MUSC is a clinical partner in groundbreaking autism research
(The Post and Courier) - Researchers know that autism, a disorder associated with social and communication challenges, is caused both by genetics and by environmental factors. SPARK, an autism study launched last year by the Simons Foundation, aims to one day provide answers to the question of what causes autism and pinpoint potential treatments for the range of disorders on the autism spectrum. The Simons Foundation is a major research funder, particularly in the autism field.
"It would be nice to give them some real answers," said Laura Carpenter, a professor of pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina. MUSC became one of four new clinical partners in the study this year.
Carpenter said the average size of a study on autism is about 100 participants. Finding answers to autism's key questions has been a challenge because of such small sample sizes. Because autism disorders fall on a spectrum and symptoms associated with it can vary widely, much more genetic information is needed in order to draw conclusions. SPARK aims to enroll 50,000 study subjects nationwide and make their genetic information available — after informed consent is given — to researchers across the country.
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