# Researchers find first common Autism Gene

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/researchers-find-first-common-autism-gene/494866>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 30, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/researchers-find-first-common-autism-gene/494866 "2009-04-30T17:40:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/researchers-find-first-common-autism-gene/494866/1 "2009-04-30T17:40:32Z")

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Well, this will make the anti-vaxing debate interesting:

[Researchers find first common Autism Gene](http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE53R7I720090428?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=10508&sp=true):

> [@](#):
>
> Researchers have found the first common genetic link to autism and said on Tuesday it could potentially account for 15 percent of the disease’s cases.
> 
> Three studies, two in the journal Nature and one in Molecular Psychiatry, suggest changes in brain connections could underlie some cases.
> 
> While the findings do not immediately offer hope for a treatment, they do help explain the underlying causes of the condition, which affects as many as one in 150 children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
> 
> “These findings establish that genetic factors play a strong role in autism spectrum disorder,” National Institutes of Health acting director Dr. Raynard Kington said in a statement.

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**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/researchers-find-first-common-autism-gene/494866/2 "2009-04-30T18:17:50Z")

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The anti-vax crowd has never shown the slightest inclination to be interested in science. Why should they start now?

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**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/researchers-find-first-common-autism-gene/494866/3 "2009-05-01T11:46:12Z")

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Yeah, I doubt this will change anything. Even before this, there was plenty of rational information to debunk the anti-vaccination paranoia, but those who want to believe in it will disregard evidence to the contrary.

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/researchers-find-first-common-autism-gene/494866/4 "2009-05-01T12:35:04Z")

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Dammit. [This blows my swine flu preparedness right straight to Hell.](http://xkcd.com/574/) (Last entry.)