Abstract
Autism is a highly variable neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and verbal and non-verbal communication, and by restricted, repetitive or stereotyped behaviour. The prevalence of autism is about 1-2 per 1000 people worldwide.
The diagnostic criteria require that symptoms become apparent before a child is three years old. Childhood autism is the most severe one of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs is not well understood. Autism has a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by rare mutations, or by rare combinations of common genetic variants.
Autism is a severe disorder with a large impact on the patient, his family and the healthcare system. Therefore studying ASD is a clear priority.