Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Link between autism genes and higher intelligence




Researchers have found evidence linking genetic factors associated with autism to better cognitive ability in people who do not have the condition. They say that although 70% of people with autism have an intellectual disability, some people have average, or even higher than average non-verbal intelligence. Autism causes language and speech disabilities, but non verbal intelligence includes more hands on skills and problem solving that needs little to no use of language.

Researchers at the university of Edinburgh and Queensland tested 10,000 people for cognitive ability and analyzed their DNA. They found that the people who never developed autism, but carried traits linked to the disability, scored higher on cognitive tests.

Researchers did the same tests on 921 adolescents who were part of the Brisbane Adolescent Twin Study, and found further evidence. Dr. Toni-Kim Clarke, of the University of Edinburgh's Division of Psychiatry, who led the study, said: "Our findings show that genetic variation which increases risk for autism is associated with better cognitive ability in non-autistic individuals. As we begin to understand how genetic variants associated with autism impact brain function, we may begin to further understand the nature of autistic intelligence."

I found this article interesting because even though people associate autism with needing extra cognitive help and more attention, it shows that some are actually very intelligent but just can't express it verbally. I also found it interesting how people who carried genes that were related to autism scored higher on average on cognitive tests.



Original Article

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