Scientists have previously posited that autism’s cause is at the synapse. Mutations in the genes for neuroligins—which ensure that signal transitions between nerve cells function—-have been suggested as a cause of autism.  Neuroscientists at Children’s Hospital Boston have identified what is being called a “master switch” that organizes the functioning of inhibitory synapses. Synapses are the connections between brain cells and enable communication among neurons; they’re essentially for virtually all brain functions, such as memory, sensory perception, motor coordination, learning.
The “master switch” is Npas4, which is a transcription factor, a “switch” that activates or represses other genes; it regulates …read more