Infant social attention: an endophenotype of ASD-related traits?

ABSTRACT:

Background

As a neurodevelopmental disorder, symptoms of ASD likely emerge from a complex interaction between preexisting genetic vulnerabilities and the child's environment. One way to understand causal paths to ASD is to identify dimensional ASD-related traits that vary in the general population and that predispose individuals with other risk factors toward ASD. Moving beyond behavioral traits to explore underlying neurocognitive processes may further constrain the underlying genetics. Endophenotypes are quantitative, heritable, trait-related differences that are generally assessed with laboratory-based methods, can be identified in the general population, and may be more closely tied to particular causal chains that have a more restricted set of genetic roots. The most fruitful

SUBMITTER: Jones EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5993542 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature