 2011.
Neuroscience Advances Showcased in Washington
By Thomas Insel on November 18, 2011
Dr. Insel reflects on an exciting neuroscience conference where an increasing interest in neuropsychiatric disorders was evident.
A New Picture of Brain Development
By Thomas Insel on October 28, 2011
Two papers published this week in Nature provide the first maps of the molecular development of the human brain. Mapping brain development by changes in gene expression gives us a new level of precision and raises new possibilities for understanding the mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders.Psychiatric Genetics: More Pieces of the Puzzle
By Thomas Insel on October 04, 2011
Results of the two largest studies of their kind, to date, have identified new common gene variants associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The results implicate specific pathways and hold promise for development of new treatments.
NIMH Topics
Disorders
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Anxiety Disorders
- Autism
- Bipolar Disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Depression
- Eating Disorders
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Panic Disorder
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Social Phobia
Populations
- Older Adults
- Men's Mental Health
- Military Servicemembers
- Women's Mental Health
- Children and Adolescents
