Genetic testing; LSD1 inhibitors; and more

Guidance counseled: Less than 26 percent of U.S. children with autism and intellectual disability on Medicaid receive genetic testing for the conditions, according to a new study. The study cohort, which included 241,060 children, tracked Medicaid claims from 2008 to 2016. The rate of genetic testing is low, considering that since 2010 the American College of Medical Genetics has recommended these tests for anyone with unexplained autism or intellectual disability. Genetics in Medicine

Missed connections: In mice, a loss-of-function variant in the autism-linked gene ADNP leads to diminished synapse signaling in the prefrontal cortex, a new study shows. Treatment with an LSD1 inhibitor could rescue this synaptic transmission, the investigators found. The Transmitter has covered similar treatments before, including GSK-LSD1, which alters social and repetitive behaviors in a mouse model of autism. Autism Research

More autism research we spotted: 

• “Autism rates have increased 60-fold. I played a role in that.” The New York Times
• “Revealing function-altering MECP2 mutations in individuals with autism spectrum disorder using yeast and Drosophila” Genetics
• “Comparative analysis of autistic women across the lifespan: Childhood vs. adulthood diagnosis” Autism Research
• “Online coding of the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) to capture treatment response in minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder” Digital Health
• “Differing patterns of face processing in infants at elevated likelihood of autism” Infant Behavior and Development
• “No evidence that human GIGYF2 interacts with GRB10: Implications for human disease” Life Science Alliance
• “Persistent cortical excitatory neuron dysregulation in adult CHD8 haploinsufficient mice” bioRxiv