Brief Report: Genetic Links Between Autism and Suicidal Behavior-A Preliminary Investigation.
Emily DiBlasiAnne V KirbyEoin GajAnna R DochertyBrooks R KeeshinAmanda V BakianHilary CoonPublished in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders (2020)
Evidence suggests there may be increased risk for suicidal behavior among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An emerging body of research explores social factors that may contribute to increased risk, however little is known about the potential role of biological factors. The current project addresses this knowledge gap through a preliminary study of genes associated with both ASD and suicidal behavior. Gene set enrichment tests of eight genes strongly associated with both ASD and suicidal behavior revealed overrepresentation of nine biological processes, including cognition and synapse function, and 14 cellular components, including the neuron, the synapse, and the synaptic and postsynaptic membrane. These results can be used to inform future investigations of the biological underpinnings of suicidal behavior and ASD.
Keyphrases
- autism spectrum disorder
- depressive symptoms
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- intellectual disability
- genome wide
- healthcare
- mental health
- multiple sclerosis
- copy number
- dna methylation
- risk assessment
- single cell
- white matter
- gene expression
- working memory
- mild cognitive impairment
- human health
- climate change
- bioinformatics analysis