New research has linked a gene involved in development of the brain with autism. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, autism affects between 1 in 500 and 1 in 2,500 Americans and begins in early childhood. It's a disease that impairs thinking, feeling, language and the ability to relate to others. Researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health say rare mutations in the gene known as WNT2 in the brain may significantly increase one's chance of developing autism. This gene, found on chromosome 7, is thought to be expressed in the area of the brain known as the thalamus.
Researchers believe in autistic individuals the thalamus functions abnormally.
When looking at the group of 16 WNT genes, researchers found mice bred without these genes showed signs of decreased social interaction, much like people with autism. In studying 135 people with autism, researchers noticed 2 families with a mutation in the WNT2 gene. Mutations of the gene found in just one of the parents were also present in their offspring affected with autism. Children of the same parents who were not affected with autism had no mutation of the WNT2 gene. Researchers also found more common variations of the gene may be linked to autism to a lesser degree.