Montrealers to study genetic factors in autism
15.05.2008 15:02
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
The Montreal Children's Hospital is looking for 200 families to help in a major international study on autism. Researchers at the university have teamed up with colleagues at a dozen schools in the United States in an effort to learn about the genetic factors behind the neurological disorder. Over the next three years, the study aims to involve 2,000 autism patients and their families. The number of autism cases is on the rise in North America, but scientists don't know much about what causes it. In Canada, one child in 165 has autism, according to the Autism Society of Canada. For this study, researchers will look at families where only one child has autism. By doing so they hope to find out more about a kind of genetic mutation that has been implicated in many cases of the disorder. They will also assess the behaviour of the child with autism and gather DNA from all family members. Dr. Eric Fombonne, the head of the division of Child Psychiatry at McGill University and director of the department of psychiatry at the Montreal Children's Hospital, is leading the Montreal team. He says this is a groundbreaking study that will help scientists isolate the genes associated with autism. The findings will go into an online database which will be accessible to the scientific community and will serve as a tool for future research. The Montreal researchers hope to recruit 200 families with one autistic child at least four years old by the end of 2009. Post a commentPeople have commented on this storyRecommend this storyPeople have recommended this storyStory Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKStory comments (0)Sort:Most recent | First to last | Most recommendedPost your commentNote: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are pre-moderated/reviewed and published according to our submission guidelines. Comment:Characters allowed: 2500PostSubmission policyRelatedInternal LinksGene may increase autism risk: studyAutistic mouse may offer clues about condition, treatmentsIn Depth: AutismHealth HeadlinesU.S. court overturns verdict in Vioxx case00A Texas court has overturned a multimillion-dollar verdict against Merck and Company, the former maker of Vioxx. Overworked, unsupported nurses more likely to report drug errors00Nurses who worked in hospitals that were understaffed or had inadequate resources were most likely to report medication mistakes, a new survey finds. Cancer inquiry questions have precedent, Kennedy insists00Newfoundland and Labrador's justice minister has swung back against critics of his comments on the Cameron inquiry, saying a previous Liberal government raised similar questions about a previous commission. Discovery of HPV in male oral cancers leads to vaccination call00There's growing evidence that the virus that causes cervical cancer in women is also linked to cancers in men, leading some health professionals to call for an HPV vaccination program for boys. Eastern Health 'a real blur' during early months, cancer inquiry told00The former top doctor at Eastern Health has told a judicial inquiry that revelations of breast cancer testing problems emerged during the authority's chaotic early months. Health FeaturesIN DEPTHCholeraDisease of disasterCONSUMERCalorie trackerVIDEOImmigrant healthA decline in health after settling in (Runs 4:09)HEALTHOsteoporosisWhy men should worry about bone lossHEALTHLightning ProcessControversial training program comes to CanadaPeople who read this also read …
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