"SPARK seeks to gather genetic and behavioral data from hundreds of thousands of individuals with autism and their families across the United States, to identify the many genetic variants that contribute to autism spectrum disorder (SPARK for Autism, n.d.). In one of its most striking early findings, SPARK researchers reported that approximately 9 percent of participants who submitted saliva samples were found to carry a genetic variant strongly linked to autism (Wright et al., 2024)."
"Today, the pieces are coming together more rapidly than ever before. Landmark projects such as the SPARK initiative, along with the pioneering cognitive research of Daniel L. Schacter, are helping us understand how autism touches both our biology and our minds. While these lines of research approach autism from different angles, one from the level of genes and inheritance and the other from the structure of human memory and imagination, together they are changing how we think about what it means to be autistic."
Autism arises from many distinct genetic pathways rather than a single causative gene. Large-scale initiatives like SPARK collect genetic and behavioral data from hundreds of thousands of autistic individuals and their families to identify contributing genetic variants. Early SPARK results found about 9 percent of participants carried a genetic variant strongly linked to autism, and genome-wide association studies powered by SPARK have revealed new common genetic risk regions. These findings expand understanding beyond rare high-impact mutations and connect genetic variation to brain and cognitive differences. Gene–brain–cognition insights are expected to enable personalized supports and interventions.
#autism-genetics #spark-study #genome-wide-association #cognitive-neuroscience #personalized-interventions
Read at Psychology Today
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