Re: Article~Autism risk gene linked to differences in brain structure

[Guest guest]

Heh. You got my attention, - you *knew* you would!

Newland wrote:

> *Autism risk gene linked to differences in brain structure*

>

> http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-03/mali-arg032112.php

That's the publisher's Press Release...

>

> The research they are referring to is available online @

> http://online.liebertpub.com/toc/brain/0/ja

>

> Scroll down to:

....announcing the actual article:

>

> *Altered Structural Brain Connectivity in Healthy rs of the Autism

> Risk Gene, CNTNAP2* Description: free access

>

> Larson Dennis, Neda Jahanshad, D Rudie, A Brown,

> Kori , McMahon, Greig de Zubicaray, Grant Montgomery,

> , Margaret , Bookheimer, Mirella Dapretto,

> Arthur Toga,

>

> Brain Connectivity. Feb 2012, ahead of print.

....which I read in its entirety.

>

> Abstract <http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/brain.2011.0064>

> | Full Text PDF

> <http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/brain.2011.0064> |

[ snip ]

The authors say very little about autism itself - essentially nothing.

It's all more their demonstration that a very complicated investigative

method could be useful in neurological research. However, IMO their

choice of target gene - CNTNAP2 - is unfortunate.

It *is* an " autism 'risk' gene " in the sense there is a statistical

" association " with a population " having " autism. There are many, many

such " risk " genes. But CNTNAP2 *also* has a strong association with

" seizures " (acknowledged in the Introduction).

So they *could* have put " Seizure Risk Gene " in their title (instead of

Autism) without changing one iota of their real message - the putative

usefulness of a technique.

But that's " science " , ...these days.

- Bill ...AS, retired geneticist

--

WD " Bill " Loughman - Berkeley, California USA

http://home.earthlink.net/~wdloughman/wdl.htm

[Guest guest]

Heh. You got my attention, - you *knew* you would!

Newland wrote:

> *Autism risk gene linked to differences in brain structure*

>

> http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-03/mali-arg032112.php

That's the publisher's Press Release...

>

> The research they are referring to is available online @

> http://online.liebertpub.com/toc/brain/0/ja

>

> Scroll down to:

....announcing the actual article:

>

> *Altered Structural Brain Connectivity in Healthy rs of the Autism

> Risk Gene, CNTNAP2* Description: free access

>

> Larson Dennis, Neda Jahanshad, D Rudie, A Brown,

> Kori , McMahon, Greig de Zubicaray, Grant Montgomery,

> , Margaret , Bookheimer, Mirella Dapretto,

> Arthur Toga,

>

> Brain Connectivity. Feb 2012, ahead of print.

....which I read in its entirety.

>

> Abstract <http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/brain.2011.0064>

> | Full Text PDF

> <http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/brain.2011.0064> |

[ snip ]

The authors say very little about autism itself - essentially nothing.

It's all more their demonstration that a very complicated investigative

method could be useful in neurological research. However, IMO their

choice of target gene - CNTNAP2 - is unfortunate.

It *is* an " autism 'risk' gene " in the sense there is a statistical

" association " with a population " having " autism. There are many, many

such " risk " genes. But CNTNAP2 *also* has a strong association with

" seizures " (acknowledged in the Introduction).

So they *could* have put " Seizure Risk Gene " in their title (instead of

Autism) without changing one iota of their real message - the putative

usefulness of a technique.

But that's " science " , ...these days.

- Bill ...AS, retired geneticist

--

WD " Bill " Loughman - Berkeley, California USA

http://home.earthlink.net/~wdloughman/wdl.htm

[Guest guest]

Newland wrote:

> Bill:

>

> I was hoping you would comment. Your field was research and it is always

> good to see things through another lens as I am just a lay person.

De nada; always glad to be helpful.

Research was only a part of my career. My last years before

retiring were *clinical* - almost entirely. ...Maybe useful for List

subscribers to know.

>

> Many Thanks!

>

>

>

> Heh. You got my attention, - you *knew* you would!

- Bill ...AS, retired ( clinical & research ) geneticist

--

WD " Bill " Loughman - Berkeley, California USA

http://home.earthlink.net/~wdloughman/wdl.htm