Autism, an entirely behavioural diagnosis with no largely understood ætiologies and no population-wide biomarkers, contrasts with fragile X syndrome (FXS), a single-gene disorder with definite alterations of gene expression and neuronal morphology. Nevertheless, the behavioural overlap between autism and FXS suggests some overlapping mechanisms. Understanding how the single-gene alteration in FXS plays out within complex genetic and neural network processes may suggest targets for autism research and illustrate strategies for relating autism to more singular genetic syndromes.

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