Origin of a Theory: Excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in the brain as a factor in autism

In 2001, Dr. John P. Hussman published a novel hypothesis in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders concerning the neurological basis of autism. Drawing together findings from genetic, clinical and neurobiological lines of autism research, Hussman proposed that much of the evidence on autism to date was consistent with disruption in the balance between…

A role for the cerebellum in autism: New review synthesizes the evidence

In their new review, Dr. David Hampson, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of Toronto, and Dr. Gene Blatt, Director of Neuroscience at the Hussman Institute for Autism, integrate a broad range of research findings to convincingly portray the cerebellum as an important player in autism. Long believed to function primarily as a regulator of…

Promise and Pitfalls: New paper reviews the use of induced pluripotent stem cells in autism research

By Sarah Hansen A recent review by team members at the Hussman Institute for Autism (HIA) discusses new and emerging technologies related to the use of induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs. iPSCs are mature cells, such as skin cells or blood cells, that have been experimentally coaxed (“induced”) into a state where they can…

Recent genetic analyses help focus future autism research on neuronal connectivity pathways

By Sarah Hansen One of the challenges of genetically complex conditions like autism is that no single gene explains more than a tiny fraction of cases. Instead, the growing consensus is that numerous genes are responsible, and produce their effect by impacting the same biological “pathways.” A 2011 study authored by John P. Hussman and…