Autism-linked genes alter sleep behavior, and more

Sleeping flies: Gene variants linked to autism may also give rise to differences n sleep behaviors, according to two new Drosophila studies. In one study, flies with FOXP variants exhibit “severely fragmented and reduced sleep,” in addition to disruptions in circadian rhythms. In the other, a preprint, investigators engineered flies with NLGN3 variants and found altered sleep patterns, although they describe mechanistic differences among the three variants they tested—some disrupted synaptic development, and others altered synaptic function.

Autism research spotted this week: 

• “Autism and cortical thickness deviation from neurotypical controls: Evidence for a spatial association with serotonin receptors” Autism Research
• “‘The best way we can stop suicides is by making lives worth living’: A mixed-methods survey in the UK of perspectives on suicide prevention from the autism community” eClinical Medicine
• “Language abilities associated with household income and parental education level in autistic children during early childhood” Autism Research
• “Qualitative EEG abnormalities in ASD reflect inhibition-dominated brain dynamics” Scientific Reports
• “SETD5 dysfunction in human astrocytes drives IL-6-mediated neuronal impairments via the JAK/STAT signaling pathway” bioRxiv
• “Labor epidural analgesia and autism spectrum disorder in offspring: A population-based case–control study” Autism Research
  See also: “A questionable study linked epidurals to autism. Then what?”
• “Regulation of autism-related self-injurious behaviour by electrical stimulation of corticostriatal circuits in mice and humans” Science Advances

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, help is available. Here is a worldwide directory of resources and hotlines that you can call for support.