The quest to understand what causes autism may have just taken a step forward. Scientists have found a genetic pathway that leads the brain to grow fewer synapses at a critical time in brain development. This means less communication between brain cells. Less communication impairs learning and could be a pathway in the development of autism and other disorders.

The study authors started with the knowledge that “variants in the ANK3 gene encoding ankyrin-G are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, including intellectual disability, autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.” But until now, no one has known how exactly these variants actually lead to autism at a biological level. FULLSTORY HERE