COLD SPRING HARBOR, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- March 15, 2007 -- Autism is thought to be the most highly heritable of all neuro-psychiatric disorders. Yet, most cases of this childhood developmental disorder that severely affects social interaction and communication are “sporadic” and come with no family history. New research, led by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists Jonathan Sebat, Lakshmi Muthuswamy and Michael Wigler, has found a distinction between heritable and sporadic forms of the disease. These findings may influence future autism research and diagnostic testing.
